Orphans of Chaos
Encyclopedia
Orphans of Chaos is a 2005 fantasy
novel
by John C. Wright. It is the first volume of a trilogy that continues with the novels Fugitives of Chaos (2006) and Titans of Chaos (2007).
The story largely concerns the main characters' investigations and discoveries about an otherworldly power struggle, and their place within it.
numerical designations; when they reach school age they are allowed to select names for themselves. ("Secunda," the narrator of the novels, chooses a name that expresses her admiration for Amelia Earhart
and her fascination with exploration, geography, and travel.) Only in their teens do the five discover their true identities:
Other characters in the novel participate in this pattern of multiple identities. Reginald Boggin, the headmaster of the children's school, is actually Boreas, the ancient Greek
personification of the north wind. His staff is composed of a Thessalian witch, a cyclops
, and similar exotic beings. The music teacher, Miss Daw, is Thelxiepia the siren
; the caretaker, Mr. Glum, is Grendel
, the monster from Beowulf
, in human form. (And Glum's talking dog is Lelaps, the hunting hound of Artemis
.)
or Mars
; "Lord Talbot" is Mulciber, Vulcan
. Most of the major deities of the Greek pantheon have roles in the novel and its successors; many secondary figures like Boreas and Orpheus
also appear, along with decidedly minor personalities like Laverna
, Corus, and Pherespondus the satyr
. Wright structures his fictional world on the Greeks' primal creation myth, the rebellion of the Olympian gods against their progenitors, Saturn
and the other Titans.
The author combines this traditional mythology with science-fiction elements. In his cosmos, the Phaiacians are not merely the ancient people familiar from the Odyssey
, but a race of otherworldly beings with remarkable abilities. The other four teenage protagonists each derive from a different order of non-human, pre-Olympian life, with their own strange natures and capacities; the Olympians regard them as monsters of Chaos
. Wright blends mythological, classical, and Homer
ic elements with Science Fiction in surprising ways; his Laestrygonians
are Martians, while his Atlanteans
sail outer space as well as the submarine oceans of the Earth.
as a science fiction writer who has devoted significant attention to the theme of the fourth dimension.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by John C. Wright. It is the first volume of a trilogy that continues with the novels Fugitives of Chaos (2006) and Titans of Chaos (2007).
Plot synopsis
Five orphans who have spent their lives in a luxurious but strict and secretive British boarding school (Saint Dymphna's School and College for Destitute Children) begin to discover that they are different from the other children that they so rarely see. The five also discover that the patrons of the school and their own guardians are not the Englishmen that they seem to be. Instead these adults represent strange powers. The children's curiosity is further piqued when they learn that they themselves possess unique paranormal abilities.The story largely concerns the main characters' investigations and discoveries about an otherworldly power struggle, and their place within it.
Names and identities
Themes of naming and identity, both assumed and genuine, are important in the novel and the trilogy it opens. The five child-protagonists are first known only by simple LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
numerical designations; when they reach school age they are allowed to select names for themselves. ("Secunda," the narrator of the novels, chooses a name that expresses her admiration for Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
and her fascination with exploration, geography, and travel.) Only in their teens do the five discover their true identities:
- "Primus," who calls himself Victor Invictus Triumph, learns that he is Damnameneus, one of the TelchinesTelchinesIn Greek mythology, the Telchines were the original inhabitants of the island of Rhodes, and were known in Crete and Cyprus....
; - "Secunda," Amelia Armstrong Windrose, is PhaethusaPhaethusaIn Greek mythology, Phaethusa , or Phaëtusa was a daughter of Helios and Neaera, the personification of the brilliant, blinding rays of the sun. With her sister, Lampetia, she guarded the cattle of Thrinacia....
, daughter of the TitanTitan (mythology)In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia and Uranus, that ruled during the legendary Golden Age....
HeliosHeliosHelios was the personification of the Sun in Greek mythology. Homer often calls him simply Titan or Hyperion, while Hesiod and the Homeric Hymn separate him as a son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia or Euryphaessa and brother of the goddesses Selene, the moon, and Eos, the dawn...
and the nymphNymphA nymph in Greek mythology is a female minor nature deity typically associated with a particular location or landform. Different from gods, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young nubile maidens who love to dance and sing;...
Neaera; - "Tertia," Vanity Bonfire Fair, is the PhaiacianScheriaScheria –also known as Scherie or Phaeacia– was a geographical region in Greek mythology, first mentioned in Homer's Odyssey as the home of the Phaiakians and the last destination of Odysseus before returning home to Ithaca.-Odysseus meets Nausikaa:In the Odyssey, after Odysseus sails...
princess NausicaaNausicaaNausicaa is a character in Homer's Odyssey . She is the daughter of King Alcinous and Queen Arete of Phaeacia. Her name, in Greek, means "burner of ships".-Role in the Odyssey:...
, daughter of AlcinuousAlcinousAlcinous or Alkínoös was, in Greek mythology, a son of Nausithous, or of Phaeax , and father of Nausicaa, Halius, Clytoneus and Laodamas with Arete. His name literally means "mighty mind"...
and AreteArete (mythology)In Greek mythology, Queen Arete of Scheria was the wife of Alcinous and mother of Nausicaa and Laodamas. She welcomed Odysseus and treated him hospitably. Her name appears to be associated with the Ionic noun...
; - "Quartinus," Colin Iblis mac FirBolgFir BolgIn Irish mythology the Fir Bolg were one of the races that inhabited the island of Ireland prior to the arrival of the Tuatha Dé Danann.-Mythology:...
, is Prince PhobetorPhobetorIn Greek mythology, Phobetor was one of the Oneiroi, the personifications of dreaming. According to Hesiod, Phobetor is the son of Nyx, the primordial goddess of the Night, produced parthenogenetically, or as Cicero claims, with Erebus, the embodiment of Darkness...
, son of MorpheusMorpheus (mythology)Morpheus in Greek mythology is the god of dreams, leader of the Oneiroi. Morpheus has the ability to take any human form and appear in dreams...
and Nepenthe; - "Quintus," Quentin NemoNemoNemo is a Latin word meaning "no man" or "no one". "Nemo" may also refer to:-Fiction:* Captain Nemo, captain of the submarine Nautilus in Jules Verne's novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Mysterious Island...
, is Eidotheus (or Eidothea), son of ProteusProteusIn Greek mythology, Proteus is an early sea-god, one of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the Sea", whose name suggests the "first" , as protogonos is the "primordial" or the "firstborn". He became the son of Poseidon in the Olympian theogony In Greek mythology, Proteus (Πρωτεύς)...
and the GraeaeGraeaeThe Graeae , were three sisters who shared one eye and one tooth among them. They are one of several trios of archaic goddesses in Greek mythology. The Graeae were daughters of Phorcys and Ceto...
.
Other characters in the novel participate in this pattern of multiple identities. Reginald Boggin, the headmaster of the children's school, is actually Boreas, the ancient Greek
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
personification of the north wind. His staff is composed of a Thessalian witch, a cyclops
Cyclops
A cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
, and similar exotic beings. The music teacher, Miss Daw, is Thelxiepia the siren
Siren
In Greek mythology, the Sirens were three dangerous mermaid like creatures, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Roman poets placed them on an island called Sirenum scopuli...
; the caretaker, Mr. Glum, is Grendel
Grendel
Grendel is one of three antagonists, along with Grendel's mother and the dragon, in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf . Grendel is usually depicted as a monster, though this is the subject of scholarly debate. In the poem, Grendel is feared by all but Beowulf.-Story:The poem Beowulf is contained in...
, the monster from Beowulf
Beowulf
Beowulf , but modern scholars agree in naming it after the hero whose life is its subject." of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature.It survives in a single...
, in human form. (And Glum's talking dog is Lelaps, the hunting hound of Artemis
Artemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
.)
Mythology and Science Fiction
Wright bases the cosmology of the novel firmly in the mythology of ancient Greece. Many of the gods are habitually referred to by an obscure title from mythology. "Lord Mavors," the children's principal antagonist, is AresAres
Ares is the Greek god of war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and...
or Mars
Mars (mythology)
Mars was the Roman god of war and also an agricultural guardian, a combination characteristic of early Rome. He was second in importance only to Jupiter, and he was the most prominent of the military gods worshipped by the Roman legions...
; "Lord Talbot" is Mulciber, Vulcan
Vulcan (mythology)
Vulcan , aka Mulciber, is the god of beneficial and hindering fire, including the fire of volcanoes in ancient Roman religion and Roman Neopaganism. Vulcan is usually depicted with a thunderbolt. He is known as Sethlans in Etruscan mythology...
. Most of the major deities of the Greek pantheon have roles in the novel and its successors; many secondary figures like Boreas and Orpheus
Orpheus
Orpheus was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music; his attempt to retrieve his wife from the underworld; and his death at the hands of those who...
also appear, along with decidedly minor personalities like Laverna
Laverna
In Roman mythology, Laverna was a goddess of thieves, cheats and the underworld. She was propitiated by libations poured with the left hand. The poet Horace and the playwright Plautus call her a goddess of thieves. In Rome, her sanctuary was near the Porta Lavernalis.-References:Michael Jordon,...
, Corus, and Pherespondus the satyr
Satyr
In Greek mythology, satyrs are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus — "satyresses" were a late invention of poets — that roamed the woods and mountains. In myths they are often associated with pipe-playing....
. Wright structures his fictional world on the Greeks' primal creation myth, the rebellion of the Olympian gods against their progenitors, Saturn
Saturn (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Saturn was a major god presiding over agriculture and the harvest time. His reign was depicted as a Golden Age of abundance and peace by many Roman authors. In medieval times he was known as the Roman god of agriculture, justice and strength. He held a sickle in...
and the other Titans.
The author combines this traditional mythology with science-fiction elements. In his cosmos, the Phaiacians are not merely the ancient people familiar from the Odyssey
Odyssey
The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...
, but a race of otherworldly beings with remarkable abilities. The other four teenage protagonists each derive from a different order of non-human, pre-Olympian life, with their own strange natures and capacities; the Olympians regard them as monsters of Chaos
Chaos (mythology)
Chaos refers to the formless or void state preceding the creation of the universe or cosmos in the Greek creation myths, more specifically the initial "gap" created by the original separation of heaven and earth....
. Wright blends mythological, classical, and Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
ic elements with Science Fiction in surprising ways; his Laestrygonians
Laestrygonians
The Laestrygonians are a tribe of giant cannibals from ancient Greek mythology. Odysseus, the main character of Homer's Odyssey, visited them during his journey back home to Ithaca...
are Martians, while his Atlanteans
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
sail outer space as well as the submarine oceans of the Earth.
The fourth dimension
The novel's narrator, Amelia Windrose (or Phaethusa), is one of a race of beings who experience higher spatial dimensions; the concept of the fourth dimension is extensively and imaginatively developed in the book and its sequels. Wright is to some degree comparable to Rudy RuckerRudy Rucker
Rudolf von Bitter Rucker is an American mathematician, computer scientist, science fiction author, and philosopher, and is one of the founders of the cyberpunk literary movement. The author of both fiction and non-fiction, he is best known for the novels in the Ware Tetralogy, the first two of...
as a science fiction writer who has devoted significant attention to the theme of the fourth dimension.
Awards and nominations
- KirkusKirkus ReviewsKirkus Reviews is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus . Kirkus serves the book and literary trade sector, including libraries, publishers, literary and film agents, film and TV producers and booksellers. Kirkus Reviews is published on the first and 15th of each month...
Year's Best list, 2005 - LocusLocus (magazine)Locus, subtitled "The Magazine Of The Science Fiction & Fantasy Field", is published monthly in Oakland, California. It reports on the science fiction and fantasy publishing field, including comprehensive listings of all new books published in the genre. It is considered the news organ and trade...
Recommended Reading list, 2005 - Nebula AwardNebula AwardThe Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
finalist in the Best Novel categoryNebula Award for Best NovelWinners of the Nebula Award for Best Novel, awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year.- Winners and other nominees :...
, 2005