The Mother Code

By: Carole Stivers

Narrated by: Soneela Nankani

What it means to be human - and a mother - is put to the test in Carole Stivers’ debut novel set in a world that is more chilling and precarious than ever.

The year is 2049. When a deadly nonviral agent intended for biowarfare spreads out of control, scientists must scramble to ensure the survival of the human race. They turn to their last resort, a plan to place genetically engineered children inside the cocoons of large-scale robots - to be incubated, birthed, and raised by machines. But there is yet one hope of preserving the human order: an intelligence programmed into these machines that renders each unique in its own right - the Mother Code.

Kai is born in America’s desert Southwest, his only companion his robotic Mother, Rho-Z. Equipped with the knowledge and motivations of a human mother, Rho-Z raises Kai and teaches him how to survive. But as children like Kai come of age, their Mothers transform, too - in ways that were never predicted. And when government survivors decide that the Mothers must be destroyed, Kai is faced with a choice. Will he break the bond he shares with Rho-Z? Or will he fight to save the only parent he has ever known?

Set in a future that could be our own, The Mother Code explores what truly makes us human - and the tenuous nature of the boundaries between us and the machines we create.

©2020 Carole Stivers (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Carole Stivers is far from the first to wonder if motherhood can be scientifically replicated, but this is a thoughtful and thought-provoking addition to that meditation. An end-of-times tale that focuses less on what has been lost and more on what and who might be saved (and how). Stivers' wonderful story settles right on the line between human and machine, as blame and threat and rescue and love shift from character to character in surprising and powerful ways." (Karen Joy Fowler, New York Times best-selling author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves)

“Some stories are so unique, yet so universal, that it is wonder they aren’t a part of the human fable already. Carole Stivers’s The Mother Code, is such a novel. Simply written but powerful, chock full of ideas and extrapolations about what it means to be a mother and all that such a word implies. Both apocalyptic, yet hopeful, treat yourself to this story. You’ll be well rewarded.” (James Rollins, New York Times best-selling author of Crucible)

"I could not put down The Mother Code! Part action adventure, part sci-fi, the novel is suspenseful and cinematic and such a pleasure to read. Carole Stivers is a masterful storyteller and she has combined science, technology and history to tell a beautiful story of humanity and love." (Devi S. Laskar, author of The Atlas of Reds and Blues)

Enjoyed it very much

It grabbed my attention from the beginning to the end! Experienced a complete range of emotions as the story unfolded. All in all it is a very hopeful storyline; interesting, and with believable and relatable characters. A good balance of suspense during the storyline building. It doesn’t seem far fetched at all in this day and age.
I may run through it a second time to pick up on anything that I may have missed earlier. Definitely recommend it.

Imaginative but predictable

I liked the concepts and a lot of the imagery in this book. It has some novel ideas. Unfortunately I got caught up often when it felt like simple communication between the characters or obvious actions would have pretty much negated the conflict.

Overall good

The narrator did an astounding job reading off the book. The narration made it that much easier to follow along.

Mixed feelings

I really liked the premise of this book. The ending was an absolute full stop let down with really no climax or resolution.
Characters and dialog left a lot to be desired. The adults in particular all seemed just as robotic as the the robots. There was nothing at all to differentiate the characters personalities or emotions. There are very few expressions of emotions except from children. These linear characters and and the bland dialogue really put me off. Not once does a character have any complex emotions or motives it was almost cartoonish. The children are little better, because they are children and tend to have simpler motives and emotions.

I felt like the first third of the book could have been condensed considerably and a lot more time could have been given to the children and their struggle.

The fact that this book was on a list of best science fiction for 2020 is either a disappointing statement on contemporary literature. Or, as I suspect, it was put on such a list because someone paid for it to be there. It’s not awful but not award worthy.

New take on “What could go wrong?”

Narrator’s voice took me into this story and the author created realistic characters and situations for me.

Not gonna do it

I'm not going to be forced into leaving a review. My star rating is enough.

It's fine

The idea is great, but delivery needed work. I liked the multiple timeline piece, we are getting a POV from the world that is collapsing that is building these robots for the future, and we are getting a POV from the children born to these robots. The issue is, we're getting SO MANY POV's from people in both timeline's, that the characters never fully develop and you don't get that real attachment to any character.

On of my other issues with this book, and maybe it's because I was listening to the audio version and maybe I missed it, but I think the children are supposed to be around 6-7 years old. With the decisions that they are making that just did not make much sense to me, I pictured them at around 10.

sick and tired of books with no denumont

as I listened to the last chapter not knowing that it was the last chapter I said silently to myself that I really hope that this book has some kind of purpose meaning or resolution only to find out that it was very high on the ranking of some of the most unsatisfying overall storytelling and purpose that I've read in a science fiction book in a long time.
there were some very interesting tie-ins to the native American hippie culture AI and the responsibility of people but the fundamental structure and premise of the book was quite frankly absurd.
I am a huge science fiction fan and have a great capacity to spend expectations in the belief of the crafting of future worlds. but this one was so unrealistic it actually has left me angry at having wasted the time reading this book. the thought that the world could somehow be repopulated by 10-year-olds is stupid I can't think of a better word than that.I am super disappointed because I was really looking forward to a meaningful and purposeful book a long lines of an Isaac Asimov or other great science fiction storyteller this is not that book.

Boring Not Inspired

Once again, too much introspection, talking, blah blah, blah. No action a real yawner!!!! Passion, action, suspense go a long way....