In the next chapter, the story jumps to Year 34 with our second narrator Sylvia, from Generation 2 (the first generation born on Pax). For example, our first narrator is Octavo, the colony's botanist, from Generation 1, with events taking place during Year 1. Semiosis features multiple points of view, from sequential points in time after landing, and from those of different generations (which eventually become their class systems, whether intentionally or not). Not only must they learn about their new environment but also how to survive as they go along. Needless to say, they are already off to a rough start in their pursuit of continuing life on a new planet.

They do not experience a smooth landing – heavier gravity caused one of their pods to crash, killing about a dozen of them and destroying extremely valuable equipment. Semiosis explores how humanity would deal with a new planet that is suitable for human life but inhabits creatures and plants very different than what we know.Ī group of about 50 people (referred to as Generation 1 or Parents) from various locations on Earth and from different professional backgrounds travel to the new planet they call Pax – a journey that takes over 150 years to make. Now imagine having to learn everything about this new planet's ecosystem over again, which had much more time to evolve due to the planet's age in comparison to our familiar earth. We could “start over” and recreate civilization having (ideally) learned from our past mistakes.

Imagine that human life had a second chance at survival and the opportunity to create a utopia on another planet.

Semiosis by sue burke