Buy used:
$7.97
FREE delivery May 20 - 24. Details
Or fastest delivery May 14 - 17. Details
Used: Good | Details
Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta
Condition: Used: Good
Comment: Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

William H. Drinkard
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Elom Hardcover – March 4, 2008

by William H. Drinkard (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 11 ratings
See all formats and editions

Fire from the Goddess and the meat and furs of the mammoth are all that the People need to live. It is a harsh life but a good one and it is one that all cherish.

Young Geerna knows that the time has come for her to become a woman and take up the tasks to keep her people safe. She waits in the Awakening Place, fearful and hopeful as her ordeals come to an end. Then, on the eve of her Womanhood, a shining light descends upon her and her world is torn asunder.

And she embarks on a journey that none of her people could ever envision...

Eons have passed. Cycle upon cycle the Way of the People have remain unchanged: women are artists, men are hunters. Geerna’s Law is the covenant by which humans live in harmony and peace.

But all is about to change. A call has come for The People to choose their champions, and a summons to meet the mysterious creatures who selected Geerna so long ago.

All is unknown. As the brave souls who are chosen venture forth, they will come to discover just how much that pact that Geerna made so long ago has cost them.

And they will have to confront the choices that might help them to finally know true freedom.

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    544 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Tor Books
  4. Publication date
    March 4, 2008
  5. Dimensions
    5.75 x 1.75 x 8.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0765317850
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0765317858
  8. See all details
Next page
All the Little Raindrops: A Novel
"All the Little Raindrops: A Novel" by Mia Sheridan for $10.39
The chilling story of the abduction of two teenagers, their escape, and the dark secrets that, years later, bring them back to the scene of the crime. | Learn more

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This unwieldy debut from former Alabama state senator Drinkard introduces a low-tech world where human reproduction is controlled to concentrate desirable traits. Life is regulated by the scriptures of Geerna, a primitive human who long ago reached a covenant with the goddess Shetow. The wise women of the Medora Council interpret Geerna's words and protect her secret prophecies, overseeing the competitions where adolescents demonstrate their skills and suitability for mating. Occasionally indulging in too-chunky exposition, Drinkard unfolds a world more complicated than it first appears. Seven young men and women, chosen to represent humanity when Shetow passes judgment, soon learn their goddess is not at all what she seemed. Shifting romantic entanglements, team dynamics and personal growth keep the human level interesting despite revelations in which the characters are largely passive, but the eventual pairing off is too pat, and the conclusion ducks the moral questions raised by such social engineering. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Engaging characters in a story told with the feel of a myth passed down by word of mouth."--David Drake, author of Lord of the Isles

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tor Books; First Edition (March 4, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 544 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0765317850
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0765317858
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.4 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 1.75 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 11 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
William H. Drinkard

William H. Drinkard

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
11 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Karen C. Nelson
5.0 out of 5 stars This book will be a Classic!
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2008
Verified Purchase
Wow! What an exciting read! This book is so good, I read it in two days. The characters are memorable, The world is believable, The journey is INTENSE! The story is new! So, lay back, relax and then hold on to the edge of your bed as you journey with the heros and heroins to find their truth! I am not only recommending it to friends, i am purchasing it for them! Enjoy!
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
P. Nevitt
5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful New Debut
Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2008
I really loved this novel.

William Drinkard is not your typical debut novelist. He served in the Alabama State Legislature for twelve years, and even was the Senate Majority Leader. He's still involved with politics, but not as an elected official. When one hears such things, one wonders, "Yeah, but can he write?"

In my opinion, the answer is a resounding yes.

The novel starts when the young Geerna is preparing for the ceremony that will make her a woman. Her devotion to her goddess, Shetow, is unquestioned, so when light appears and when it takes her up to the heavens, she believes that she is going to Shetow.

Next, we are transported untold thousands of years to a gathering of female clan leaders known as Medoras. They share the world of Elom with an alien species known as drak, who are a sort feathered lizardmen. The drak have notified them that it is time for the Second Judging, a time long-foretold when Shetow would decide if the People are worthy enough to continue existing. They decide to use an unexplained Trait that the Medoras were given at the last Progression (which is about equivalent to an "eon," or an "Age" for Robert Jordan fans) to decide who would become a representative. The candidates must be selected by the conclusion of the upcoming mating ritual, where young people compete for the privilege of procreating.

Along the way, we learn that the People have lived according to a Covenant that Geerna made with Shetow in order to be given their second chance. Men are hunters and women are artists. There are other occupations of course--no society could function with only two jobs--but it is forbidden to cross these gender lines. Everyone's lives has one purpose--to improve the race for the Second Judging by selective breeding certain traits of intelligence, artistic ability and physical prowess.

The rest of the novels is about these eventual representatives, their competition and selection, and their enlightenment as to what is really behind the Second Judging. Seven are selected, three men and four women. They vary in age from sixteen to about twenty. A great deal of time is spent with their various rivalries and love lives, and how they eventually pair up. However, this is interspersed skillfully between revelations about the Second Judging, the nature of the drak, the truth behind a mark most of them have on their skin and the fate of the artwork that the women of the twenty-four tribes has labored for centuries to produce.

A surprisingly short amount of time was spent on the mating competition, but in retrospect I would not have enjoyed reading about contest after contest. I really enjoyed the way Drinkard revealed more and more of the secrets of Elom while the characters made their travels, and few of the secrets were anything I expected. I enjoyed a scene toward the end when the three human races of Elom--collected from Earth at various points in the past--see each other for the first time. I just wish that they all had a chance to actually interact with each other.

The writing is unaffected yet lyrical, and absolutely riveting. This novel is definitely a candidate for a reread. As I came closer to the end, I began to wonder if this novel is the start of a series, since it became clear that something I expected to happen would not happen. However, the ending--which I found reminiscent of a certain encounter in Carl Sagan's Contact--made the possibility of a sequel ambiguous. The story feels like it came to a conclusion, yet it definitely hints that the adventures of the seven are far from over.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
W. Meeker
2.0 out of 5 stars I wanted so much to like it...
Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2011
Elom is a debut novel by a self-described sci-fi fan, and it shows in the plethora of cliches to be found. Let's start with the central plot: a master race is demanding that humanity be judged to determine whether the species will be allowed to continue, and to that end surrogates are selected to be tested. There's a lot of gee-whiz scenes where the characters encounter examples of the advanced technology of this master race. There's a return-to-earth theme, fast learning machines.

But let's get past all that, because in the beginning I was enjoying the story quite a lot. The characters were likable, the action moved along well, and the relationships were developed nicely. The culture is primitive-but-knowledgeable, and the plot pulls you along toward the point where the main characters compete in an annual contest to determine selection of life partners. I liked the way the author showed the interactions of the characters based on their personalities and history.

I still want to like this novel, but there are serious flaws that I must point out. Let's start with what seems like an adolescent fascination with the touchy-gropy part of teen relationships. I was particularly disappointed in the seemingly-mature and level headed Seeker who couldn't keep himself from falling in love with whichever girl he happened to be looking at. The 20th time I read a paragraph where one of the males gazes longingly at the exquisite form of one of the females, I was tired. The 30th time I was .. well .. something beyond tired.

Then, the novel takes its time exploring the terrain the characters pass through without relating it to the plot. There are dead end scenes such as an escape during which the lead characters roam about and gain important clues only to find out the "escape" was permitted and the "clues" were all immediately explained. Indeed, the entire novel seems to be about the protagonists unraveling the mystery of their existence, only to have it handed to them (implanted in their brains no less) toward the end. What was the point of all the sleuthing?

But the biggest problem I have with this book is (SPOILER ALERT): the central plot element, the judging of humanity, never takes place! At least not within the narrative of this book, and it isn't clear that it ever will. It's almost like a big "never mind" at the end. What the ... ? I was hanging on to see how that would unfold. Then I was 10 pages from the end, then 5, then 2, and I'm like IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!

If Drinkard writes a second novel, I might be inclined to pick it up, just to see if he has addressed these defficiencies in his writing. I wanted to like this book, and maybe I WILL like the next one.
Helpful
 Report
Charles Kennedy
3.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't help but notice the title Elom is mole ...
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2014
I couldn't help but notice the title Elom is mole spelled backwards. I wonder if there is any significance to that?
Helpful
 Report
American
4.0 out of 5 stars Not Bad
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2012
This book is the first one from this author and I thought he did good. The author did pretty good blending sci-fi with pre-historic. Taking it from thousands of years in Earth's past to an undetermined time period on Elom. You get the feeling that Elom is the plan B for Earth in case of a mass extinction event that wipes out man. I do look forward to the 2nd installment (which is suppose to be getting worked on right now) to see where the band of chosen are heading to.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
J. C. Drinkard
5.0 out of 5 stars A new and refreshing spin on "old-school" science fiction.
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2008
Fantastic read. A well thought out and well written debut novel by William H. Drinkard. His apparent love for history's classic science fiction authors pulsates in a detailed and rich story that introduces the reader to several interesting characters and a deep storyline. It is written with intelligence and passion. It not only entertains and completely engulfs its reader into the plot, but also introduces quite an interesting question to its audience concerning humanity itself.
Every reader and enthusiast that wants to rediscover the roots of science fiction itself should read ELOM. They won't be disappointed.
Helpful
 Report