''Seventh Son'' (1987) is an
alternate history
Alternate history (also alternative history, althist, AH) is a genre of speculative fiction of stories in which one or more historical events occur and are resolved differently than in real life. As conjecture based upon historical fact, altern ...
/
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
novel by American writer
Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is the first and (as of 2022) only person to win both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for both ...
. It is the first book in Card's ''
The Tales of Alvin Maker
''The Tales of Alvin Maker'' is a series of six alternate history fantasy novels written by American novelist Orson Scott Card, published from 1987 to 2003 (with one more planned), that explore the experiences of a young man, Alvin Miller, who r ...
'' series and is about Alvin Miller, the
seventh son of a seventh son
''Seventh Son of a Seventh Son'' is the seventh studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released on 11 April 1988 in the United Kingdom by EMI Records and in the United States by Capitol Records. Like '' The Number of the ...
. ''Seventh Son'' won a
Locus Award
The Locus Awards are an annual set of literary awards voted on by readers of the science fiction and fantasy magazine ''Locus'', a monthly magazine based in Oakland, California. The awards are presented at an annual banquet. In addition to the pl ...
and was nominated for both the
Hugo
Hugo or HUGO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese
* Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback
* Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise based on a ...
and
World Fantasy
In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
Awards in 1988.
Seventh sons have strong "knacks" (specific magical abilities), and seventh sons of seventh sons are both extraordinarily rare and powerful. In fact, young Alvin appears to be the only one in the world. His abilities make him the target of
the Unmaker, who recognizes Alvin's powers as those of a Maker, only the second ever, and it had been a long time since the first had walked on water and turned water to wine. The Unmaker works largely by water and tries to kill Alvin in his early years before he can master his abilities.
Plot summary
Alvin's family is
migrating west. When they try to cross the Hatrack River, an unknown force, known as the Unmaker, tries to stop the still-unborn Alvin from being born since Alvin would be the seventh son of a seventh son and therefore have incredible powers as a Maker. The force sends a tree down the river to crush the wagon the pregnant Mrs. Miller is riding in. Her eldest son, Vigor, diverts the tree but is mortally wounded in the act. Because a seventh son must be born while the other six are alive, Vigor desperately clings to life until Alvin is born.
Help is dispatched at the insistence of five-year-old "torch" (a person who, among other things, can see the life forces of people and, under certain conditions, their myriad alternate futures) Peggy Guester, who sees Alvin and Alvin's possible future as a Maker.
As the years pass, Alvin avoids numerous attempts of an unknown force trying to kill him and us often helped by the intervention of a mysterious protector. Alvin's father, a nonbeliever in God, believes that a water spirit is trying to kill Alvin. When Alvin is seven, a new Reverend, named Thrower, arrives in town and tries to build a church. Alvin's father refuses to help, but Mrs. Miller has all of her sons work on building the church. When the ridgebeam is being placed onto the church in construction, it shivers and breaks and seems about to fall on Alvin. However, mid-air, it breaks in two and misses Alvin, which is yet another example of Alvin's near-death experiences. When Alvin goes home, he provokes one of his sisters by poking her and so they get revenge on Alvin by putting needles into his night gown. Alvin avenges himself by using his knack to send
cockroaches
Cockroaches (or roaches) are a paraphyletic group of insects belonging to Blattodea, containing all members of the group except termites. About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are well-known a ...
after his sisters. The plan works, and Alvin has a victory over his sisters. However, he then has a vision that he dubs Shining Man, who makes him promise to use his knack only for good.
When Alvin is ten, "Taleswapper" (
William Blake
William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. ...
), a traveling storyteller, arrives in the town that Alvin's parents have founded. After stopping by the house of Alvin's brother-in-law, who directs Taleswapper to the Miller house, he visits the church and notices that its altar has been touched upon by an evil entity. Reverend Thrower kicks him out, and Taleswapper goes to the Millers' place, where his timely intervention stops Mr. Miller from killing Alvin. Taleswapper is welcomed in and helps to put a name to the unknown force that tries to stop Alvin from realizing his true powers as a Maker:
the Unmaker. Meanwhile, the Reverend Philadelphia Thrower becomes a tool of the Unmaker, the evil force that touched the altar.
Soon, the Miller family goes to a quarry to cut out a millstone. Here, one of Alvin's knacks is revealed since he singlehandedly cuts the millstone through hard rock. During the night, Taleswapper and Mr. Miller guard the millstone. Mr. Miller tells Taleswapper a story about how a force is trying to use him to kill Alvin. Taleswapper advises Mr. Miller to send Alvin away to somewhere he may be safe. The next day, the millstone is taken home. The Unmaker finally manages to injure Alvin by making a millstone fall on him. Taleswapper encourages him to heal himself. Alvin does so but finds that he cannot heal himself part of his bone. He realizes that he might need outside help to heal. Reverend Thrower, acting as a surgeon, attempts to kill him but finds himself blocked by a mysterious force. Alvin heals himself with the aid of his brother Measure, who performs the surgery. Alvin is contracted as an apprentice to a blacksmith in the town on the Hatrack River in which he was born.
Taleswapper meets Peggy. It is revealed that she, using her torch powers and Alvin's birth caul, had protected Alvin all of those years, and the Unmaker hurt Alvin with the millstone only because Alvin himself overrode her powers.
The book's sequel, which is second in the tales of Alvin's life, is ''
Red Prophet''.
See also
*
List of works by Orson Scott Card
The Orson Scott Card bibliography contains a list of works published by Orson Scott Card.
Ender's Game
The Tales of Alvin Maker
The Homecoming Saga
Women of Genesis
Pastwatch series
Mithermages series
Mayflower
''Mayflower ...
References
External links
About the novel ''Seventh Son'' from Card's websiteSeventh Sonat Worlds Without End
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seventh Son (Novel)
1987 American novels
Novels by Orson Scott Card
American fantasy novels
American alternate history novels
1987 fantasy novels
Tor Books books