I loved reading Children of Time.

It is a wonderful epic chronicling the journey of two groups of species - both children of mankind - as they look for a place to live in this world.

The book builds up, slowly toward a great big war, chronicling the journey of the generals in the war, till you get there - at the end. And then the great ending. I remember thinking toward the end, how would peace come? I did not want the spiders or the humans to lose. But it seemed inevitable that one would. Toward the end I thought surely the humans would crash their ship into the planet. Because the humans were losing, but what a great ending.

I feel - just like with Becky Chambers’ To Be Taught If Fortunate - the climax was the idea for the book. The main idea. The what if question.

And it comes at the very end, in the last few chapters. And it is such a light bulb moment. The reveal gives so much joy.

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In Children of Time, the female is the stronger of the sexes for the spiders, which is how it is for other species too, in nature.

There were many sections where Adrian has written about the interaction of these women in their society - with how males are treated in the same way we treat women in our society. The way we have treated women through the ages. The fights they have had to endure.

I do not know if Adrian meant to say that in our society, if women had power, they would behave the same way as men have.

But I think that misses the point. There have been many skits and movies about this topic. A mirror world scenario - where men are shown going through the same scenario women go through. It has shock value - sure. But even that is an unjust and unequal world.

Equality matters. Treating others with respect, kindness and love. That matters. This tribalism - us vs them mentality has to have a limit. We need to grow out of it.