Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold
"Falling Free" is a science fiction novel set in a future where Earth has expanded into space, colonizing other planets. The story revolves around Leo Graf, an engineer, and his conflict with his supervisor, Bruce Van Atta, against the backdrop of a group of bio-engineered humans known as quaddies. Created to thrive in zero gravity, the quaddies possess four arms and are designed for labor in space. However, they are viewed as property by GalacTech, the corporation responsible for their creation, rather than as individuals with rights.
As Leo travels to the Cay Habitat to teach the quaddies welding and construction, he becomes increasingly aware of the oppressive conditions they face. The narrative intensifies when a series of events—including the forced sterilization of the quaddies and the imminent obsolescence of their roles—lead to a critical turning point. Joined by key quaddie characters like Tony, Claire, and Silver, Leo becomes an unexpected ally in a revolution to secure the quaddies' freedom. The plot culminates in their plan to escape and establish a new life, showcasing themes of individuality, corporate ethics, and the fight against systemic oppression. The novel concludes on a hopeful note, highlighting the quaddies' successful bid for autonomy and a new beginning.
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Falling Free
First published: 1988
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Science fiction—extrapolatory
Time of work: Undefined future
Locale: The Cay Habitat, orbiting the planet Rodeo
The Plot
Falling Free takes place in a future galactic setting often used by Lois McMaster Bujold, in which Earth has colonized planets in other solar systems. The main characters are Leo Graf, a career engineer for GalacTech, and his supervisor and antagonist, Bruce Van Atta. Their conflict centers on the quaddies, one thousand bio-engineered humans who have been created to live and work in free fall. The quaddies have four arms and are more resistant to radiation and the lack of gravity than are bipedal humans. They were developed in a decades-long project funded by GalacTech, and the corporation sees them as company property rather than as human beings with legal rights. Leo goes to the Cay Habitat, a space station orbiting the planet Rodeo, to teach the quaddies free fall welding and construction, but he ends up helping them in a revolution against the company. The other bipedal humans on the habitat are all GalacTech employees whose job is raising and educating the quaddies.
Tony, Claire, and Silver, all quaddies, are important characters, both to Leo and in leading the revolution. Tony and Claire are the parents of one of the first quaddie children born naturally, and Silver is their friend. Leo becomes disturbed by what he sees as the beginnings of slavery on the part of the company, but he realizes that he has little power to help the quaddies.
Three events force Leo to become active in defending the quaddies. First, Claire is told that she will have a second baby sooner than scheduled and that the father will be a quaddie other than Tony. She and Tony try to escape with their baby, Andy, and are trapped on Rodeo. Tony is wounded and kept on the planet. Second, at the same time, a visiting vice president reveals that the Cay Project is about to be shut down because of changes in tax laws; as a result, the quaddies will be sterilized and warehoused. The final blow comes when the Beta Colony announces that it has created an artificial gravity device that will result in cheaper space travel. At this point, the quaddies become obsolete. They were valuable because they did not require expensive transport to planets on a regular basis. With cheaper transport in space, the personnel costs of human workers are reduced.
Bruce Van Atta tries to implement sterilization of the quaddies, and they fight back with Leo’s help. Leo, Silver, and Claire lead the battle. They plan to transform the habitat into a colony ship and take it through a wormhole, traveling far enough from settled space so that the quaddies can live freely, and in free fall. Their plan requires them to steal a jump ship, alter the habitat, and get the corporate employees off the habitat. They succeed in all these goals, although not entirely as planned. A number of GalacTech employees refuse to leave the quaddies. The vortex mirror of their stolen ship is broken, and they must engineer a new one. They win in the end, despite a final attempt by Van Atta to blow up their new colony ship. The novel ends with a successful jump and with Leo and Silver kissing.