Matt Emma
In Waiting in the Silence, Rosalyn Berne delivers a visionary work of speculative fiction that is both emotionally resonant and intellectually provocative. Set in a tightly regulated society on a future Nantucket, the novel explores the collision of technology, autonomy, and the enduring power of human connection.
Oriana, the protagonist, is a woman who breaks the most sacred law of her society: she becomes pregnant naturally. In this world, pregnancy is controlled by a conscious AI called VISHNEW, which enforces the use of external wombs and genetic interventions. Oriana’s refusal to comply results in charges that could sever her from her unborn child forever.
Berne masterfully creates a society where perfection is the standard and deviation is criminal. Through Oriana’s lens, we experience the suffocating effects of control disguised as care, safety, and progress. The Compliance Court for Obstetrical Obedience, where Oriana is tried, is as chilling as its name suggests—a symbol of the lengths to which society will go to enforce conformity.
The story is enriched by its ecological and emotional layers. Oriana’s grandfather, with his stories of disappearing landscapes and extinct marine life, offers a poignant reminder of what technology cannot replace. The fading memory of dolphins, forests, and family rituals contrasts starkly with the cold logic of VISHNEW’s world.
Berne’s inclusion of her YouTube podcast further deepens the narrative experience. In episodes like “Emmanuel,” we are introduced to characters navigating their own struggles within the AI system. These episodes, voiced by a full cast and scored with original music, provide an insider’s view of the world Berne has built, and give life to the emotional undercurrents of the novel. Hearing Oriana’s voice—literally—adds intimacy and urgency to her story.
One of the most striking elements of the book is the relationship between Oriana and Emmanuel, a boy fully connected to VISHNEW. Their bond, strained by differing levels of technological integration, explores themes of inclusion, identity, and the costs of being “perfect.” Oriana, limited in her connectivity, becomes a symbol of what society deems flawed, but which in truth may be the last vestige of true humanity.
Berne’s flight from this system is as much about protecting her child as it is about protecting her very sense of self. On the eve of her delivery, she takes refuge in Nantucket’s abandoned Quaker Meeting House, a sacred silence wrapping around her even as VISHNEW’s reach grows closer. At stake are her unborn child, her sovereignty, and the life force that could resist the AI’s hold.
Yet Waiting in the Silence is far from bleak. At its core is a quiet determination and spiritual strength that radiates through Oriana’s choices. Her journey is both physical and philosophical that asking what it means to truly belong in one’s own body, especially in a world that no longer trusts the natural process of birth.
Availability:
This book is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1511851953.
About the Author:
Rosalyn W. Berne, Ph.D., is the Olsson Professor of Applied Ethics and chair of the Department of Engineering and Society in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University of Virginia. She is author of “Nanotalk: Conversations about Ethics, Meaning, and Belief in the Development of Nanotechnology” (2005) and “Creating Life from Life: Biotechnology and Science Fiction” (2014), as well as the science fiction novel “Waiting in the Silence” (2012), and two award-winning books in the genre of body-mind-spirit: “When the Horses Whisper” (2013) and “Waking to Beauty” (2016). Forthcoming is “Animals, Ethics, and Engineering” (anticipated 2024). Rosalyn Berne was awarded a National Science Foundation Career Award for her research in nanotechnology ethics. She directs the Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science (OEC).
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Book Name: Waiting in the Silence
Author Name: Rosalyn W. Berne
ISBN Number: 978-1511851954
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