Book Club Guide

The Children of Men

by P.D. James · 1992 · Science Fiction

Key themes

Hope as the thing that makes life possible — and what happens when it is gone
The authoritarian state that arrives through despair rather than conquest
The pregnant woman as the embodiment of everything that could still be saved

About this book

In 2021, no child has been born anywhere on Earth for twenty-five years, and humanity is dying in a fog of despair and authoritarian order under the Warden of England. Theo Faron, a historian, is drawn reluctantly into a resistance group that may have discovered a woman who is pregnant. James's dystopian novel is also a theological meditation on hope, despair and what makes life meaningful.

Published in 1992, The Children of Men was James's only science fiction novel. She was primarily known for detective fiction. Alfonso Cuarón's 2006 film adaptation made significant changes to the story.

Discussion questions

The premise — universal infertility — is James's way of examining what makes life worth living. How does she develop this — and what does the Omega generation (the last children born) say?
Theo is reluctant and self-absorbed. How does James develop his transformation — and is the change credible?
The Warden of England is Theo's cousin. How does James use this personal connection — and what does the relationship say about how power maintains itself?
The novel is explicitly religious — hope, redemption, a new birth. How does James develop the theological dimension — and does it require the reader to share her faith?
The Children of Men is as much literary novel as science fiction. What does the SF premise allow James to do that realistic fiction could not — and what does the literary quality add?