Remnant Population

by Elizabeth Moon · 1996

Finalist for the Hugo Award, *Remnant Population* follows 70‑year‑old Ofelia, a tough, kind, and wise colonist who has spent forty years on the remote Colony 3245.12. When the corporate owner decides to disband the settlement and ship its residents away in cryo‑sleep, Ofelia chooses to stay behind, embracing solitude and the chance to live on her own terms. As the lone survivor, she confronts the challenges of independence, aging, and the remnants of a society that has moved on, turning a first‑contact scenario into a poignant meditation on freedom, identity, and the meaning of home.