If any theory about humanity could be deduced from this collection it would be that humans are obsessed with freedom. As Meroe in “The Trojan Girl” remarks when considering his pack alongside another, “They all hoped for the same things, they all wanted to be free” (144). Enri, in “Walking Awake” makes a similar comment when discussing the desires of him and the other child wards: “all [we] can think about is how much [we] want to be free” (219). It’s clear that no matter what corner of the universe or in which time period a being dwells, freedom is the most sought-after condition.

Unfortunately, this simple desire is hard to come by since what defines freedom so often changes. For some, freedom is the ability to have choice. For example, in the utopia of Um-Helat, both choosing to fly and choosing not to fly are “honored” (2). The inhabitants’ choices are not limited by others’ judgement and thus “every child knows opportunity” (4). The girl in “Stone Hunger” also gets her taste of true freedom not when she is running wild and unsupervised, but when she is given “options” (278).

For others, freedom means an escape from life.