The Mother Code

“Carole Stivers is far from the first to wonder if motherhood can be scientifically replicated, but this is a thoughtful and thought-provoking addition to that meditation.  An end-of-times tale that focuses less on what has been lost and more on what and who might be saved (and how).  Stivers’ wonderful story settles right on the line between human and machine, as blame and threat and rescue and love shift from character to character in surprising and powerful ways.”—Karen Joy Fowler, New York Times bestselling author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

“Some stories are so unique, yet so universal, that it is wonder they aren’t a part of the human fable already. Carole Stivers’s The Mother Code, is such a novel. Simply written but powerful, chock full of ideas and extrapolations about what it means to be a mother and all that such a word implies. Both apocalyptic, yet hopeful, treat yourself to this story. You’ll be well rewarded.”—James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of Crucible

“I could not put down The Mother Code ! Part action adventure, part sci-fi, the novel is suspenseful and cinematic and such a pleasure to read. Carole Stivers is a masterful storyteller and she has combined science, technology and history to tell a beautiful story of humanity and love.”—Devi S. Laskar, author of The Atlas of Reds and Blues

“Set against a post-pandemic apocalypse, biochemist Carole Stivers’s The Mother Code offers it all: intriguingly flawed characters; compelling action; and, that most elusive of things, a fresh plot—children raised from birth by mother bots. The Mother Code asks us to reimagine the limitations of artificial intelligence and the costs of species survival, and in doing so, offers a profound meditation on motherhood and what it means to be human. Stivers is a brilliant storyteller!”—Lori Ostlund, author of After the Parade

“The Mother Code takes us to the intersection of artificial intelligence and biotechnology and shows us what could go wrong. Carole Stivers has written a chilling tale about the relationship between humans and machines in the not so distant future. It is a prescient story that offers both a good read and a thoughtful way of thinking about a human way to shape the technologies that are reshaping our world.”—John Markoff, author of Machines of Loving

“The Mother Code by Carole Stivers is brilliant, innovative, and moving.”—Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author

“Stivers’s sweeping, cinematic debut raises probing questions about the nature of family and human connection….painful, provocative, and ultimately infused with hope.”—Publishers Weekly

“Propulsive page turner.”—Newsweek

“Debuting author Stivers, a biochemist, blends hard science, emotional relationships, and artificial intelligence to produce a chilling and realistic narrative.”—Booklist

“Stivers’ debut novel might be a mashup of P.D. Eastman’s childhood classic ‘Are You My Mother?’ with Kazuo Ishiguro’s breathtaking ‘Never Let Me Go.’”—The San Francisco Chronicle

“An apocalyptic novel revolving around government incompetence and disregard for scientific evidence might seem too on the nose for the current global crisis we are living through, but read this book for its excellent plot, its diverse well-written characters and for the hope that perhaps humans are not entirely terrible.”—Girly Book Club

“Stivers counterbalances her scientific knowledge with excellent storytelling skills, very sturdy and engaging prose, and a raft of eternal themes that underlie the human condition…. Shifting effortlessly from the lab to the printed page, Carole Stivers illustrates that great science fiction must be equal parts test tube and beating maternal heart.”—Locus

“Immense and poignant resonance about the vitality and fragility of human lives and relationships and the complexity of human emotional needs.”—Book Browse Magazine