What Are The Factions In 'Seveneves'?

Reading 'seveneves', I became obsessed with how the factions mirror humanity's survival instincts. The early split between orbital and terrestrial survivors makes brutal sense—when the sky's literally falling, you either go up or down. But the later seven factions show how isolation breeds radical diversity.

The Reds are my favorite—think Spartan warriors crossed with radiation-proof mutants. They deliberately engineered themselves for combat and endurance. Contrast them with the Blues, who became walking supercomputers but physically fragile. The Greens turned themselves into ecological engineers, capable of terraforming asteroids. Then there are the Purps—sorry, Violets—who perceive colors we can't even name.

Stephenson cleverly uses these factions to explore nature vs nurture. All descendants share common ancestors, yet five millennia of specialization created entirely different species of humans. The political tensions between them feel real because their biological differences reinforce cultural divides. It's not just allegory—when your body literally functions differently, compromise becomes exponentially harder.

Neal Stephenson's 'Seveneves' presents a meticulously crafted faction system that reflects human adaptability under extreme pressure. The initial division begins pragmatically—spaceborne survivors versus those attempting subterranean shelters. But the real brilliance emerges in the genetic diaspora centuries later.

The seven Eve-derived factions aren't just political groups; they represent radical evolutionary paths. The Reds become physically dominant, engineered for muscle density and cosmic ray tolerance. Blues develop enhanced cognitive abilities, their skulls visibly enlarged. Golds specialize in social coordination, acting as natural diplomats. Violets evolve artistic perception, their eyesight tuned to detect subtle color variations.

What's particularly striking is how these factions maintain tension despite interdependence. The Obsidians control information flow through their surveillance networks, while Greens manipulate ecosystems to their advantage. The Teals develop aquatic adaptations, creating floating cities. Stephenson doesn't portray these divisions as good or evil—each faction contributes necessary skills for survival, yet their specialization creates inherent power imbalances that drive the story's conflicts.

The factions in 'seveneves' are fascinating because they emerge from humanity's desperate scramble to survive Earth's destruction. You've got the International Space Station (ISS) crew initially holding things together, but after the Hard Rain hits, things fracture. The big split comes between the 'Spacers' who adapt to zero-g life and the 'Diggers' who try to survive underground on Earth's remnants. The Spacers later divide into seven distinct genetic lineages—the titular Seveneves—each with unique traits. The Red faction focuses on strength and radiation resistance, while the Blue prioritize intelligence. There's also the Green faction, all about environmental adaptation, and the mysterious Obsidian who specialize in secrecy and tech. The novel shows how these groups evolve over 5,000 years into entirely different cultures with their own languages and ideologies.