Major Characters
The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing
Adam Ewing: American notary from San Francisco stuck on Chataham Isle. Is Religious, loyal to his family, saves a Maoriori stowaway named Autua. Has an "Ailment," and is unknowingly poisoned by Dr. Goose but saved by Autua. He joins Abolitionist movement.
Dr. Henry Goose: Was once a Royal Physician but was disgraced and kicked out of London. Collects teeth. Motivated by money and revenge. Diagnoses Adam's "Ailment" while working as the Prophetess's doctor. Poisons Adam to steal his estate but is stopped by Autua and forced to flee. Known as "Arsenik Goose."
Autua: Smiled at Ewing while being flogged. Became a stowaway on board the Prophetess. Is one of the last Moriori. Has sailed on ships and traveled the globe and was subjugated by the Maori upon his return home. He escaped. Earns room and board on Prophetess. Saves Adam from Dr. Goose, throws Boerhaave overboard, and gets Adam to help in Honolulu. His name is the same backwards is it is forward, echoing the structure of the book.
Letters From Zedelghem
Robert Frobisher: Broke British composer who was disowned by father and expelled from Caius College. Has debt collectors after him. Is possibly suicidal. He knows what he wants, is sympathetic, bisexual, and suicidal. Is Vyvyan Ayrs' amanuensis but becomes fed up with Vyvyan taking credit for what he creates. Leaves Zedelghem and is misled by Eva. He finishes his Sextet then kills himself.
Vyvyan Ayrs: A once great but now reclusive British composer that lives in Bruges, has syphilis and is mostly blind. He takes credit for Frobisher's work, knows about his wife's affair, and threatens to ruin Robert's reputation if he leaves. He is almost murdered.
Eva Van Outryve de Crommelnyck: Vyvyan and Jocasta's 17 year old daughter. "Prissy Missy" goes to school in the city and doesn't get along with Frobisher. She misleads him and yells at him for thinking she loved him.
Jocasta Ayrs: Vyvyan's wife who has sexual relations with Frobisher
Half Lives: The First Luisa Rey Mystery
Luisa Rey: 26 year old journalist for Spyglass Magazine who is interested in Seaboard's nuclear reactors. She receives Frobisher's letters to Sixsmith and has a comet birthmark. She is forced over a bridge while driving, almost drowns, gets fired from Spyglass, and is almost killed by Bill Smoke's safety deposit box bomb. Luckily Joe Napier saves her. She meets Megan Sixsmith, goes to the Starfish, and successfully publishes the Sixsmith Report.
Rufus Sixsmith: Frobisher's lover from long ago who is now a scientist. He wrote a report condemning Seaboard's nuclear reactors due to horrific flaws. He is killed by Bill Smoke.
Joe Napier: Head of Seaboard security who was a police officer with Lester Rey for 6 years. He was almost killed by a grenade but Lester saved his life. He is offered early retirement from Seaboard and goes to his reclusive house in the country but is paranoid and carries a .38 everywhere. Joe has a good conscious and knows what is coming for Luisa so he goes back and saves her and repays his debt to Lester. He kills and is killed by Bill Smoke.
Bill Smoke: Seaboard hired gunman who drives a black Chevy. aka Herman Howitt. Is and killed by Joe Napier.
Isaac Sachs: Seaboard scientist that puts the Sixsmith report in Luisa's trunk because he loves her. He iss killed in a Seaboard-arranged plane bombing.
The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish
Timothy Cavendish: Sixty-something year old Vanity publisher born is Essex. He is divorced to Madame X, and is treated poorly because he is old. He profit's off of Knuckle Sandwich's success but is threatened for money. He's eventually held against will at Aurora House and has a stroke (possibly induced). Becomes infatuated by Veronica and escapes from Aurora House with her, Ernie, and Mr. Meeks.
Nurse Noakes: Abusive Aurora House nurse who doesn't like Tim.
Ernie Blacksmith: Aurora House boiler man, locksmith, and army veteran who like to drink and is always to the point.
Veronica Costello: Once owned a hat shop and is in love with Ernie.
Mr. Meeks: The institution mascot who says "I know, I know!"
An Orison of Sonmi-451
Sonmi-451: A fabricant clone that once served in a diner but is now interviewed as a prisoner. After her days in Papa Song's, she was taken to Mt. Taemosan where she was assigned to serve Boom-Sook Kim's. Beginning her Ascension, she wants to learn and teaches self in secret. Soon becomes a part of the Taemosan student body. She is later "saved" by Hae-Joo Im and Union who facescapes her. She becomes a Union-fabricant ambassador to mobilize revolutionaries agains Unanimity. She is taken on a wide-opening journey that results in her being a puppet of Unanimity. Before she was taked prisoner once again, she wrote her own Declarations to inspire a revolution against corpocracy.
Hae-Joo Im: A genome surgery post grad exec at Taemosan assigned by Dr. Mephi to accompany Sonmi. Turns out he is actually a Union Commander and soon becomes Sonmi's lover. They journey together, reaching Papa Song's Ark.
Sloosha's Crossin' An' Ev'rythin' After
Zachry: A goat herder of the Ninefolded Valleysmen who was nine when his father and brother were killed by Kona. He was twelve when babbit son died, fourteen when he was granted a spesh dreamin' and sixteen when hee took in Meronym. Together they climbed Mauna Kea, and survived a Kona raid (in which he was captured but saved by Meronym) and made it off Kona-fallen Big Island.
Meronym: A Prescient woman that is 50 but looks 25 who lives with the Valleysmen for 6 moons hoping to find a new home for her people. Her husband killed by savages and has a son name Anafi. She saved Zachry's sister Catkin and climbed Mauna Kea to get to the observatories. She also saved Zachry from Kona enslavement and brought him off the Big I, which fell to the Kona.
Old Georgie: The Devil who tempts Zachary to kill Meronym and lives atop Mauna Kea.
The Kona: Big Island savages who enslaved the Mookini and killed Pa'n'Adam.