In P. D. James's dystopian novel The Children of Men, what has happened to human fertility?
Answer
It has disappeared
In P. D. James’s The Children of Men, human fertility has disappeared.
The novel’s central crisis is universal human infertility: no children have been born for many years, and society expects humanity to die out. The lack of births affects politics, religion, family life, and the value placed on the few remaining young people.
The story is set in England in 2021, under the rule of the Warden, who is Xan Lyppiatt. Theo Faron, a historian and relative of the Warden, becomes involved with a dissident group called the Five Fishes. Their actions gain new urgency when a pregnant woman is discovered.
The title refers to a phrase from the Book of Psalms, traditionally translated as “the children of men.” The novel is sometimes confused with the 2006 film adaptation, which changes several characters and plot details while retaining the infertility premise.