Watching Trees Grow

Watching Trees Grow is a novella by British author Peter F. Hamilton, published in 2000 (101 pages). It is set in an alternate history universe. It is essentially a detective story about a murder investigator who attempt to solve an unusual murder that took place early in his career. The detective has all the time in the world to catch the culprit as the group of humanity that he belongs to has a very long lifespan to begin with and later on become essentially immortal as rejuvenation techniques are invented during the story. As with "Misspent Youth", the novella could be interpreted as an experiment by Hamilton in which he explores the concept of rejuvenation and immortal humans in fiction.

Plot & setting

The setting is a world in which the Roman empire never collapsed, with the world controlled by various Roman dynasties. As such the world after the 11th Century is dramatically different, having had a continuous stable society has resulted in massive scientific and technological advancements. For example the opening segment of the story set in the early 1800s feature electric cars (having phased out internal combustion engines) and widespread use of telephones.

The story also reflects a strong sense of social hierarchy remnant of the Roman era, by which "bred" humans, leftovers from gladiators and soldiers of Rome who are eugenically advanced compared to the remaining majority of humanity (known collectively as "Shorts"). Shorts have a normal livespan and lack most of the priviligies that the upper-class are born into, who attend universities and control all the worlds' companies and high technology. Murder is virtually unknown in the upper-classes, and so provides the power behind the main story line.

The novella explores this world via the quest for a murderer that a Roman noble family's appointed official for the investigation must undertake. The time-span reaches from the 1830s until the epilogue set in a distant future which is a world filled with starflight, and highly advanced technology. As time passes and more advanced forensic techniques become available, the protagonist re-visit old evidence and witnesses to further his investigation.

The novella was first published in a limited signed edition by PS Publishing, later anthologised in "Futures", then published in a mass market paperback edition, ISBN 0-575-07305-5.