History Literature / HouseOfTheScorpion

* GovernmentDrugEnforcement : By law, clones must be given drugs at birth to stunt their intelligence, making them just a step above vegetables. Matt avoided this simply because of El Patron's influence.

* StartingANewLife: After Matt [[ran away from Opium (from being killed, of course), he found himself in Aztlán. There, he made new friends and a home to sleep in. Not a good home, but better than being killed though]].

* YouAreNotAlone: Recalling that he has the [[{{CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming}} support of his family and friends]], Matt sets about the imposing task of [[spoiler: reverting all of the changes El Patron had imposed upon Opium at the novel's end]].

* FireForgedFriends: Matt, Chacho, and Fidelito.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Chacho may seem like a tough kid, but he’s not a bad one. He treats Matt and Fidelito like family.

* OddFriendship: Daft Donald and Mr. Ortega are fairly friendly and communicate using laptops on account of their disabilities. Matt lampshades it and notes that he never really saw them outside of their roles in the house.

* SoleSurvivor: [[spoiler:Daft Donald is the only one of El Patron's inner circle to survive; Tam Lin had saved him from the wine poisoning and he was left to seal the tomb when everyone had died]]. [[spoiler:Celia]] and [[spoiler:Mr. Ortega]] make it as well but the former had fallen from grace and the latter was only considered a minor employee rather than a member of the elites.

* BigScrewedUpFamily: The Alacráns.

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* BigScrewedUpFamily: The Alacrans.

* DrivenToSuicide: Tam [[TheMentor Lin]] [[spoiler: knowingly drinks poisoned wine in order to atone for accidentally killing twenty schoolkids in a botched terrorist attack]].

* DysfunctionJunction: The entire Alacran family has its share of problems: to name a few, Matt is a clone and despised by the whole family. Felicia is a drunk pianist prone to nervous breakdowns, her son Tom is a bullying monster, and Mr. Alacran, her husband, doesn't even ''like'' her. Benito is a JerkAss, and he and his wife despise each other, but they're forced to be together anyway because El Patron wants it. His wife ends up getting drunk during the wedding to cope with her husband. The only well-meaning people in the whole mess are Matt, Celia and El Viejo.

* FauxAffablyEvil: El Patron is one of the only people nice to Matt during his time at the Alacran house, and maintains his grandfatherly demeanor even after it's revealed that [[spoiler: he uses clones such as Matt to replace his failing organs]].

A film adaptation was mentioned at IMDb several years ago, but the project was never realised because the [[ExecutiveMeddling producers wished to make their own sequel and merchandise]]. Farmer felt this would lessen the themes of her story, so an agreement was never reached. However, Farmer has stated that she is still open towards offers for a film.

The sequel is titled ''[[Literature/TheLordOfOpium The Lord of Opium]]'' and was released on September 3, 2013.

A film adaptation was mentioned at IMDB several years ago, but the project was never realised because the [[ExecutiveMeddling producers wished to make their own sequel and merchandise]]. Farmer felt this would lessen the themes of her story, so an agreement was never reached. However, Farmer has stated that she is still open towards offers for a film.

** Eejits programmed for total control can only comply with orders they are told; if they aren't instructed to eat or drink, they'll literally go about their tasks and get hungrier and thirstier until death.
** The fate that is planned for Matt. [[spoiler: Having all his organs taken out one by one to keep El Patron alive]].

* AWorldHalfFull: Matt [[spoiler: gains control of Opium in the end. He plans on restoring the land to support conventional crops and freeing the enslaved illegals within its borders.]] While this is a difficult task, Matt believes that with Maria, Celia and the Lost Boys, this is possible.

* ClonesArePeopleToo: Driving force of the plot.
* CloningBlues: This forms the backbone of the plot, as Matt struggles to find his place in a world hostile to clones, legally and culturally.

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: Tam [[TheMentor Lin]] knowingly drinks poisoned wine in order to atone for accidentally killing twenty schoolkids in a botched terrorist attack.]] The sequel mentions that El Patron ordered him to, [[spoiler:and due to his chip implants, he was forced to obey.]]
* DrugsAreBad: The nation of Opium was said to be founded when powerful drug dealers made a deal with U.S. and Mexican leaders, offering to secure their borders and not traffic drugs into their country. In return, they demanded to be left alone to traffic narcotics to the rest of the world. What this system does to the rest of the world is hinted at, but never really described. Later in the novel, [[spoiler: Ton Ton leads to the arrest of a few Keepers by accusing them of illegally taking opium products. When they object to this, Esperanza orders them to a drug test, after which they are led away by the authorities.]]

* EvilOldFolks: El Patron. El Patron is described as "evil" several times, and his ruthlessness shows at times, but manages to avoid this trope since at first, he is the only person besides Celia, Tam Lin, and Maria who is nice to Matt when he came to the big house, and treats him like a son, until the point where [[spoiler: he needs his organs.]] El Patron is said to had to live by his wits when he was little, which is likely a contributing factor towards his nature.

* FauxAffablyEvil: El Patron is one of the only people nice to Matt during his time at the Alacran house, and maintains his grandfatherly demeanor even after it's revealed that [[spoiler: he uses clones such as Matt to replace his failing organs.]]

* FromNobodyToNightmare: El Patron. He was born into a impoverished Mexican family, but at the time of the novel, he is one of the most powerful drug lords on the planet.

* HumanResources: Clones are created simply for the purpose of [[spoiler: extending their original's life span.]]

* IstanbulNotConstantinople: Mexico has been renamed Aztlán at some point between the time of the novel (22nd century) and the present day. The reason is never stated.

* ScatterbrainedSenior: El Patron towards the end of his life. [[spoiler: He harvest fetal brain implants from his clones to get better though.]]

* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: The novel appears to be set in an unspecified point in the future; (revealed to be the 22nd century in the sequel) while technology in Opium has been [[spoiler:repressed to standards used a century ago from their time, barring a few exceptions such as El Patron's security system, hospital, and personal transport]], the rest of the world possesses decidedly futuristic technology: holographic displays and anti-gravitational technology is fairly widespread.
* WalkingTransplant: Most clones are created for this purpose. [[spoiler:Ultimately, Matt learns that the same is true of him.]]
* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler:Tam Lin]] used to be one, [[spoiler:being a Scottish terrorist who accidentally blew up a school bus in a bombing aimed at a politician.]] He came to Opium seeking asylum.

** Tam Lin asks Matt if he ever saw [[JurassicPark the movie about velociraptors]], and compares Esperanza to one.

* AffablyEvil: El Patron is one of the only people nice to Matt during his time at the Alacran house, but he is described as "evil" several times once it's revealed that [[spoiler: he uses clones such as Matt to replace his failing organs.]]

* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: The novel appears to be set in an unspecified point in the future; (revealed to be the 22nd century in the sequel) while technology in Opium has been [[spoiler:repressed to standards used a century ago from their time]], the rest of the world possesses decidedly futuristic technology: holographic displays and anti-gravitational technology is fairly widespread.

''The House of the Scorpion'' is a 2002 novel by Nancy Farmer. It takes place [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture in the near future]], where a thin strip of land between the [[FallenStatesOfAmerica now-impoverished United States]] and Aztlán (formerly Mexico) forms the country of Opium. The story's focus is on boy named Matt, who is a clone of drug lord and ruler of Opium, Matteo Alacrán, the latter of which is more commonly known as El Patron. As a young boy, he lives with Celia, his caregiver, in a little cottage in the middle of the poppy fields. Later, he moves in with El Patron, but is mistreated by the residents (save a few of the characters, such as the bodyguard Tam Lin, and El Patron) for the simple reason that he is a clone; most of clones have their self-awareness and intelligence blunted by mandated drug use.

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: Tam [[TheMentor Lin]] knowingly drinks poisoned wine in order to atone for accidentally killing twenty schoolkids in a botched terrorist attack.]] The sequel mentions that El Patron ordered him to, [[spoiler:and due too his chip implants, he was forced to obey.]]

* ScatteredbrainSenior El Patron towards the end of his life. [[spoiler: He harvest fetal brain implants from his clones to get better though.]]

* EvilOldFolks: El Patron. El Patron is described as "evil" several times, and his ruthlessness shows at times, but manages to avoid this trope since at first, he is the only person besides Celia, Tam Lin, and Maria who is nice to Matt when he came to the big house, and treats like a son, until the point where [[spoiler: he needs his organs.]] El Patron is said to had to live by his wits when he was little, which is likely a contributing factor towards his nature.

* ChildProdigy: Matt is talented in a number of fields, but especially at music.

* ModernStasis: [[spoiler:El Patron keeps many aspects of life in Opium in early 21st century stasis, right down to what Matt sees on TV.]]

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: Tam [[TheMentor Lin]] knowingly drinks poisoned wine in order to atone for accidentally killing twenty schoolkids in a botched terrorist attack.]] The sequel mentions that El Patron ordered him too, [[spoiler:and due too his chip implants, he was forced to obey.]]

* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: The novel appears to be set in an unspecified point in the future; while technology in Opium has been [[spoiler:repressed to standards used a century ago from their time]], the rest of the world possesses decidedly futuristic technology: holographic displays and anti-gravitational technology is fairly widespread.

* CloningBlues: This forms the backbone of the plot, as Matt struggles to find his place in a world hostile to clones.