Enchantress from the Stars

Rating:
Summary: Ethics vs. morality with a touch of philosophy for spice
Review: Science fiction and fantasy rarely interact well with one another. A story that begins by uttering factual possibilities (as science fiction does) will not fare well in the face of fantastical elements. And then you read a miraculous story like, "Enchantress From the Stars" and it all goes higgledy-piddledy out the window. Sylvia Louise Engdahl's 1970 classic isn't just well written. It is also a deeply moving work that seeks to answer questions we may have about our own innate morality and future prospects.

In this story we meet our heroine Alana. Alana spells out clearly the three phases of humanity. In the first phase, people are superstitious and primitive. In the second, they are scientific and logical. In the third (and this is the phase to which Alana belongs) people remember the spiritual side to life and enter onto an entirely different plane from that of their forebears. Those planets and people in the universe who have advanced to the third phase have joined together to save those in the first phase from those in the second. In this particular story, Alana joins both her father and her lover on a planet not too different from that of Earth. Their goal is to save the planet's fledgling civilization from a group of colonizers from another planet. To do so, Alana must enlist the help of a man living in an age of chivalry and a man living in an age of science. As these three worlds intersect, the book thoroughly examines where it is humanity is heading and what we have to look forward to. In short, it is a book about faith.

How easy it would have been for author Engdahl to screw up while writing this. She could have made it too long (and it's not a quick read at that). The pace could have dragged. The characters (and jumps between different people's perspectives) could have rung false. Instead, the book is nearly perfect. Alana has sworn an oath to protect the secret of her advanced world's existence from the people she interacts with. At the same time, however, she wonders if it is proper to question the oath's policy. When she asks her father this question he responds as such:

"We are sworn to carry out Federation policy, yes, just as a policeman is bound to uphold the law; but that doesn't mean we suspend our own ethical judgement".

So Engdahl smoothly works in questions of ethics vs. morality as well. The book goes far beyond the normal sci-fi/fantasy literature it has been so unfortunately paired with. Rather, it is a deeply moving and deeply felt story that reaches for the Big Questions and, on top of that, is an enjoyable read. It is probably the most enjoyable philosophical book written for young adults that I have ever had the pleasure to read. A nearly forgotten, marvelous, wonderful book.

Rating:
Summary: Ethics vs. morality with a touch of philosophy for spice
Review: Science fiction and fantasy rarely interact well with one another. A story that begins by uttering factual possibilities (as science fiction does) will not fare well in the face of fantastical elements. And then you read a miraculous story like, "Enchantress From the Stars" and it all goes higgledy-piddledy out the window. Sylvia Louise Engdahl's 1970 classic isn't just well written. It is also a deeply moving work that seeks to answer questions we may have about our own innate morality and future prospects.

In this story we meet our heroine Alana. Alana spells out clearly the three phases of humanity. In the first phase, people are superstitious and primitive. In the second, they are scientific and logical. In the third (and this is the phase to which Alana belongs) people remember the spiritual side to life and enter onto an entirely different plane from that of their forebears. Those planets and people in the universe who have advanced to the third phase have joined together to save those in the first phase from those in the second. In this particular story, Alana joins both her father and her lover on a planet not too different from that of Earth. Their goal is to save the planet's fledgling civilization from a group of colonizers from another planet. To do so, Alana must enlist the help of a man living in an age of chivalry and a man living in an age of science. As these three worlds intersect, the book thoroughly examines where it is humanity is heading and what we have to look forward to. In short, it is a book about faith.

How easy it would have been for author Engdahl to screw up while writing this. She could have made it too long (and it's not a quick read at that). The pace could have dragged. The characters (and jumps between different people's perspectives) could have rung false. Instead, the book is nearly perfect. Alana has sworn an oath to protect the secret of her advanced world's existence from the people she interacts with. At the same time, however, she wonders if it is proper to question the oath's policy. When she asks her father this question he responds as such:

"We are sworn to carry out Federation policy, yes, just as a policeman is bound to uphold the law; but that doesn't mean we suspend our own ethical judgement".

So Engdahl smoothly works in questions of ethics vs. morality as well. The book goes far beyond the normal sci-fi/fantasy literature it has been so unfortunately paired with. Rather, it is a deeply moving and deeply felt story that reaches for the Big Questions and, on top of that, is an enjoyable read. It is probably the most enjoyable philosophical book written for young adults that I have ever had the pleasure to read. A nearly forgotten, marvelous, wonderful book.

Rating:
Summary: A treasure, back in print at last
Review: Thanks goodness this marvelous novel is back in print. I was a real bookworm as a child, devouring hundreds of books, but this one stuck with me. I had searched for it ever since my own children were old enough to read, and thoroughly enjoyed re-reading it as an adult.

Who, ultimately, saved Andrecia from being conquered by the Imperials? Elana, her father, and Evrek, with their superior civilization? Georyn, with his amazing ability to use the power of the charm? Jarel, with his courageous decision to aid Elana and Georyn? Certainly, all these characters played a part.

But, some higher force in the universe brought them all together. Some higher force arranged that Elana and Georgyn would fall in love, and that Jarel would both question his empire's conquest and have opportunity to meet and aid Elana. We are left to decide for ourselves just what that higher force could be. Coincidence is not an option.

In the climactic scene of this novel, love truly conquers all to the astonishment of everyone present. Every character acts according to a plan, and every plan goes awry, yet the outcome is better than any of them could have imagined. They are all left humbled by a magic beyond their expectations. And, the reader is left enchanted by Engdahl's provacative science fiction-fairy tale.

Rating:
Summary: A treasure, back in print at last
Review: Thanks goodness this marvelous novel is back in print. I was a real bookworm as a child, devouring hundreds of books, but this one stuck with me. I had searched for it ever since my own children were old enough to read, and thoroughly enjoyed re-reading it as an adult.

Who, ultimately, saved Andrecia from being conquered by the Imperials? Elana, her father, and Evrek, with their superior civilization? Georyn, with his amazing ability to use the power of the charm? Jarel, with his courageous decision to aid Elana and Georyn? Certainly, all these characters played a part.

But, some higher force in the universe brought them all together. Some higher force arranged that Elana and Georgyn would fall in love, and that Jarel would both question his empire's conquest and have opportunity to meet and aid Elana. We are left to decide for ourselves just what that higher force could be. Coincidence is not an option.

In the climactic scene of this novel, love truly conquers all to the astonishment of everyone present. Every character acts according to a plan, and every plan goes awry, yet the outcome is better than any of them could have imagined. They are all left humbled by a magic beyond their expectations. And, the reader is left enchanted by Engdahl's provacative science fiction-fairy tale.

Rating:
Summary: I loved it 20+ years ago, and my kids love it now.
Review: The cover says it is a Newberry Honor book. The story is copyright 1970. I remembered reading the book when I was in about 7th grade. I am now reading it to my 6th grade and 4th grade daughters. Once we got past the first chapter, they fell in love with it. It combines fantasy and science fiction by applying a twist of Clark's Law ("Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.") while delving into the question of "What sorts of goals are worthy of commitment and sacrifice?" It is enjoyable on several levels. I would recommend some caution for children under age 10 as some of the concepts are sophisticated and things such as death and severe poverty are included.

Rating:
Summary: An Incredible Book
Review: This book gave me alot to think about and to hope for. I am sixteen and just finished reading this book a few days ago. It is about four people from an advanced Federation, who travel to an inhabited "Youngling" planet that is being colonized by a different Youngling culture. The Federation hopes to frighten the invaders away without letting either culture know that their race is less advanced than another is. If a race learns that they have more advanced neighbors, they could lose faith in their own progress and wouldn't develop normally, depriving the universe of a unique race that might someday discover something that previous races had missed. There is a "My Teacher is an Alien" series of books by Bruce Coville that I enjoyed many aspects of, but in those books the more advanced races of the universe were contemplating destroying Earth because it was still fighting itself 3,000 years after all other known species had stopped fighting themselves. I like Sylvia Endgahl's take on humanities evolution better; unfair actions are a natural part of a culture's growth. A race may go through growing pains just as a person does. It is painful to know that so many innocent people have been hurt when unique cultures, unused to each other, first meet and subsequently try to adapt. People tend to be more thoughtful and considerate as they gain experience and become more aware of feelings. The Federation could easily have destroyed either or both cultures, but instead chose a few people to try to ease the cultures through some painful growing stages. They recognized that once a race is influenced too much or gone, you can never know what it might have accomplished.

Rating:
Summary: An Incredible Book
Review: This book gave me alot to think about and to hope for. I am sixteen and just finished reading this book a few days ago. It is about four people from an advanced Federation, who travel to an inhabited "Youngling" planet that is being colonized by a different Youngling culture. The Federation hopes to frighten the invaders away without letting either culture know that their race is less advanced than another is. If a race learns that they have more advanced neighbors, they could lose faith in their own progress and wouldn't develop normally, depriving the universe of a unique race that might someday discover something that previous races had missed. There is a "My Teacher is an Alien" series of books by Bruce Coville that I enjoyed many aspects of, but in those books the more advanced races of the universe were contemplating destroying Earth because it was still fighting itself 3,000 years after all other known species had stopped fighting themselves. I like Sylvia Endgahl's take on humanities evolution better; unfair actions are a natural part of a culture's growth. A race may go through growing pains just as a person does. It is painful to know that so many innocent people have been hurt when unique cultures, unused to each other, first meet and subsequently try to adapt. People tend to be more thoughtful and considerate as they gain experience and become more aware of feelings. The Federation could easily have destroyed either or both cultures, but instead chose a few people to try to ease the cultures through some painful growing stages. They recognized that once a race is influenced too much or gone, you can never know what it might have accomplished.

Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate
Review: This book is so awesome. It has the 3 different viewpoints of 3 different cultures intertwined so that it automatically becomes your favorite book. And it is. I found myself sneaking in extra reading time at night, etc.- it was so hard to put it down. I guaruntee you, if this amazing book doesn't enchant you like the "enchantress" in this book, that nothing ever will. :-)

Rating:
Summary: hm...
Review: This book was...well, interesting. When I first picked it up, it seemed fascinating. But, once I got into it, it was slow. The plot was good, but nothing really memorable-it seemed old-fashioned...if that word can be used to describe plots. It didn't really get in touch with me. While it was good, it certainly wasn't the best.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: This is a must read. It was recommended to me by the school librarian when I was in 6th grade. I'm now 30 years old, and I've never forgotten it.

It's not just sci-fi or fantasy. It's about people, the wonder of them, their fears and humanity, society and it's implications...so much. But it's fun, a page-turner. Everybody over 12 should read this book.

I just wish all of her books were in print!!!