Sylvia Louise Engdahl

[Carolyn Hill]

Has anyone read any of Sylvia Louise Engdahl's books? I ran across her name and looked up some of her novels on Amazon; they seem interesting, but I'd like to hear what you think before I commit to reading any of them.

The one that most interests me is Journey Between Worlds. Amazon says:

"Eighteen-year-old Melinda Ashley never wanted to go to Mars. She had her life all planned out—marry Ross, become a teacher, and inherit the beloved family home. But when her estranged father convinces her to take a trip with him to the remote colony on Mars, she finds herself tempted to leave her comfortable existence on Earth behind. Mars proves to be quite different than she had imagined and when she meets Alex Preston, a second generation Martian colonist, she finds herself on a surprising new path."

The book was originally published quite a long time ago but has recently been updated in a 2006 edition.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I haven't read any of her books, but her Enchantress from the Stars seems to be popular with children's librarians -- I've been seeing it on recommended reading shelves for years and years.

 

[Esioul]

I've heard of her books and wondered that too. Ifyou do get hold of one, let us know if it's anygood.

 

[Carolyn Hill]

I bought and read Journey between Worlds. I've posted a brief reaction to it elsewhere on Chronicles, forgetting about this thread until Esioul's post reminded me. Thanks, Esioul!

I was underwhelmed by Journey between Worlds. Even though I admire Engdahl's message about space exploration and settlements on Mars, the plot is thin, and I wasn't drawn into the main character's emotions.

Melinda, the teenage protagonist, doesn't want to travel to Mars with her dad after her graduation from high school; she wants to marry her (overly controlling) boyfriend and attend college by his side. Nonetheless, she packs up and goes along with her dad on his business trip. She sees no sense in people settling on Mars, and although she's a good person, she often says inadvertently offensive things to the hardworking settlers and to Alex, a likeable male settler whom she comes to spend more and more time with and begins to develop romantic feelings for.

The conversations between Melinda and Alex and others tend to read like polemic cast in dialogue. I am in complete agreement with Alex's point of view: I want humankind to settle Mars rather than wage war on Earth. I'm glad that Melinda comes to appreciate the settlers and realizes the connection between the settlers' efforts and her pioneering ancestresses' journey overseas to North America and then across the continent to Oregon. And I'm glad that she eventually realizes that her Earth-bound boyfriend is a jerk.

But I never feel what she feels. I watch her feeling it. Even when tragedy strikes, I'm not drawn into her emotion. I think it's because polemic seems to be the book's driving purpose: messages about space settlement, whom to marry, what constitutes maturity, how to structure a desireable society, why one must determine for oneself who one wants to be . . . valuable messages, all. But they are just a shade too heavy-handed, as if the characters exist merely to convey the author's opinions rather than taking on a life of their own.

 

[Sylvia Engdahl]

Thanks for your comments! The only people who write to me seem to be those who like my books and so I don't get any feedback from those who don't -- but I welcome all reactions.

Anyone interested in reading my books should know that they are all quite different from each other -- some people prefer one and some another. I've made some comments about this in my MySpace blog.

The rules say I'm not supposed to promote my own website because I'm new here, and that I can't include links. But my website has a vast amount of information about my books, including many quotes from reviews, if anyone is really seeking information. Also, I have a large Space subsite -- not connected to my books -- for everyone who's interested in my ideas about the importance of space. It's easy enough to find with Google. And do feel free to send me e-mail!

Sylvia

 

[Carolyn Hill]

Hi, Sylvia. What a treat to hear directly from you!

I'll post the link to your website, so that everybody can visit you there: Sylvia Engdahl - Official Author Site .

And here's a link to Sylvia's blog on MySpace: blog.myspace.com/engdahl .

And the link to her Space subsite: Sylvia Engdahl's Space Subsite .

 

[Carolyn Hill]

I just finished reading Engdahl's The Enchantress from the Stars. I enjoyed it and got teary-eyed at the ending.

The protagonist, Elana, and the hero, Georyn, are likeable and believable characters, and there's plenty of action as they both struggle to overcome difficult odds in gentle and courageous ways at great personal risk to themselves. The book's messages--about love, fear, and how individuals and societies can best treat one another and help one another grow--are as thoughtful and timely now as they were when the book was first published in 1970.

Readers who enjoy fantasy but avoid science fiction might be converted by this novel. Technically, The Enchantress from the Stars is science fiction, but Engdahl skillfully weaves fantasy elements into the book. As she switches between sections written from Elana's starfaring point of view to sections written from Georyn's fairy-tale point of view, she erodes genre distinctions: readers get a chance to see that not only do the two characters share much in common despite being from two very different worlds, but that also science fiction and fantasy share much in common despite apparent differences.

Unlike the revised version of Journey between Worlds that I read and commented on earlier in this thread, Enchantress from the Stars is a seamless, enjoyable book, in which the messages flow naturally from the action, and the characters' dialogue is genuine and heartfelt. I recommend Enchantress from the Stars to all readers of young-adult fantasy or science fiction.

 

[Alia]

Hi, Sylvia. What a treat to hear directly from you!

I'll post the link to your website, so that everybody can visit you there: Sylvia Engdahl - Official Author Site .

And here's a link to Sylvia's blog on MySpace: blog.myspace.com/engdahl .

And the link to her Space subsite: Sylvia Engdahl's Space Subsite .

I agree what a treat to hear from an author! And Brown Rat thanks for all your hard work!

 

[matt-browne-sfw]

I've read all of her books and they are all fantastic. She's in fact my favorite author. Some of her books are not hard science fiction, but certainly science fiction rather than fantasy. Or one could say they are science fiction with a small dose of fantasy in it.

The only book I would give a four star rating instead of five is the "Far Side of Evil"...

My favorite book is "Children of the Star" !