This full-length science fiction story was published in 1949. A glance at Wikipedia (or Mike Ashley’s introduction to the British Library Science Fiction Classics version) will reveal that there is quite an interesting background to the writing of this book, and that the author lost the unfinished manuscript twice while serving in North Africa and Italy during the Second World War.
In general, Temple seems to have been more successful with short stories than with novels, but although as a young man he knew other science fiction fans and writers, most notably Arthur C. Clark, he never achieved the fame of the latter. I think that prior to its republication by British Library Science Fiction Classics, this particular book had become largely forgotten.
Four-Sided Triangle is a well-written novel with a convincingly human narrator. It definitely has a firm science fiction basis (albeit not one of the hard science fiction genre), and is as much an analysis of character and interpersonal dynamics as it is a fantastic tale.
The story centers around the invention of a “reproducer” or matter replicator, and the difficulties (ethical and otherwise) which arise when it is used to reproduce living beings complete with the memories of their lives up to the point when they were copied. Thus, the tale is not about cloning, but about something else entirely. The narrative concentrates on how the device affects a group of five people, but only briefly touches on wider ramifications that could have produced a completely different story.
The narrator (a sixty-year-old unmarried doctor) also frequently ponders on philosophical questions such as determinism and free will. I think that the author may have chosen to employ a bachelor as his storyteller partly because such a person may be more likely to retain certain romantic notions that the average middle-aged person who is married may have been disabused of long ago. One of the ideas central to the unsolvable conundrum of the book is that someone could be so in love with a partner after only a relatively short time together that they could not possibly live without that person, as though there is only one individual in the whole world who could fulfil the role of soulmate. I assume that most people who have reached the age of around fifty have become too realistic and cynical to give any credence to this way of thinking, even if they were inclined to do so when they were younger and more naive. And while the principal female protagonist is pretty progressive for the time when the book was written, the gender roles are of course largely presented in the traditional vein, which may grate on some modern readers, although it should be born in mind that part of the fascination of reading works from decades ago is the contemporary thought they reflect through their pages.
I felt that the novel starts out really well, is a little slow in the middle, and then recaptures its brilliance later on, especially when a completely unexpected “double twist” in the tail draws the loose ends together and provides a satisfying finale. The ending also ensures that no answers are provided to the philosophical questions which are raised throughout the book.
It is certainly a unique story, and was a worthwhile read.
Below are some quotations from Four-Sided Triangle which are representative of the writing style and content:
Oh, this incurable English habit of pretending to treat as a joke the strange and the new, whether idea or fact; and the more important the subject the lighter the treatment! No doubt a laugh is better than a bawl of rage and fear prophesying calamity and downfall, but it is no more helpful a reception, and lord knows how much genuine inspiration has wilted, withered and died under gentle but wearing Anglo-Saxon laughter. There is one thing forgivable about it: it is just as often disarmingly self-deprecating, if no more reasonable.
I have often noticed that in significant, historical and therefore presumably serious events, some incongruous factor generally pops up and twists things away towards the ludicrous. Hamlet, after the performance of the year, has fallen dead, but in that death holds the audience in an iron grip—and the theatre cat strolls up and licks his face.
It is said that alcohol affects people in different ways. It does not. It merely releases their inhibitions, and they blossom forth into a queer imitation of the sort of person they secretly wish to be.
Heaven lies about us in our infancy not solely because of our clinging trails of glory, nor because of the novelties we encounter here, but because of the possibilities of things yet to be discovered and explored, and the eager, excited anticipation of the imagination. The dullness of maturity only thickens upon us after a long succession of disappointments.
“It’s not really a tragedy,” I said. “One must accept these things. There’s a lot of compensation in being able to appreciate beauty—it isn’t necessary to create it.”
“There is no meaning,” she said dreamily. “Life has no meaning. It is only an experience, like a beautiful view or the scent of a flower. All you can do is try to transmute the experience through art, change it into a form of expression, so that feelings may be recorded and felt again. But it’s awfully hard to do. It’s the hardest thing in the world. That’s why I like to try to do it.”
“Atomic physics has passed beyond simple analogies or working models of the Kelvin kind. One is just at a loss trying to think of any material conditions adequate to represent states that can only be conceived mathematically.”
Everybody respects a man who is consistent. You know where you are with him. He is a unit. He is all of a piece. I am all pieces and they are all over the place. “And yet, you know, I get glimpses. Glimpses of a reality more fundamental than anything Rob even suspects…”
And rage that humanity had to be tormented through its feelings in this way. Why did nature take such a clumsy, tortuous path to gain her ends? Why must birth and growth always be a friction and a suffering?
“My dear Doc, let us get ourselves straight about this. Knowledge as such, little or great, is not a dangerous thing. It is the unscientific education of the public and politicians who may mishandle it that is dangerous.” “The point is,” I said, “that it’s not wise to bring razors into a house containing too many imbeciles.” “Is it wrong to invent razors, then? Are all men to be cursed with filthy beards because some fools will not learn to use an instrument for its proper purpose?”
“But that raises a point. Could these imitation human beings be said to have souls of their own? The problem of Frankenstein’s monster or Rossum’s Universal Robots in fact.” “You know my views on that, Doc. I don’t believe in individual immortal souls. If anything survives, it is the larger soul of mankind. We are drops in an ocean, mingling and intermingling—our individuality is as transitory as spray.
It is so easy to be sentimental when one is sad. It is so easy to be sad when one broods upon the past beyond regain.
I began to perceive that my bachelorhood had been a mistake, and an irretrievable one now. Divested of the work that had blinkered me, I saw now the cold and empty spaces that stretched about me, bridgeless, linkless, the gulfs between our private lives, the loneliness of each little fearful or vain and self-absorbed ego. What time had people for those who could serve no personal use for them—not heal nor instruct them, give them material or monetary gain, nor yet love them or flatter them in more blatant ways?
“I was a child and she was a child In that kingdom by the sea…” I had accepted now that what I had missed in life was gone for ever. Yet there remained the ghost-memory of a pang…
His darting intelligence was too aerial to descend often into the slow courses of wisdom.
For, you see, we’re that improvident type of person who can’t be bothered to wonder how we’ll react to any change. We think of a thing only when we get to it. We’re not so very good at putting ourselves mentally in other people’s places, and less good at foreseeing our own mental states.
She—do you know what William James said of his wife? He said, ‘She saved me from my Zerrissenheit’—that is, literally, ‘torn-to-pieces-ness’—‘and gave me back to myself all in one piece.’ That’s what Dot has done for me. I couldn’t do without her for any length of time.”
Intuition’s the thing—to be roughly right. All the sages of all the ages have striven by reason to disprove either Determinism in favour of Free Will, or vice versa. And still neither is disproved. Intuition tells me, therefore, that there is truth in both, both exist,
….everything can be resolved into the opposing forces of positive and negative. Resistance and non-resistance. Plan and laissez-faire. Ambition and apathy. Or, if you wish, Free Will and Determinism.”
Circumstances always seem to be forcing people to hurt one another against their wills. Sometimes I think we’re all caught up in a mad machine.”
What sort of life was this, that such things could happen to decent, well-meaning people? Even the most heartless man would recoil from tormenting animals so long and so devilishly ingeniously as this. “God is love,” I thought with bitterness. And again, “God helps those who help themselves.” Help ourselves!
All man’s virtues stand in doubt at some time or other, except courage. Love might be a payment for returned love. Humour might be an escape from, a way of laughing off, responsibility. Generosity might be a bid for a reward in heaven, quid pro quo. Humility and resignation could be weakness. But courage stood like a rock, and no cynicism could shake it.
“I suppose it’s no use trying now to explain again how over-conscientiousness can lead to evil,” I said.
Words, words, words! Intellectual distinctions are just meaningless to a man who cannot help thinking with his emotions.
When we get old we seek the company of youth, to get again that precious taste of optimism, gaiety, freshness of outlook, and hope.
Very distant, but very clear, Bill’s voice came through the nerve-tearing clamour of the machine, speaking Cassius’s line: “Men at some time are masters of their fates…”
Alternative book covers from yesteryear:
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I was expecting this book to be a somewhat disjointed collection of narratives which would be difficult to comprehend, but my assumptions were completely wrong. Norstrilia has a tightly-weaved overarching plot, and the ending is highly satisfying.
The story outline is as follows.
Rod McBan lives on the planet of Norstrilia, whose residents are the descendants of farmers from Old North Australia on Earth. The environment is a harsh one, but the people are rich due to a substance called 'stroon', which is harvested from giant mutant sheep and is highly sought-after throughout the galaxy.
Due to the fact that the planet cannot support a large population, immigration is banned and those considered abnormal are humanely 'culled' when they reach a certain age. Young Rod McBan, whose telepathic abilities have not developed normally, is in danger of losing his life due to this regulation. Even though he manages to avoid such a destiny, there are still imminent threats to his continued existence from another source. However, by a shortcut that no one imagined possible, Rod manages to become the richest man living, and uses his fortune to buy the whole Earth. To escape the danger at home, Rod proceeds to flee to Earth, and this is where the story really starts. On Earth, Rod has assistance from unexpected sources, and he becomes a critical component in the effort to improve the lot of the oppressed 'underpeople'.
Cordwainer Smith was a professor of Asiatic Politics, and had abundant experience in diplomacy with countries in the Far East. The Chinese overtones in the story will be obvious to anyone familiar with that culture.
One clear example appears early in the book:
His computer had said to him once, "The words hier and spiek are corruptions of the words hear and speak. They are always pronounced in the second rising tone of voice, as though you were asking a question under the pressure of amusement and alarm, if you say the words with your voice. They refer only to telepathic communication between persons or between persons and underpeople."
Mandarin Chinese, of course, has four principal tones, and the second tone is just as described here.
The second half of the book is where most of the unique poignancy lies. As an example of this, I can do no better than to reproduce here the deceptively simple but powerful Song of C'Mell:
"And oh! my love, for you.
High birds crying, and a
High sky flying, and a
High wind driving, and a
High heart striving, and a
High brave place for you!"
Norstrilia makes references to the author's other short stories, most notably The Ballad of Lost C'Mell. And in this novel we learn a lot more about this inscrutable cat-derived woman.
The story is laced with poetry and a lyricism which would defy any efforts on my part to define. The novel is at once a compelling adventure and a mesmeric journey into an entire history and mythology of the future of humankind.
A superficial summary of the plot details may well make the book sound so absurd that it should hardly be readable (except perhaps as a comedy), but immersion into the worlds which the author fashioned is in fact a strangely inspirational and moving experience.
I recommend it very highly.
During the 1950s there were many science fiction and fantasy stories featuring telepathy and other related powers, and this is one of them. The Game of Rat and Dragon was first published in Galaxy Magazine in 1955.
There is a passing reference to the Instrumentality, the governing or administrative body of most of mankind, so the tale is obviously set in the same universe as many of Smith’s other stories. There is no date mentioned in the story, but the Concordance to Cordwainer Smith by Anthony R. Lewis places the events which take place at around 9000AD.
Without giving too much of the story away, humans have already developed ‘planoform’ spaceships which permit faster-than-light travel (it seems to be hinted that these vessels slip into two dimensions and travel ‘under’ space between stars in short skips which cover vast distances). However convenient this method of travel may be, humans quickly discover that it comes at a price.
There exist malevolent creatures inhabiting underspace which appear to telepathic humans as the traditional dragons of folklore, and to telepathic cats as rats. These little-understood beings either destroy or deal a massive psychic blow to all on board the ship which renders everyone incurably insane. The reactions of human telepaths are simply not fast enough to protect them or anyone else from these attacks. However, once the dragons' weakness is identified, humans team up with telepathic cats (‘partners’) to fight the deadly denizens of underspace. Of course, you may be able to think of other animals which can react as fast as or even faster than cats, but the author liked cats, and so cats it was. And cats have had a close relationship with humans for millennia, so they were an ideal choice. The story states that no other terrestrial creature could fill the role of the telepathic cats, so they were also the only choice possible within the reference frame of this fictional world.
Telepathic humans are not always paired with the same cats, and they experience different reactions and have different relationships with various feline partners. Anyone who has owned several cats (can you own cats?) should be able to relate easily to the fact that there are huge variations between their individual personalities (My current fat and lazy feline certainly would not be suitable as a fighter against dragons!). The principal human male character enjoys a special bond with a particular female cat, and it is this relationship which adds an elusive layer of poignancy to the story, and becomes the focus for the ending.
This ending is somewhat cryptic, but seems to me to foreshadow the relationship between Lord Jestocost and the feline-derived underperson C'Mell some seven thousand years later in the Instrumentality chronology (See The Ballad of Lost C’Mell, first published in Galaxy Magazine in 1962). Such is the subtlety of the connecting strands between this author’s works.
The paperback version of this short story is a mere 24 pages in length, but Smith somehow managed to fill that small space with a complete alternate reality and highly incisive imagery which readers will likely find difficult to forget. Little wonder that it was nominated for a Hugo Award in 1956.
If you love cats and space travel, then this is the story for you!
Again, without spoiling the story for those who may not have yet read it, here are a small number of quotes from The Game of Rat and Dragon which may convey the atmosphere and flavor of the writing:
In the fraction of a second between the telepaths’ awareness of a hostile something. Out in the black, hollow nothingness of space and the impact of a ferocious, ruinous psychic blow against all living things within the ship, the telepaths had sensed entities something like the dragons of ancient human lore, beasts more clever than beasts, demons more tangible than demons, hungry vortices of aliveness and hate compounded by unknown means out of the thin, tenuous matter between the stars.
What seemed to be dragons to the human mind appeared in the form of gigantic rats in the minds of the partners.
Usually the partners didn’t care much about the human minds with which they were paired for the journey. The partners seemed to take the attitude that human minds were complex and fouled up beyond belief, anyhow. No partner ever questioned the superiority of the human mind, though very few of the partners were much impressed by that superiority.
That’s the trouble with working with cats, thought Underbill. It’s a pity that nothing else anywhere will serve as partner. Cats were all right once you got in touch with them telepathically. They were smart enough to meet the needs of the fight, but their motives and desires were certainly different from those of humans.
It was sort of funny realizing that the partners who were so grim and mature out here in space were the same cute little animals that people had used as pets for thousands of years back on Earth. He had embarrassed himself more than once while on the ground saluting perfectly ordinary non-telepathic cats because he had forgotten for the moment that they were not partners.
He was lucky—he drew the Lady May. The Lady May was the most thoughtful partner he had ever met. In her, the finely bred pedigree mind of a Persian cat had reached one of its highest peaks of development.
His mouth moved heavily as he articulated words. “Don’t call our partners cats. The right thing to call them is partners. They fight for us in a team. You ought to know we call them partners, not cats. How is mine?”
Continuing my investigation of science fiction works by Charles Eric Maine, here is a brief review of The Tide Went Out, which I just finished last night (22/10/2022).
This title was first published in 1959, and tells the story of Philip Wade, a journalist who stumbles on the truth of the consequences of an H-bomb test under the Pacific Ocean. The gigantic atomic explosion unexpectedly blasts a hole through the seabed, allowing the seas of the entire Earth to drain into cavities around its core. No seas, of course, means no rain, and no rain leads to a planet almost devoid of water. For a reason that he cannot fathom and which never becomes completely apparent, Wade is selected to work in the intelligence and propaganda department of the British Government and is tasked with responsibility for disseminating misinformation designed to placate the doomed public. His position should ensure his survival when his team eventually evacuates to the Arctic which, along with the Antarctic, has the only remaining source of fresh water (or any water at all for that matter) on the planet.
The science is admittedly a bit off-beam, but that is not the point of the book. The story is partly a warning against overconfidence in scientific progress (an attitude which was less common in the 1950s than it is today), and partly a character study of a flawed protagonist and how his rationality and gut reactions alter, vacillate, and develop during the unprecedented catastrophe. In a world where morality and ethics have ceased to matter, a man is forced to become inhuman in thought and action. Or is he?
The 2019 British Library Science Fiction Classics edition has an excellent introduction by Mike Ashley which explains the background of this work in comparison to similar novels by other authors of the same era.
Listed below are some noteworthy quotes from the text of the book:“Operation Nutcracker took place on June the seventh. Three hydrogen bombs were exploded in the Kaluiki group of islands in the South Pacific. The first was at an altitude of about five thousand feet. The second—sea level. And the third was the daddy of them all…”
Funny how your standards change in twelve years, Wade thought. As a reporter on a local paper in North London he’d been full of the integrity of true journalism, obsessed with the ideal of objective reporting. But somehow the writers with the gimmicks, who found the unusual angles or sometimes manufactured them, always seemed to get the bylines and the promotion. Imagination seemed to be more important than observation.
The earthquake had been severe and had probably done incalculable damage. His brain was too numbed and fatigued to attempt to add it up. Something was wrong somewhere. This kind of thing just didn’t happen in England.
“Funny thing,” said Wade. “There was no feeling of fear. Just a kind of blank tenseness—like in the war during the air raids. You waited and waited—desensitised.” “The general adaptation syndrome,” Shirley remarked casually…Given a long-term emergency, people stop thinking for a long time. They act instinctively, emotionally. The intellect tends to become paralysed. Their behaviour is dominated by a survival drive.”
The only disquieting note, from Wade’s point of view, was the manner in which the facility for survival was being shared among the human race as a whole. It seemed to him that a ruthless form of selection had been adopted. The inhabitants of the polar evacuation camps were, so far as he could determine, government employees, or the families of government employees, and people of direct importance to the survival drive, such as scientists and technicians and chemists and doctors. The rest of the human race didn’t seem to matter. He supposed that in a situation of this type one had to be ruthless; there had to be the governing class which knew the truth, and the outsiders who were fed with reassuring propaganda to sustain them to the terrible end.
“So you are a lucky man, Mr. Wade. No relatives or friends in important government circles, and yet you are chosen to survive.” A pause, followed by an inscrutable narrowing of the eyes. “Unless, of course, your wife…?” Wade shook his head. “No important relatives whatever.” “Influential friends, perhaps?” “No.” “Oh, well…”
She averted her eyes. “Pornography, I’m afraid—or something pretty near to it. In the papers and on television. You’d be surprised how the circulation of the National Express has grown during the last few days. And last night’s television audience was estimated to be in the thirty million region.” “For what purpose?” Wade asked. “A form of brainwashing—something to distract the mind of the average man from the horrors of everyday life…” “And women?” “Apparently the women don’t matter. The men are the trouble-makers, and the whole propaganda machine is getting to work on the male sex.” “I see,” said Wade. “I suppose a little pornography on the television screen keeps the men off the streets at night…”
But there were subtle changes too on the psychological level. The churches, for instance, were recording a considerable revitalisation of religious worship. In all countries people were entering the House of God in increasing numbers to pray for deliverance.
…the world seemed fantastic and dreamlike. Economics had gone haywire. Money had no value, but nevertheless the privileged ones could get what they wanted without money, could live in the Waldorf, could eat and drink and erect barricades to keep out the unprivileged and violent mob outside. It was a stark division of the world into two classes—the survivors and the non-survivors.
Wade was a changed man in several ways. For one thing he had learned the art of self-control to such an extent that smoking and drinking had ceased to be habitual.
“We are seeing the world destroyed, slowly and inevitably, at the whim of the scientists and politicians.”
“What frightens me, Wade, is that Carey may have been right. I’ve never felt so confused before. Somehow the outside world hasn’t seemed real to us. I never thought of the people out there as human beings—just statistics on paper. I can’t help thinking…” “Why not stop thinking,” Wade suggested, “then you won’t be so confused.”
“Maybe Carey had a conscience,” Wade said. “Maybe he regarded life as something sacred, beyond all policies and politics. And maybe, in the scheme of things, he didn’t consider his own life more important than his principles.”
Your codes of behaviour have to be flexible enough to adapt themselves to changing conditions in the world. You can no more apply the moral code of last year than you could use the standards of, say, a Stone Age man.” Patten wasn’t convinced. “If that’s true, then it applies to Carey as well.” “Yes—except that Carey’s code wasn’t flexible enough. He couldn’t adapt himself, and now he’s dead. Evolution works on that kind of principle.”
“In the meantime I think it will be advisable to destroy all documents and code and cypher records and equipment. Superficially there would appear to be no need, but one can never quite foresee the future, and it is wise to leave no evidence behind.” “Evidence?” “I mean evidence that could be used to show that the government had acted irresponsibly in this crisis.”
In a decaying world there was nothing but decay. But here and now there was still a spark of humanity to illuminate the spiritual darkness.
Brindle was right. Once you’ve been touched by violence you lose something for ever. But for ever is an overstatement. You can only lose something for a lifetime, and you can tolerate a loss for a lifetime.
Loose: On Letting Stuff Go by Einzelgänger
Below are some meaningful and helpful quotations from the book:
This anonymous Dutch author has many excellent videos about practical philosophy on Youtube. This is the latest of the three books which he has made available on Amazon.
In addition to the timeless wisdom of ancient philosophers, it also examines some ideas about the modern world that concern the younger generation.
(There are some small mistakes in English grammar, probably because the author is Dutch, and I think the book needs to be proofread again. But the meaning is clear, and the philosophy is very helpful in everyday life).
I particularly enjoyed the parts which make practical application of quotations from the works of the Stoic Marcus Aurelius and the early Taoist philosopher Laotzu (Laozi). The reasoning contained in this work can undo painful psychological knots and help us to identify common unhealthy thinking patterns which may have become ingrained due to brainwashing by the propaganda disseminated in the world around us.
Epictetus pointed out that if we tie ourselves to external circumstances, these very circumstances control us as puppet masters. When fate gives us what we want, we’re elated. When it gives us what we don’t want, we’re in distress.
And the less we’re moved by circumstances, the less power the puppet masters have, and the more tranquil we are in the face of destiny.
Why true love is letting go? Because it’s permitting the world to be free. By letting go we make peace with fate; we’re okay with people having different opinions, the uncertainty of the future, the dreadfulness of the past, and the impermanence of everything.
Isn’t there an advantage to every disadvantage?
Being useless in the eyes of others could be great for one’s health, as it deprives one of the stress and sacrifice of being useful.
If there’s anything that holds us back from being authentic, it's when we design our lives with the purpose of appeasing others.
Not belonging to a group grants us the freedom to look how we want, dress how we want, associate with and love who we want, and think and say what we want, thus, being an ideologically independent thinker who isn’t encumbered by a group’s narrative.
“You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It’s their mistake, not my failing.” Richard Phillips Feynman
The trichotomy of control, however, offers three categories: (1) Things over which we have complete control . (2) Things over which we have no control at all . (3) And things over which we have some but not complete control.
...unnatural as far as the Japanese worldview of wabi-sabi is concerned. Wabi-sabi rejects the pursuit of perfection and embraces the reality of imperfection. The philosophy behind wabi-sabi can help us escape the hamster wheel of chasing an ideal life and teaches us to appreciate existence as it is: perfectly imperfect.
(Henry David Thoreau) As here wrote: “..a man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone.”
Being content with little is the ultimate civil disobedience in modern times. It loosens the grip that society has over us, by not needing what they have to offer in exchange for our time and labor. By owning and needing less, our existence becomes less complicated and less stressful.
Epicurus himself chose a simple life, enjoying weak wine, bread, and cheese, and discussing philosophy with friends.
“If thou wilt makes a man happy, add not unto his riches but take away from his desires,” Epicurus once said.
The 19th-century author, geologist, and evolutionary thinker Robert Chambers, for example, stated in a journal that ‘reading’ is an inexpensive way of deriving pleasure…
We should not complain about impermanence, because without impermanence, nothing is possible.
When we cannot change outside circumstances, the only way to move forward is to change ourselves, including how we look at the situation at hand.
The more we want to be free of pain, the more pain we experience.
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
Nature has programmed us in such a way that we’re more susceptible to negativity than to positivity.
Trouble arises when we try to control the future. To control the future, the mind tries to think about it as if it were the present.
Even though what’s happened in the past cannot be changed, we’ll always be guessing what happened exactly. First of all, it’s because our experience of past events is limited. We’ve only observed it through our own senses.
Mastery of the world is achieved by letting things take their natural course. You cannot master the world by changing the natural way.
By letting go, we create space for the universe to do its thing. The workings of nature will not cost us any additional energy.
“Comparison is the thief of joy,” American president Theodore Roosevelt once stated.
Marcus Aurelius beautifully described the continual repetition of things and that, in essence, nothing new happens. Everything is familiar and transient. He asked: “Which is why observing life for forty years is as good as a thousand. Would you really see anything new?”
But when we’re finding ourselves in dire straits, and there seems no way out, it’s essential to always remember that everything changes. The worldly winds are unpredictable. One moment they provide us with delight, the other moment with agony.
“This too shall pass”.
But we can choose the position we take towards these circumstances. Pain is certain. Suffering is optional. So, do we give unpleasant circumstances the power to make us miserable, or do we enjoy some honey instead?
Many people either fight or stick their heads in the sand, and never come to terms with how things are. But there’s a way to move forward. And it starts with accepting reality for what it is, which, in some cases, is an act of radicalism.
Radical acceptance means that we acknowledge the stuff that’s excruciatingly painful.
Because what we resist, persists. And what we accept, we move beyond. Some things are up to us, some things aren’t. We can’t change the past.
However, we do control the position we take toward life. As Søren Kierkegaard stated: “Life can only be understood backward, but it must be lived forwards.”
Radical acceptance is a powerful act. It means that we take a deep breath, stand up straight, with our shoulders back, and look the abyss straight in the eye. It sends a message to the outside world that we are willing to embrace it, that we don’t cower away from the consequences of doing so, and that we’re confident that we’ll find a way to deal with it.
The Man Who Couldn’t Sleep And the less we’re moved by circumstances, the less power the puppet masters have, and the more tranquil we are in the face of destiny.
Why true love is letting go? Because it’s permitting the world to be free. By letting go we make peace with fate; we’re okay with people having different opinions, the uncertainty of the future, the dreadfulness of the past, and the impermanence of everything.
Isn’t there an advantage to every disadvantage?
Being useless in the eyes of others could be great for one’s health, as it deprives one of the stress and sacrifice of being useful.
If there’s anything that holds us back from being authentic, it's when we design our lives with the purpose of appeasing others.
Not belonging to a group grants us the freedom to look how we want, dress how we want, associate with and love who we want, and think and say what we want, thus, being an ideologically independent thinker who isn’t encumbered by a group’s narrative.
“You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It’s their mistake, not my failing.” Richard Phillips Feynman
The trichotomy of control, however, offers three categories: (1) Things over which we have complete control . (2) Things over which we have no control at all . (3) And things over which we have some but not complete control.
...unnatural as far as the Japanese worldview of wabi-sabi is concerned. Wabi-sabi rejects the pursuit of perfection and embraces the reality of imperfection. The philosophy behind wabi-sabi can help us escape the hamster wheel of chasing an ideal life and teaches us to appreciate existence as it is: perfectly imperfect.
(Henry David Thoreau) As here wrote: “..a man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone.”
Being content with little is the ultimate civil disobedience in modern times. It loosens the grip that society has over us, by not needing what they have to offer in exchange for our time and labor. By owning and needing less, our existence becomes less complicated and less stressful.
Epicurus himself chose a simple life, enjoying weak wine, bread, and cheese, and discussing philosophy with friends.
“If thou wilt makes a man happy, add not unto his riches but take away from his desires,” Epicurus once said.
The 19th-century author, geologist, and evolutionary thinker Robert Chambers, for example, stated in a journal that ‘reading’ is an inexpensive way of deriving pleasure…
We should not complain about impermanence, because without impermanence, nothing is possible.
When we cannot change outside circumstances, the only way to move forward is to change ourselves, including how we look at the situation at hand.
The more we want to be free of pain, the more pain we experience.
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
Nature has programmed us in such a way that we’re more susceptible to negativity than to positivity.
Trouble arises when we try to control the future. To control the future, the mind tries to think about it as if it were the present.
Even though what’s happened in the past cannot be changed, we’ll always be guessing what happened exactly. First of all, it’s because our experience of past events is limited. We’ve only observed it through our own senses.
Mastery of the world is achieved by letting things take their natural course. You cannot master the world by changing the natural way.
By letting go, we create space for the universe to do its thing. The workings of nature will not cost us any additional energy.
“Comparison is the thief of joy,” American president Theodore Roosevelt once stated.
Marcus Aurelius beautifully described the continual repetition of things and that, in essence, nothing new happens. Everything is familiar and transient. He asked: “Which is why observing life for forty years is as good as a thousand. Would you really see anything new?”
But when we’re finding ourselves in dire straits, and there seems no way out, it’s essential to always remember that everything changes. The worldly winds are unpredictable. One moment they provide us with delight, the other moment with agony.
“This too shall pass”.
But we can choose the position we take towards these circumstances. Pain is certain. Suffering is optional. So, do we give unpleasant circumstances the power to make us miserable, or do we enjoy some honey instead?
Many people either fight or stick their heads in the sand, and never come to terms with how things are. But there’s a way to move forward. And it starts with accepting reality for what it is, which, in some cases, is an act of radicalism.
Radical acceptance means that we acknowledge the stuff that’s excruciatingly painful.
Because what we resist, persists. And what we accept, we move beyond. Some things are up to us, some things aren’t. We can’t change the past.
However, we do control the position we take toward life. As Søren Kierkegaard stated: “Life can only be understood backward, but it must be lived forwards.”
Radical acceptance is a powerful act. It means that we take a deep breath, stand up straight, with our shoulders back, and look the abyss straight in the eye. It sends a message to the outside world that we are willing to embrace it, that we don’t cower away from the consequences of doing so, and that we’re confident that we’ll find a way to deal with it.
by Charles Eric Maine
Without giving away the story, below are a few interesting quotations from this novel:
On the other hand, the mere knowledge that he was different from other people, and different in a way he did not care to reveal, created a barrier that sealed him off from the rest of humanity.
By a process of recording the “brain-waves’—electrical impulses generated by brain cells—on magnetic tape and later playing them back into a psychiatrist’s brain, it is possible to enter the mind of the patient and find out exactly what is wrong with his mind.
The age of instability, of advancing knowledge and increasing ignorance, of soaring standards of living and plunging standards of conduct, of technical refinement and political hooliganism, of spreading education and dwindling culture. The age of opposites in conflict.
“Escape from life—by courtesy of Cinesphere and Paul Zakon. Canned dreams for the multitude, in 3-D Chromacolor, starring Verna Graham herself, of course.” Laura missed the semi-facetious tone of his voice. “Canned dreams,” she echoed thoughtfully.
Zakon said: “Entertainment is not an art, Maxwell. It is a science. It is the science of escape and every production of mine is scientifically planned to provide the maximum amount of escape.”
Zakon released the pressure on his fingers and leaned back in his chair. “There are two lives, Maxwell. Life and unlife. Life is the monotonous routine of dealing with the basic needs of survival for three hundred and sixty-five days each year. Survival, Maxwell. That’s absolute…
That is where unlife comes in. Play can be transitive or intransitive. Active or passive. Half a century ago people relaxed actively. But as time goes on more and more relax passively. They escape to unlife. See what I’m getting at?”
“If you ask me,” Maxwell said candidly, “it’s a publicity angle —and that’s about all.” Stenheimer’s manner became serious. “You’re off the beam, Maxwell. We don’t publicize unlife. We keep quiet about it. You know why? Because it’s dynamite. It’s the most fundamental thing since the discovery of the atom.”
The reality-tone of the escape medium determines the degree of mental absorption of the audience. It is perhaps significant that in the most vivid dreams the reality-tone is such that the sleeper, on waking, may be disappointed to find that the fictional dream situation is not real.
This typifies the difference in emotive context between life and unlife, and as a general rule it can be stated that unlife is invariably more acceptable to the human mind than life.
Since the subjective reality-tone will be indistinguishable from real life, one is impelled to ask: What constitutes reality? Are the human senses arbiters of that distinction, and is the human mind an adequate judge of what is real and what is not?
For in the long run, all we ever know happens deep inside the brain, and reality belongs to the functions of the brain. Once man begins to control and determine those functions, the secret of reality lies within his grasp. Life or unlife, both are absolutes, and both are real.
Any theory involves politics if it involves power. Politics is concerned with the exploitation of power.
“There’s nothing anti-social about unlife, Maxwell. In fact, it acts as a scavenger of society, and removes the more anti-social types from active circulation… And society is the better for their removal. Its economics are better.”
He Owned the World by Charles Eric Maine
Below are a few quotations from the book:
The pain, for instance—that was a subjective thing. In the physical world of nature there was no such thing as pain;it was a psychoneural reaction characteristic of a sentient being. It could not be measured, weighed or analyzed, but it was real, nonetheless.
"You are alive, but only just,” said the voice tonelessly. "You must obey every instruction. You will remain here under electronic stimulus for five years. During that time you will gain strength and improve. Afterwards, with care and training, you may be able to lave the life of a normal man.”
"Immortality,” Carson whispered. "It’s unbelievable.” "You were dead. Now you are alive,” the doctor pointed out. "We regard death as a curable disease."
"You speak my language very well,” he observed. "Much better than the green-eyed doctor, for instance.” “I was adequately trained. During the five years of your treatment I was assigned to study antique terrestrial English. Our modern language is international and agglutinative. We have syllables derived originally from most of the important languages. All we do is join syllables together to make up more complex ideas. A complete thought—a sentence if you like—is expressed in one word. We think in terms of sentences rather than individual words, just as an architect visualizes the structure rather than the separate bricks.”
Earth has changed considerably since your day. There have been many wars, and for centuries there was universal radioactivity. Earth is a planet of strange mutants, but there are isolated colonies of normal people, like you and me.
The most perfect language is mathematics. A simple formula can express an abstract idea so complex that it could not be communicated in a million words.
There was virtually no emotion among these people; they enjoyed life in a cold-blooded intellectual way, as one might sit down to enjoy a game of chess, and the only apparent motive for seeking pleasure was the gratification that pleasure could provide.
"You must get used to the fact that people come and go,” she advised solemnly. "It is important to avoid affinity and interdependence. We are each of us individual citizens, and in so far as we allow ourselves to become dependent on others, so we fail to give the State the services of a full individual.” " "Is the State more important than the individual?" She smiled reprovingly at him. "The State is the individual, and the individual is the State.
"It all sounds very unsatisfactory to me,” Carson observed sadly. "Why can’t human beings get together to solve their problems instead of attempting to destroy each other?” "They never have done so throughout history.
You, Mr. Carson, may well prove to be the means of saving Earth from itself. As you know, the Martian colony has on three occasions attempted to take over control of Earth in its own interests—but war across millions of miles of space is an extremely difficult and hazardous operation. More than anything, we have needed a symbol, a figurehead to apply a strong psychological thrust to any projected military campaign. It is our belief that you are that symbol.”
First the family, then the tribe, then the political party, and with the abolition of parties the nation, personified in a single leader; and finally the entire planetary population, directed and controlled and governed by an impersonal authority possessing the power to compel obedience.
What is wrong with mankind that his genius should always be channeled into aggression and war?
"If you knew the full history of Earth, Mr. Carson,” she said, "you would realize just how much they need a strong, rational government. It isn’t a question of aggression so much as—how can I put it? Compulsory assistance, perhaps.”
"You seem to have everything well planned,” Carson commented. Mr. Jaff smiled appreciatively. "All action should be the end product of logical, constructive thought. Action without thought is futile, and often destructive.
"Robert Carson,” he (the mutant) said in a toneless rasping voice. "Are you Robert Carson?” Surprisingly the language he was using was not the Martian semantic blend, but rather a slurred adaptation of the older English of Carson’s own era.
Always remember—the brain, once washed, can always be unwashed. It takes time, but it can be done.
Timeliner by Charles Eric Maine
This full-length novel was first published in 1955, and I think it holds up very well considering the age in which it was written.
Essentially, Timeliner is a time travel tale about a scientist working with what is termed "dimensional quadrature". When something goes wrong, Hugh Macklin’s consciousness is flung forward in time, where he inhabits the body of another man. When that man dies, the protagonist’s mind leaps forward again to find another host.
The story was originally written as a radio play called The Einstein Highway and was broadcast by the BBC on 21 February 1954.
Although this story has been heavily criticized by some reviewers, I must admit that I was completely riveted by its narrative. In some ways it reminded me of the 1997 novel Tomorrow and Tomorrow by the British author Charles Sheffield, which I also found highly memorable and poignant.
The character of Hugh Macklin is well developed and introspective. I particularly like the way in which the reader, through the protagonist's eyes, becomes completely convinced of certain truths, whereafter the rug is suddenly pulled out from under the feet of both by a new development or realization. There are several plot twists, a couple of which I did not anticipate. One notable turn of events occurs near the end, and is used as the conclusion, although what will eventually happen to Macklin is left to the imagination of the reader.
Macklin’s visit to the Moon early on in the story is fascinating, since the descriptions of what it would be like to walk on its surface and how objects would appear concur closely with the findings of the first Moon landing some fifteen years later in 1969. The story also avoids the pitfall of being too optimistic about the future. For example, by 2035, men are finding it difficult even to maintain a permanent lunar base.
I am admittedly partial to good time travel yarns, and I love stories which take the reader from the present all the way to the end of time, so Timeliner was right up my street.
I will certainly endeavor to seek out more books by this author, since his writing style seems eminently congenial to my disposition.
Below are a few notable quotations from Timeliner:
Strange how he couldn't even tell a simple lie without feeling vaguely guilty and immoral. That was his trouble—too many damned high-minded principles that made him critical of his every word and deed, as though some inner radar eye were continually monitoring his behavior.
Interplanetary flight was an established fact, but this was still the pioneering phase, and the foothold which mankind had established on Earth's satellite was tenuous and insecure.
The moonbase was already a reality and the first few tough pioneers, living their lives in an environment not hostile to human life, but completely indifferent to it, had already come to regard their everyday task as routine. Magic dies young.
The year was 2035. Lydia had already been in the grave a long, long time. Nobody he had ever known was alive any more. His world had disappeared beneath the remorseless sands of time.
The word "life line" seemed to possess a special significance, for the theory of dimensional quadrature was itself based upon the hypothesis that each individual is an observer moving through a physical body extended in the fourth dimension of time.
"It seems to me," said Macklin after some thought, "that I have settled upon an age even more unstable and warlike than the one in which I lived originally. I always believed that increasing scientific knowledge would bring about a refinement of mankind, a kind of maturing sense of responsibility..." "Then you don't know your mankind," Prenitz retorted.
"Science is the product of intellect. Behavior is the product of emotion and instinct. The two are incompatible and that is why human conduct is inconsistent with scientific attainment. It is the eternal conflict between the god and the animal in man."
"You'd better come with us," said the guard. "They want to talk to you at Headquarters." Macklin shrugged his shoulders and followed them into the jet car. Nazi stuff, he thought. Echoes of the nineteen thirties. Who would have expected to find it in the twenty-fourth century?
For instance, in a universe of science, the scientist must rule. Or again—the first technocrat government was formed to unify the colonists from extinct Earth, and provide a tight and stable organization that could never again permit the abuse of technology in the name of a political creed.
The vidar went blank, leaving Macklin with an increased sense of foreboding. A strange universe with strange technologies separated by what fantastic distances of time and space from the world in which he had been born—yet there was still talk of war and defense and attack. Man had not changed, and probably never would: it was a depressing thought.
"Few men are so just that they can face annihilation for purely altruistic motives," Macklin replied.
His mentality was a product of twentieth-century society, and the progress of more than ten thousand years was completely beyond its scope.
What was the ultimate goal of the perpetual striving of mankind to attain the unattainable, if indeed there was a goal at all? He would never know unless he seized the initiative and moved ahead in time again, defying the precautions of those who had been responsible for sending him to Anthaar.
The human race, from beginning to end, is one continuous life form intersecting a blind physical matrix in four dimensions. All individuals are tied by affinities, those affinities are defined by emotion. After all, emotion is the reactive element linking mind with matter."
"Perhaps. But you will admit that it is the emotions which produce immediately recognizable physical actions. Man's behavior is mainly based on love, fear, hate, pride, and so on. They override the intellect."
The synthetic experiences offered by the machine might conceivably prove to be more attractive than the relatively colorless routine of day-to-day life, and transmitted entertainment might become a dope, a habit-forming narcotic, dissipating the energy and imagination of the race.
"I could try to understand." "You cannot possibly understand. Five million years of evolution and change have passed you by."
Rung Ho! by Talbot Mundy
The Power of Stars by Louise Lawrence
This is the second book written by Louise Lawrence, and it was first published in 1972, just one year after her debut novel Andra.
The following are some quotations from this book:
“Coincidence.” “Is it? Coincidence is queer. This is too queer. It’s not only queer, either. It’s something powerful, something dangerous.”
“Sorry I spoke,” Jimmy muttered and swung into the coffee shop. The air was thick with tobacco smoke.
Jane gripped the edge of the table with whitened knuckles and stared at the jukebox behind him. “They don’t need it,” Jane said. They give machines the power to speak and one day they won’t be able to speak or sing. Machines will do it for them. Don’t they know that? Don’t they realize?”
“Some people don’t hear music,” she said. “They only hear noise. And they never see anything, they only watch T.V. They never feel anything deep. They never use their senses at all. They never even think.”
“She’s up there somewhere. She hasn’t had time to get home. She was strung up. She could have done it. Jane could have done it, Alan.” “I don’t believe you,” Alan said quietly.
Alan took a cigarette from the packet on the piano and went to stand beside Nick and stare from the window.
They saw history repeating itself and they retaliated. They reversed their energy process, poured out the starlight they had taken in, destroyed machines.
“She’s my wife,” Nick said. “She’ll do as she’s told.
Andra by Louise Lawrence
Below are a number of representative quotes from the book:
Her face was white and sad because the things she had seen did not exist. They were beautiful and only a dream. It made her want to cry.
I will tell Daemon about Syrd's song. I'll write to him. It was good, wasn't it?" "Very good, but the words I found a little difficult to understand." "I know what he means," Andra said softly. "I know exactly what he means. You can chase after something all your life, and when you catch up with it it isn't there. It's gone like a dream. I've seen it.
Lascaux was annoyed with himself. He had expired hundreds of thousands of people. Why should he mind just one more? He knew the answer. He would mind because she was Andra, and he would refuse to do it.
When she could she read fiction, for in fiction she told him there were many facts. And yet he felt disturbed. That child enjoyed reading too much.
"I read it because I want to read it. You heard it. You heard the flow of the words. This isn't just a language, it's beautiful. The things in these books are beautiful, but in this whole horrible subterranean place there is nothing, not one thing, I would class as beautiful. The language we speak is empty and void of any real meaning. Beauty no longer exists."
Her sorrow reached out across the vastness of the room and he felt its intensity. She was very young and her feelings were the violence of youth. He, who was old, had learned to accept
"If you are bitter, Andra, it will not help. The world you read of is gone and no bitterness can make it return."
"There's nothing individual anymore. We work because we have to work not because we want to. And we do the particular work we're assigned to because we can't do any other kind of work even if we want to. We're not people anymore, we're just things. "
"Well, it's difficult to explain. She's a symbol of what we want to be. She's free." "Andra is no more free than we are. She has to do what she's told just as we do." "I know that, but she's free in her mind."
Andra paints pictures she ought not to paint. She teaches you songs you ought not to sing. She rebels against society because she wants to be different. She tells us a way of life that is beyond our conception, but even we in our apathy know it is far pleasanter than life in Sub-city One."
"And the young ones will be wild tonight when they know Andra is not here to read to them. Andra feeds discontent into our minds just by reading Jane Eyre. That book is everything Sub-city One is not. Cromer would go purple in the face if he knew."
Dr. Lascaux is always saying: If you have a hunch, stick to it.
Keeper of the Universe by Louise Lawrence
"So what are you afraid of?" her father repeated. "Surely it can't be a person?" said her mother. "You can't be afraid of anyone on Erinos," said Dev. "And if you are," said her father, "there must be something seriously awry with your thinking. Remember what Master Anders says—you should think no evil, for as you think, so shall you be."
Those who controlled the universe—like the Overseers of Erinos—did so for the good of all existence, plant forms, animal forms and people. They could never defy a Galactic Controller, they said.
Thought is the greatest creative power in the universe. As you think, so shall it be.
As Christopher washed the dishes, he began to wonder. If he changed his thoughts, would his feelings change?
It was the same with people, he thought. He ought to accept what they were—Ben-Harran and Kysha and Mahri. Instead, he judged them, good or bad, his mind picking over their faults, condemning instead of accepting, liking or disliking but not respecting.
How can you play the flute with such technical perfection yet not have a clue about music? Don't you ever think about it? Thought is the greatest creative force in the universe, you told me. But you re not creative. You can't even string together a simple sequence of sounds without being taught.
Everything in life was formed of vibrations—molecules and atoms, heat and light, emotion and thought, each had its voice and its song, mostly far beyond the range of human hearing but audible now through the amplifiers nearby.
"So are they evil or stupid?" asked Kysha. "Many may be wise and kind," Mahri said gently. "I don't see any evidence of that!" Kysha retorted. "If I were to separate the strands of sound and focus on the musical vibrations of individuals, you would certainly hear them," Ben-Harran informed her. But they were ineffectual, thought Christopher, like players in an orchestra where most were out of tune and the conductor was insane. What use were a few violins playing perfectly amid the general din?
"People don't want freedom," said Christopher. "Freedom means responsibility," Christopher went on. "And who wants to be responsible for the mess we've made on Earth? No one, Ben-Harran! Given a choice, we vote away our freedom, elect governments to be responsible for us, choose to be ruled. So we may as well be ruled by Atui and the Overseers. At least they care about all people equally, create a just society and ensure the survival of the planet."
"Whatever's wrong with it?" Maelyn exclaimed. "It tried to compute a paradox," said Christopher. Kysha knew how it felt. She could no more choose between Maelyn and Ben-Harran than the Erg Unit could, but for her it was not just an intellectual problem.
"We're none of us perfect," he told her. "Ben-Harran knows that. As he said, we need to know our own darkness, need to know the worst in ourselves in order to overcome it. We learn by our mistakes—
"And kinder, and easier," said Kysha. "It's much easier to be told what to do and how to be than work it out for yourself." "But is it right?" asked Christopher.
Earth would become like Erinos, forever tranquil, forever happy, forever secure. He thought of it longingly, an ideal existence . . . but he did not feel sure it was right.
Kysha stared at him. "But you must have guessed," she said. "Surely no race of beings could be so conceited or so arrogant as to think they're the only intelligent life form in the universe? I mean, there are billions of star systems in thousands of galaxies, so obviously other life forms must exist. It's common sense, isn't it?" But they did, thought Christopher. They did think they were the only intelligent life form in the universe. And if they learned the truth, it would make no difference. A breed unable to accept fellowship even among its own kind would be hardly likely to acknowledge kinship with species such as these.
"It is we who are responsible, Lady of Atui. It is we who make our worlds as they are, each and every one of us."
Had Zeeda been destroyed by a supernova I think you would not be protesting thus. Extinctions happen in the material universe . . . you know that. And what has been lost by this happening? That which is created can never be destroyed, remember? Only its form may be changed . . .
His head denies the wisdom of his heart.
Dreamweaver by Louise Lawrence
(First Published in 1996)
Below are some representative quotations from the text of Dreamweaver:
She had been taught history at school. The history of Malroth….She had been taught how many people had escaped to Arbroth …. A new world, a new civilization—fairer, simpler—where none were rich and none were poor, and violence was outlawed, and scientific invention strictly vetted and seldom applied. It was how Eth lived, many generations later, in a small unchanging community ruled by the land and the seasons, where people survived by their own labor, helped one another, and shared what they had. But life had not been like that on Malroth, Cable informed her.
"And do you know why?" "No," said Eth. "Because it was ruled entirely by men," said Cable. "That statue you saw was a symbol of their power: El-Tesh, the horned god. He was worshipped there for centuries, an unbalanced religion in which women had no place."
And so, unopposed and with the blessings of El-Tesh, men were free to commit all manner of atrocities. "Which is why we have no orthodox religion on Arbroth," said Cable.
It's why we accept women and men to be of equal importance and why even a child may have a voice. Our only problem is in keeping it that way."
Life sends to each of us the experiences we need in order to grow and develop.
The fierce hatred of the afternoon and all thoughts of revenge had subsided during the castigation Nemony had given her. To assume someone else's emotions as her own, and be willing to act upon them, was nothing short of foolishness, Nemony had said. Feelings were temporary and not to be trusted.
"We all invite what plagues us into our lives," said Mistress Agla. "All that has occurred in Kanderin's life is an opportunity to learn and grow, if she would but see it. And what will she learn from this latest tragedy?
"Ill thoughts damage you," murmured the unseen Eth. "Give rise to bad emotions and unstable behavior. And they were the same, all those frozen people who slept with you, only worse, much worse. "
The ghost from the machine, if we think of our bodies as machines. And are we like her? Do we all have a dream-body within us? If so, what do we feed it on? What do we mean by food for the soul, Dr. Wynn-Stanley?" "….what is it we need other than bread and circuses?"
"What we fear in ourselves we also fear in other people," someone said.
"It's what everyone needs," the old woman murmured. "Somewhere secure, somewhere to be alone in without being lonely, to be ourselves as well as being a part of something bigger. Here is where I belong, I suppose."
"Not just to me. It matters to everyone. It's representative. Representative of everyone who lives on this planet, including you. If we harm those people, if we damage them in any way, then we also damage ourselves and Arbroth. Because our emotions and our actions affect not only our own personal auras, but the aura of our planet as well."
Generations of dream-weavers and acolytes had passed through its halls, but few outside it dreamed of what went on there, or knew the price Eth among others had paid for a green-brown world and a way of life that damaged no one.
Moonwind by Louise Lawrence
Calling B for Butterfly by Louise Lawrence
Louise Lawrence is probably best known for Children of the Dust, a post-apocalyptic young adult novel which was first published in 1985. Judging by the comments readers have made about that book, it is unforgettably harrowing in its realism. Louise Lawrence also wrote fantasy and science fiction novels, which were generally well received and are remembered fondly by people who were teens in the 1980s and 1990s.
Calling B for Butterfly is the first book by this author that I have read, and I must say that I was suitably impressed by both the writing style and the content.
This is a story about four very different teenagers who are traveling on a colony-bound starship, but who end up having to take care of a baby and a hyperactive toddler when the vessel is ripped apart by an asteroid. Glyn is a disgruntled and inexperienced young steward from Wales who is forced to take charge. Ann is quiet and timid, avoids conflicts, but displays sincerity and inner strength. Matthew is bookish, thoughtful, and gentle, and Sonja is spoiled, impulsive and uncooperative.
All that remains after the disaster is one small area of the main ship and its attached lifeboat. As if that is not enough, after opening the viewing ports on this escape craft, they discover that they are being drawn inexorably toward Jupiter by the planet’s enormous gravitational field.
These four young people, who would under any circumstances experience a clash of personalities, are thrown together in a highly pressurized and seemingly impossible situation. The author handles the characters and the dynamics of their interactions intelligently and realistically, even though Glyn and Sonja may eventually grate on the mind of the reader as they become more and more annoying. It clearly shows that certain personalities are more capable of self-reflection than others, and that people act in various ways under stress and mature at different rates.
Apart from the human element, there is also an alien presence, which may or may not be malevolent. The ending is unexpected and poignant in a subtle and beautiful way. Calling B for Butterfly is definitely not a run-of-the-mill teenage science fiction story, but is unique and quite unforgettable. I have now gone on to read Moonwind by the same author, and right from the very beginning this book also seems to be highly unusual and powerfully imaginative.
The Spring On The Mountain by Judy Allen
No one knows what the cause of the fear was, and it doesn’t really matter. That’s gone long ago. But the emotion itself has become trapped and repeats itself in an endless cycle. The mind usually has to make reasons for such a sensation, and people tend to see whatever they expect or whatever they fear most when it comes upon them.
And why does a cat which has never been to a vet before show fear the moment it is carried inside the door and exposed to the lingering fear of thousands of other animals?’ ‘I just find it very difficult to believe that a chunk of emotion is floating about in the air in the lane,’ said Michael uncomfortably. ‘What sort of things do you find it easy to believe, Michael?’ ‘I believe what my eyes tell me,’ said Michael. ‘Oh dear,’ said Mrs White, throwing up her hands in a parody of horror. ‘You really believe all that illusion? Oh, this is terrible!
The Burning by Judy Allen
Below are a small number of quotations from this book:
…the present is always shaped by the past, even if it isn’t obvious.
This is the third book I have read by English author Charles Eric Maine, and it may well be the best one so far. The well-constructed plot and tension was at least on a par with Timeliner, which is often considered to be this author’s representative work. Although both Timeliner and He Owned the World are well-written and entertaining novels, I think the contents of The Man Who Couldn’t Sleep is more relevant for modern readers.
In 1962, inventor Phillip Maxwell is working in the laboratory of a psychiatric hospital, ostensibly to help patients, but really to find a cure for his own chronic insomnia. His research results in the largely accidental invention of the “psychotape”, upon which the emotions and thoughts of a person can be recorded and then played back into the mind of another individual, placing them completely within another consciousness. Maxwell, who has led a sheltered existence due to his obsession with curing his condition and hiding it from others, is somewhat naïve concerning worldly affairs. He had not imagined that his invention could have any applications apart from clinical ones, so is baffled and frightened when strangers wanting to know more about the device begin to hound him, some of them employing less friendly methods than others.
Foremost among these is Zakon, an entertainment mogul who owns the most profitable cinema enterprise on the planet. Zakon ensures that Maxwell will work for him in the USA on very generous terms, and all the inventor has to do is adapt the “psychotape” for entertainment purposes. Maxwell endures a psychological and ethical tug-of-war, as arguments for and against exploiting his invention in the way Zakon desires both can be made to seem equally valid.
However, it soon becomes evident that something sinister is going on at the Zakon Corporation, and Maxwell is never sure just whom he can trust. After becoming a little more worldly-wise, Maxwell begins ruthlessly to apply similar methods to those that others have visited upon him, with wholly unexpected results. It becomes clear that Zakon must be stopped, but in attempting to achieve this, Maxwell runs the risk of becoming entrapped by his own ingenious device.
This was certainly a fascinating and enthralling read, and considering that it was first published in 1956, parts of the book are wonderfully prescient. I thought that I had already guessed how it would end, but I was only partly correct. The ending, in fact, is similar to that of Timeliner, in that some important matters are fully resolved whereas others are left open to the imagination of the reader. In my opinion, The Man Who Couldn’t Sleep is representative of the best science fiction literature of its era.
On the other hand, the mere knowledge that he was different from other people, and different in a way he did not care to reveal, created a barrier that sealed him off from the rest of humanity.
By a process of recording the “brain-waves’—electrical impulses generated by brain cells—on magnetic tape and later playing them back into a psychiatrist’s brain, it is possible to enter the mind of the patient and find out exactly what is wrong with his mind.
The age of instability, of advancing knowledge and increasing ignorance, of soaring standards of living and plunging standards of conduct, of technical refinement and political hooliganism, of spreading education and dwindling culture. The age of opposites in conflict.
“Escape from life—by courtesy of Cinesphere and Paul Zakon. Canned dreams for the multitude, in 3-D Chromacolor, starring Verna Graham herself, of course.” Laura missed the semi-facetious tone of his voice. “Canned dreams,” she echoed thoughtfully.
Zakon said: “Entertainment is not an art, Maxwell. It is a science. It is the science of escape and every production of mine is scientifically planned to provide the maximum amount of escape.”
Zakon released the pressure on his fingers and leaned back in his chair. “There are two lives, Maxwell. Life and unlife. Life is the monotonous routine of dealing with the basic needs of survival for three hundred and sixty-five days each year. Survival, Maxwell. That’s absolute…
That is where unlife comes in. Play can be transitive or intransitive. Active or passive. Half a century ago people relaxed actively. But as time goes on more and more relax passively. They escape to unlife. See what I’m getting at?”
“If you ask me,” Maxwell said candidly, “it’s a publicity angle —and that’s about all.” Stenheimer’s manner became serious. “You’re off the beam, Maxwell. We don’t publicize unlife. We keep quiet about it. You know why? Because it’s dynamite. It’s the most fundamental thing since the discovery of the atom.”
The reality-tone of the escape medium determines the degree of mental absorption of the audience. It is perhaps significant that in the most vivid dreams the reality-tone is such that the sleeper, on waking, may be disappointed to find that the fictional dream situation is not real.
This typifies the difference in emotive context between life and unlife, and as a general rule it can be stated that unlife is invariably more acceptable to the human mind than life.
Since the subjective reality-tone will be indistinguishable from real life, one is impelled to ask: What constitutes reality? Are the human senses arbiters of that distinction, and is the human mind an adequate judge of what is real and what is not?
For in the long run, all we ever know happens deep inside the brain, and reality belongs to the functions of the brain. Once man begins to control and determine those functions, the secret of reality lies within his grasp. Life or unlife, both are absolutes, and both are real.
Any theory involves politics if it involves power. Politics is concerned with the exploitation of power.
“There’s nothing anti-social about unlife, Maxwell. In fact, it acts as a scavenger of society, and removes the more anti-social types from active circulation… And society is the better for their removal. Its economics are better.”
Robert Carson is a twentieth-century astronaut who dies in an attempt to become the first man ever to orbit the moon when a systems failure causes his tiny spacecraft to veer off course (The craft was perhaps unwisely named the Wanderer II, and in accord with its name it proceeded to wander).
8000 years later, a colony of enhanced ‘immortal’ humans living on Mars apparently locates Carson’s spacecraft and finds his long-dead body still within. Using the advanced science of ‘anti-mortics’, the Martian doctors over a period of years are able to resurrect this man who had died millennia ago. Robert Carson is then officially informed that he is a person of great importance who holds the fates of two planets, Earth and Mars, in his hands.
But why should the Martians go to such trouble to bring Robert Carson back to life, and how can he possibly be the legal owner of the entire planet Earth as they claim? Furthermore, who really is the inscrutable Mr. Jaff, who on the surface seems so affable but who also has no compunction against using coercion to ensure obedience, and exactly what is his position in the Martian governmental administration?
Earth has been devastated by atomic warfare between the terrestrial nations and by interplanetary wars with Mars. The more fortunate members of the population live in underground cities and are unaffected by radiation, whereas those who eke out a meager living among the ruined surface cities are genetically damaged humans, or ‘mutants’.
The Martians launch a military expedition against Earth, and intend to back their claims of ownership by producing the person of Robert Carson, who is worshiped as a hero by the terrestrials. Carson’s twentieth-century morality is often at variance with Martian ethics, but should he cooperate with their campaign in the hope of somehow uniting the underground-dwelling ‘norms’, ‘mutants’ and ‘Martians’ in a common cause? Just as in Timeliner, the author advocates freedom of personal action and conscience and decries subjugation of the individual to the authority of the state.
This was a well-constructed story told in an engaging manner. Several key questions remain unclear both to the protagonist and the reader, providing the incentive to read on and find the answers. There are not as many plot twists as there are in Timeliner, but the one which occurs during the final pages of the book raises fundamental questions which may compel the reader to review the entire story for relevant clues.
Since the story was published in 1960, does it feel dated? In some ways it does. It fits perfectly into the Cold War mentality of the period, and the idea that ‘atomics’ are the key to human technological progress is also very much in evidence.
And how believable are the worlds created by the author? The psycho-neural skills possessed by the Martian medics are of course beyond anything available in 2022 (and we are never really certain whether anti-mortics is a real science or not), but that people are still using video screens (and clicking switches and writing on paper) after 8000 years of technical progress struck me as odd (even if the screens do display three-dimensional images). It was also hard to accept that a form of English was still spoken as the principal language of Earth, so Carson had no trouble communicating with the inhabitants when he arrived there. It is true that many languages are changing more slowly than in the past due to standardization and global mass communications, but I am pretty sure that the English of eight millennia hence will not be the English we speak now, if it even exists at all. The fact that the surface of the earth had been devastated time and again by atomic bombardments also make the continuity of linguistic and legal systems described in the book somewhat absurd.
Despite these minor flaws, He Owned the World is still a compelling story of intrigue and adventure in the classic style, which also raises certain thought-provoking ethical questions. Moreover, it is a highly enjoyable read, although in my opinion not nearly as absorbing as Timeliner.
Below are a few quotations from the book:
The pain, for instance—that was a subjective thing. In the physical world of nature there was no such thing as pain;it was a psychoneural reaction characteristic of a sentient being. It could not be measured, weighed or analyzed, but it was real, nonetheless.
"You are alive, but only just,” said the voice tonelessly. "You must obey every instruction. You will remain here under electronic stimulus for five years. During that time you will gain strength and improve. Afterwards, with care and training, you may be able to lave the life of a normal man.”
"Immortality,” Carson whispered. "It’s unbelievable.” "You were dead. Now you are alive,” the doctor pointed out. "We regard death as a curable disease."
"You speak my language very well,” he observed. "Much better than the green-eyed doctor, for instance.” “I was adequately trained. During the five years of your treatment I was assigned to study antique terrestrial English. Our modern language is international and agglutinative. We have syllables derived originally from most of the important languages. All we do is join syllables together to make up more complex ideas. A complete thought—a sentence if you like—is expressed in one word. We think in terms of sentences rather than individual words, just as an architect visualizes the structure rather than the separate bricks.”
Earth has changed considerably since your day. There have been many wars, and for centuries there was universal radioactivity. Earth is a planet of strange mutants, but there are isolated colonies of normal people, like you and me.
The most perfect language is mathematics. A simple formula can express an abstract idea so complex that it could not be communicated in a million words.
There was virtually no emotion among these people; they enjoyed life in a cold-blooded intellectual way, as one might sit down to enjoy a game of chess, and the only apparent motive for seeking pleasure was the gratification that pleasure could provide.
"You must get used to the fact that people come and go,” she advised solemnly. "It is important to avoid affinity and interdependence. We are each of us individual citizens, and in so far as we allow ourselves to become dependent on others, so we fail to give the State the services of a full individual.” " "Is the State more important than the individual?" She smiled reprovingly at him. "The State is the individual, and the individual is the State.
"It all sounds very unsatisfactory to me,” Carson observed sadly. "Why can’t human beings get together to solve their problems instead of attempting to destroy each other?” "They never have done so throughout history.
You, Mr. Carson, may well prove to be the means of saving Earth from itself. As you know, the Martian colony has on three occasions attempted to take over control of Earth in its own interests—but war across millions of miles of space is an extremely difficult and hazardous operation. More than anything, we have needed a symbol, a figurehead to apply a strong psychological thrust to any projected military campaign. It is our belief that you are that symbol.”
First the family, then the tribe, then the political party, and with the abolition of parties the nation, personified in a single leader; and finally the entire planetary population, directed and controlled and governed by an impersonal authority possessing the power to compel obedience.
What is wrong with mankind that his genius should always be channeled into aggression and war?
"If you knew the full history of Earth, Mr. Carson,” she said, "you would realize just how much they need a strong, rational government. It isn’t a question of aggression so much as—how can I put it? Compulsory assistance, perhaps.”
"You seem to have everything well planned,” Carson commented. Mr. Jaff smiled appreciatively. "All action should be the end product of logical, constructive thought. Action without thought is futile, and often destructive.
"Robert Carson,” he (the mutant) said in a toneless rasping voice. "Are you Robert Carson?” Surprisingly the language he was using was not the Martian semantic blend, but rather a slurred adaptation of the older English of Carson’s own era.
Always remember—the brain, once washed, can always be unwashed. It takes time, but it can be done.
Timeliner by Charles Eric Maine
This full-length novel was first published in 1955, and I think it holds up very well considering the age in which it was written.
Essentially, Timeliner is a time travel tale about a scientist working with what is termed "dimensional quadrature". When something goes wrong, Hugh Macklin’s consciousness is flung forward in time, where he inhabits the body of another man. When that man dies, the protagonist’s mind leaps forward again to find another host.
The story was originally written as a radio play called The Einstein Highway and was broadcast by the BBC on 21 February 1954.
Although this story has been heavily criticized by some reviewers, I must admit that I was completely riveted by its narrative. In some ways it reminded me of the 1997 novel Tomorrow and Tomorrow by the British author Charles Sheffield, which I also found highly memorable and poignant.
The character of Hugh Macklin is well developed and introspective. I particularly like the way in which the reader, through the protagonist's eyes, becomes completely convinced of certain truths, whereafter the rug is suddenly pulled out from under the feet of both by a new development or realization. There are several plot twists, a couple of which I did not anticipate. One notable turn of events occurs near the end, and is used as the conclusion, although what will eventually happen to Macklin is left to the imagination of the reader.
Macklin’s visit to the Moon early on in the story is fascinating, since the descriptions of what it would be like to walk on its surface and how objects would appear concur closely with the findings of the first Moon landing some fifteen years later in 1969. The story also avoids the pitfall of being too optimistic about the future. For example, by 2035, men are finding it difficult even to maintain a permanent lunar base.
I am admittedly partial to good time travel yarns, and I love stories which take the reader from the present all the way to the end of time, so Timeliner was right up my street.
I will certainly endeavor to seek out more books by this author, since his writing style seems eminently congenial to my disposition.
Below are a few notable quotations from Timeliner:
Strange how he couldn't even tell a simple lie without feeling vaguely guilty and immoral. That was his trouble—too many damned high-minded principles that made him critical of his every word and deed, as though some inner radar eye were continually monitoring his behavior.
Interplanetary flight was an established fact, but this was still the pioneering phase, and the foothold which mankind had established on Earth's satellite was tenuous and insecure.
The moonbase was already a reality and the first few tough pioneers, living their lives in an environment not hostile to human life, but completely indifferent to it, had already come to regard their everyday task as routine. Magic dies young.
The year was 2035. Lydia had already been in the grave a long, long time. Nobody he had ever known was alive any more. His world had disappeared beneath the remorseless sands of time.
The word "life line" seemed to possess a special significance, for the theory of dimensional quadrature was itself based upon the hypothesis that each individual is an observer moving through a physical body extended in the fourth dimension of time.
"It seems to me," said Macklin after some thought, "that I have settled upon an age even more unstable and warlike than the one in which I lived originally. I always believed that increasing scientific knowledge would bring about a refinement of mankind, a kind of maturing sense of responsibility..." "Then you don't know your mankind," Prenitz retorted.
"Science is the product of intellect. Behavior is the product of emotion and instinct. The two are incompatible and that is why human conduct is inconsistent with scientific attainment. It is the eternal conflict between the god and the animal in man."
"You'd better come with us," said the guard. "They want to talk to you at Headquarters." Macklin shrugged his shoulders and followed them into the jet car. Nazi stuff, he thought. Echoes of the nineteen thirties. Who would have expected to find it in the twenty-fourth century?
For instance, in a universe of science, the scientist must rule. Or again—the first technocrat government was formed to unify the colonists from extinct Earth, and provide a tight and stable organization that could never again permit the abuse of technology in the name of a political creed.
The vidar went blank, leaving Macklin with an increased sense of foreboding. A strange universe with strange technologies separated by what fantastic distances of time and space from the world in which he had been born—yet there was still talk of war and defense and attack. Man had not changed, and probably never would: it was a depressing thought.
"Few men are so just that they can face annihilation for purely altruistic motives," Macklin replied.
His mentality was a product of twentieth-century society, and the progress of more than ten thousand years was completely beyond its scope.
What was the ultimate goal of the perpetual striving of mankind to attain the unattainable, if indeed there was a goal at all? He would never know unless he seized the initiative and moved ahead in time again, defying the precautions of those who had been responsible for sending him to Anthaar.
The human race, from beginning to end, is one continuous life form intersecting a blind physical matrix in four dimensions. All individuals are tied by affinities, those affinities are defined by emotion. After all, emotion is the reactive element linking mind with matter."
"Perhaps. But you will admit that it is the emotions which produce immediately recognizable physical actions. Man's behavior is mainly based on love, fear, hate, pride, and so on. They override the intellect."
The synthetic experiences offered by the machine might conceivably prove to be more attractive than the relatively colorless routine of day-to-day life, and transmitted entertainment might become a dope, a habit-forming narcotic, dissipating the energy and imagination of the race.
"I could try to understand." "You cannot possibly understand. Five million years of evolution and change have passed you by."
About twenty years ago, I read some books by this author. Although I have forgotten much of the specific content, I do remember that his novels were highly engrossing and enjoyable. I know that I read King - Of The Khyber Rifles and a couple of others in the Jimgrim series. I also read Mundy’s later work, OM - The Secret of Ahbor Valley. The books I read at that time all have mystical and metaphysical elements intertwined into their stories, which makes them different from Mundy's first novel, Rung Ho! which is primarily a historical story set in the months before the Sepoy uprising against British rule in 1857.
The book, first published in 1914, has a powerful sense of time and place, which really takes you back to India in the mid-19th century. You can feel the oppressive heat, see the unfamiliar sights, and hear the commotion in the crowded streets.
Through the narrative, Talbot Mundy makes it plain that he had little sympathy with the British colonial rule at the time. Having traveled widely in many countries such as India and Africa, the author had an uncommon understanding of the cultures, religious beliefs, and sensibilities of local peoples in various regions.
Much so-called pulp literature at the time extolled the virtue of British colonialism, and disparaged the native peoples as uncivilized, dishonest, and unreliable. Mundy, however, goes very much against the grain by relating how British incompetence, complacency, and a misplaced sense of superiority contributed to a mounting dissatisfaction and indignation which eventually erupted into the Indian Rebellion.
Although this is primarily an adventure story with fictional characters, the complex culture of India is described in considerable detail, as well as how the adherents of various faiths interact together and what views they hold of one another. The Muhammadan, Hindu, and Sikh protagonists who are on the side of peace are as honorable as any Englishman, and often even more so.
Mundy does not seem to have had a favorable view of religious leaders and priests, which is reflected in the story itself and in some of the poems which appear as chapter headings. The Hindu priests are unscrupulous in seeking to control the political situation by any method possible, and although a missionary from Scotland and his daughter have a firm religious faith and are convinced that they can change the situation of the local people for the better, their efforts prove to be entirely futile. I think Mundy respected the sincerity of some Christian missionaries, but at the same time fully understood how the majority of the local people would feel about foreigners trying to interfere with their cherished religious beliefs and customs. This is not to say that Talbot Mundy could avoid entirely the racial and gender prejudices of the age he lived in, but I think he was in some ways a man ahead of his time.
In summary, Rung Ho! is an extremely well-written and fast-paced story, encompassing history, culture, high adventure and romance. Although the characters are all fictional, the reader can learn a lot from its pages, even more than a century after it was written.
Below are some pertinent quotations from the text of this book:
THEY set the legs of Cunningham's string-woven bed into pans of water, to keep the scorpions and ants and snakes at bay, and then left him in pitch darkness to his own devices.
It was not considered decent for a boy of twenty-one to do much more than dare to be alive.
I made sure that all those in authority at Peshawur should hate him. That would have been impossible if he had been a fool, or a weak man, or an incompetent; but any good man can be hated easily.
…the British Government, once established in India, was and always has been not to occupy an inch of extra territory until compelled by circumstances. The native states, then, while forbidden to contract alliances with one another or the world outside, and obliged by the letter of written treaties to observe certain fundamental laws imposed on them by the Anglo-Indian Government, were left at liberty to govern themselves. And it was largely the fact that they could and did keep secret what was going on within their borders that enabled the so-called Sepoy Rebellion to get such a smouldering foothold before it burst into a blaze.
No man knows even now how long the fire of rebellion had been burning underground before it showed through the surface; but it is quite obvious that, in spite of the heroism shown by British and loyal native alike when the crash did come, the rebels must have won —and have won easily sheer weight of numbers —had they only used the amazing system solely for the broad, comprehensive purpose for which it was devised. But the sense of power that its ramifications and extent gave birth to also whetted the desires individuals. Each man of any influence at all began to scheme to use the system for the furtherance of his individual ambition. Instead of bending all their energy and craft to the one great object of hurling an unloved conqueror back whence he came, each reigning prince strove to scheme himself head and shoulders above the rest; and each man who wanted to be prince began to plot harder than ever to be one.
There is a blindness, too, quite unexplainable that comes over whole nations sometimes. It is almost like a plague in its mysterious arrival and departure. As before the French Revolution there were almost none of the ruling classes who could read the writing on the wall, so it was in India in the spring of '57. Men saw the signs and could not read their meaning.
It was not at all an easy question, for the love lost between Hindoos and Mohammedans is less than that between dark-skinned men and white —a lot less.
Within —one story up above the courtyard din —in a spacious, richly decorated room that gave on to a gorgeous roof-garden, the Maharajah sat and let himself be fanned by women, who were purchasable for perhaps a tenth of what any of the fans had cost.
Worry, artfully stirred up, is the greatest weapon of them all…
Against all fear; against the weight of what, for lack of worse name, men miscall the Law; Against the Tyranny of Creed; against the hot, Foul Greed of Priest, and Superstition's Maw; Against all man-made Shackles, and a man-made Hell - Alone—At last—Unaided - I REBEL!
Past masters of the art by which superstitious ignorance is swayed, the priests could swing the allegiance of the mob whichever way they chose…
I have tried to be a thorn in your side, and will continue to try to be until this suttee ceases!" "Why," demanded Howrah, "since you are a foreigner with neither influence nor right, do you stay here and behold what you cannot change? Does a snake lie sleeping on an ant-hill? Does a woman watch the butchering of lambs? Yet, do ant-hills cease to be, and are lambs not butchered? Look the other way! Sleep softer in another place!"
Quoth little red jackal, famishing, "Lo, Yonder a priest and a soldier go; You can see farthest, and you ought to know, - Which shall I wander with, carrion crow?" The crow cawed back at him, "Ignorant beast! Soldiers get glory, but none of the feast; Soldiers work hardest, and snaffle the least. Take my advice on it—Follow the priest!"
"Pardon, sahib! I did not know! Am I forgiven?" "Yes," said Cunningham, remembering then that a Rajput, and a Rangar more particularly, thinks about points of etiquette before considering what to eat.
It burst at the moment when India's reins were in the hands of some of the worst incompetents in history.
Rung Ho, bahadur!" "Rung Ho! See you again, Mahommed Gunga!"
THEY set the legs of Cunningham's string-woven bed into pans of water, to keep the scorpions and ants and snakes at bay, and then left him in pitch darkness to his own devices.
It was not considered decent for a boy of twenty-one to do much more than dare to be alive.
I made sure that all those in authority at Peshawur should hate him. That would have been impossible if he had been a fool, or a weak man, or an incompetent; but any good man can be hated easily.
…the British Government, once established in India, was and always has been not to occupy an inch of extra territory until compelled by circumstances. The native states, then, while forbidden to contract alliances with one another or the world outside, and obliged by the letter of written treaties to observe certain fundamental laws imposed on them by the Anglo-Indian Government, were left at liberty to govern themselves. And it was largely the fact that they could and did keep secret what was going on within their borders that enabled the so-called Sepoy Rebellion to get such a smouldering foothold before it burst into a blaze.
No man knows even now how long the fire of rebellion had been burning underground before it showed through the surface; but it is quite obvious that, in spite of the heroism shown by British and loyal native alike when the crash did come, the rebels must have won —and have won easily sheer weight of numbers —had they only used the amazing system solely for the broad, comprehensive purpose for which it was devised. But the sense of power that its ramifications and extent gave birth to also whetted the desires individuals. Each man of any influence at all began to scheme to use the system for the furtherance of his individual ambition. Instead of bending all their energy and craft to the one great object of hurling an unloved conqueror back whence he came, each reigning prince strove to scheme himself head and shoulders above the rest; and each man who wanted to be prince began to plot harder than ever to be one.
There is a blindness, too, quite unexplainable that comes over whole nations sometimes. It is almost like a plague in its mysterious arrival and departure. As before the French Revolution there were almost none of the ruling classes who could read the writing on the wall, so it was in India in the spring of '57. Men saw the signs and could not read their meaning.
It was not at all an easy question, for the love lost between Hindoos and Mohammedans is less than that between dark-skinned men and white —a lot less.
Within —one story up above the courtyard din —in a spacious, richly decorated room that gave on to a gorgeous roof-garden, the Maharajah sat and let himself be fanned by women, who were purchasable for perhaps a tenth of what any of the fans had cost.
Worry, artfully stirred up, is the greatest weapon of them all…
Against all fear; against the weight of what, for lack of worse name, men miscall the Law; Against the Tyranny of Creed; against the hot, Foul Greed of Priest, and Superstition's Maw; Against all man-made Shackles, and a man-made Hell - Alone—At last—Unaided - I REBEL!
Past masters of the art by which superstitious ignorance is swayed, the priests could swing the allegiance of the mob whichever way they chose…
I have tried to be a thorn in your side, and will continue to try to be until this suttee ceases!" "Why," demanded Howrah, "since you are a foreigner with neither influence nor right, do you stay here and behold what you cannot change? Does a snake lie sleeping on an ant-hill? Does a woman watch the butchering of lambs? Yet, do ant-hills cease to be, and are lambs not butchered? Look the other way! Sleep softer in another place!"
Quoth little red jackal, famishing, "Lo, Yonder a priest and a soldier go; You can see farthest, and you ought to know, - Which shall I wander with, carrion crow?" The crow cawed back at him, "Ignorant beast! Soldiers get glory, but none of the feast; Soldiers work hardest, and snaffle the least. Take my advice on it—Follow the priest!"
"Pardon, sahib! I did not know! Am I forgiven?" "Yes," said Cunningham, remembering then that a Rajput, and a Rangar more particularly, thinks about points of etiquette before considering what to eat.
It burst at the moment when India's reins were in the hands of some of the worst incompetents in history.
Rung Ho, bahadur!" "Rung Ho! See you again, Mahommed Gunga!"
This is the second book written by Louise Lawrence, and it was first published in 1972, just one year after her debut novel Andra.
Like Andra, The Power of Stars has strengths and weaknesses that are not so apparent in the author’s later novels. The strengths mainly lie in the area of the personal relationships between the characters, whereas the weaknesses are related to the science fiction elements of the story.
The principal protagonists in this tale are three teenagers, two boys and a girl, which seems to be a pretty typical setup for novels of this period aimed at older children and teenagers. The straightforward and somewhat tactless Jimmy has grown up alongside Jane Bates, whom he hardly seems to regard as an individual at all. Jane is an orphan who lives with her grandmother, and we do not learn anything at all about Jimmy’s family, apart from the fact that it is by no means well off financially. Seventeen-year-old Alan is the newcomer who moves into the area with his wealthy family. Alan’s stepfather is an eminent doctor and the scientist from the big city who for some inexplicable reason decides to move into a rural area near the border between England and Wales where the events of the book take place. Although Alan and Jimmy do not get along very well, they are often in each other’s company, perhaps because Alan has taken something of a fancy to Jane.
The tale really gets underway when Jane is bitten very hard by an injured wild rabbit which she originally intended to take to the vet for treatment. After Jane’s minor medical emergency is dealt with, her personality begins to alter in noticeable ways. She acquires abilities which she did not possess before, and becomes irate whenever she is in the presence of noisy machinery of any kind. These changes would not be a great problem in themselves (except for Jane herself), but when various electrical and other appliances begin to explode without warning there is naturally cause for concern, especially when deaths occur as a result.
Jimmy quickly discerns that the common denominator in all the explosions is the presence of Jane, but Alan will not accept the conclusion that Jane might be responsible in some way. When Jimmy observes Jane’s nightly stargazing activities, he concludes that starlight must somehow be involved in providing her with her new powers. The illogical element here may go unnoticed by younger readers, but more seasoned readers of science fiction will almost certainly wonder why daytime sunlight would not suffice to satisfy her needs.
A local scientist studying bats obtains a sample of Jane’s blood, which Jimmy then proceeds to steal and hand over to Dr. Mackenzie (Nick), Alan’s stepfather. After the two scientists get together to discuss the matter, there occurs one of the most unconvincing scenes in the book, since these two experts are somehow able to reconstruct the entire history of an alien race and explain why they hate machines so much merely from what they discover in that sample.
An interesting point is the role-switch that occurs between Alan and Jimmy toward the end of the story. Previously it was Alan who treated Jane with respect as an individual, but when he finally is forced to accept the truth about what has happened to her, he finds it almost impossible to approach her or to treat her as a human being. Jimmy, on the other hand, is a lot more understanding, and this rather ironically sets the stage for a somewhat unexpected finale.
Most reviewers seem to prefer The Power of Stars to Andra, but I think I enjoyed the latter book more. However, it should be pointed out that the science fiction content of both books is undeniably weak, and The Power of Stars feels like fantasy masquerading as science fiction. Again, the story is told primarily from the point of view of the male characters, although Jane Bates with her lack of personality is a direct contrast to Andra, who had far too much. I do think, however, that the interpersonal dynamics in The Power of Stars are more complex and convincing than those in Andra. The language in both books is dated, especially the expressions and vocabulary which the characters use in conversation, and some of the social situations and attitudes described in The Power of Stars clearly show that it was written some decades ago.
Of course, this was only Louise Lawrence’s second book, and the reader may perceive that she was still feeling her way and experimenting with form and content. The writing itself is good, and tension is maintained throughout (primarily through the difference of opinion between Jimmy and Alan, the believer and the unbeliever), but the novel cannot be considered representative of her best works.
The Power of Stars is far from perfect, but it is not a terrible piece of work either. I would say it is worth reading if you wish to understand how this author’s writing developed, or if you are interested in young adult and children’s science fiction and fantasy literature from the 1960s and 1970s.
The following are some quotations from this book:
“Coincidence.” “Is it? Coincidence is queer. This is too queer. It’s not only queer, either. It’s something powerful, something dangerous.”
“Sorry I spoke,” Jimmy muttered and swung into the coffee shop. The air was thick with tobacco smoke.
Jane gripped the edge of the table with whitened knuckles and stared at the jukebox behind him. “They don’t need it,” Jane said. They give machines the power to speak and one day they won’t be able to speak or sing. Machines will do it for them. Don’t they know that? Don’t they realize?”
“Some people don’t hear music,” she said. “They only hear noise. And they never see anything, they only watch T.V. They never feel anything deep. They never use their senses at all. They never even think.”
“She’s up there somewhere. She hasn’t had time to get home. She was strung up. She could have done it. Jane could have done it, Alan.” “I don’t believe you,” Alan said quietly.
Alan took a cigarette from the packet on the piano and went to stand beside Nick and stare from the window.
They saw history repeating itself and they retaliated. They reversed their energy process, poured out the starlight they had taken in, destroyed machines.
“She’s my wife,” Nick said. “She’ll do as she’s told.
What if an international conflict ended in the dropping of a bomb so powerful that the Earth was thrown out of its original orbit and a permanent state of deep winter had made life on the surface impossible? What if the last humans had been forced to live in underground cities for the past two thousand years? What if life in the cities had become so regimented that most human rights and opportunities for personal expression had become totally unfamiliar concepts?
This is the background to Andra, a futuristic dystopian tale by Louise Lawrence first published in 1971.
Andra is a teenage girl of apparently average intelligence who possesses non-conformist traits. She sustains a serious head injury in an accident while skipping mandatory classes at the educational facility, and is originally scheduled to be ‘expired’ due to the resulting blindness. An accomplished surgeon, however, decides to attempt a ‘brain graft’ which would be revolutionary if it succeeded in restoring Andra’s sight. The only suitable brain which can be found, though, is that of a boy who died two millennia ago in 1987. While the operation is a success, the transplant gives Andra unsettling visual memories of a beautiful green Earth, and she becomes highly rebellious and refuses to cooperate with the city’s administration. Her nonconformist spirit and the stories she tells infect the other young people, inevitably leading to a serious clash with the leadership.
Andra’s visions are a powerful thread running through the story, and, as is often the case with dystopian fiction, the subterranean city and the irrevocably ruined surface environment to an extent reflect our own reality and serve as a warning. One of the interesting points about this tale is that there seem to be no truly wicked people in the repressive administration (although there is an unexpected twist near the end which reveals one ‘baddy’). Many of the people who staff the upper echelons of the government and the higher social orders may be callous and unfeeling, but they are not in any way violent or sadistic.
This book is something of a curiosity. It is well-written, but some ideas which could have been elaborated with more detail and sophistication are sacrificed in order to focus on the central message. ‘Andra’ is certainly not ‘hard’ science fiction, and at some points even seems to venture into the realms of magical realism. Many readers are likely to find the abrupt ending disappointing, although I doubt that this was a lapse of judgment on the part of the author. Many of Lawrence’s books seem to end pretty suddenly, leaving the readers ‘hanging in the air’ and perhaps therefore compelling them to ponder the meaning of such a finale and its relationship to the rest of the story.
Although Andra by Louise Lawrence is by no means perfect and has been criticized quite severely by some reviewers, I am quite sure that I would have enjoyed it very much if I had read it as a teenager. Even as an adult, I became engrossed in the story, and found many of the points raised piquant and meaningful.
Below are a number of representative quotes from the book:
Her face was white and sad because the things she had seen did not exist. They were beautiful and only a dream. It made her want to cry.
I will tell Daemon about Syrd's song. I'll write to him. It was good, wasn't it?" "Very good, but the words I found a little difficult to understand." "I know what he means," Andra said softly. "I know exactly what he means. You can chase after something all your life, and when you catch up with it it isn't there. It's gone like a dream. I've seen it.
Lascaux was annoyed with himself. He had expired hundreds of thousands of people. Why should he mind just one more? He knew the answer. He would mind because she was Andra, and he would refuse to do it.
When she could she read fiction, for in fiction she told him there were many facts. And yet he felt disturbed. That child enjoyed reading too much.
"I read it because I want to read it. You heard it. You heard the flow of the words. This isn't just a language, it's beautiful. The things in these books are beautiful, but in this whole horrible subterranean place there is nothing, not one thing, I would class as beautiful. The language we speak is empty and void of any real meaning. Beauty no longer exists."
Her sorrow reached out across the vastness of the room and he felt its intensity. She was very young and her feelings were the violence of youth. He, who was old, had learned to accept
"If you are bitter, Andra, it will not help. The world you read of is gone and no bitterness can make it return."
"There's nothing individual anymore. We work because we have to work not because we want to. And we do the particular work we're assigned to because we can't do any other kind of work even if we want to. We're not people anymore, we're just things. "
"Well, it's difficult to explain. She's a symbol of what we want to be. She's free." "Andra is no more free than we are. She has to do what she's told just as we do." "I know that, but she's free in her mind."
Andra paints pictures she ought not to paint. She teaches you songs you ought not to sing. She rebels against society because she wants to be different. She tells us a way of life that is beyond our conception, but even we in our apathy know it is far pleasanter than life in Sub-city One."
"And the young ones will be wild tonight when they know Andra is not here to read to them. Andra feeds discontent into our minds just by reading Jane Eyre. That book is everything Sub-city One is not. Cromer would go purple in the face if he knew."
Dr. Lascaux is always saying: If you have a hunch, stick to it.
Christopher, who is traveling abroad to escape from college and the future his parents have mapped out for him, is kidnapped from Earth by Ben-Harran, a rebel Galactic Controller, to support the latter’s case against the High Council of Atui and its program of mandatory planetary control. Ben-Harran, a former member of the High Council, believes in non-intervention, but when he allows one of his worlds to destroy itself, Atui is determined to bring him to trial for his “crimes” and to strip him of his power and position.
Ben-Harran takes Christopher to his headquarters together with two other “specimens”: warrior queen Mahri from one of the worlds in his galaxy (evidently our own Milky Way), and a teenage girl named Kysha from a planet in a galaxy controlled by Atui. Kysha is initially disgusted by the attitudes of actions of Mahri and Christopher, but quickly becomes convinced that freedom is preferable to the passive and uncreative existence she experienced on her home planet of Erinos. Christopher, whose planet is on the brink of self-destruction, is not so sure, and finds himself attracted to the policies of Atui, which ensure that the inhabitants of their worlds are kept in a state of non-progressive peace and stability.
As other reviewers have pointed out, the central issue raised by the story is whether it is more desirable to live in a perfectly safe but largely static, predictable and uncreative environment, or to enjoy the potential for creative, intellectual and spiritual development in a world where evil is permitted to exist. As the novel develops, the reader will probably at times feel torn between the two alternatives, especially as many problems facing humanity have worsened since this book was written in 1992.
Looking at other reviews, it seems that many people who read Keeper of the Universe in their teens enjoyed it and found it meaningful and enlightening, whereas those who read it as adults may find it overbearing and moralizing. By the end of the book the author’s position on the question is quite clear, but it made me think whether apart from the two extremes presented, a third position might not also be possible: a system which imposes minimal restrictions to curb excesses, but preserves creative abilities and free will.
Despite its manifest flaws, Keeper of the Universe remains a solid piece of work which may serve to introduce younger readers to the concept that science fiction literature, besides being entertaining, can address fundamental issues that are of importance to individuals and to society as a whole.
Below are some representative quotations from the book:
"So what are you afraid of?" her father repeated. "Surely it can't be a person?" said her mother. "You can't be afraid of anyone on Erinos," said Dev. "And if you are," said her father, "there must be something seriously awry with your thinking. Remember what Master Anders says—you should think no evil, for as you think, so shall you be."
Those who controlled the universe—like the Overseers of Erinos—did so for the good of all existence, plant forms, animal forms and people. They could never defy a Galactic Controller, they said.
Thought is the greatest creative power in the universe. As you think, so shall it be.
As Christopher washed the dishes, he began to wonder. If he changed his thoughts, would his feelings change?
It was the same with people, he thought. He ought to accept what they were—Ben-Harran and Kysha and Mahri. Instead, he judged them, good or bad, his mind picking over their faults, condemning instead of accepting, liking or disliking but not respecting.
How can you play the flute with such technical perfection yet not have a clue about music? Don't you ever think about it? Thought is the greatest creative force in the universe, you told me. But you re not creative. You can't even string together a simple sequence of sounds without being taught.
Everything in life was formed of vibrations—molecules and atoms, heat and light, emotion and thought, each had its voice and its song, mostly far beyond the range of human hearing but audible now through the amplifiers nearby.
"So are they evil or stupid?" asked Kysha. "Many may be wise and kind," Mahri said gently. "I don't see any evidence of that!" Kysha retorted. "If I were to separate the strands of sound and focus on the musical vibrations of individuals, you would certainly hear them," Ben-Harran informed her. But they were ineffectual, thought Christopher, like players in an orchestra where most were out of tune and the conductor was insane. What use were a few violins playing perfectly amid the general din?
"People don't want freedom," said Christopher. "Freedom means responsibility," Christopher went on. "And who wants to be responsible for the mess we've made on Earth? No one, Ben-Harran! Given a choice, we vote away our freedom, elect governments to be responsible for us, choose to be ruled. So we may as well be ruled by Atui and the Overseers. At least they care about all people equally, create a just society and ensure the survival of the planet."
"Whatever's wrong with it?" Maelyn exclaimed. "It tried to compute a paradox," said Christopher. Kysha knew how it felt. She could no more choose between Maelyn and Ben-Harran than the Erg Unit could, but for her it was not just an intellectual problem.
"We're none of us perfect," he told her. "Ben-Harran knows that. As he said, we need to know our own darkness, need to know the worst in ourselves in order to overcome it. We learn by our mistakes—
"And kinder, and easier," said Kysha. "It's much easier to be told what to do and how to be than work it out for yourself." "But is it right?" asked Christopher.
Earth would become like Erinos, forever tranquil, forever happy, forever secure. He thought of it longingly, an ideal existence . . . but he did not feel sure it was right.
Kysha stared at him. "But you must have guessed," she said. "Surely no race of beings could be so conceited or so arrogant as to think they're the only intelligent life form in the universe? I mean, there are billions of star systems in thousands of galaxies, so obviously other life forms must exist. It's common sense, isn't it?" But they did, thought Christopher. They did think they were the only intelligent life form in the universe. And if they learned the truth, it would make no difference. A breed unable to accept fellowship even among its own kind would be hardly likely to acknowledge kinship with species such as these.
"It is we who are responsible, Lady of Atui. It is we who make our worlds as they are, each and every one of us."
Had Zeeda been destroyed by a supernova I think you would not be protesting thus. Extinctions happen in the material universe . . . you know that. And what has been lost by this happening? That which is created can never be destroyed, remember? Only its form may be changed . . .
His head denies the wisdom of his heart.
(First Published in 1996)
At the start of this book, the author introduces us to circumstances which may at first seem like an overly-worn science fiction trope. Wealthy people from an ecologically ruined but high-tech Earth boarding a starship heading for the seemingly primitive planet Arbroth, the colonists selfishly intending to grab the abundant land and impose their will on the native population. Lawrence quickly nips the cliché in the bud, since before and after the ship embarks on its voyage, seventeen-year-old Troy has visions of a beautiful young alien girl who appears to be trying to tell him something. Troy feels uneasy about the thoughtless and greedy attitude of most of the would-be colonists, and reassurances from his parents do not convince him that all will be well once they arrive.
On Arbroth, a girl named Eth is training as a dream-weaver, and has experienced visions of Troy and the spaceship he is traveling on. Others of the dream-weavers guild who are more experienced and wiser than she is realize what this could mean for their planet, and resolve to prevent the future they fear becoming a reality. However, the telepathic link between Eth and Troy quickly develops into a romantic attachment which complicates matters for Troy, for Eth, and for those who would use Eth’s unique powers to thwart the invaders.
This book is fascinating in the way it balances and blends the hard science fiction storyline aboard the starship, with the fantasy narrative of events which take place on Arbroth.
From the content, it is obvious that Lawrence had specific messages in mind when she wrote Dreamweaver. There is a strong feminist element running through the story (although there are also strong male characters), along with concepts such as the subjugation of the desires of the individual in pursuit of more lofty goals, and the importance of environmental protection. The adult reader may feel that these themes are occasionally expressed a little too directly, but this writing technique is probably appropriate for the target audience (which is usually listed as age 14 and up).
The ending is somewhat unexpected, and some may say unsatisfying. But it does reinforce the themes already mentioned, and avoids the story descending into cliché and melodrama.
The YA science fiction written between the 1960s and 1990s seems to be in some ways more sophisticated and meaningful in comparison to most books of this genre published today. I thoroughly enjoyed Dreamweaver, although I have to say that I found Moonwind to be more poignant and meaningful from my own personal perspective.
Below are some representative quotations from the text of Dreamweaver:
She had been taught history at school. The history of Malroth….She had been taught how many people had escaped to Arbroth …. A new world, a new civilization—fairer, simpler—where none were rich and none were poor, and violence was outlawed, and scientific invention strictly vetted and seldom applied. It was how Eth lived, many generations later, in a small unchanging community ruled by the land and the seasons, where people survived by their own labor, helped one another, and shared what they had. But life had not been like that on Malroth, Cable informed her.
"And do you know why?" "No," said Eth. "Because it was ruled entirely by men," said Cable. "That statue you saw was a symbol of their power: El-Tesh, the horned god. He was worshipped there for centuries, an unbalanced religion in which women had no place."
And so, unopposed and with the blessings of El-Tesh, men were free to commit all manner of atrocities. "Which is why we have no orthodox religion on Arbroth," said Cable.
It's why we accept women and men to be of equal importance and why even a child may have a voice. Our only problem is in keeping it that way."
Life sends to each of us the experiences we need in order to grow and develop.
The fierce hatred of the afternoon and all thoughts of revenge had subsided during the castigation Nemony had given her. To assume someone else's emotions as her own, and be willing to act upon them, was nothing short of foolishness, Nemony had said. Feelings were temporary and not to be trusted.
"We all invite what plagues us into our lives," said Mistress Agla. "All that has occurred in Kanderin's life is an opportunity to learn and grow, if she would but see it. And what will she learn from this latest tragedy?
"Ill thoughts damage you," murmured the unseen Eth. "Give rise to bad emotions and unstable behavior. And they were the same, all those frozen people who slept with you, only worse, much worse. "
The ghost from the machine, if we think of our bodies as machines. And are we like her? Do we all have a dream-body within us? If so, what do we feed it on? What do we mean by food for the soul, Dr. Wynn-Stanley?" "….what is it we need other than bread and circuses?"
"What we fear in ourselves we also fear in other people," someone said.
"It's what everyone needs," the old woman murmured. "Somewhere secure, somewhere to be alone in without being lonely, to be ourselves as well as being a part of something bigger. Here is where I belong, I suppose."
"Not just to me. It matters to everyone. It's representative. Representative of everyone who lives on this planet, including you. If we harm those people, if we damage them in any way, then we also damage ourselves and Arbroth. Because our emotions and our actions affect not only our own personal auras, but the aura of our planet as well."
Generations of dream-weavers and acolytes had passed through its halls, but few outside it dreamed of what went on there, or knew the price Eth among others had paid for a green-brown world and a way of life that damaged no one.
Two teenagers write essays which win them a trip to the American Moonbase. Gareth is from an economically deprived area of Wales in the UK, and Karen is from a wealthy family who lives in California. They are very different personalities, and find it hard to find common ground. Gareth exploits Karen’s naivete by inventing fabulous stories about the Moon which Karen readily swallows, but then events take a decidedly bizarre turn when an impossible windstorm occurs outside the moon-buggy in which they are riding, and Gareth is sure he sees a girl running unprotected on the lunar surface.
This is a haunting science fiction fantasy in which Gareth falls in love with an incorporeal alien girl, and is determined to help save her from an intolerable predicament, even though it may cost him dearly. The fantastic elements are flawlessly intertwined with a background story involving very realistic characters and replete with facts based on real scientific principles and the actual lunar environment and geography. I enjoyed referring to a detailed Moon map to follow the adventurers on their travels over the lunar landscape.
The author seamlessly and poetically integrates the incipient love story with myths of the moon goddess and a story of the origins of humankind, while poignantly describing the eternal inner struggle between the flesh and the spirit. The Moon changes everyone, and by the end both Gareth and Karen have each experienced the profoundest of revelations.
It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I consider this to be one of the very best Young Adult science fiction books I have read. I recommend it highly to people who are interested in this genre of literature.
Louise Lawrence is probably best known for Children of the Dust, a post-apocalyptic young adult novel which was first published in 1985. Judging by the comments readers have made about that book, it is unforgettably harrowing in its realism. Louise Lawrence also wrote fantasy and science fiction novels, which were generally well received and are remembered fondly by people who were teens in the 1980s and 1990s.
Calling B for Butterfly is the first book by this author that I have read, and I must say that I was suitably impressed by both the writing style and the content.
This is a story about four very different teenagers who are traveling on a colony-bound starship, but who end up having to take care of a baby and a hyperactive toddler when the vessel is ripped apart by an asteroid. Glyn is a disgruntled and inexperienced young steward from Wales who is forced to take charge. Ann is quiet and timid, avoids conflicts, but displays sincerity and inner strength. Matthew is bookish, thoughtful, and gentle, and Sonja is spoiled, impulsive and uncooperative.
All that remains after the disaster is one small area of the main ship and its attached lifeboat. As if that is not enough, after opening the viewing ports on this escape craft, they discover that they are being drawn inexorably toward Jupiter by the planet’s enormous gravitational field.
These four young people, who would under any circumstances experience a clash of personalities, are thrown together in a highly pressurized and seemingly impossible situation. The author handles the characters and the dynamics of their interactions intelligently and realistically, even though Glyn and Sonja may eventually grate on the mind of the reader as they become more and more annoying. It clearly shows that certain personalities are more capable of self-reflection than others, and that people act in various ways under stress and mature at different rates.
Apart from the human element, there is also an alien presence, which may or may not be malevolent. The ending is unexpected and poignant in a subtle and beautiful way. Calling B for Butterfly is definitely not a run-of-the-mill teenage science fiction story, but is unique and quite unforgettable. I have now gone on to read Moonwind by the same author, and right from the very beginning this book also seems to be highly unusual and powerfully imaginative.
The Ballad of Lost C’Mell by Cordwainer Smith
This novella by Cordwainer Smith (real name Paul Linebarger) was first published in Galaxy Magazine in October 1962.
The story is set well beyond our time, and is a small part of Smith's enormous future history. The protagonists are Jestocost, a lord of the Instrumentality of Mankind (the rulership during a certain period in this fictional universe when humanity has already expanded into space), and C'mell, a beautiful "underperson" (a descendent of animals genetically engineered to possess human form and intellect, but enjoying no social rights and assigned primarily to performing manual labor). C'mell’s ancestry is derived from cats, so she retains certain abilities and traits peculiar to felines. The name "C'mell" is reportedly derived from that of the author's pet cat, Melanie.
C'mell works as a "girlygirl" (something like an escort) at the main spaceport.
The story centers around the secret ambition of Lord Jestocost to assist the oppressed underpeople in acquiring rights without starting a full-blown revolution or overturning the existing social order.
Through C'mell, Jestocost hopes to contact the presumed leader of the underpeople (a being with incredibly strong telepathic powers), and concoct a scheme by which they can steal information which will allow the underpeople to conceal themselves from The Instrumentality while they work to secure the social rights they desire.
Since the plan requires that Jestocost and C'mell cooperate closely, the story also becomes one of unrequited love which passes into folklore and is passed down to future generations in poetry and songs, hence the cryptic verse which begins the story:
She got the which of the what-she-did,
Hid the bell with a blot, she did,
But she fell in love with a hominid.
Where is the which of the what-she-did?
from THE BALLAD OF LOST
C'MELL
The writing is like nothing I have ever encountered before. The deceptively simple prose possesses a lyric and almost hypnotic quality which leaves incisive imagery and an impression of strong emotion in the mind of the reader. Easily understandable words describe people and situations which are utterly alien in their essence. There is an unforgettable poignancy to the end of the story.
I read "The Ballad of Lost C'Mell" in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two A, which is part of a collection of the greatest science fiction novellas published before the introduction of the Nebula Awards in 1965, as selected by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
In order to understand The Ballad of Lost C'mell more fully, I think I will have to read the novel Norstrilia, which has been described as a sequel to this story, since it apparently includes all of the main characters and is related to the same issues.
Awaiting Developments by Judy Allen
This book won the Whitbread Award for Children's Novels and the Friends of the Earthworm Award when it was first published in 1988.
Joanna’s secret refuge is the large and beautiful garden of the old Victorian house at the back of her more modern home. She gets in through a gap in the fence, but only ever quietly observes from an inconspicuous corner where the owners cannot see her. She becomes familiar with the wildlife in the garden, the various birds, and the squirrels, and learns the names of all the plants and trees. The appearance of stability and timelessness, however, is misleading. When the elderly householders decide to sell the house, a property developer purchases it and submits plans to cover the whole area with a block of flats and several smaller residences. In order to save the garden, Joanna decides that she must step well out of her comfort zone in an attempt to rally the neighbors in a protest against the changes.
At the same time, a relative from Canada comes to stay with Joanna’s family in order to research their family history from records which can only be accessed in the UK. As an outsider with a different view of matters from her parents, Kathleen helps Joanna to see things from new perspectives, enabling her to overcome personal obstacles (such as her OCD, the effects of an allergy, and timidity) to achieve results which few people at first thought possible.
Although this is a gentle and thoughtful book, it is full of a wry humor, and certainly also has its gripping moments. Another strength is that nobody in it is altogether good or bad, and readers are helped to see events from different viewpoints, even the viewpoints of the animals in the garden. The conclusion is also realistic, being like many things in life, not entirely happy or sad. Overall, this is an enjoyable book which draws attention to the importance of conservation of the natural world in the face of the seeming inevitability of urban development.
Here are some quotations from the book:
It was odd, I thought, how you could watch a moment coming towards you for months and still play it wrong.
The things your body can do to you!
The next stage, which lasted for a couple of years at least, was a lot of sneezing and hay fever. Later my body seemed to get bored with that as well, and this year it was producing stomach pains and these awful inconvenient blobs which I couldn’t pretend weren’t there.
“Joanna, you can’t stop developers – they’re motivated by greed and that is one of the strongest motivations there is.”
I said I always forgot that grown-ups could get nervous, too.
I found I had to touch each gatepost and the gate itself five times, and also had to tap my right foot five times on the ground, exactly between the gateposts. I moved slowly, to give myself time to perform this magic charm without making it too obvious
You have to care about something an awful lot to go out and annoy strangers, I find.
“Would you like to come through and see the garden?” I said. I knew it was risky. Showing someone something you care about a lot always is, because it’s possible they may not see what’s special about it.
“Just remember,” I said, “if you see one rook, it’s a crow, and if you see lots of crows, they’re rooks.”
Worst of all though, it had just come to me that I should tap the telephone one hundred and five times before making the call. One hundred and five! It had never got into three figures before. I decided they would finally lock me up when it got into the thousands.
it is completely impossible to argue with people who are determined to forgive you for something you haven’t done.
I don’t suppose many things really do happen suddenly, even if they seem to. I expect most things creep up on you from months and months away – it’s just that you don’t see them coming.
Most people have some kind of superstition on the go, whether they admit it or not.
The Spring On The Mountain by Judy Allen
This is another older book by Judy Allen, first published in 1973. Again, there seem to be very few reviews, and the ones I could find were pretty negative.
Three twelve-year-old children, Emma, Peter, and Michael are strangers to each other, and each has been sent by their parents for a short holiday with a middle-aged couple who live in a cottage near a small mountain in the British countryside. From the start, they feel uneasy together and are frequently in conflict with one another, but they are soon forced to unite to achieve a common goal, even though they deal with the dangers they encounter in very different ways.
Regarding the other characters, we meet Mrs. Myers, who is so anxious to do right by her guests that her pampering has a smothering and irritating effect on the children, while Mr. Myers just wants to be left in peace to flick through his gardening catalogs.
Even before the children arrived, a neighbor, Mrs. White, has oddly enough requested that Mrs. Myers send them over to visit her. When they do so, she perplexes them with her stories of the legendary Arthur's Way, the old straight track that leads directly up the mountain, and with her fascination with a spring which she once discovered at the top. So is the presence of the three children in this particular place at this particular time a mere coincidence, or has Mrs. White somehow summoned them to help her in a dangerous quest?
Added to this is the sense of fear and apprehension that seems to inhabit the lane running past the houses, especially at the point where it makes a sudden and unexpected turn to continue down to the village.
As Emma, Peter and Michael discuss their plans for a trek up to the mountain peak, strange visitors issue vague warnings that they should stay away, yet the children nevertheless feel inexplicably obligated to continue with the quest set before them by Mrs. White. In the process, they discover much about both themselves and the mysterious forces of nature.
Of the three books by Judy Allen that I have read lately, I think I found this one to be the most engaging. There are various strains of tension which permeate the whole story, which include the conflicts of opinion and personality between Emma, Peter, and Michael, the friction between the adults and the children, and the dilemma about what the young people should do with the arcane knowledge which has been revealed to them. Simultaneously, Allen uses a device similar to that used by John Gordon in some of his books, which is to divide his main characters into those who intuitively are able to accept the possibility of forces beyond our understanding, and those who find belief in such things very difficult. Peter understands and accepts Mrs. White’s ideas with alacrity, while Michael dismisses them as the nonsense spouted by a confused old lady. Michael is the one who tends to demand objective proof before he can believe new concepts, whereas Peter finds his proof in the strange phenomena themselves. Some modern readers might feel somewhat disappointed with the character of Emma, who seems for most of the book to vacillate between supporting either Michael or Peter. There are more descriptions of her feeling frightened than of the other two, and the boys feel obliged to look after her. It is only near the end that Emma becomes more certain of things and employs common sense which possibly saves Michael from the results of an impetuous and unwise act. Considering the era in which the book was written, I think it is not unreasonable to expect that stereotypes of gender roles would be in evidence, and comparing the differences between then and now is one of the reasons that makes reading these older books interesting and worthwhile.
Michael is the more confident of the boys and takes the lead through much of the story, but there is an interesting reversal of the male roles halfway through the journey up the mountain which is critical to how it ends. The original quest also transforms into something quite different when the mountain peak is reached, which was also unexpected and original, although I feel that the intended readership of children between nine and twelve years of age may not grasp the full significance of this. Like The Burning, I think this book would be more suitable for young people in their early teens, but I may be wrong in this assessment.
Although this is another book which seems to have largely been forgotten (like the other two I have read this year by Judy Allen), there is now a Kindle version available for download. Despite the negative reviews I glanced at on Goodreads, I found this book to be engaging and surprisingly sophisticated, and can say that reading it was time well spent.
Here are some representative quotations from the book
It was immediately apparent that the first two pictures were portraits of herself. ‘If one thinks, perhaps, that one doesn’t wish to be old,’ she said, ‘it is good to be reminded that one is merely completing something designed a very long time ago.’
No one knows what the cause of the fear was, and it doesn’t really matter. That’s gone long ago. But the emotion itself has become trapped and repeats itself in an endless cycle. The mind usually has to make reasons for such a sensation, and people tend to see whatever they expect or whatever they fear most when it comes upon them.
And why does a cat which has never been to a vet before show fear the moment it is carried inside the door and exposed to the lingering fear of thousands of other animals?’ ‘I just find it very difficult to believe that a chunk of emotion is floating about in the air in the lane,’ said Michael uncomfortably. ‘What sort of things do you find it easy to believe, Michael?’ ‘I believe what my eyes tell me,’ said Michael. ‘Oh dear,’ said Mrs White, throwing up her hands in a parody of horror. ‘You really believe all that illusion? Oh, this is terrible!
Haven’t you learnt about perspective? Do you believe that a long straight road really runs to a point at the far end? Or that the poplars on the other side of a river are truly half the height of the ones on this side? The lenses of our eyes are curved, Michael. We don’t see reality.’
‘How do you know about the spring?’ said Michael conversationally, because the others were stolidly silent. ‘Because I found it — a great many years ago, when I was young. I was walking up there by myself and I found it. It flows over some rocks and then into a gully where it disappears underground. As far as I have ever been able to discover, it doesn’t appear above ground again until it reaches the sea. I drank from it, because one gets hot climbing mountains, and mountain streams are very cool and pleasant. That was when I realized there was something very special about it. I was refreshed beyond all possible expectation. I felt more alive, more awake. When I came down again I talked about it, but people were sceptical. So I said I’d take my father up there with me to see for himself. But I couldn’t find it, and I’ve never found it since.’
‘—because something went wrong. The path should follow the line of power, but it turns. I suppose someone enlarged their field once, or something. Think of a very old straight path and then someone makes it turn. Perhaps it would confuse the force, and the corner would become an unpleasant place.’
Mrs White settled Peter by the fireside and said that indeed she had heard of the lung-mei, or Dragon Paths, in China.
The human mind has enormous powers for good or evil. People can generate apparently supernatural occurrences out of their own minds, and not even know they have done it, and be afraid of their own creations. This is why it is so important to have a great deal of common sense and a very healthy respect for what one doesn’t understand.’
But life is not so simple. There is no need for you to assume that because the old lady is undoubtedly good she is also right. Or that because I oppose her I am bad and wrong.’
‘Once you select a hypothesis it is easy to make everything fit it,’ said the man.
Her lectures to Michael about keeping an open mind had been sincere. She listened carefully and Peter thought, ‘That’s why she’s wise — because she will listen to people who know more than she does, whoever they are.’
A stranger all the way from Canada arrives in an English village clad in leathers and riding a motorbike. Ned is an unwelcome visitor, as he turns out to be a descendent of the hated wealthy family who owned the local mill generations ago.
His quest for family history leads to friction with some of the locals, since this is a community divided by those who are hanging onto the past at all costs and those who are looking to the future. Regarding the night the mill burned down, Ned is determined to discover why the version of events he has always believed is quite different from that which the villagers relate.
It was a conflagration which spread quickly, burning many cottagers and their inhabitants, and it is still a raw subject for some.
It is due to the memory of the fire that bonfires on The Green have been banned ever since. This year, however, a significant number of people are planning ignore the objectors and go ahead with celebrations on November 5 in an effort to put the past behind them.
But the past does not wish to be laid to rest. In the cottages around The Green the memory of a terrible power lies dormant. Yet it is merely slumbering, awaiting the arrival of a suitable host in whom it can grow again, someone who will be willing to embrace it and use it once more for destructive purposes.
This is also a story about two teenage friends, Jan and Kate. Jan is indifferent about many things, and Kate is bold and controlling. However, on the eve of Bonfire Night, Jan and Kate venture into a long-sealed attic to find wood to feed the bonfire on The Green. What they discover there leads to a reversal of roles as a malevolent force is woken and finds a foothold in Jan’s apathetic nature. The deadly power that once caused The Burning begins to flow through her hands, as her mind is consumed by the same hatred that once motivated one of her ancestors.
This book was darker in tone than The Stones of the Moon. The power of the Stones was impersonal and originally intended to be beneficial, but the force awakened in The Burning is exactly the opposite. However, the author deliberately leaves it undefined, probably to make it feel more sinister.
This story convincingly describes and analyzes relationships between very different personalities, as well as the damaging potential of prejudice and superstition.
The tension which permeates the book is very well controlled. It builds up almost imperceptibly to reach a somewhat surprisingly intense crescendo near to the end.
Although described as being aimed at children between 9 and 12 years old, I feel that due to its darker themes and certain complexities (for example, nefarious goings-on at the mill only hinted at, and various genealogical convolutions) it would perhaps be more suitable for readers in their early teens.
Although relatively new with a first publication date of 2000, The Burning, like The Stones of the Moon, appears to be another forgotten treasure, as there are almost no comments or reviews on it online. Happily, it is now available as a Kindle ebook at very little expense. I recommend anyone who enjoys intrusion fantasy aimed at young people to pick up a copy.
Below are a small number of quotations from this book:
…the present is always shaped by the past, even if it isn’t obvious.
Agitation creates its own kind of energy, and the energy was infectious.
He always wanted everyone to be on good terms with each other. It was one of the nicest things about him, but it was also one of the most annoying.
‘Must be synchronicity,’ said Ned. ‘Must be what?’ said Kate, who had more or less recovered herself. ‘It has to do with coincidences,’ said Ned. ‘It means if you get a lot of coincidences together there could be an underlying meaning.’
‘Must be synchronicity,’ said Ned. ‘Must be what?’ said Kate, who had more or less recovered herself. ‘It has to do with coincidences,’ said Ned. ‘It means if you get a lot of coincidences together there could be an underlying meaning.’
The Samain fires were lit to revitalise the dying sun. They were fires of renewal, cleansing fires, designed to burn all that was evil and to strengthen all that was good.
The Stones of the Moon by Judy Allen
Stone circles were always set up near water, even if the water was only a stream. It may be that nowadays the nearby water-course has long since dried up, but it will have been there when the circle creators were working. In the days before water could be piped to wherever it was needed, all building, all human habitation, all places of work, had to be within reach of water.
‘But how do you have time to learn so much?’ ‘I shall have all the time I need. No man dies before he has finished what he came to do.’ David’s father huffed loudly. ‘I don’t think that’s strictly true,’ he said. ‘Oh, but it is,’ said Mr Westwood, laughing. ‘If I die before I’ve finished, it will mean that this was not my work – I took a wrong turning. But I don’t believe that, I believe I’m on the right lines.’
‘I don’t have a material end in view. But it’s not essential to measure every activity in terms of possible financial reward, you know.’
Within the most fantastic legends there is usually, perhaps always, a kernel of truth.
Then what does astrology tell you?’ said Tim, and for once he actually looked as if he wanted an answer. ‘On a personal level, it can tell you about yourself.’ ‘That’s dull. I know about myself.’ ‘Wonderful. I congratulate you. It’s a rare person who can make such a statement.’
I’m only trying to point out that you can overcome almost anything in your nature – if you understand the problem.
To be at peace one must achieve balance and harmony. This is never easy…
If you wish to look at the world through a coloured filter then do so, but don’t argue with a man who sees the world through his own eyes.
There’s no reasoning with people who want to put a mystical interpretation on everything.
An archaeologist is only somebody who digs things up and catalogues them – that doesn’t mean he’s the only person in the world who can make sense of them.’
The Midwinter Watch by John Gordon
A century ago, at the close of the Victorian era, a fortune in gold sovereigns and a unique timepiece were stolen from old Silas Heron. The crime was blamed on a homeless beggar boy, but this was never proven as the items were never recovered and the boy vanished without a trace.
The House on the Brink by John Gordon
The Quelling Eye by John Gordon
Where Time Winds Blow by Robert Holdstock
Can I Get There By Candlelight?
David is the son of an eminent archaeologist who is excavating a Roman mosaic found during land clearance for the construction of a new motorway in Yorkshire.
David has limited interest in the mosaic, but becomes fascinated by an ancient stone circle on a nearby hillside. But his interest soon turns to trepidation when he has a strange and inexplicable experience on touching one of the two largest stones.
Although his father dismisses the middle-aged Mr. Westwood, who is staying in the same boarding house, as an eccentric dilettante, David is receptive to the man’s theory that the stones had more than a merely ritual function in ancient times. Westwood thinks that they may have been used to call forth water in times of drought, and he believes that this could be the origin of their name, The Weeping Stones. When Westwood is arrested and held by the police, it is up to David to continue the investigation which the older man started and carry it to its logical conclusion.
After centuries of dormancy, something has reactivated the stones, causing the mill river to rise and threaten to break its banks.
It seems that an unprecedented catastrophe will occur unless David can convince the townspeople of the extraordinary power of the stones, discover the reason behind their reactivation, and turn back the tide of events…
The Stones of the Moon was first published in 1975, and although now available in ebook format, really seems to be a forgotten gem. There are almost no comments about it online. I found it surprisingly sophisticated for a children’s book, and the flaws of the individual characters and the dynamics of their interpersonal relationships added to the realism of the story. In a way it reminded me of the books for young people written by Penelope Lively in that it struck a pleasing balance between an atmosphere of down-to-earth modernity and an air of mysticism.
Below are some quotations from the book which provide an idea of its general tone:
David has limited interest in the mosaic, but becomes fascinated by an ancient stone circle on a nearby hillside. But his interest soon turns to trepidation when he has a strange and inexplicable experience on touching one of the two largest stones.
Although his father dismisses the middle-aged Mr. Westwood, who is staying in the same boarding house, as an eccentric dilettante, David is receptive to the man’s theory that the stones had more than a merely ritual function in ancient times. Westwood thinks that they may have been used to call forth water in times of drought, and he believes that this could be the origin of their name, The Weeping Stones. When Westwood is arrested and held by the police, it is up to David to continue the investigation which the older man started and carry it to its logical conclusion.
After centuries of dormancy, something has reactivated the stones, causing the mill river to rise and threaten to break its banks.
It seems that an unprecedented catastrophe will occur unless David can convince the townspeople of the extraordinary power of the stones, discover the reason behind their reactivation, and turn back the tide of events…
The Stones of the Moon was first published in 1975, and although now available in ebook format, really seems to be a forgotten gem. There are almost no comments about it online. I found it surprisingly sophisticated for a children’s book, and the flaws of the individual characters and the dynamics of their interpersonal relationships added to the realism of the story. In a way it reminded me of the books for young people written by Penelope Lively in that it struck a pleasing balance between an atmosphere of down-to-earth modernity and an air of mysticism.
Below are some quotations from the book which provide an idea of its general tone:
Stone circles were always set up near water, even if the water was only a stream. It may be that nowadays the nearby water-course has long since dried up, but it will have been there when the circle creators were working. In the days before water could be piped to wherever it was needed, all building, all human habitation, all places of work, had to be within reach of water.
‘But how do you have time to learn so much?’ ‘I shall have all the time I need. No man dies before he has finished what he came to do.’ David’s father huffed loudly. ‘I don’t think that’s strictly true,’ he said. ‘Oh, but it is,’ said Mr Westwood, laughing. ‘If I die before I’ve finished, it will mean that this was not my work – I took a wrong turning. But I don’t believe that, I believe I’m on the right lines.’
‘I don’t have a material end in view. But it’s not essential to measure every activity in terms of possible financial reward, you know.’
Within the most fantastic legends there is usually, perhaps always, a kernel of truth.
Then what does astrology tell you?’ said Tim, and for once he actually looked as if he wanted an answer. ‘On a personal level, it can tell you about yourself.’ ‘That’s dull. I know about myself.’ ‘Wonderful. I congratulate you. It’s a rare person who can make such a statement.’
I’m only trying to point out that you can overcome almost anything in your nature – if you understand the problem.
To be at peace one must achieve balance and harmony. This is never easy…
If you wish to look at the world through a coloured filter then do so, but don’t argue with a man who sees the world through his own eyes.
There’s no reasoning with people who want to put a mystical interpretation on everything.
An archaeologist is only somebody who digs things up and catalogues them – that doesn’t mean he’s the only person in the world who can make sense of them.’
A century ago, at the close of the Victorian era, a fortune in gold sovereigns and a unique timepiece were stolen from old Silas Heron. The crime was blamed on a homeless beggar boy, but this was never proven as the items were never recovered and the boy vanished without a trace.
The Midwinter Watch is another snowbound fantasy story for children with an atmosphere not too dissimilar to The Giant Under the Snow. Again, we have a trio of children (this time Sophie, Jack and Simon) battling against all odds to thwart the forces of evil, which this time are all too human in nature.
The tale begins with the three children encountering a sinister stranger at an abandoned railway station. Like branch lines which were closed in rural areas in the 1960s in England, the tracks had been removed and the station left to deteriorate. However, despite this, the children see a stream train moving out of the station. This part really resonated with me because there was such a station near to where I lived when I was small. Blacon Station outside Chester closed in 1968, but the buildings and tracks were still there until the 1980s and held a sort of magnetic attraction for young people in their early teens, probably due to their disused nature and consequent spookiness. John Gordon was therefore here tapping into a feeling many readers will be familiar with, especially those who grew up in the times when it was relatively safe for children to wander and explore the seemingly more mysterious areas of their local environment, and before the distractions of electronic devices and social media.
Two watches feature in this story, the Railway Timepiece and the Midwinter Watch. The Railway Timepiece went missing in the days of Silas Heron after his fortune was stolen, and the rightful heir of the old man, Toby Heron, is not even sure whether the Midwinter Watch ever existed. Each watch allows for a subtly different kind of time travel, and if the Midwinter Watch could be found it might enable the user to recover what was apparently stolen a century ago: a king’s ransom in gold coins.
Regarding the personalities of the children and their interactions with each other, there are clear similarities to other works by John Gordon. For example, Sophie could correspond to Jonquil in The Giant Under the Snow, since she is more sensitive to the paranormal and is therefore able to take the lead throughout much of the adventure. Indeed, at first only she can see the apparition of the Starveling Boy which appears at intervals to guide them. Simon is an Arf-like character in that he is highly skeptical and demands scientific proof for everything, often dismissing the experiences of Sophie and Jack as products of overactive imaginations. Jack is the exception, and does not really have a counterpart in The Giant Under the Snow. Jack is intuitive, daring, and quite impulsive. The contrast between young people who believe and others who find reasons not to is a device which appears in most of the novels I have read by this author.
Unlike many of his other books, The Midwinter Watch features fully human villains as the enemy. Tony Heron’s cousin Will and Toby’s former friend Reg Boston are fairly standard rogues who seem to be motivated by nothing more than simple avarice. They intend to use the Railway Timepiece, along with all manner of deceit and coercion, to discover where the Midwinter Watch is hidden. They are cunning and crafty and seem to turn each victory achieved by the children into a defeat. However, as in most tales of this kind, in the end it is the perceptive powers of the children and the action they take which lead to a satisfying conclusion.
I found this book to contain a more straightforward and conventional plot than the other books by John Gordon I have read. The atmosphere and tension are present, but not as intensely as in his other works. And as a collector of children’s timeslip literature, I certainly appreciated the inclusion of time-travel as an integral part of the story.
However, of the books by John Gordon I have read, The Edge of the World still remains my firm favorite. The House on the Brink comes in a close second, and I would place Fen Runners and The Giant Under the Snow together in third place. The Midwinter Watch was entertaining, but I feel I must rank it in fourth place. The Quelling Eye is therefore still my least favorite so far, although it was far from unenjoyable.
Two watches feature in this story, the Railway Timepiece and the Midwinter Watch. The Railway Timepiece went missing in the days of Silas Heron after his fortune was stolen, and the rightful heir of the old man, Toby Heron, is not even sure whether the Midwinter Watch ever existed. Each watch allows for a subtly different kind of time travel, and if the Midwinter Watch could be found it might enable the user to recover what was apparently stolen a century ago: a king’s ransom in gold coins.
Regarding the personalities of the children and their interactions with each other, there are clear similarities to other works by John Gordon. For example, Sophie could correspond to Jonquil in The Giant Under the Snow, since she is more sensitive to the paranormal and is therefore able to take the lead throughout much of the adventure. Indeed, at first only she can see the apparition of the Starveling Boy which appears at intervals to guide them. Simon is an Arf-like character in that he is highly skeptical and demands scientific proof for everything, often dismissing the experiences of Sophie and Jack as products of overactive imaginations. Jack is the exception, and does not really have a counterpart in The Giant Under the Snow. Jack is intuitive, daring, and quite impulsive. The contrast between young people who believe and others who find reasons not to is a device which appears in most of the novels I have read by this author.
Unlike many of his other books, The Midwinter Watch features fully human villains as the enemy. Tony Heron’s cousin Will and Toby’s former friend Reg Boston are fairly standard rogues who seem to be motivated by nothing more than simple avarice. They intend to use the Railway Timepiece, along with all manner of deceit and coercion, to discover where the Midwinter Watch is hidden. They are cunning and crafty and seem to turn each victory achieved by the children into a defeat. However, as in most tales of this kind, in the end it is the perceptive powers of the children and the action they take which lead to a satisfying conclusion.
I found this book to contain a more straightforward and conventional plot than the other books by John Gordon I have read. The atmosphere and tension are present, but not as intensely as in his other works. And as a collector of children’s timeslip literature, I certainly appreciated the inclusion of time-travel as an integral part of the story.
However, of the books by John Gordon I have read, The Edge of the World still remains my firm favorite. The House on the Brink comes in a close second, and I would place Fen Runners and The Giant Under the Snow together in third place. The Midwinter Watch was entertaining, but I feel I must rank it in fourth place. The Quelling Eye is therefore still my least favorite so far, although it was far from unenjoyable.
Dating from 1970, this Fenland tale tells the story of a shy but obsessive teenager named Dick Dobbs who finds that he has a profound connection with the water of the Fens.
When he hears the words of a wealthy young widow, Mrs. Knowles, at a local literature evening class, he becomes fixated by what may or may not be her vivid imaginings. Mrs. Knowles, who is generally regarded as being neurotic, believes she is being both haunted and hunted by a sinister black log which she saw pulled out of the Fenland mud near the sea. Mrs. Knowles says, ‘My house… has a good side and a bad. The river is on the dark side. Everything it contains is contaminated… And out the back of my house… somewhere in the distance, there is something that when it appears always gives me hope… I call it the Silver Fields.’
Dick quickly becomes enmeshed in her alleged neurosis and finds himself both fascinated and horrified by the presence of the log and the trail it leaves as it mysteriously continues its journey inland, apparently with the house of the widow as its final destination. Affected by the widow’s words, that very night Dick makes a trip to the fens near the sea, and as he returns he passes a track in the mud that sends a chill up his spine:
‘I stepped into that trail and it seemed to put the moon out. Everything darkened. I went cold and stiff and then I fell. I must have done. I was on my hands and knees just a short distance away from the trail and I could feel the moon on my back.’
Next day, when Dick discovers he can still feel the trail on dry land, he follows it and comes to the house of Helen Johnson, who says she saw something passing through her father’s farmlands the night before:
‘It was like a man all tied up, no legs and no arms. But it kept moving. Sort of gliding…’
Since Helen shares the ability to ‘feel’ the trail of the log, the two launch an investigation, the motivation for which is kept alive by bursts of impetuous daring from Dick, but which is hampered by Helen’s natural caution and their incipient romance.
The line between reality and imagination is blurred throughout the story, and Gordon is highly adept at creating and maintaining this unsettling effect. Dick’s two other friends, Jim and Pat, see no mystery worth investigating and are convinced that Dick is just trying to scare them unnecessarily. Even Helen wavers between belief in the fact that something evil and uncanny is occurring, and doubt that they are creating the mystery themselves out of nothing. But real or not, Gordon carefully manages and controls the dark atmosphere, even though many of the events take place under the baking heat of the summer sun.
Regarding the title of the book, what ‘brink’ is referred to? Evidently, Gordon took Peckover House in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, as his inspiration for Mrs. Knowles’ residence. Peckover House is located on North Brink next to the River Nene, and can now be visited by the public since it is managed by The National Trust. Of course, possible figurative meanings for the word will also come to mind while reading the book; ‘the brink of reality’ and ‘the brink of insanity’ will likely be amongst these. Indeed, the book pays homage to the horror tropes of obsession and evils from the past which are best left alone, while at the same time being firmly grounded in a real geographical location, as many of the young adult stories of Alan Garner and Penelope Lively are. The narrative often uses short, concise sentences which express a surprising amount of meaning and sentiment, making it feel almost poetic in places.
I must admit that I found the repetitive going back and forth between places a little annoying, but this seems to have been done to emphasize the impulsiveness and indecisiveness of the main characters, who, as teenagers, have both the supreme self-confidence and the self-doubts common to young people.
At its core 'The House on the Brink' is a memorable, highly atmospheric and realistic tale of adolescence, friendship, love, madness, and magic. As they are in most Young Adult books, the teens are pivotal to the outcome of the story because, being at the crucial point between childhood and adulthood, they are free to move between both worlds, and peer into mysteries which grownups do not even realize may exist.
Oddly enough, despite all its merits, of the five novels by John Gordon I have read up until now, I still like The Edge of the World best. The House on the Brink comes in a close second, and I would put Fen Runners and The Giant Under the Snow together in third place. I think that overall The Quelling Eye is my least favorite so far. Well, now onwards to read The Midwinter Watch…
The content of this book was not quite what I expected. For some reason I had thought it might be something like Astercote by Penelope Lively, but in fact it was very different from the latter book. The Quelling Eye is a little difficult to review without revealing key elements of the plot, so I think I will restrict myself to discussing the general atmosphere of the work and the interpersonal dynamics between the characters.
Although the plotline is by no means weak, it is a very simple one which is not at all hard to understand. In my opinion, the strength of the book lies in the exchanges between the characters and the subtle points which are revealed by these interactions.
The atmosphere of the story is quite different from that of the other books by John Gordon which I have read. Both The Giant Under the Snow and Fen Runners contain powerful imagery related to physical darkness and mysterious deserted environments. Despite the fact that many significant events in The Quelling Eye do also take place at night, this book has a much less oppressive and claustrophobic feel to it, and it lacks the surrealness and almost frenetic tension and energy of The Edge of the World.
Considerable complexity is present in the relationships between the main characters. For instance, the incipient romance between the young people Chuck (Charles) Hoskins and Tessa (Theresa) Barton is handled in a realistic and tasteful way, and although Chuck is an intelligent young man, he has certain blind spots which Tessa mercilessly brings to his attention. The relationship between Chuck and his mother is a curious one, since he often calls her by her first name (Trudy) and they occasionally act like brother and sister rather than child and parent. However, although Trudy is childlike is some ways, she rejects Chucks reports of strange and magical happenings with a closed-minded adult resolve. Interestingly, it is the man Trudy is dating who seems much more able to relate to what the young people have to say. Thus, it appears that certain adults are still able to tap into the wonder and magic of childhood, while others seem to lose this ability pretty much completely.
The magical events portrayed in this book are more overt than implied. If it were only Chuck who experienced the magic, we might be able to suppose that this was due to his vivid imagination working in conjunction with certain situations affecting his life at the time. However, the fact that Tessa experiences the same phenomena points to the conclusion that the magic is to be taken literally, and indeed the conclusion of the story and the villain’s demise seems to hinge on this interpretation too.
I enjoyed this book probably as much as The Giant Under the Snow and Fen Runners, but not nearly as much as The Edge of the World, which totally enthralled me with its plot, pacing, and bizarre phantasmagorical imagery.
Human civilization has expanded through the galaxy, and people have settled on planets far from earth. The strangeness of VanderZande's World, also known as Kamelios, attracts scientists, adventurers and fortune hunters who are all trying in different ways to satisfy their own desires through interaction with the local environment. But Kamelios is a dangerous place. Not only is the air poisonous to humans, requiring the wearing of breathing masks at all time when outdoors, mysterious storms called fiersig disturb human moods and can even change personality when they pass over. Furthermore, a particular rift valley is intermittently altered beyond recognition by winds and squalls which appear to fling objects and geographical locations backwards and forwards through time. If caught by these Time Winds, people disappear and are assumed to be dead. Human search parties wear special rift suits (r-suits) to search the valley for artifacts of monetary or scientific value after the winds have passed through. The unique atmosphere of the planet has caused odd superstitions to develop among the rifters, many of whom are convinced that a lucky amulet must be worn for protection. A wizened phantom figure, which may or may not be a figment of the imaginations of those who see it, haunts the valley.
The first two parts of the book are mainly devoted to world building and to establishing the identities of the main characters, Leo Faulcon, his lover and team leader Lena Tanoway, and new recruit Kris Dojaan. These sections describe the environment of the ever-changing rift valley and the human society which has evolved there. Although those who explore the ruins run the risk of being swept away with the winds, Kris feels that if he enters a time squall of his own free will, he will survive and be able to ride the winds to find his brother who was lost in the valley.
Compared with the first two parts, part three is much more introspective and philosophical.
After Leo’s life is tragically affected by the Time Winds, he travels to another area of the planet where a settlement of humans (the Manchanged) have rehabilitated themselves physically to be able to live outdoors unprotected. This colony of farmers proves to be in some ways a lot wiser and less superstitious than the technologically advanced society which lives inside the sealed metal city near the rift, and certain members of it help Leo to see more clearly to what extent his view of reality is merely a reflection of his own fears, desires and experiences.
But does Leo possess the courage of his convictions, and can he really face the ultimate danger in order to discover the truth about the Time Winds and perhaps even save those who have been lost?
I found this story suitably engrossing, partly due to the central mystery regarding the true nature of the Time Winds. The author is clearly highly adept at world building, and the interactions between the characters felt convincing. The inconsistencies and contradictions in the thoughts of Leo Faulcon also added to the realism. My only slight complaint is that the ending felt somewhat abrupt. Although the conclusion did reveal the mystery, I would have felt more satisfied it the final chapter had been a little more substantial in content.
Below are some quotes from the book which I feel capture its general tone:
“That’s the trouble with progress; it forgets that people like the way they do things.”
“It’s excitement, I think. That sense of excitement, of wonder. The sort of feeling we had at school when people talked about other Galaxies, and all the worlds in our Galaxy that had only been recorded, never explored. It’s imagination, the feeling of mystery that you get when people tell you stories about distant islands, hidden asteroids, secret locations, secret lands where things are strange, and where we’re infiltrators, or strangers. There’s something so magic about the unknown, and I remember that it was the sense of the unknown, and the desperate need to penetrate that unknown just a little, that brought me out here. ”
“You’ve been totally content when you were happy and totally discontent when you were miserable; you’ve evaluated the moments of your life into good and bad, and you, and the billions like you, have never comprehended that there are no good and bad moments, only moments when you’re alive, moments when you’re experiencing life, being with life, no matter whether you’re in pain, or pleasure, or depression, or solitariness.”
“I don’t regret a day in my life. I don’t regret the waste of time when I oversleep, I don’t regret the missed opportunity, the lost love, the failed work. My memories of man are of a constant process of dissatisfaction, of regret, of resistance to anything that does not seem as if it’s going the expected way, of not living, Leo, of not ever being 100 per cent a part of life. I remember men as being a breed forever resisting its very humanness—its weakness, its flaws, its failures, its imperfections. Such resistance is the quickest way to self-destruction. It’s the easiest way to become trapped by the very weakness you try to avoid.”
“Nothing you can do or say is going to change one molecule of anything in the damned Universe, so is there really any point in brooding about it, or worrying about it, being beaten to death by it?”
“And besides, don’t you see that by delaying death, if that’s what you believe you’re doing, you’re eking out your existence from the point of view of fear of death, rather than from experience of life? You exist because you’re being buffeted about by just about every circumstance that the Universe can throw against you. We live up here because we create our own circumstances, we accept responsibility for everything. You fight against the inevitable … if you’re going to walk into the time winds, do you think you can do or say one thing that will change that? Of course you can’t. So why fight it, why be dragged fighting and screaming through the inevitable, only to emerge on the other side bloody and breathless, saying, ‘My God, I made it through.’ Don’t you think you’d have made it through anyway? And how much more enjoyable the passage would have been if you’d relaxed and experienced what was happening to you.”
It was too easy to dismiss that scattered memory, or imagery, or wordery that drifted through the waking mind as being mere day-dream indulgence. The fact was that internal conversations were often pointers towards important resolutions.
“The manchanged made me realize something when I was with them last. They said that natural knowing is the only knowing.”
“We are an impatient, edgy species, Ben. We can’t wait for things to happen; we have to make them happen.”
By Jean Slaughter Doty
How many miles to Babylon?
Three score and ten.
Can I get there by Candlelight?
Yes, and back again.
Following are a few quotes from the book:
Besides, if she had to do it, she could. You could always do what you absolutely had to do. So there was no point in getting upset in advance.
But it was hard to think about. Millions of suns in the Milky Way. And millions of Milky Ways. It made her feel small. And yet it made her feel big, too, because in her mind she could hold such a big idea.
“Get your thoughts away from the situation. Maybe then your mind will show you new things, things your fear now hides from you.”
She quickly laid out all the possibilities; there weren’t many. And then out of the mists in her mind, the answer came: the only thing she could do. It was doing what she had to do, but doing it in a way that would work for her, that would make it possible for her to do it.
“But after the first day, I came because I wanted to—because I liked to talk to you and I liked to see the cemetery. It’s something from another time, isn’t it, Mr. Simon? When people were different and things were easier.”
A Parcel of Patterns by Jean Paton Walsh
I am surprised I have never heard of this author before, since he seems to have written so much across various genres.
The sea is a recurring theme in this children's book which was written in 1970. Martin, a fourteen-year-old orphan, lives chiefly in his own inner world, which he keeps closed against the outer world so that nothing can hurt him. Since he seems to be gradually drifting away from all meaningful contact with external reality, well-meaning doctors send to him a special home not far from the sea in southeast England (East Anglia). His inner self is dominated by a strange marine world, and he feels inexorably drawn to the coast. One day, when opportunity affords, he runs away to find it. Soon after he sets out he finds a strange balloon with a note tied to it, the writer of which begs anyone who might find it for help. Thus begins the adventure which eventually leads Martin out of his self-imposed emotional isolation. This is an absolutely wonderful story which can be read on many levels, which is what I look for in books written for children and young adults.
The House in the Waves is beautifully written; extraordinary, insightful and totally engrossing. That the plot hinges on a timeslip (whether real or imagined) is also a major bonus.
The Private Worlds of Julia Redfern by Eleanor Cameron
Below are some quoteworthy passages from the book:
"You have my utmost despision,” she’d yelled after them from the front door, "and I’ll never forgive you — never — never — never—” the last "never” ending in a sob of rage, which was the blackest defeat of all.
From the central drawer she drew out her Book of Strangenesses and turned to the front to her lists of most beautiful and most detested words. Under the beautiful words, which began with "Mediterranean” and "quiver” and "undulating” and "lapis lazuli” and "empyrean,” she added "mellifluous,” which she copied from a piece of paper Mrs. Gray had given her at school.
"Good! I should say you have the stuff of a professional writer in you, quite by instinct, apparently. It’s far better to write an awkward ending than a false one.”
I wonder if I’ll ever have a pain like Mrs. Moore’s. I don’t want to but I’m pretty sure I ought to have all kinds of feelings and pains if I’m going to be a writer.”
But how quickly a day, a mood of happiness, can change. It takes only a few seconds, a word or two, a single, unreflecting gesture.
"Now, that’s a funny thing. Listen, everybody. When you apprehend something, you know it. In other words, you catch on, you have a piece of knowledge. And when you apprehend a villain, you catch him. So you know him better, because you have him.” "That’s right,” said Uncle Phil. "But if you’re apprehensive, it’s because you don’t have knowledge you should have. You’re scared in an anxious way because you don’t know all you should know. It’s the very opposite.
I read this novel because it appears on so many lists of children’s timeslip books, but I was ultimately disappointed to discover that the timeslip element is weak and undeveloped.
Can I get there by Candlelight? by Jean Slaughter Doty is the tale of a young girl and her pony who are inexplicably transported back in time.
The title of this book comes from a nursery rhyme, How Many Miles to Babylon, that nineteenth-century children used to chant while playing a game.
How many miles to Babylon?
Three score and ten.
Can I get there by Candlelight?
Yes, and back again.
Gail and her parents are temporarily renting a very old house while their new home is being built. We are told that the house was originally a coachman’s cottage belonging to the once beautiful Babylon Estate. One day while riding her pony Candlelight (Candy) in the walled area near the cottage, Gail discovers a rusty iron gate which is almost completely hidden by a dense growth of vegetation. Her curiosity piqued, Gail is determined to get through the gate so she can explore in the cool shade of the woodland beyond, only to discover that after passing through the woods both Candy and herself have been transported back in time to the original Babylon of a century ago. The time travel mechanism therefore seems to be passing through the woods on the pony. On the other side, Gail meets a girl named Hilary, who shares her passion for all things equestrian.
This may sound like a promising start, but not a lot really happens in this story except for various activities such as brushing the pony, feeding the pony, washing the pony, and some complicated fastening and unfastening of bridles and straps on the pony. I think it is fair to say that nothing truly exciting occurs until close to the very end, and then what takes place is so sudden that it lacks the introduction and buildup of tension which would have made it more convincing. I was hoping for more poignancy with regards to the time-travel aspect, but this was also largely absent.
Although Gail (too) slowly comes to the realization that every time she visits Hilary she is in fact traveling back in time, she is so preoccupied with all matters horsey that she almost completely fails to ponder the amazing and bizarre adventure she is experiencing. Especially exasperating is the fact that the author never tells us what happens to Hilary. The last time we see her, she is lying next to the wreckage of an overturned pony cart, perhaps dead. So, no closure there, I am afraid to say.
I think that this is a book that may well delight the pony enthusiast, but which is likely to irritate a true devotee of the time-travel genre. The time-travel feature is largely superfluous as far as the telling of the story and its conclusion are concerned, since essentially the same story could have been articulated with Gail and Hilary as contemporary neighbors who became friends during the summer and enjoy sharing their common interest in horses.
Beloved Benjamin is Waiting by Jean E. Karl
Beloved Benjamin is Waiting is the story of eleven-year-old Lucinda Gratz. Lucinda is the youngest of four children in an abusive household. Lucinda’s older siblings all live away from home, including the black sheep of the family, Dean, who has been sent to a juvenile reform school. Evidently, because Dean told the authorities about the activities of other members of his gang, those young delinquents have decided to seek revenge by harassing Lucinda.
Lucinda has to decide where she can hide when the gang comes looking for her or when her parents’ fights get out of control. The best idea she can come up with is the cemetery across the street. Although people cannot come and go at will, there is a small forgotten gate in a side street that Lucinda is just small enough to squeeze through, and inside she finds an abandoned caretaker’s lodge (used as a storage place for broken tombstones and their decorations) that can provide her with shelter. The house is dusty and dirty, but has a bedroom with a bed in it. Lucinda gradually transports everyday necessities to the old house, and is eventually forced to abandon her real home altogether when her mother suddenly announces she is going away for a while and the danger from the gang members therefore intensifies. Lucinda wisely realizes that she cannot remain at home alone with no one to protect her.
Lucinda befriends the main security guard, Mr. Simon, originally in order to learn about the security at the cemetery and the chances of being discovered in the old caretaker’s house. To add to her credibility, she decides to write a history paper about the cemetery for school, which provides her with a legitimate reason for frequent visits and permission to roam the grounds freely in the daytime. What she learns kindles in her a genuine interest in the local history of the graveyard and the lives of people who lived in the past.
At the same time, strange things begin happening in the old house where she has surreptitiously set up home. As a rational and non-superstitious young person, Lucinda rejects the possibility of ghosts, only to discover that what is trying to make contact with her is equally or even more fantastic. Lucinda tries her best to provide the information that the entity requires, and in the process broadens her own horizons and understanding of life.
It should be mentioned that the alien storyline is secondary to the main narrative and very understated. At its core, this is a somewhat melancholy book about an unhappy but highly intelligent and resourceful young girl who has been abandoned by her parents and is looking for understanding from others and a direction in her life. The need to understand the cemetery and her desire to help the aliens leads her to become more curious about both her local surroundings and the boundless universe beyond the earth.
One of the strongest points of this book is its pacing, and the way that tension is maintained throughout. The science-fiction plotline is not even introduced until just over halfway through the story. That might seem odd, but it works well, since the reader can really get settled into Lucinda’s world and see things through her eyes before major events begin to occur.
In conclusion, this is an excellent adventure story which evokes a sense of wonder in the best tradition of children’s literature.
Following are a few quotes from the book:
Besides, if she had to do it, she could. You could always do what you absolutely had to do. So there was no point in getting upset in advance.
But it was hard to think about. Millions of suns in the Milky Way. And millions of Milky Ways. It made her feel small. And yet it made her feel big, too, because in her mind she could hold such a big idea.
“Get your thoughts away from the situation. Maybe then your mind will show you new things, things your fear now hides from you.”
She quickly laid out all the possibilities; there weren’t many. And then out of the mists in her mind, the answer came: the only thing she could do. It was doing what she had to do, but doing it in a way that would work for her, that would make it possible for her to do it.
“But after the first day, I came because I wanted to—because I liked to talk to you and I liked to see the cemetery. It’s something from another time, isn’t it, Mr. Simon? When people were different and things were easier.”
“A parcel of (dressmaking) patterns brought the plague to Eyam. A parcel sent up from London to George Vicars, a journeyman tailor, who was lodging with Mrs. Cooper in a cottage by the west end of the churchyard.”
This novel is a fictionalization of a real-life event that occurred in Eyam (pronounced ‘eem’), Derbyshire, England, during the 1660s. After the residents started dying from the plague, they had to decide whether or not to try to flee in order to save themselves or remain in the village to prevent the disease from spreading to other settlements in the vicinity.
Jill Paton Walsh was an outstanding writer, and this book for older children and young adults is firmly based on historical research into the plague outbreak specific to Eyam, and it really brings the human implications of the catastrophe to life. Although the protagonist herself is fictional, many of the other characters are real names from history. I have read other works by this author, such as Fireweed and The Green Book, both of which were highly imaginative and engrossing. A Parcel of Patterns, first published in 1983, was one of the first fictional attempts to get to grips with the effects of the plague on people both physically and psychologically.
This story is narrated by a teenage girl from Eyam named Mall, who is in love with Thomas, a shepherd from a nearby village. They originally had intended to be married, but their plans are wrecked because Mall feels she must avoid Thomas and keep him away from Eyam for fear of transmitting the plague to him.
This book is written in an approximation of seventeenth-century English speech, which makes Mall’s account feel all the more authentic. However, the writing still flows smoothly and is easy to understand, so this should not be a problem for most readers.
It is likely that reading this book will prompt you to do further research into the events which occurred at Eyam, and into the general history of the plague throughout the ages. I would therefore recommend it both as excellent fiction and as an educational experience.
The House in the Waves by James Hamilton-Paterson
The sea is a recurring theme in this children's book which was written in 1970. Martin, a fourteen-year-old orphan, lives chiefly in his own inner world, which he keeps closed against the outer world so that nothing can hurt him. Since he seems to be gradually drifting away from all meaningful contact with external reality, well-meaning doctors send to him a special home not far from the sea in southeast England (East Anglia). His inner self is dominated by a strange marine world, and he feels inexorably drawn to the coast. One day, when opportunity affords, he runs away to find it. Soon after he sets out he finds a strange balloon with a note tied to it, the writer of which begs anyone who might find it for help. Thus begins the adventure which eventually leads Martin out of his self-imposed emotional isolation. This is an absolutely wonderful story which can be read on many levels, which is what I look for in books written for children and young adults.
The House in the Waves is beautifully written; extraordinary, insightful and totally engrossing. That the plot hinges on a timeslip (whether real or imagined) is also a major bonus.
The protagonist we first meet in A Room Made of Windows comes of age in this sequel about her life. Julia, now 15, is still a compassionate observer of events and a precise recorder of her experiences.
As she matures, she begins to see and accept things as they are, and begins to understand that even those with whom she enjoys the closest relationships are flawed human beings who will occasionally disappoint her due to preoccupation with their own affairs and desires. Julia also realizes that people who seem to be caricatures of negative qualities do actually exist in real life, and are not confined to works of fiction. Anyone with some life experience will probably relate to difficulties in trying to deal with selfish and superficial people, those who possess what many would probably now refer to as 'toxic' personalities.
In fact, in each of the private worlds created by her relationships with the people closest to her, there is, as the author points out, a "yes, but" element - and in the course of the novel Julia experiences some of the setbacks, sorrows and losses that seem to accompany every joy, and which her mother warned her about in the first book as being a necessary part of life.
Julia is a remarkably sensitive, thoughtful, and reflective main character, and this novel exemplifies those qualities more forcefully than A Room Made with Windows. Despite Julia's first romantic relationship being perhaps a little too idealistically portrayed, The Private Worlds of Julia Redfern is nevertheless a superbly executed exploration of the turmoil and excitement of one girl’s youthful formative years and of the challenges, catharsis, and rewards of creative endeavor.
A Room Made of Windows by Eleanor Cameron
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A Room Made of Windows plunges us into the somewhat confused life of Julia Caroline Redfern, who lives in Berkeley, California, in the 1920. This is Cameron's first of five books about Julia, who is an aspiring writer with a lot going on inside her twelve-year-old head.
Julia’s life constantly bubbles with intensity, whether she is crashing a bike into a telegraph pole, searching for lost cats, planning her next story, rescuing an injured rabbit, or stubbornly refusing to accept her mother's plans to remarry. Preoccupied with her own thoughts and view of the world, she records her observations in her Book of Strangenesses. Above all, she longs to become a professional writer, considering it her natural destiny, and she despises the prospect of an ‘ordinary’ life involving marriage and the raising of children. As the book progresses, Julia becomes more open-minded and able to empathize with others.
Evidently, Julia’s struggle to accept her mother’s engagement to Uncle Phil is a direct reference Cameron's own situation when her mother remarried in 1924. Her stepfather, William Earle Warren, was apparently a much more amiable man than her father had been, but it took Eleanor a long time to appreciate this and concede that her mother deserved to be happy and ‘was not created solely for her own convenience and pleasure’.
Cameron did an excellent job of individualizing all of her characters and showing how they all yearn for different things. Julia's meaningful friendships with her elderly neighbors are especially poignant. It is not really a coming-of-age story, because the timescale is confined to around one year in the life of Julia. It is more a series of impressions and describes the process of her increasing in understanding and empathy. Furthermore, the story is redolent of literature from a past era, evoking feelings of nostalgia and hope.
Younger readers of a more introspective nature will likely enjoy this story and sympathize with Julia, who is always able to discern the extraordinary in the ordinary, whereas more mature readers with life experience will see beyond Julia's restricted view of the world and empathize with the other well-drawn characters in the book. A Room Made of Windows is therefore a book which skillfully bridges the divide between children's and adult literature and incorporates different levels of meaning along with powerful imagery.
Below are some quoteworthy passages from the book:
"You have my utmost despision,” she’d yelled after them from the front door, "and I’ll never forgive you — never — never — never—” the last "never” ending in a sob of rage, which was the blackest defeat of all.
From the central drawer she drew out her Book of Strangenesses and turned to the front to her lists of most beautiful and most detested words. Under the beautiful words, which began with "Mediterranean” and "quiver” and "undulating” and "lapis lazuli” and "empyrean,” she added "mellifluous,” which she copied from a piece of paper Mrs. Gray had given her at school.
"Good! I should say you have the stuff of a professional writer in you, quite by instinct, apparently. It’s far better to write an awkward ending than a false one.”
I wonder if I’ll ever have a pain like Mrs. Moore’s. I don’t want to but I’m pretty sure I ought to have all kinds of feelings and pains if I’m going to be a writer.”
But how quickly a day, a mood of happiness, can change. It takes only a few seconds, a word or two, a single, unreflecting gesture.
"Now, that’s a funny thing. Listen, everybody. When you apprehend something, you know it. In other words, you catch on, you have a piece of knowledge. And when you apprehend a villain, you catch him. So you know him better, because you have him.” "That’s right,” said Uncle Phil. "But if you’re apprehensive, it’s because you don’t have knowledge you should have. You’re scared in an anxious way because you don’t know all you should know. It’s the very opposite.
"I only want to tell you that just to live with all your senses to the fullest extent, to have a family —” "To be ordinary, you mean!” cried Julia. "Well, I’m not going to be ordinary. That’s disgusting —” Mrs. Moore suddenly sank into a chair and laughed until the tears came to her eyes while Julia stared at her in bewilderment, not knowing what to think. "Oh, Julia — 'disgusting’! That’s marvelous. It’s such a funny word to use, a ridiculous word, and yet I know what you mean. I used to feel that, centuries ago.
The almost unbelievable fact about Greg was this. On another occasion Uncle Phil had taken them to the Egyptian Museum in San Jose, and Mrs. Redfern, turning from a jewel case, let out a cry when she saw Greg standing under the elbow of the big statue of the Pharaoh Ikhnaton. She went to him and took off his glasses, leaving his face, Julia thought, naked and almost frighteningly unfamiliar. And when you looked back and forth at those two, you would have sworn that Greg and Ikhnaton were twin ' brothers.
"That’s what a poem is,” Leslie said, "a feeling about some special time or place or happening, pressed into as few lines as it will go.”
"Do you mean that that,” exclaimed Paul, "is exactly the way this pharaoh looked?”
"Because when you see the painting, and then Greg, you know everything isn’t just ordinary after all. I mean, there really are mysteries.”
The almost unbelievable fact about Greg was this. On another occasion Uncle Phil had taken them to the Egyptian Museum in San Jose, and Mrs. Redfern, turning from a jewel case, let out a cry when she saw Greg standing under the elbow of the big statue of the Pharaoh Ikhnaton. She went to him and took off his glasses, leaving his face, Julia thought, naked and almost frighteningly unfamiliar. And when you looked back and forth at those two, you would have sworn that Greg and Ikhnaton were twin ' brothers.
"That’s what a poem is,” Leslie said, "a feeling about some special time or place or happening, pressed into as few lines as it will go.”
"Do you mean that that,” exclaimed Paul, "is exactly the way this pharaoh looked?”
"Because when you see the painting, and then Greg, you know everything isn’t just ordinary after all. I mean, there really are mysteries.”
"Strangenesses,” said Julia. "Of course!” Some days there were so many she couldn’t put them all down, yet here was Paul, who lived in Canada and who’d gone camping in the Canadian Rockies where there were glaciers that had been lying in the clefts of peaks for maybe a thousand years, he had told them, and who’d seen with his own eyes bear and elk and moose and mountain lions, saying maybe everything wasn’t ordinary after all, just as if he thought everything was.
"I see what you’re thinking. It seems Mrs. Moore and I believe that nobody’s to blame for anything, because who knows what the parents did. But there’s no point in being alive, it seems to me, if a person never changes. Somehow he has to see himself from the outside —”
"If you have to, you will. If there’s something you must do, you do it — it’s as if it’s handed to you.”
The Dark is Rising (The Dark is Rising Sequence Book 2)
by Susan Cooper
The Edge of the World by John Gordon
The Edge of the World is a YA fantasy novel first published in 1983. It primarily tells the story of Tekker and his friend Kit, who discover that through moving small objects with their minds (telekinesis) they are able to open up a parallel dimension in the English Fenlands. However, the parallel world is far from being a marsh, but is a burning-hot barren red desert from which ‘horseheads’ emerge. These nightmarish creatures have empty horses skulls, but walk upright on two legs.
Although they are warned not to open the parallel dimension by an old man who once went there and lost what was dearest to him, Kit and Tekker are forced to do so when the controller of the horseheads, a reclusive local woman, harms the mind of Kit’s brother, Dan, and he slips into a coma-like state and then nearer and nearer to death. The only way to undo the damage is to restore a key artifact to the possession of someone who is imprisoned beyond the desert.
The Edge of the World has all the characteristics of the most gripping adventure stories, and the world-building is sublime. The reader can really become immersed in the story and feel the experiences through the eyes of the protagonists, who are fully fleshed-out complex characters. The paradoxical antagonism and attraction between Tekker and Kit is handled particularly well.
I noticed similarities between this book and the more well-known The Giant Under the Snow. Apart from the tense atmosphere, the sneeringly skeptical character of Dan reminded me of Arf from the latter book. At one point, Arf tries to convince himself that nothing is stalking him in the forest by rationalizing the movement he sees as the nearer trees sliding over a background of those further away as he walks forward. In The Edge of the World, the same device is used with the boulders in the desert.
"She was sure the heads had moved. 'Wait!' She held his arm. The rounded shapes, many as tall as themselves, lay still. She had been tricked by the way they overlapped."
John Gordon's writing is highly incisive and the plot is fast-paced, immersive and exciting. The interaction between the characters is realistic, and the juxtaposition of the real world and the parallel dimension adds to the surreal nature of the imagery. Most books of this ilk end with the parallel world eventually being closed off forever from those who had visited it, but Gordon adroitly avoids this cliche in his finale.
The only details which date the book to the era in which it was written are Tekker's occasional slightly disparaging comments about girls, and the part where they decide to try hitchhiking to get back to their home village. Hitchhiking children and teens seem to appear quite often in novels from the 1960s and 1970s.
I must say that I enjoyed this book more than The Giant Under the Snow, and that I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys good fantasy literature and is not too disturbed by a touch of horror.
Below is a sampling of quotations from the story which highlight the high quality of the writing and story content:
"'I think just about anything's possible, Kit. You've only got to learn the knack.'"
"'My trade. French polisher. Spent most of my life putting a shine on things and that’s a kind of deception. It can fool you. Look at the top of this table and you don’t see a table. There’s the window, see?' He pointed at its reflection. 'And the ceiling. And then deeper down a kind of darkness, like a pool. Deep. Dark. Anything could be there.'
"A wall of sheer glass rose straight upwards – a sheet so pure it was like clear water falling from the roof of the sky, but hanging motionless like time stopped, burning with a burst of sun at its base but glistening so high overhead it could have been stars. It had a knife-edge. It seemed too tall to stand. It seemed to sing with the sheer effort of standing in the sky."
The Giant Under the Snow
By John Gordon
Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark is Rising Sequence Book 1)
By Susan Cooper
The Whispering Knights by Penelope Lively
Young Paul is burning with resentment over his father's remarriage to a woman named Christine. He feels betrayed, distrusting every adult and immersing himself in his own misery and anger. When he is accused of shoplifting, he impetuously flees with his little sister, hoping by some method or other to reach the rural village where his grandmother lives. The children hitch a lift from an old man who travels the ancient roadways in a cart pulled by a donkey. Old Bill tells Paul that the road can impart messages to those who are receptive and willing to learn from them. Paul thereafter receives several visions during which he participates as an observer in various incidents which happened at certain locations along the road in the past. One occurrence is told from three different angles, helping Paul develop empathy for other people's viewpoints and feelings. His sharing the experiences of people who lived under conditions unimaginable to a modern child also enable Paul to identify what his own problems are and how to overcome them.
Of course, while the basic outline of the story was feasible when this book was published in the early 1970s, it could hardly happen today, for children suddenly disappearing would result in frantic parents, police and social services fearing the worst and taking immediate action to find them. And it is unlikely that a good-natured elderly man travelling alone would dare give two children a lift along the way for fear of what he might be accused of later. For this reason, the 1970s environment The Driftway describes is as much a piece of history as the other more distant happenings that the road reveals to Paul.
The book is relatively short at around 150 pages, but the author has a talent for conveying the power of events and feelings using a minimum of words. And in common with her other novel, Astercote, Penelope Lively describes physical locations as possessing characteristics and powers resulting from the events which occurred in them in the past. It is probably right to say that the author’s love for her homeland and the stories it holds is at the heart of The Driftway. The strong sense of a past peopled with individuals who were perhaps not so different from us makes a trip down the Driftway a worthwhile endeavor.
Below are some noteworthy quotes from the book:
…if the place is a special place - and at the right time other people can pick up that shadow. Like a message, see? Messages about being happy, or frightened or downright miserable. Messages that cut through time like it wasn’t there, because they’re about things that are the same for everybody, and always have been, and always will be. That’s what the Driftway is: a place where people have left messages for one another.’
‘Places go on. They last a sight longer than people do. And the names of places. They’re old, always. From old times. From the people that made them first, cleared the land and that.’
It’s the same stream, Paul thought, the same stream the boy talked about. He heard it like I can hear it now, and saw that long flat hill just the same as I see it.
‘You know something else, son? The first time you get yourself worked up about other people - strangers, people you’ve never known, never will know - that’s when you’re beginning to grow up. You’re learning. Mind, some people never do, and they’re the ones you want to look out for. There’s a lot of harm can come from them.’
There you are, you see. Things don’t happen in circles. It’s more like dropping a stone into a pond: you make ripples and they bump into each other and make more ripples.
You see the way the shape of a country’s made the people in it, and you see the way they’ve written themselves all over it, too, people who’re dead and gone now. In the way the fields go, and the roads, and the things they’ve built, and the bits they’ve dug up or cut down or flooded or drained or not been able to find a use for at all.’
Most people look at a bit of country and they just see it as an arrangement of hedges, and trees, and lanes, and they don’t think of how it’s all come about, like. They think it’s natural. There’s hardly such a thing as a natural landscape. It’s something that’s always on the move, changing every few years. And if you get to know a bit about it you can see all the layers of changes, going right back into old times: where there’s been a village that’s gone now, or a road that’s got forgotten, like this one…
The fog rolled back before the cart, revealing a tree, a twist in the track, a clump of cow-parsley heads splayed against the hedge: he imagined other eyes in other times looking at the same things, feeling the same feelings, thinking ... No, not thinking the same things. That would be the difference.
‘You can’t know how they thought,’ he said. ‘Not really.’
‘I s’pose not, son. But we should try. We should do that.’
Soon as you’re ready to believe another bloke might not be exactly what you think he is, you’re halfway to being able to live with him. Or work with him, or whatever it is.’
You think everything’s happening just to you, he thought, but it isn’t. It’s happening to other people too. It sounds obvious when you say it, but it isn’t till you think about it.
The Four Seasons of Lucy McKenzie by Kirsty Murray
Adam by A.K. Stone
The Root Cellar is a time-slip adventure first published in 1981, which is considered to be a classic of modern Canadian children's literature. Twelve-year-old Rose Larkin lost her parents in a car accident when she was only three years old. After that, she went to live with her wealthy but emotionally distant grandmother in New York. When her grandmother dies, Rose is sent to live with Aunt Nan, her husband and their four boys in a ramshackle and chaotic home near Lake Ontario in Canada.
Rose is miserable in her new home, partly due to the fact that she has no experience of communicating with other young people, and partly because the family's way of life seems so disorganized compared to that of her very prim grandmother.
Shortly after her arrival, Rose accidentally discovers an abandoned root cellar, and quickly realizes that if she steps inside at just the right moment, she will emerge in the middle of the nineteenth century. She meets a girl named Susan who works for the parents of a boy named Will Morrissay. Susan, Will and Rose enjoy a wonderful day together, and Rose feels she has found a place where she really belongs.
Rose returns briefly to her own time for three days, and then on returning to the past is shocked to discover that Susan has aged three years. Will has gone off to fight in the Civil War. By that time, the war has been over for some months, but Will has not returned, and Susan has not heard anything from or about him.
After doing some historical research in her own time, Rose returns to the past, and with Susan embarks on a trip to Washington, D.C. in an attempt to learn what has happened to Will. Since many people in Susan’s time naturally think Rose is a boy because of her short hair, she decides to dress like a boy to provide a little added protection on the trip.
The historical accuracy regarding the nineteenth-century environment and US Civil War is impressive. War in general is portrayed in a very realistic way, and an antiwar and anti-nationalist message is conveyed persuasively through the comments of disillusioned soldiers and the descriptions of their circumstances.
The journey changes Rose from being a self-absorbed girl who looked down on her country-bumpkin relatives into a brave and empathetic young woman. In this way, the book is as much about what it means to be an individual as it is about time travel or history. To quote the book itself:
She remembered that she had thought about marrying Will. She thought about Susan, who wanted only one thing, to have Will home, and about her own self not really knowing what she wanted or even who she was. “Being a person’s too hard,” she thought. “It’s just too hard.”
Indeed, a major theme running throughout this story is the difficulty of not knowing where you belong or even who you are as an individual, and not being able to comprehend all of the factors at play in the world, factors that might occasionally serve to your benefit, but which just as often could bring you harm.
As with other successful works about time travel, for example Tom’s Midnight Garden, much of the poignancy is saved until the end, where all the threads of the story are drawn together and the full significance for the protagonist becomes clear.
Eventually, through experiences both joyful and heartbreaking, Rose comes to understand what is most important, and to know what she wants and where she belongs. All this makes for an emotionally satisfying conclusion.
“Susan,” she whispered, “it’s true. Being a person is very hard.” And she heard, like an echo in her head, “That’s so, Rose,” and could not help smiling.
The Forgotten Door by Alexander Key
The Forgotten Door is a middle grade science fiction novel, published in 1965. The author is Alexander Key, who also wrote the more famous Escape to Witch Mountain.
The Forgotten Door is the story of a young boy who accidentally falls through a hidden interdimensional portal and finds himself in a cave in a mountainous region on Earth.
Jon finds a kind family, the Beans, who take him in and gradually come to realize that he originates from a society very unlike our own. The Beans are eager to assist Jon, but others in the community are suspicious, prejudiced, selfish, and greedy, and conflict inevitably ensues.
Jon incurs amnesia during his fall into the cave. He only remembers his name, and while he can recognize certain things like books, he is totally unfamiliar with other items commonly used by the society of the 1960s. At first, he speaks no English, but learns astonishingly quickly, and possesses other abilities which the local people begin to fear.
As the Beans work to help Jon recover his memory, they find themselves surrounded by enemies and in great danger.
The Forgotten Door is relatively short and fast-paced, with tension mounting continuously up to its climax.
Is the book perfect? By no means. The characters, while well drawn, are either good or bad, with no gray areas in between. Jon's thoughts on matters and his observations could also be considered somewhat moralizing. However, I only realized this when I had finished the book and was thinking about it analytically. While I was reading it, these criticisms did not occur to me.
I think what is special about The Forgotten Door is the underlying concept - that there could be civilizations so advanced that its members would be genuinely bewildered on encountering anyone who wished to do them harm.
Judging by the online comments and reviews, many people who were teens in the 1960s have very favorable memories of this book, and some have read it over and over again in order to savor the atmosphere and sense of wonder it evokes.
Since it can be read on different levels, young people and adults can enjoy it, and I consider it an excellent example of thought-provoking middle grade science fiction literature.
Beyond the Tomorrow Mountains
by Sylvia Engdahl
Noren, whose rebellion against the priestly theocracy earned him access to the knowledge controlled by the Scholar caste in This Star Shall Abide, this time faces a more subtle crisis in this sequel due to his unwillingness to put complete faith in the principal symbol revered by the scholars (the Mother Star). As Noren learns more about the origin of his people and the reasons why they are forced to try to survive on a hostile alien planet, he also comes to realize that the rationale for the existence of the scholarly elite (who live in their enclosed city and enjoy technological advantages which are denied the people outside) is seriously jeopardized by their failure to make a specific scientific breakthrough upon which the fulfillment of the Prophecy regarding the Mother Star hangs. The seemingly naive faith of other scholars and technicians is repugnant to Noren, until he experiences certain crises firsthand and is moved by the belief of others who have achieved a more comprehensive vision of reality than he has, despite not possessing Noren’s advanced scientific knowledge and analytical skills. Noren thus eventually comes to understand the true meaning of the symbolism of the Mother Star, and this frees him from self-imposed mental bondage. Like the first volume, much of the fascination of this story lies in the author’s ability to create a convincing complex society with a tragic history and an uncertain future that depends entirely on its skills in coping with a harsh and poisonous environment. Some readers have complained that Beyond the Tomorrow Mountains is tedious in its lack of action and preoccupation with philosophical and personal existential questions, but this criticism is perhaps not entirely fair. Quite a lot of action does actually take place throughout the book, especially toward the end, although admittedly the plot is not action-oriented. I think that to enjoy this book, readers should have first finished This Star Shall Abide, and also be interested in fiction which focuses on introspective themes and the inner growth of principal characters. There is a third book in the series, The Doors of The Universe, which was written about ten years after the first two, and was added because the author felt that the principal premise for the first two stories had been compromised by scientific developments in the real world of which she had not originally been aware.
To provide an idea of the general flavor of the story, I am including some pertinent quotations from it:
“I—I’ve oversimplified things, I guess.” “Sometimes one must in order to keep one’s balance.”
If scientists didn’t know how to do something, then they had no real proof that it could ever be done.
“There can never be anything wrong in a person’s wanting to know more than he knows, or be more than he has been; the Law specifies only that those who do choose that course can never go back.”
Without proof, how could anyone be deeply convinced?
People who want what they don’t have progress faster than those who are satisfied.
You’ve got too independent a mind to want protection from the perils to which skepticism can lead—and you also have youth. That’s a dangerous combination. Yet if salvation of the world lay solely in old men’s caution, why would young people be born?”
You’re not being reasonable,” he insisted. “Faith? What is that but to be content with ignorance?
Always he had trusted in the existence of truth that was firm and absolute. He had searched for it unceasingly, and had supposed he was on his way to finding it. Yet if all was illusion, if the uncertainty he’d found so dismaying involved not only human survival but the very nature of things, then he had no more of an anchor to true reality than to the planet from which he was adrift. He could not even depend on the workings of his own mind.
For the first time since learning the truth about the Mother Star, it occurred to Noren to ask not how things happened, but why.
What sort of a universe was it where such barriers prevailed? Were all human races isolated, condemned to perpetual ignorance of the rest? Did others, too, rise to greatness and then, through senseless, futile tragedy, die out, like grain shoots crushed beneath the hoofs of work-beasts loosed into a field?
All his life Noren had questioned, but never so deeply as this; he had never encountered problems that seemed to make less and less sense as he continued to ponder them. He had assumed that the City held all the answers.
There are no answers, his mind kept repeating. The City does not contain all truth, and if it does not, is there any real truth to be found? How can there be sense to such a universe? How can these others live in it?
Brave? thought Noren. Was it brave to pretend that some mystical spirit, a mere symbol, would offer answers that rational effort could not uncover? It struck him as far more courageous to admit that one’s life had been built upon delusion.
There’s always risk in human affairs. We can never know exactly what the future will bring; we know only that things cannot and will not remain the same.
If people can’t go forward they go backward; they don’t stand still.
I’m a realist. As I told Talyra once, faith is nothing more than being content with ignorance.”
Life was what mattered . . . life, and truth, which were one and the same . . . and they need not be understood to remain valid.
If we die expecting to live, we’ll be none the worse for it; but if we stop living because we expect to die, we’ll have thrown away our own lives.”
The questions you framed are unanswerable, and to be terrified by that is a sign not of weakness but of strength. A weak person wouldn’t have opened his mind to such terror.
“They do,” Stefred said gently. “The fact that neither you nor any other human being can obtain all the answers doesn’t mean they don’t exist, any more than the fact that we can’t see all the stars in the universe means those stars aren’t there.”
Not all truth can be expressed in scientific terms.
The author of this book asserts that it is not a sequel to Enchantress From the Stars, although in some ways it could be considered to be one. It is indeed a sequel in the sense that the story centers around the same protagonist, and it is set in the same universe. It is not a sequel in that it can be read completely apart from Enchantress From the Stars, and is aimed at a different audience, as the darker content is suitable for more mature teens and adults, but not for middle-grade students.
In The Far Side of Evil, Elana has received the training that she lacked in Enchantress From the Stars, and is ready for her first official assignment. Usually, a newly qualified agent of the Federation's Anthropological Service would only be assigned as part of a team under a more senior and experienced operative. However, Elana is sent on a solo mission to a planet called Toris, where there is an opportunity to observe a situation which has never been recorded hitherto by the Anthropological Service.
One of the author's personal convictions is that humanoid species on planets like Earth must at a certain point in their evolution expand into space if they are to avoid extinction. When their ambitions, aggressions, and need for overcoming risks and dangers are turned outward into space, the danger of total war is lessened, and when colonies start to be established beyond the home planet, most resources and energies are concentrated in this activity, leading to greater cooperation between nations and the eventual cessation of international conflicts. The period between the invention of weapons of mass destruction and the peaceful colonization of space is called the Critical Stage.
The Anthropological Service is well aware of the importance of the Critical Stage, but the recent discovery of Toris has provided a unique opportunity to observe firsthand the factors which decide whether a world survives or not. Unfortunately, Toris appears to be on the brink of self-annihilation, and it evidently has no interest in space exploration. Elana is sent on a solo mission of observation into a totalitarian dictatorship which seems bent on starting a nuclear war with more liberal-minded nations.
The Anthropological Service has an important Prime Directive of non-interference in younger 'less mature' cultures (similar to the one which is rarely adhered to in Star Trek). Agents like Elana take this principle very seriously since it is part of their Sworn Oath, and they are willing to die rather than risk disclosure of their true origins and the existence of the Federation.
Another young agent also assigned to the same planet considers himself an authority on Critical Stage cultures, and becomes convinced that direct intervention is justified and necessary in order to save the Torisians from themselves. But his naive actions play right into the hands of the dictatorship, which arrests Elana and interrogates her mercilessly (which is partly why this book is unsuitable for children).
In some ways this book is related to the time in which it was written (as are most works of fiction). In the early 1970s, the Cold War was still in full swing, but there was optimism about the future based on the then-recent Moon landings. Many people who observed events at that time would probably have expected there to be bases and colonies beyond Earth by the year 2020, and that we would by now be emerging from the Critical Stage. Although many things have changed greatly in the last half century, it nonetheless appears that we are yet firmly within that phase. But despite these facts, the story in no way feels dated.
Some readers have commented that the book contains too much philosophy and too little plot, but I did not feel that way when reading it. In fact, I found the balance to be just right. There are the overarching philosophical concepts involving whole planets and peoples, and the personal moral and ethical concerns regarding the decisions of individuals. To what extent do the ends justify the means when supporting an ideal, and how far should personal sacrifice go in adhering to cherished principles?
The idea that The Far Side of Evil is in some way a veiled political commentary is also baseless in my opinion, since the political powers mentioned are clearly generic and not intended to represent any specific parties in our world.
I found The Far Side of Evil to be a significantly more profound read than Enchantress From the Stars, but like that book there are many quotable passages which are relevant to our lives today, and which can help us make sense of the situations we find ourselves in.
Here are some of them:
“The human mind can’t be forced. You can’t even hurt me if I decide not to be hurt.”
“...there’s a danger in concentrating too hard on abstract theory.”
“...you have to trust the universe. You have to believe that the natural order of things has some sort of sense to it, some real if incomprehensible logic, and that what’s true isn’t to be feared.”
“After all, agents are chosen for sensitivity and imagination, among other things; and sensitive, imaginative people aren’t fearless. They are usually more apprehensive than average.”
“The underlying basis of panic is terror not of the threat itself but of how you’ll react to it.”
“Maybe it was simply that people live with what they have to live with, whether they think they can face it or not.”
“...there’s a pattern that takes in more than this world. I don’t understand it, and neither does anybody else. We can’t expect to understand it when we don’t have all the facts, but that’s no reason for deciding that everything is senseless! If it were, we might as well blow up the whole planet right now and be done with it, because what would it matter?”
“There comes a point for every human race when for the first—and only—time in its history it has the ability to destroy itself completely, and that point coincides with the point at which it is ready to take its first steps beyond its home world. The level of technology that creates one possibility simultaneously creates the other. If the colonization of space is undertaken, it becomes all-absorbing, full-scale war is forgotten, and the danger is averted.”
“The world is the way it is. There’s no place to hide; we’ve got to live in it and bear up under the pressure.”
“If there’s anything harder to counter than a clever lie, it’s a truth that’s been honestly misinterpreted.”
““Everything is purposeful,” I said gently. “Even the terrible things. But we don’t understand them while they’re happening.””
“If you ever find yourself faced with something really bad, something inescapable against which you have no defense, your only recourse is to accept it. Once you’re absolutely sure that there’s no way out, don’t resist. Just relax and let it happen. That will seem hard, but believe me, it will be less painful than shrinking from the thing. You’ll get something from it—you won’t feel that you can; you won’t understand; but in the end you will gain, if not from the experience itself, then simply from your bravery.”
“You have more to draw on than you think, I guess; you can do what you have to do.”
“It’s a funny thing, but if you try to act scared, any real fear you start out with stops bothering you; it becomes part of the game.”
“Nobody ever jumps from naïveté to realism; there’s a cynical stage in between. That’s true of worlds, and I guess it’s true of people, too.”
“...by subordinating the means to the end. That’s the only way anybody can judge anything, and when such a judgment is immoral it’s because the end itself is worth less than what must be destroyed to achieve it.”
“Evil lies not in a given act but in a person’s sense of values.”
“...the sustaining knowledge that evil, even victorious evil, was not the most powerful force in the universe.”
“It was as if I didn’t really mind what they did to me, because it wasn’t important compared with what I was doing by resisting. I was free inside, and they couldn’t change that; but I could stop them from doing harm to the world, so I had more power than any of them.”
“People differ in their ideas about morality, but by and large everybody agrees that if you deliberately do wrong, somewhere, somehow, you will suffer for it. Well, you do, and it can’t be avoided.”
“Dictatorships always fall in the end; that’s an incontrovertible law of nature.”
This is a book which was published in 1980 and aimed mainly at older children and young adults, at a time when Young Adult literature as a separate genre was relatively new.
Eleven-year-old Amy lives in a decaying enclosed city, the residents of which have never seen the light of day. Although we are never told when the story is set relative to our day, it will probably be assumed by the reader that events take place in the far future. Neglected by her mother and under surveillance by the authorities and their 'watchers' who suspect that she can read and therefore probably has 'abnormal' thinking patterns, Amy reluctantly finds herself drawn to Axel, a boy whose behavior is considered aberrant and who claims to have come into the city from outside.
Although both know it is forbidden, Amy and Axel secretly plan to escape from their filthy and cramped environment, and hope that by following the spiral ramp which leads ever upward to find the relative paradise of the mythical Eightieth Level, and perhaps even a way out of the city.
The author tells a suspenseful, fast-paced and compelling futuristic survival story which obliquely comments on corrupt rulerships and entrenched social structures. Excellent descriptions, meticulous attention to detail, and a perfect sense of timing make this a believable and highly readable story which, while powerfully dark in places, nevertheless ends on a positive note. Overall, is it a marvelous dystopian novel which people of all ages should be able to enjoy thoroughly.
This is an enchanting story which begins as a fairy tale and then revolves around music and an unusual harmonica. The promise made at the start permeates the whole book:
“Your fate is not yet sealed.
Even in the darkest night, a star will shine,
A bell will chime, a path will be revealed.”
After this introduction, there are related the fictional experiences of three children living during the era of WWII. Through these three different stories and three pieces of music (Brahms' Lullaby, Auld Lang Syne, and America the Beautiful) the reader is shown how prejudice, extreme political positions and nationalism, and racism, all create discord, injustice, and unhappiness, and how music is a common language which possesses the power to unite people regardless of their origins or backgrounds. The story of the harmonica is woven into the destinies of the three young people, until it finally fulfils its ultimate purpose in saving a life and bringing them all together in one place.
I think the writing feels a little oversentimental in places, but this does not detract from the power of the message or the skill with which the author tells the story. This cleverly structured and multi-layered novel is definitely a healthy and inspiring read for people of about ten years of age and older.
The Ghost of Gosswater
by Lucy Strange
In my opinion, The Ghost of Gosswater is the best of this author's books to date. The characters are well drawn and believable, and the heroine of the story is easy to sympathize with. It is also quite cleverly written so that the reader only guesses as much about the ultimate mystery as the protagonist does, and is likely to come to the same conclusions based on the evidence available. Highly engrossing and readable.
Rooftoppers
by Katherine Rundell
This is an interesting and imaginative book. I thought that the first few chapters were the best, and wish the story had continued in the same vein. The rest of the book was good, but it was pretty obvious what the outcome would be, and the story ended a little too abruptly to be truly satisfying. Overall, though, a memorable story from a talented author.
The Emergency Zoo
by Miriam Halahmy
The premise for this story is fascinating, but I felt that the execution did not quite do justice to it. I have read many children's books set in WWII, and this one failed to make the grade for me. My principal complaints are related to dialogue and plot pacing. I feel that tension was lacking and could have been built up more skillfully, and that the interaction between the characters did not seem very realistic. I know that the content represents a different era, but some of the speech felt positively cringeworthy. Overall, it is still a good book with a healthy message, but it was not as compelling as When the Sky Falls by Phil Earle, which explores a similar topic.
Our Castle by the Sea
by Lucy Strange
Very enjoyable and compelling all the way through, possibly even more so than The Secret of Nightingale Wood. Only one slight grumble: the villain unnecessarily making a full confession instead of just getting on with the nefarious deeds was a little cliched and had a Scooby Doo feel to it. "And I would have got away with it too if it hadn't been for you pesky kids!"
Orion Lost
by Alastair Chisholm
Excellent science fiction for young readers. Good fast-paced plot and sufficient introspection and personal growth by the main characters. More experienced readers will probably guess in advance some of the developments and discoveries, but others will come as a surprise. A highly enjoyable read.
I hope this author writes more science fiction books for young people in the future.
The Wild Road
(Tag, the Cat #1)
by Gabriel King
Epic. Brilliant. Magical. Memorable. Excellent lyrical quality to the writing. Well worth investing the time to read.
"I see what you’re thinking. It seems Mrs. Moore and I believe that nobody’s to blame for anything, because who knows what the parents did. But there’s no point in being alive, it seems to me, if a person never changes. Somehow he has to see himself from the outside —”
"If you have to, you will. If there’s something you must do, you do it — it’s as if it’s handed to you.”
by Susan Cooper
Will Stanton begins to fulfill his destiny on his eleventh birthday. He is the Sign-Seeker, the last of the immortal Old Ones, who must find and protect the six Signs of the Light essential to routing the forces of The Dark which are overpowering the land. There is good reason why this book is considered a classic of the fantasy genre.
The story is very well written with excellent prose and vivid descriptions which are adroitly interwoven with elements from English folklore and legend. The characters are more fully developed than those in the first book of the series, and the plot is more complex. We see Will mature as he gradually comes to terms with his new identity, and themes such as loyalty and betrayal are considered in some detail.
Despite these merits, and while the story is definitely entertaining, ultimately I found it to be lacking in deeper meaning or poignancy. I think that my tastes lean more to the implied fantastic and magical realism and less to the explicit use of magic as an essential part of the plot. I felt that although the protagonist occasionally had to overcome certain fears and emotions in order to triumph, the application of magical methods for solving key problems provided a sort of 'deus ex machina' which ensured ultimate success however grave the situation appeared. The powers of the Dark would perhaps have done better to save their energy and stay at home.
As I have said before in other reviews, I am especially fond of books which contain different levels of meaning, so that adult readers often take away something which younger readers may not yet fully be able to appreciate. The Dark is Rising was an engaging story, but it lacked this aspect, so I was getting a bit bored with it by the time I reached the last chapter. I know that I am in the minority, but I think I actually enjoyed the first book more, probably because the magic was implied and not so overt.
Below are some passages from the book that I feel are noteworthy:
...the hedges that were the marks of ancient fields - very ancient, as Will had always known; more ancient than anything in his world except the hills themselves, and the trees.
...the hedges that were the marks of ancient fields - very ancient, as Will had always known; more ancient than anything in his world except the hills themselves, and the trees.
'Minds hold more than they know,' the tall man said.
'But it was their doing, Will, not yours. They seized you, through your impatience and your hope. They love to twist good emotion to accomplish ill.'
For all times co-exist, and the future can sometimes affect the past, even though the past is a road that leads to the future... But men cannot understand this.
'He will have a sweet picture of the Dark to attract him, as men so often do, and beside it he will set all the demands of the Light, which are heavy and always will be. All the while he will be nursing his resentment of the way I might have had him give up his life without reward. You can be sure the Dark makes no sign of demanding any such thing - yet. Indeed, its lords never risk demanding death, but only offer a black life...'
'There's not really any before and after, is there?' he said. 'Everything that matters is outside Time.'
For all times co-exist, and the future can sometimes affect the past, even though the past is a road that leads to the future... But men cannot understand this.
'He will have a sweet picture of the Dark to attract him, as men so often do, and beside it he will set all the demands of the Light, which are heavy and always will be. All the while he will be nursing his resentment of the way I might have had him give up his life without reward. You can be sure the Dark makes no sign of demanding any such thing - yet. Indeed, its lords never risk demanding death, but only offer a black life...'
'There's not really any before and after, is there?' he said. 'Everything that matters is outside Time.'
‘Things are absolutely awful, and yet people look much happier than usual. Look at them all. Bubbling.'
'They are English,' Merriman said. 'Quite right,' said Will's father. 'Splendid in adversity, tedious when safe. Never content, in fact.'
'They are English,' Merriman said. 'Quite right,' said Will's father. 'Splendid in adversity, tedious when safe. Never content, in fact.'
Fen Runners by John Gordon
Decades ago, a boy called Tom Townsend was skating with friends along a Fenland canal named Dutchman's Cut when he fell through the ice under Cottle's Bridge. Afterwards he felt sure that something pulled him down into the dark waters. Switching to the present, a boy swimming in the very same spot finds a piece of metal and a small shell-like scale under the mud on the bed of the channel. Taking it home, Kit (Christopher) discovers that the metal is one of Tom's lost ice-skates. From the time he brings the ice-skate to the surface, he becomes aware of the same shadowy figures that Tom’s granddaughter Jenny has been seeing for some time, and together they gradually learn that an ancient evil is stirring out in the fens. Of course, it is Kit and Jenny who are tasked with the responsibility to take the action needed to make things right again.
Fen Runners is not as long, intense or thorough as The Edge of the World. However, its charm lies in its succinctness and appropriate turn of phrase. Although it is a relatively quiet book, there is nevertheless excitement, a slight element of horror, shadows in the darkness, and a vividly-realized winter setting. It takes an author of great skill to draw a reader completely into another world in relatively few pages, and John Gordon manages this superbly in Fen Runners.
Fen Runners is a short read with a compelling and memorable atmosphere, solid characters, and a timeless sense of adventure. Indeed, an impression of timelessness permeates the whole book, especially when the lonely areas of fenland are described. I think I enjoyed this book as much as I did The Giant Under the Snow, but the plot was perhaps not as convincing as that which unfolds in The Edge of the World.
Well, now that I have read the three works by John Gordon which I have as etexts, the challenge is to acquire his other fantasy books!
The Edge of the World is a YA fantasy novel first published in 1983. It primarily tells the story of Tekker and his friend Kit, who discover that through moving small objects with their minds (telekinesis) they are able to open up a parallel dimension in the English Fenlands. However, the parallel world is far from being a marsh, but is a burning-hot barren red desert from which ‘horseheads’ emerge. These nightmarish creatures have empty horses skulls, but walk upright on two legs.
Although they are warned not to open the parallel dimension by an old man who once went there and lost what was dearest to him, Kit and Tekker are forced to do so when the controller of the horseheads, a reclusive local woman, harms the mind of Kit’s brother, Dan, and he slips into a coma-like state and then nearer and nearer to death. The only way to undo the damage is to restore a key artifact to the possession of someone who is imprisoned beyond the desert.
The Edge of the World has all the characteristics of the most gripping adventure stories, and the world-building is sublime. The reader can really become immersed in the story and feel the experiences through the eyes of the protagonists, who are fully fleshed-out complex characters. The paradoxical antagonism and attraction between Tekker and Kit is handled particularly well.
I noticed similarities between this book and the more well-known The Giant Under the Snow. Apart from the tense atmosphere, the sneeringly skeptical character of Dan reminded me of Arf from the latter book. At one point, Arf tries to convince himself that nothing is stalking him in the forest by rationalizing the movement he sees as the nearer trees sliding over a background of those further away as he walks forward. In The Edge of the World, the same device is used with the boulders in the desert.
"She was sure the heads had moved. 'Wait!' She held his arm. The rounded shapes, many as tall as themselves, lay still. She had been tricked by the way they overlapped."
John Gordon's writing is highly incisive and the plot is fast-paced, immersive and exciting. The interaction between the characters is realistic, and the juxtaposition of the real world and the parallel dimension adds to the surreal nature of the imagery. Most books of this ilk end with the parallel world eventually being closed off forever from those who had visited it, but Gordon adroitly avoids this cliche in his finale.
The only details which date the book to the era in which it was written are Tekker's occasional slightly disparaging comments about girls, and the part where they decide to try hitchhiking to get back to their home village. Hitchhiking children and teens seem to appear quite often in novels from the 1960s and 1970s.
I must say that I enjoyed this book more than The Giant Under the Snow, and that I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys good fantasy literature and is not too disturbed by a touch of horror.
Below is a sampling of quotations from the story which highlight the high quality of the writing and story content:
"'I think just about anything's possible, Kit. You've only got to learn the knack.'"
"'My trade. French polisher. Spent most of my life putting a shine on things and that’s a kind of deception. It can fool you. Look at the top of this table and you don’t see a table. There’s the window, see?' He pointed at its reflection. 'And the ceiling. And then deeper down a kind of darkness, like a pool. Deep. Dark. Anything could be there.'
Kit wanted him to stop. She could see the darkness, but the pit was in the old man’s mind, dragging her in."
"'There's always something just beyond the edge of things, and sometimes you learn the trick of getting there.'"
"'There's always something just beyond the edge of things, and sometimes you learn the trick of getting there.'"
"A wall of sheer glass rose straight upwards – a sheet so pure it was like clear water falling from the roof of the sky, but hanging motionless like time stopped, burning with a burst of sun at its base but glistening so high overhead it could have been stars. It had a knife-edge. It seemed too tall to stand. It seemed to sing with the sheer effort of standing in the sky."
The Giant Under the Snow
By John Gordon
The Giant Under The Snow is a British children's fantasy adventure novel by John Gordon first published in 1968. It is the tale of three school friends who become embroiled in an epic battle of good against evil due to the discovery of an ancient artifact. It was John Gordon's debut novel.
The story begins on ‘a cold wet day in December’, during what seems to be a school field trip into ‘the backlands’. The events apparently take place in East Anglia, but the specific names of places are never mentioned. Some surmise that the 'backlands' are based on Breckland, an area of forest, heath and bog near Norwich.
There is apprehension from the outset, and a general feeling that the group is out of place, that they should not have come to the backlands. One of the teachers gives voice to this uneasiness directly. No one feels more out of place, however, than Jonquil (Jonk) Winters. It is quickly made plain that Jonk is in some way different from the other children. We are never told exactly what it is about Jonk that sets her apart, but she seems to be constantly at odds with the rest of the world.
Jonk deliberately defies her teachers and leaves the group, making for a distant copse. The copse is on a low mound with five ridges extending from it. It looks like a giant’s hand with trees thrusting up between the fingers. As Jonk steps onto one of the ‘fingers’, the edge crumbles to reveal a glinting object - a golden belt buckle. After Jonk takes the buckle, a huge black dog appears and begins to chase her through the woods. Thankfully, she is rescued by a woman who possesses strange abilities and who helps Jonk get back to her class. While Jonk tells her friends Bill and Arthur (Arf) about her experience, the black dog runs alongside their bus, and continues watching them in the days which follow even though they have already returned to the city.
Arf is sneeringly skeptical about Jonk’s story, but Bill has a theory. He has read a legend about a gigantic figure cut into a hillside called the Green Man. Long ago, the Green Man supposedly awoke during a storm and began to stomp around the countryside, crushing everyone in its path until it was brought under control by magic. Concluding that the legend is most likely the basis for understanding Jonk's experience in the woods, Jonk, Bill, and even their skeptical friend Arf, set out to unravel the mystery of the Green Man and thwart the evil that has been awakened by the discovery of the buckle.
As a children's book, The Giant Under the Snow is suitable for ages nine and upwards, although more sensitive children might find some of the scenes (especially those involving the dog and the spindly, faceless minions of the evil warlord) disturbing.
The three main characters are intriguing. Jonquil is fiercely independent, and her best friends seem to be the two boys. She takes the lead in the adventure, and the boys do as she directs. Bill seems amiable and conciliatory by nature, but also sometimes perhaps a little too enthusiastic about sharing his ideas and theories. He is methodical about collecting evidence, and accepts the conclusions it leads to. Arf, however, appears to be a hardened cynic and skeptic, and is an odd individual to find among child protagonists. In most fantasy books, all the children involved accept the fantastic nature of their discoveries quite easily with relatively little solid proof, but Arf is never entirely convinced. Even after he has played a significant role in the uncanny events which ensue, he still doubts.
I am not sure why the author included a character like Arf as one of the children, but I have thought of some possibilities. Firstly, Arf’s argumentativeness adds to the tense, antagonistic atmosphere which runs through the book. Secondly, Arf’s extreme adherence to rationalism enhances the contrast between magical experiences and the real world which the children usually inhabit. Of course, his presence also helps the author to portray realistic personality dynamics through the interaction between three very different individuals. And it is true that some people have great difficulty altering their worldview. Even when presented with mountains of firm evidence they may still find reasons to maintain their belief in ideas they find to be more palatable than the facts. In The Giant Under the Snow, John Gordon excels at creating an almost tangible tension throughout the novel, both in the backlands and in the city. The plot itself is relatively straightforward and not hard to understand, but the strength of the book lies in the atmosphere which envelops the reader. Since it compares favorably with the works of authors like Alan Garner and Susan Cooper, I am surprised it is not more widely known.
By Susan Cooper
This is the first of the five-book series The Dark Is Rising, and is among the most celebrated works of young-adult fantasy from the twentieth century. The author intertwines Arthurian lore and the arcane in an absorbing adventure without resorting to heavy or turgid writing, although it should be mentioned that in this first novel the Arthurian theme is only touched on, and there is no overt use of magic.
Over Sea, Under Stone was first published in 1965, and is sometimes described as a prequel to the rest of the books. Simon, Jane, and Barney Drew are on holiday with their parents in the (fictional) coastal village of Trewissick in Cornwall (probably based on the area around Mevagissey). On one rare rainy day during the hot summer, boredom leads them to explore the dusty attic of the Grey House, the large home which the family has rented with the help of ‘Great-Uncle Merry’, an eccentric professor who is often away on obscure quests of his own. What they find in a corner of the attic begins a chain of events which places then in unimaginable danger and brings them face to face with the forces of evil.
There are some similarities to other British fantasy literature from around the same period, and some obvious differences too. Susan Cooper’s story is relatively unsophisticated compared to the more complex works of authors like Penelope Lively, whose stories can be understood on different levels and usually have other messages of social relevance which only adult readers would fully comprehend. The atmosphere of the first part of Over Sea, Under Stone is positively Blytonesque with its idyllic setting and descriptions of interpersonal relationships, but the book becomes darker and the characters more complex as the story develops. Indeed, the children are likeable and believable as individuals, and not in the least cloying or unrealistically precocious.
There is a healthy morality behind the way the children act. For example, they hide the truth about their discovery without telling outright lies or breaking specific rules which they have agreed to abide by. Jane in particular feels uneasy about telling half-truths. The battle between good and evil is described as one which is never won decisively by either side, but never entirely lost either. The wicked characters are cunning, smooth, and deceptive, and the children must strive against the dark and uphold what is good with the help of Great-Uncle Merry.
Other reviewers have pointed out that the simplicity and linear nature of the narrative is one of this book’s greatest strengths. It is an engrossing story likely to capture the imaginations of young and old alike. The Cornish coastline is beautifully described and the village of Trewissick feels very real. The rocks and caves, bays, beaches, cliffs and standing stones, are not just a picturesque backdrop but form an integral part of an exciting story, and the scene in which those huge stones stand bathed in an ethereal moonlight while danger closes in around the children bestows an atmosphere of ancient mystery which makes an indelible impression on the mind of the reader.
In conclusion, I must say that this was a captivating read, and that I will certainly be going on to read the second book in the series in the near future. I suspect that the subsequent novels will be somewhat more sophisticated in their content and that the tone will not be quite as light as in this first book.
There is not really much about knights in the story entitled The Whispering Knights. It is an adventure involving three children named William, Susie, and Martha, who fight against a witch named Morgan.
The title of the book comes from the old legend of The Rollright Stones, which are an ancient and mysterious group of megaliths spread across fields close to the village of Long Compton on the border between Oxfordshire and Warwickshire in England. Each group of stones is probably from a different time period, testifying to the continuing importance of the site to those who held it sacred. The small group of stones making up The Whispering Knights appear to lean in toward each other in a conspiratorial way, and local legend has it that these warriors were plotting against their king when a witch turned them into stone. In the novel, Penelope Lively changes the names of the places slightly, and Sharnbrook where the children fish and play is in reality about 60 miles from where the stones are located.
The story starts with the three children mixing a witches’ brew in a neighbor's barn just for fun. But when the neighbor, Miss Hepplewhite, hears what they have done, she suspects they may have awoken an ancient evil from its slumbers, since the barn is a place of importance to Morgan le Fay, sister of King Arthur, who once lived there, and who was in the area more than once in the past. Miss Hepplewhite fears that Morgan will seek out the children - and that is exactly what she does. From this point, things become dangerous both for the three children, and for the entire village, the continued existence of which is suddenly threatened by the building of a new road. Are the ancient stones known as The Whispering Knights friends or foes, and will they help the children to thwart the witch’s wicked schemes?
The author's descriptions of situations and settings are vivid, haunting and compelling, and the juxtaposition of the modern/commonplace and ancient/arcane is particularly effective. However, compared with other novels by this author, such as Astercote and The Driftway, the plot is not quite so convincing. Apart from the ending being somewhat predictable, there is also a central part of the story which is never satisfactorily explained: the three children William, Susie, and Martha have attracted the attention of Morgan by boiling up the witches’ brew and intoning a spell, but what threat they pose to Morgan and why she pursues them so relentlessly is never made plain. There is nevertheless a genuine feeling that wild and menacing supernatural forces have been unleashed, and the pursuit of the children by Morgan is reminiscent of the chases which occur in Alan Garner's celebrated Tales of Alderley (although I am of the opinion that Penelope Lively’s children’s books are superior to those written by Garner).
In a similar vein to Astercote, The Whispering Knights can also be understood on a higher level, and adult readers will likely be conscious of the tension due to the encroachments of modern developments like motorways and industrialization on rural village life which runs through the book. Indeed, since this book was published at the beginning of the 1970s, much has been lost which might have been preserved if more forethought had been exercised by the relevant authorities.
Overall, despite its weaknesses, The Whispering Knights should be an absorbing and satisfying read for audiences of all ages.
Following are some quotations from the book which resonated with me:
William, when he dreamed at all, dreamed adventures, he said. 'Like in old films on the telly. And it's always me who's the captain or whatever. Smashing.'
You must never play the game according to her rules. The one weapon we have against her, apart from disbelief, is reason. And she knows very little about science.
She has a strong dislike for the laws of nature: she is always trying to go against them. Our strength is to use them against her.
She talks lovely, Susie thought to herself, like a book—with commas and full-stops and no 'urns' and 'ahs' when she can't think how to put things. And she talks to you like you were grown-ups, leaving in the long words.
High above them soared the spire of the church, black against the sky, with the clouds and the rooks moving around and above it so that if you stared long enough you began to feel as though the whole world was wheeling and spinning and only the spire was still and solid at its centre.
'It doesn't matter what you look like or who you are. It's courage and conviction that count,' said Miss Hepplewhite, watching them with a great intensity.
People see only what they expect to see: we can no longer endure the unexplained.
She sighed, and decided suddenly to pursue the matter no further. There were always some things you were never going to be sure about.
'Nobody'll ever know that it was us did it,' said William, a little sadly. 'Never mind. You will always have cause for self-congratulation. Private triumph is often the most satisfactory. '
The Driftway by Penelope Lively
Of course, while the basic outline of the story was feasible when this book was published in the early 1970s, it could hardly happen today, for children suddenly disappearing would result in frantic parents, police and social services fearing the worst and taking immediate action to find them. And it is unlikely that a good-natured elderly man travelling alone would dare give two children a lift along the way for fear of what he might be accused of later. For this reason, the 1970s environment The Driftway describes is as much a piece of history as the other more distant happenings that the road reveals to Paul.
The book is relatively short at around 150 pages, but the author has a talent for conveying the power of events and feelings using a minimum of words. And in common with her other novel, Astercote, Penelope Lively describes physical locations as possessing characteristics and powers resulting from the events which occurred in them in the past. It is probably right to say that the author’s love for her homeland and the stories it holds is at the heart of The Driftway. The strong sense of a past peopled with individuals who were perhaps not so different from us makes a trip down the Driftway a worthwhile endeavor.
Below are some noteworthy quotes from the book:
…if the place is a special place - and at the right time other people can pick up that shadow. Like a message, see? Messages about being happy, or frightened or downright miserable. Messages that cut through time like it wasn’t there, because they’re about things that are the same for everybody, and always have been, and always will be. That’s what the Driftway is: a place where people have left messages for one another.’
‘Places go on. They last a sight longer than people do. And the names of places. They’re old, always. From old times. From the people that made them first, cleared the land and that.’
It’s the same stream, Paul thought, the same stream the boy talked about. He heard it like I can hear it now, and saw that long flat hill just the same as I see it.
‘You know something else, son? The first time you get yourself worked up about other people - strangers, people you’ve never known, never will know - that’s when you’re beginning to grow up. You’re learning. Mind, some people never do, and they’re the ones you want to look out for. There’s a lot of harm can come from them.’
There you are, you see. Things don’t happen in circles. It’s more like dropping a stone into a pond: you make ripples and they bump into each other and make more ripples.
You see the way the shape of a country’s made the people in it, and you see the way they’ve written themselves all over it, too, people who’re dead and gone now. In the way the fields go, and the roads, and the things they’ve built, and the bits they’ve dug up or cut down or flooded or drained or not been able to find a use for at all.’
Most people look at a bit of country and they just see it as an arrangement of hedges, and trees, and lanes, and they don’t think of how it’s all come about, like. They think it’s natural. There’s hardly such a thing as a natural landscape. It’s something that’s always on the move, changing every few years. And if you get to know a bit about it you can see all the layers of changes, going right back into old times: where there’s been a village that’s gone now, or a road that’s got forgotten, like this one…
The fog rolled back before the cart, revealing a tree, a twist in the track, a clump of cow-parsley heads splayed against the hedge: he imagined other eyes in other times looking at the same things, feeling the same feelings, thinking ... No, not thinking the same things. That would be the difference.
‘You can’t know how they thought,’ he said. ‘Not really.’
‘I s’pose not, son. But we should try. We should do that.’
Soon as you’re ready to believe another bloke might not be exactly what you think he is, you’re halfway to being able to live with him. Or work with him, or whatever it is.’
You think everything’s happening just to you, he thought, but it isn’t. It’s happening to other people too. It sounds obvious when you say it, but it isn’t till you think about it.
This book was published in 2014, so it is more recent than most of the children’s timeslip novels which I read. Nevertheless, it certainly feels as if it belongs with the classics of this genre of literature, which includes such wonderful stories as Tom’s Midnight Garden and When Marnie Was There.
Lucy is eleven years old and lives in Australia with her parents and brother and sister. When her older sister, Claire, is injured in an accident while studying in Paris, their mother rushes to Europe to be with Claire in hospital. Since her father has important work to attend to, Lucy is taken to stay with her great aunt who lives in a house in an isolated valley in the Australian bush. Lucy has only vague memories of her aunt, and she is not at all happy about having to live with her, especially as the period will include the Christmas holiday. But soon she discovers that the murals painted on the dining room walls, each of which depict a different season in the valley, are no ordinary paintings. On successive nights when her aunt is asleep, Lucy finds that the murals allow her to enter a magical place where she meets her ancestors and plays an important part in shaping the history of her family.
The author unites past and present using clever plot devices, and the Australian bush is vividly described in all its beauty and unforgiving ruggedness. The same river that flows through the valley in both the past and present times symbolizes the relentless flow of time, and is inextricably intertwined with this powerful story of family relationships and the continuity of life. This is magical realism in a most poignant and compelling form.
Cat’s Magic by Margaret Greaves
The gist of this story is that Louise Genevieve Higgs, an orphan, has to go to live with her aunt in the country. They don’t get along with each other very well, and Louise wishes she was anywhere but on her aunt’s dilapidated farm. (This is a pretty standard scenario for a children’s timeslip story). When Louise saves a kitten from being drowned, the Egyptian Cat Goddess, Bast, rewards her with the ability to travel anywhere she wants. Since she is so long-lived, however, Bast’s view of time is not quite the same as that of ordinary mortals, and Louise ends up not only in different places but also in different times.
This children’s novel is very well written and the story is quite engaging, despite the strange time travel mechanism. At first, I was afraid that Louise might simply go for many unrelated jaunts into different periods of history (which is what happens in Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander, which I found rather tedious), but I need not have worried. Happily, after the first two experimental jaunts, Louise remains for most of the rest of the story in a seaside town in the Victorian era, where she finds a position as a servant in a boarding house. There are dishonest dealings afoot in this rundown hotel, though, and it is up to Louise and her fellow servant, Flora, to find a way to put things right, which they eventually do by enlisting help from the twentieth century.
There are some slight logical inconsistencies in the story which I think only adults would be likely to spot (for instance, how a person from the nineteenth century could take a test and acquire a driving license in the twentieth century without any documents for personal identification). I also think that since the goddess rewarded Louise for saving a cat, it would have been appropriate if the principal mission had also been related to felines in some way. Nevertheless, even though the story turned out to be about finding ancestors and thwarting the schemes of pretty stereotypical Victorian villains, it was still an original and enjoyable tale which I think would be appreciated by readers belonging to the target age group.
This book was first published in 1980, and has been out of print for quite some years. There are, however, secondhand copies available from Amazon, and it can be borrowed in electronic form from Internet Archive/Open Library.
Lightning
by Dean Koontz
The protagonist of Lightning is a young girl named Laura Shane who is born during a mysterious lightning storm. From that moment forth, almost every time she meets with extreme danger in her life, a blond-haired blue-eyed man appears to save her. Although there is a clear connection between the lightning and her ‘guardian’, Laura must wait until everything she holds dear is placed under imminent threat before she learns the full significance of what has been happening to her.
I have had this book in my collection for a long time but had not read it because the author is primarily a writer of suspense and horror novels, and not of science fiction stories. However, since it is quite a well-known book about time travel, I thought that I should give it a try, and I am glad that I did.
First of all, the quality of the writing is excellent, with satisfactory characterization, and a fast-paced plot. The author certainly knows how to create suspense, although I think that the second half of the book where most of the action takes place could have been a little less lengthy.
Koontz describes the mechanics of time travel as far as his characters are able to understand them, and the natural laws governing time are consistent throughout the story and fuel the plot. By the end of the book, the reader will find that there is also an element of alternate history about this story in addition to the principal time travel aspect.
Lightning is not just another shallow time-travel romp, since due to the experiences of the protagonist and the introspective nature of the narrative, there is some depth to it. Readers will inevitably ponder on events in their own lives which perhaps could have been different, with better or worse outcomes. Whether the things which occur in our lives are ordained by some sort of fate or merely occur randomly is another question which readers are likely to contemplate. Actually, one of the interesting things about the story is that the characters themselves seem largely convinced that there is a pattern favored by nature or by fate which is difficult to disrupt even with interference through time travel. However, this could just be an assumption that they make based on their own (slightly superstitious) ideas, as I do not think that the laws of time as stated in the story and the things which occur demonstrate this to be a fact. This concept adds tension to the plot, though, because it feels as though the characters are desperately trying to steer events one way, while ‘destiny’ is doing its best to drive them into another course.
The quotation at the start of the book is one which is commonly attributed to Laotzu, the ancient founder of philosophical Taoism: ‘Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; while loving someone deeply gives you courage’. Actually, the original Chinese does not quite say that, but just states that ‘compassion can make a person act bravely’. (慈故能勇《老子》第六七章)
Here are some key quotes from the text of the book:
One of the greatest sorrows of human existence is that some people aren't happy merely to be alive but find their happiness only in the misery of others.
But facing the future with optimism and finding happiness was going to be hard. She now knew that life was frighteningly subject to tragedy and change, blue and warm one moment, cold and stormy the next, so you never knew when a bolt of lightning might strike someone you cared about. Nothing lasts forever. Life is a candle in the wind.
"What happened was that life dropped a big custard pie on us, and that's not my fault; you can never see the custard pies coming. It's not good slapstick if you see the pie coming."
"Custard pie?" he asked, perplexed. "You see life as slapstick comedy? Like the Three Stooges?"
"Partly."
"Life is just a joke then?"
"No. Life is serious and a joke at the same time."
But the idea that an artist needed to suffer to do her best work was a conceit of the young and inexperienced. The happier she grew, the better she wrote.
Sometimes she perceived that there were both benign and ominous patterns in life and that, once thwarted, fate strove to reassert those predestined designs.
That was the splendid thing about life: Though it was cruel, it was also mysterious, filled with wonder and surprise; sometimes the surprises were so amazing that they qualified as miraculous, and by witnessing those miracles, a despondent person could discover a reason to live, a cynic could obtain unexpected relief from ennui, and a profoundly wounded boy could find the will to heal himself and medicine for melancholy.
Destiny struggles to reassert the pattern that was meant to be.
The mechanism of the cosmos would not permit a time traveler to encounter himself anywhere along the time stream; when such a jaunt was attempted, it invariably failed. Nature despised a paradox.
In tragedy and despair, when an endless night seems to have fallen, hope can be found in the realization that the companion of night is not another night, that the companion of night is day, that darkness always gives way to light, and that death rules only half of creation, life the other half.
Destiny struggles to reassert the pattern that was meant to be. But sometimes, happily, it fails.
Destiny struggles to reassert the pattern that was meant to be, Laura thought. And sometimes, happily, it succeeds.
Adam by A.K. Stone
I am not quite sure who A.K. Stone is. The profile on Amazon describes him as “a British author, musician, and general dreamer. ‘Adam’ is his first novel, and has won the "Indie Book of the day Award" for the 6th of July 2015 from indiebookoftheday.com.” It appears to be a self-published book, which made me wary of it to begin with. I only stumbled upon Adam because I had just finished the unrelated Adam-2 by Alastair Chisholm, and it appeared in a list of similar titles on Amazon. I am now not sure what made me purchase it and give it a try, but I am glad that I did.
It is the beginning of the 23rd Century, and humans have progressed in technology to the point where they are able to merge artificial intelligence with biology. as well as to create sentient machines and 'robots' which are seen as individuals in their own right. With the assistance of neural implants, humans are able to acquire abilities such as telekinesis. However, ninety-nine young orphans whose origins remain unaccounted for are able to exert such powers without any aid from technology. When a one hundredth member of this group is discovered, seemingly with powers far superior to the others, the mystery deepens. Is this the next natural step in human evolution, or has this group of 'kinetics' been deliberately engineered, and if so, with what end in view?
The light-speed barrier for space travel has recently been broken, but this attracts attention from other beings inhabiting the Orion Spur, many of whom have surprisingly extreme attitudes to the existence of the AI technology which humans have come to reply on. How will the conflict between human and alien ideals be resolved, and do the apparently human ‘kinetics’ mean to help the people of Earth or betray them?
What I liked about Adam:
1. The quality of the writing is excellent (although the Kindle copy still has a few typos which could be weeded out).
2. The book is tightly plotted and does not meander. Several strands of the story are successfully maintained simultaneously, and each one is equally engaging.
3. The story does not get bogged down with technological mumbo jumbo, but instead keeps the human element to the fore.
I enjoyed the first half of the story most due to its more introspective nature and concentration on the person and experiences of Adam. The second half continues the plot development admirably, but to me felt a little more like a standard space opera. There is also a twist in the plot near the end when it is revealed that salvation for humanity has come from a completely unexpected source.
I was generally very impressed by Adam. It reads like high quality old-school science fiction, but with a very modern theme. In addition, there is no gratuitous profanity, sexual content or graphic violence, so the story is suitable for all readers of all ages to enjoy. Some of the chapters evoke the sense of wonder that is the hallmark of the best science fiction.
Adam-2 by Alastair Chisholm
Adam-2 is a robot that has been living alone beneath the post-apocalyptic city of Edinburgh. When Linden and Runa stumble into his cell, they are immediately seized with fear. Why? Because humans are at war with all robots, and have been for generations. The artificial intelligence that humans created to serve its wants and needs eventually turned on them and attempted to wipe them out. Society as we know it collapsed, and the few humans that survived now continue to do so by hiding their whereabouts from the ever-watchful robots.
Adam saves Linden and Runa from a robot attack, so they bring him back to the human settlement where he is treated with hatred and mistrust.
But it is clear that Adam is different from other robots. Could he perhaps even be the key to ending the terrible centuries-long war?
What I liked about Adam-2:
It challenges readers to question their assumptions and behavior.
It encourages us to examine our relationship with technology.
It exposes the pointlessness of blind prejudice and hatred.
It promotes the importance of communication with those who hold opinions which differ from our own.
What I did not like about Adam-2:
Linden is gender-neutral, and the book uses gender-neutral pronouns. This is not a problem in itself, but it does not seem to fit into the story very well for the following reason: In the book modern society is said to have collapsed, and when people are fighting for their very survival it seems unlikely that they would be much concerned with gender identities and gender-neutral pronouns. I therefore think that this kind of character would fit much better into the scenario of a more stable society in which people have the time and resources to devote thought to existential matters. Actually, this may have worked better in the author’s first science fiction novel, Orion Lost. I must also say that I found the set of gender-neutral pronouns chosen for the story distracting and artificial. They are by no means universally accepted, and are unlikely to become standard simply because, although many neologisms are coined every year in English, languages cannot be forced to change in a certain way. Of course, the book will undoubtedly receive kudos for minority inclusion.
Another small gripe I have is that the book is pretty thin on physical description of the characters, and we get almost no idea of the appearance of the main human character, Linden. I found that this makes Linden rather hard to imagine and relate to.
Overall, Adam-2 is a solid work of middle grade science fiction. It is well written and engaging. However, in my opinion it does not quite live up to the high standard set by Chisholm’s first novel, Orion Lost, which is superior in plot, narrative, and characterization.
Astercote by Penelope Lively
The past seeping through into the present is a common premise of many classic children's books. Astercote, the debut novel of Penelope Lively first published in 1970, describes certain happenings in the isolated Cotswold village of Charlton Underwood, which finds itself trapped between a harrowing past and the unwelcome encroachment of modernity.
Rationally-minded schoolboy Peter Jenkins and his imaginative sister, Mair, are newly arrived in the village, where their father has taken up the post of headmaster at the local school, but before long they find themselves caught between the modern mode of life they are accustomed to and the uncompromisingly archaic ways of the old village.
Peter and Mair learn of the disturbing history of the area when their dog, Tar, dashes off into the forbidden woodland that adjoins the isolated World’s End Farm. Here they find the ruins of the abandoned medieval village, Astercote, whose 14th century inhabitants were wiped out by the Black Death, and meet a strange half-wild young man known as Goacher who guards something which is purported to ensure that the disease can never return.
When both Goacher and the protective object mysteriously disappear, mass hysteria grips the local populace, and isolated incidences of common illnesses are viewed by the superstitious villagers as proof that the plague is returning.
There is a wonderful lyrical quality to the author’s writing, which perfectly evokes the spirit of childhood during the 1970s while capturing with poetic detail a calming pastoralism. A keen gardener, Penelope Lively excels at describing the natural environment, and her protagonists are strongly characterized in a way which makes them entirely believable. The story also constitutes a snapshot of the clash between a largely pre-industrialized rural way of life and the modern society which exploded into being during the 1960s.
Astercote effectively explores the connections between the past and the present and the way in which landscapes and lives are 'haunted' by history. The power of belief and superstition and the potential harm they can inflict seems also to be a major theme of this story.
Although this book is a relatively short one, the story is powerfully atmospheric and will not easily be forgotten.
Time at the Top by Edward Ormondroyd
One unremarkable afternoon in the month of March some time in the 1960s, a girl called Susan Shaw vanishes from the New York apartment building where she lives with her widowed father. After several days of frantic searching by the local residents and police, she suddenly reappears and relates a bizarre tale involving an eccentric old woman she met on the street, an elevator ride back in time to 1881, and an adventure with two children who are anxious to prevent their mother from making a terrible mistake.
Susan’s father and the eavesdropping cleaning lady naturally have trouble accepting her version of events. Susan has always seemed a very sensible girl, even if she does have a flair for dramatics and enjoys taking the lead in school plays.
Ormondroyd’s writing is light, quirky and humorous, and the pace of the story carries the reader along with enough tension to arouse curiosity about what is going to occur next and how the problems which arise are to be resolved.
Part of what makes the story successful is the fact that the author includes himself as one of the tenants living in the apartment building, makes wry comments about the various happenings, and relates an account of the adventure which he heard firsthand from Susan.
While this book does not have much depth to it, it is nevertheless intelligent and imaginative. The time-travel mechanism is original, and the conclusion is somewhat unexpected. In my opinion, it is definitely worth reading if you are interested in children’s timeslip literature. Although the plot is wrapped up in a satisfying way, there is a sequel, All in Good Time, which continues the tale.
The Root Cellar by Janet Lunn
Rose is miserable in her new home, partly due to the fact that she has no experience of communicating with other young people, and partly because the family's way of life seems so disorganized compared to that of her very prim grandmother.
Shortly after her arrival, Rose accidentally discovers an abandoned root cellar, and quickly realizes that if she steps inside at just the right moment, she will emerge in the middle of the nineteenth century. She meets a girl named Susan who works for the parents of a boy named Will Morrissay. Susan, Will and Rose enjoy a wonderful day together, and Rose feels she has found a place where she really belongs.
Rose returns briefly to her own time for three days, and then on returning to the past is shocked to discover that Susan has aged three years. Will has gone off to fight in the Civil War. By that time, the war has been over for some months, but Will has not returned, and Susan has not heard anything from or about him.
After doing some historical research in her own time, Rose returns to the past, and with Susan embarks on a trip to Washington, D.C. in an attempt to learn what has happened to Will. Since many people in Susan’s time naturally think Rose is a boy because of her short hair, she decides to dress like a boy to provide a little added protection on the trip.
The historical accuracy regarding the nineteenth-century environment and US Civil War is impressive. War in general is portrayed in a very realistic way, and an antiwar and anti-nationalist message is conveyed persuasively through the comments of disillusioned soldiers and the descriptions of their circumstances.
The journey changes Rose from being a self-absorbed girl who looked down on her country-bumpkin relatives into a brave and empathetic young woman. In this way, the book is as much about what it means to be an individual as it is about time travel or history. To quote the book itself:
She remembered that she had thought about marrying Will. She thought about Susan, who wanted only one thing, to have Will home, and about her own self not really knowing what she wanted or even who she was. “Being a person’s too hard,” she thought. “It’s just too hard.”
Indeed, a major theme running throughout this story is the difficulty of not knowing where you belong or even who you are as an individual, and not being able to comprehend all of the factors at play in the world, factors that might occasionally serve to your benefit, but which just as often could bring you harm.
As with other successful works about time travel, for example Tom’s Midnight Garden, much of the poignancy is saved until the end, where all the threads of the story are drawn together and the full significance for the protagonist becomes clear.
Eventually, through experiences both joyful and heartbreaking, Rose comes to understand what is most important, and to know what she wants and where she belongs. All this makes for an emotionally satisfying conclusion.
“Susan,” she whispered, “it’s true. Being a person is very hard.” And she heard, like an echo in her head, “That’s so, Rose,” and could not help smiling.
Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key
When a sinister man claiming to be their uncle tries to remove them from an orphanage, Tony and Tia, a brother and sister with unusual powers, flee and start a search for other people like themselves in the hope of learning more about their mysterious and half-remembered past.
With the assistance of a Roman Catholic priest, Father O'Day, the pair head toward the Blue Ridge Mountains and an area marked on a fragment of a map which had been in Tia's possession since she was a very small child. As their memories gradually return, the children begin to suspect that their origin must be much stranger than anyone could ever have imagined.
As with The Forgotten Door, the protagonists quickly discover that the majority of the individuals they encounter are greedy, dishonest, and treacherous, which serves to highlight the unselfish decency of those who genuinely wish to help. Father O'Day willingly risks his life and liberty to assist Tony and Tia because he views this as an opportunity to fight the forces of evil, which he interprets according to his religious preconceptions. At one point, he speaks to the effect that God is capable of creating many worlds and many peoples, and of mysteries far beyond the narrow dreaming of the people who desire to use the children for their own nefarious purposes. Another point in common with The Forgotten Door is Tia's ability to communicate with animals telepathically, and an implied criticism regarding cruelty to other creatures. Younger readers will probably enjoy the antics of Winkie, a black cat which attaches itself to Tia at the orphanage and goes on to accompany the fugitives throughout their journey.
I think that Escape to Witch Mountain would be a worthy introduction to science fiction for young people today. While the plot moves quickly and has plenty of action, it is balanced by satisfying introspective passages. The story is only really dated by one remark by Father O'Day about human rights and human suffering meaning nothing to a communist. Since the book was written in 1968 (when the Cold War was at its height) I am somewhat surprised that there are not more statements of this nature. Adult readers may feel that certain concepts and realizations are emphasized a little too often in the course of the narrative, but for me this did not spoil the originality of the story or its overall poignancy.
The Forgotten Door is a middle grade science fiction novel, published in 1965. The author is Alexander Key, who also wrote the more famous Escape to Witch Mountain.
The Forgotten Door is the story of a young boy who accidentally falls through a hidden interdimensional portal and finds himself in a cave in a mountainous region on Earth.
Jon finds a kind family, the Beans, who take him in and gradually come to realize that he originates from a society very unlike our own. The Beans are eager to assist Jon, but others in the community are suspicious, prejudiced, selfish, and greedy, and conflict inevitably ensues.
Jon incurs amnesia during his fall into the cave. He only remembers his name, and while he can recognize certain things like books, he is totally unfamiliar with other items commonly used by the society of the 1960s. At first, he speaks no English, but learns astonishingly quickly, and possesses other abilities which the local people begin to fear.
As the Beans work to help Jon recover his memory, they find themselves surrounded by enemies and in great danger.
The Forgotten Door is relatively short and fast-paced, with tension mounting continuously up to its climax.
Is the book perfect? By no means. The characters, while well drawn, are either good or bad, with no gray areas in between. Jon's thoughts on matters and his observations could also be considered somewhat moralizing. However, I only realized this when I had finished the book and was thinking about it analytically. While I was reading it, these criticisms did not occur to me.
I think what is special about The Forgotten Door is the underlying concept - that there could be civilizations so advanced that its members would be genuinely bewildered on encountering anyone who wished to do them harm.
Judging by the online comments and reviews, many people who were teens in the 1960s have very favorable memories of this book, and some have read it over and over again in order to savor the atmosphere and sense of wonder it evokes.
Since it can be read on different levels, young people and adults can enjoy it, and I consider it an excellent example of thought-provoking middle grade science fiction literature.
Rebecca's
World by Terry Nation
Terry Nation is probably best known as the scriptwriter for various TV series during the 1970s, most notably Blake's 7 and Doctor Who. Prior to that, he had been involved in comedy shows both as a performer and as a writer of material for other comedians.
Rebecca's
World was published in 1975, and it is clear that the content has been greatly
influenced by the author's background in writing humor and shows with fantastical
science fiction settings. Many of the Doctor Who and Blake's 7 episodes
required the characters to overcome challenges and dangers or figure out the
answers to riddles and conundrums, which is what Rebecca and her friends must
do in order to complete their quest.
I
think that the ultimate strength of this book is its charmingly surreal and quintessentially
British sense of humor. The protagonist is clearly based on Alice from Alice in
Wonderland, and her three companions are somewhat reminiscent of those who
accompanied Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. There is an unmistakably Edwardian quality
to Rebecca, who lives in a large country house, lacks companions of her own
age, and is feeling bored during the school holidays. She therefore gives in to
the temptation to meddle with the astral telescope which her father has
expressly told her never to touch. As a result, she immediately finds herself
whisked away to another planet where completely unfamiliar natural and societal
rules apply, and where she meets three good-natured but hapless companions with
whom she must strive against the odds to save the inhabitants of Rebecca's
World from oppression and slavery.
This
tale comes across as a sequence of largely unrelated incidents which never
quite connect into a single journey. There is also a lack of character
development and logical consequence.
Despite the fact that this story is aimed at a very young audience, I
think more could have been achieved with a little more forethought. Apart from being good fun, Rebecca's world is
ultimately not a very satisfying read for adults, who will likely only enjoy
the occasional mild chuckle due to the humor. This is not a book with any
hidden depths, and it can only be read on one level. Young children, however,
may well appreciate it and find it memorable, and adults may derive pleasure
from reading it to them.
Secrets of a Sun King by Emma Carroll
This story starts in London in the year 1922, and the main character is a schoolgirl named Lillian, or Lil for short. Lil has won a scholarship to a prestigious school called St Kilda’s, even though she does not like school very much and has very few friends. She does, however, like to listen to her Grandad, Ezra, tell stories of travelling the world in his youth. Of all the many different countries he has visited, Egypt has always fascinated him the most. He passes this love to his granddaughter.
Lillian’s grandfather suddenly falls ill and is taken into hospital where his condition deteriorates. During this time a parcel arrives for him at his house, and is found by his granddaughter who has gone there to feed the cat. Curiosity prompts Lillian to open the package, in which she finds a vase-like vessel with a stopper shaped like the head of the Egyptian jackal-god Anubis. The man who sent the jar was a colleague of Ezra many years ago, before ill-feeling developed between them. He had found an ancient text within the vessel and had set about translating it, but died under fantastic and inexplicable circumstances before he could bring it to show Ezra.
The words of her grandfather coupled with the partially translated text within the jar convince Lillian that a curse is at work, and that what is happening is also related to the imminent opening of a tomb in the Valley of the Kings by the archeologist Howard Carter.
When Lil meets a brother and sister of about her age at the British Museum, she is afforded an unhoped-for opportunity to take the jar back to Egypt in person, and therefore to put an end to the curse.
This is a pretty solid story with a principal mystery to solve and a mission to accomplish. Despite the many historical details, the plot does not get bogged down but moves along at an acceptable pace. The characters are generally well-drawn and convincing, and the dynamics of race and gender are explored in a sensitive and thought-provoking manner.
The content of the story also shows that true stories of humanity and vulnerability lie behind the façade of royalty and fabulous riches. The archaeologists would be ecstatic to read the text in the jar, but Lil and her friends know that it would be wrong to allow them to do so. Howard Carter is painted in a negative light, since the general opinion nowadays is that he fabricated evidence which would give him the leverage to transport the treasures of Tutankhamen out of Egypt. In the same way, it is implied that artifacts and messages from the past should only be curated by people willing to treat them responsibly while showing respect to the original owners.
Where the story fails, however, is in its overuse of coincidence and in the way in which everything falls into place a little too easily. Thus, problems which appear insurmountable are quickly overcome, and even the final objective is accomplished without much trouble. There are also some very unrealistic passages, for example when a young boy untrained in ancient languages translates a large portion of an ancient Egyptian text into English. This may work for readers of middle-grade age, but it means that this book really cannot be read on different levels, and that adult readers are likely to find it ultimately unrewarding and somewhat trite.
Sisters of the Lost Marsh by Lucy Strange
This is a Gothic tale about the six Fernsby sisters who live in a small village which is part of a larger region of dangerous marshland. The father of the sisters believes that he has been cursed because he has only girls and no boys. Since the mother died in childbirth, he has become extremely bitter and shows his hatred for his daughters at every opportunity, although he is afraid of their grandmother (the mother of his dead wife). Most of the sisters are habituated to this cruelty, but the protagonist, Willa, is strong-willed, stubborn, and impulsive, so often comes into direct conflict with her father.
The exciting arrival of the travelling Full Moon Fayre in Hollow-in-the-Marsh leads to previously unhoped-for opportunities, along with revelations about the past which will change the lives of all of them forever.
The way in which this story is told and its general atmosphere has a very English feel to it. It gives the impression of being set in a place in the real world, although the reader will sense intuitively that the specific locations are fictional. At the end of the book, the author explains which real places in the south of England were the inspiration behind the region of bog and mire described in the story.
In some ways the worldview of the leading female character seems to be very practical and tend toward avoiding superstition as something harmful, but in others magic seems an integral part of her life. Some people have described this as an example of ‘magical realism’.
In Sisters of the Lost Marsh, the author uses quite a few dialect words, some of which do not really exist and some of which do. But even with the made-up ones, you can tell what they mean just by the sound of them and by the contexts in which they appear. Here are the words I found interesting:
druv
crundled
fresh-baked huffkins
faffling
garp
cluthering
wibbling
I rather think a map of how the various villages are scattered through the marshland would have been helpful (I did not find a map in the e-book version). I often enjoy books more if they have maps which allow readers to follow the progress of the protagonist on his or her journey of adventure.
Overall, this may be the author’s finest work yet, and it is certainly the darkest as far as content is concerned. This story is also fascinating because it is dark and hopeful at the same time, and the balance between these two aspects is maintained perfectly throughout. This must not have been easy to achieve. The tale is highly atmospheric, and the plot moves apace, keeping the reader engrossed. The presence of deeper philosophical qualities mean that it can be read by young people and adults alike, and the fact that it can be understood at different levels is, in my opinion, a mark of superior children’s literature.
Here are some quotes from the book which I found memorable:
The Curse of Six Daughters is nonsense, Nate. Superstitions do us harm – they bind us up with fear.
Even when they are made up, stories are full of truth. Stories are the places where we learn and feel and dream . . .’
It’s a map,’ I say. And now I know why Mister Moss asked us if we could keep a secret. As far as folks round here are concerned, maps are almost as bad as books. It’s the same thing as writing – putting something down on paper to make it knowable.
Maps make you think about where you are, and where you aren’t. They make you powerful. They put ideas in your head. Mister Moss would be in for the ducking stool if anyone knew he had a map of the Lost Marsh. And there’s words on it too . . .
It makes me smile that my littlest sister thinks something to read is just as important for my survival as food and warmth
‘Lots of things are magic, aren’t they? Things in nature, things in the sky, clever things like this. Strikes me magic is a way to explain things we don’t understand. Some folks see the wonder of it, but other folks will be afeard. Keep it safe. Keep it hidden.’
Just remember – even when you feel small and helpless and you think you’re all by yourself – you aren’t. Not a bit of it. You’re stronger than you think. And you are never truly alone.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ she snaps. ‘I’m not lettin’ anyone take me anywhere. I’m goin’ of my own free will.’ She spins around to face us all. ‘That’s what it’s about, girls – that’s what it is all about. Folks here are afraid of free will. Afraid of someone who asks questions, who wants to rewrite the way things are.
It’s the easiest thing in the world to lose your way, to get swept along with something cruel—’
...we’re all sundered, aren’t we? Every one of us. We’re sundered at birth from our mothers, and sundered from those we love by distance and by death. All of us’re sundered somehow. It doesn’t mean we’re broken, and it doesn’t mean we’re alone.’
I chose to make it come true. It’s nothing to do with a silly old curse: it’s me. My choice.’
The Lost Star by Helen Mary Hoover
Raised by emotionally distant astronomer parents at an observatory on an alien planet, fifteen-year-old earth-born Lian crashes her shuttle a thousand miles away during a routine supply run. She is found by an archaeologist from Earth who is there overseeing the excavation of a particularly mysterious site.
Among the seemingly native species, Lian discovers an immediate connection with a group of amiable hexapods whom the archeological team treat as harmless and rather stupid animals, even giving them the name "Lumpies".
Lian's empathetic bond with the Lumpies emboldens them to reveal to her a secret that they have been hiding for generations; a secret that will bring out the best and worst qualities of those in the archeological team when they are told about it.
When her mother finally finds the time to make the trip out to collect her, Lian for the first time finds the courage to defy the wishes of her parents and decides to stay on at the dig.
The author sets up a parallel between Lian's situation at the observatory (where she is not understood and given only the option of making astrophysics her future career) and the Lumpies predicament which necessitates concealing their intelligence in order to protect themselves and what belongs to them.
This time away from the observatory affords Lian opportunity to reconsider her priorities and plans for the future, which have hitherto been decided for her by others. In this way, Lian's experience has the essence of a coming-of-age story and a journey of self-discovery.
This is the second of Hoover's books I have read, and I found it very imaginative and absorbing. Having said that, I think that I enjoyed This Time of Darkness more, probably because it dealt with more adult themes and was more closely plotted. But I would certainly recommend The Lost Star for middle-grade readers and those who have an interest in science fiction literature aimed at children and young adults.
Here are some quotes from the book:
...the supernova, the fiery death of a distant sun. She was going to tell them that, then decided not to. People did not always appreciate raw facts—especially when they were engaged in making wishes.
She wondered if that was the source of most social noise—the need to avoid thinking about what really mattered.
"They'll overlook my secretiveness. But yours would be seen as an attempt to gain personal glory." "I see you are familiar with research personalities," Dr. Farr said. "Behind each dispassionate scientific mask lurks an egomaniac."
Was it because they suggested a human, with their big sad eyes, clown smile, and dumpy figure, that humans laughed at them? And if the humans laughed, then did that give other sentient species the freedom to express chauvinistic disdain for lumpies similar to the contempt they felt for humans but dared not express?
There was a definite comfort in the purity of astrophysics, she thought. There were no emotional elements. She suddenly understood more her parents' passion for their work. It shut out things like this ... it shut out the problems of normal life. And some of the joy.
Did you ever quit saying, 'Let's go home now'? Or did you just whisper it inside yourself, too, when you finally figured out the truth and knew there was no hope?
Afterward, when she could think again about that morning, about that child's room, she knew it had all in some way shifted time for her and ended her own childhood.
By the time she could return to Earth a generation of Earth time would have passed. What she longed for would be gone. Things might remain, a house and garden, artifacts, but all who lived within that human past lived now only in her mind.
Like the lumpies, she had to start from now, to keep and to use what was good from the past, and forget about the rest.
"I remember once my mother was holding my hand before I went back to sleep after a bad dream, and to comfort me she said. There in your small finger is an iron atom born in the death of a star.It passed through the gaseous clouds of space, whirled into and out of Earth's sun to Earth, passed through mountains and prehistoric seas, dinosaurs, a fish and a fisherman, the north wind, a rabbit, a river and steel and rust. It is immortal. We are all immortal atoms.'"
by Sylvia Engdahl
Noren, whose rebellion against the priestly theocracy earned him access to the knowledge controlled by the Scholar caste in This Star Shall Abide, this time faces a more subtle crisis in this sequel due to his unwillingness to put complete faith in the principal symbol revered by the scholars (the Mother Star). As Noren learns more about the origin of his people and the reasons why they are forced to try to survive on a hostile alien planet, he also comes to realize that the rationale for the existence of the scholarly elite (who live in their enclosed city and enjoy technological advantages which are denied the people outside) is seriously jeopardized by their failure to make a specific scientific breakthrough upon which the fulfillment of the Prophecy regarding the Mother Star hangs. The seemingly naive faith of other scholars and technicians is repugnant to Noren, until he experiences certain crises firsthand and is moved by the belief of others who have achieved a more comprehensive vision of reality than he has, despite not possessing Noren’s advanced scientific knowledge and analytical skills. Noren thus eventually comes to understand the true meaning of the symbolism of the Mother Star, and this frees him from self-imposed mental bondage. Like the first volume, much of the fascination of this story lies in the author’s ability to create a convincing complex society with a tragic history and an uncertain future that depends entirely on its skills in coping with a harsh and poisonous environment. Some readers have complained that Beyond the Tomorrow Mountains is tedious in its lack of action and preoccupation with philosophical and personal existential questions, but this criticism is perhaps not entirely fair. Quite a lot of action does actually take place throughout the book, especially toward the end, although admittedly the plot is not action-oriented. I think that to enjoy this book, readers should have first finished This Star Shall Abide, and also be interested in fiction which focuses on introspective themes and the inner growth of principal characters. There is a third book in the series, The Doors of The Universe, which was written about ten years after the first two, and was added because the author felt that the principal premise for the first two stories had been compromised by scientific developments in the real world of which she had not originally been aware.
To provide an idea of the general flavor of the story, I am including some pertinent quotations from it:
“I—I’ve oversimplified things, I guess.” “Sometimes one must in order to keep one’s balance.”
If scientists didn’t know how to do something, then they had no real proof that it could ever be done.
“There can never be anything wrong in a person’s wanting to know more than he knows, or be more than he has been; the Law specifies only that those who do choose that course can never go back.”
Without proof, how could anyone be deeply convinced?
People who want what they don’t have progress faster than those who are satisfied.
You’ve got too independent a mind to want protection from the perils to which skepticism can lead—and you also have youth. That’s a dangerous combination. Yet if salvation of the world lay solely in old men’s caution, why would young people be born?”
You’re not being reasonable,” he insisted. “Faith? What is that but to be content with ignorance?
Always he had trusted in the existence of truth that was firm and absolute. He had searched for it unceasingly, and had supposed he was on his way to finding it. Yet if all was illusion, if the uncertainty he’d found so dismaying involved not only human survival but the very nature of things, then he had no more of an anchor to true reality than to the planet from which he was adrift. He could not even depend on the workings of his own mind.
For the first time since learning the truth about the Mother Star, it occurred to Noren to ask not how things happened, but why.
What sort of a universe was it where such barriers prevailed? Were all human races isolated, condemned to perpetual ignorance of the rest? Did others, too, rise to greatness and then, through senseless, futile tragedy, die out, like grain shoots crushed beneath the hoofs of work-beasts loosed into a field?
All his life Noren had questioned, but never so deeply as this; he had never encountered problems that seemed to make less and less sense as he continued to ponder them. He had assumed that the City held all the answers.
There are no answers, his mind kept repeating. The City does not contain all truth, and if it does not, is there any real truth to be found? How can there be sense to such a universe? How can these others live in it?
Brave? thought Noren. Was it brave to pretend that some mystical spirit, a mere symbol, would offer answers that rational effort could not uncover? It struck him as far more courageous to admit that one’s life had been built upon delusion.
There’s always risk in human affairs. We can never know exactly what the future will bring; we know only that things cannot and will not remain the same.
If people can’t go forward they go backward; they don’t stand still.
I’m a realist. As I told Talyra once, faith is nothing more than being content with ignorance.”
Life was what mattered . . . life, and truth, which were one and the same . . . and they need not be understood to remain valid.
If we die expecting to live, we’ll be none the worse for it; but if we stop living because we expect to die, we’ll have thrown away our own lives.”
The questions you framed are unanswerable, and to be terrified by that is a sign not of weakness but of strength. A weak person wouldn’t have opened his mind to such terror.
“They do,” Stefred said gently. “The fact that neither you nor any other human being can obtain all the answers doesn’t mean they don’t exist, any more than the fact that we can’t see all the stars in the universe means those stars aren’t there.”
Not all truth can be expressed in scientific terms.
This Star Shall Abide
by Sylvia Engdahl
Noren was a heretic. He defied the High Law and had no faith in the Prophecy’s fulfillment. But was defiance enough, or could some way be found to make it come true?
The back cover blurb is certainly intriguing.
This Star Shall Abide was first published in 1972, and is the opening book of a trilogy. It is dystopian fiction with a major difference.
When it was first appeared on the shelves, the School Library Journal issued the following comment:
“Superior future fiction concerning the fate of an idealistic misfit, Noren, who rebels against his highly repressive society…. Although there is little overt action, the attention of mature sci-fi readers will be held by the skillful writing and excellent plot and character development.”
In a nutshell, This Star Shall Abide is the story of an intelligent teenager named Noren, who feels compelled to rebel against the repressive society in which he has grown up, and by degrees comes to declare openly that he believes the central tenet of the people’s religion (the future appearance the Mother Star) and an accompanying prophecy to be deliberately fabricated by the Scholar (or High Priest) Class to keep everyone else under their control.
In 1973, it won the Christopher Award, bestowed for “affirmation of the highest values of the human spirit.”
There are aspects of this book which some readers have objected to. An example is that the society in which Noren lives is clearly sexist, which some may feel is not in accord with modern standards for Young Adult fiction. On her website, though, the author explains that this is just a part of the repressive nature of a society which has reverted to primitive conditions after the loss of all high technology. Certain readers have also misunderstood the values held by the author, imagining that she is somehow in favor of autocratic regimes. However, concluding that anything a writer describes in his or her work must be something that they support or advocate seems exceedingly odd to me. On the contrary, the very opposite is quite often true.
Specific themes which were present in Enchantress from the Stars and The Far Side of Evil appear again in this novel. Examples are, how important should the pursuit of truth be to the individual, to what extent and in what situations do ultimate ends justify the taking of drastic and even unfair action, and whether symbolism can be considered a valid method for expressing truths indirectly. Also, the idea that expansion into space is essential to the survival of humanity is once more alluded to. (Note: In Engdahl’s books ‘humanity’ does not necessarily refer to people originating from the planet Earth, but to any humanoid species.)
After reading three of her books, I must confess that I am already thinking of Sylvia Engdahl as one my favorite authors.
Below are some quotes from book which epitomize the general tone and flavor:
“I don’t want my faith restored,” he said heatedly. “I want to know the truth. The truth is the most important thing there is, Talyra. Don’t you care about finding it?” “I already know what’s true,” she maintained vehemently.
“That’s blasphemous; I won’t listen.” “No, I don’t suppose you will. I can see how fraud has greater appeal than truth from your standpoint.”
That was the difference between himself and the others: he cared about the truth, and they did not.
We can’t be forced to do or to believe anything against our will.
...he was sorry for all of them, sorry because they truly did not understand the thing they were lacking. They could not see that there was more to life than working, eating, and making love.
“I respect it too much to believe anything merely because some book or some person tells me I should. I want to really know! Maybe you’d rather accept stories that make you feel comfortable about the way things are, but I care more for truth than for comfort.”
He would undoubtedly be hurt in the City; in the end he would be killed; but as long as he kept on caring, nothing could touch the freedom of his inner thoughts.
“It’s not enough just to learn what there isn’t; we need to know what there is. . .”
They will never change me, Noren promised himself grimly. No matter what they do or what they threaten, I will not deny the truth; I will not become like that man; I will not recant!
“Knowledge is worthless apart from truth. It’s the truth I really value, but if I recanted, I’d be lying. Truth belongs to everybody; to recant would be to accept your right to keep it from the other villagers.”
"Truth, Noren, can be quite terrible. Not everyone can face it."
“If we don’t give people symbols for the truths we cannot express openly,” he explained, “in time they’ll fall prey to superstition."
“Societies, like people, cannot be controlled without destroying their ability to grow and develop.”
“Truth is truth, and it’s more important than what people think of me.”
by Sylvia Engdahl
Noren was a heretic. He defied the High Law and had no faith in the Prophecy’s fulfillment. But was defiance enough, or could some way be found to make it come true?
The back cover blurb is certainly intriguing.
This Star Shall Abide was first published in 1972, and is the opening book of a trilogy. It is dystopian fiction with a major difference.
When it was first appeared on the shelves, the School Library Journal issued the following comment:
“Superior future fiction concerning the fate of an idealistic misfit, Noren, who rebels against his highly repressive society…. Although there is little overt action, the attention of mature sci-fi readers will be held by the skillful writing and excellent plot and character development.”
In a nutshell, This Star Shall Abide is the story of an intelligent teenager named Noren, who feels compelled to rebel against the repressive society in which he has grown up, and by degrees comes to declare openly that he believes the central tenet of the people’s religion (the future appearance the Mother Star) and an accompanying prophecy to be deliberately fabricated by the Scholar (or High Priest) Class to keep everyone else under their control.
In 1973, it won the Christopher Award, bestowed for “affirmation of the highest values of the human spirit.”
There are aspects of this book which some readers have objected to. An example is that the society in which Noren lives is clearly sexist, which some may feel is not in accord with modern standards for Young Adult fiction. On her website, though, the author explains that this is just a part of the repressive nature of a society which has reverted to primitive conditions after the loss of all high technology. Certain readers have also misunderstood the values held by the author, imagining that she is somehow in favor of autocratic regimes. However, concluding that anything a writer describes in his or her work must be something that they support or advocate seems exceedingly odd to me. On the contrary, the very opposite is quite often true.
Specific themes which were present in Enchantress from the Stars and The Far Side of Evil appear again in this novel. Examples are, how important should the pursuit of truth be to the individual, to what extent and in what situations do ultimate ends justify the taking of drastic and even unfair action, and whether symbolism can be considered a valid method for expressing truths indirectly. Also, the idea that expansion into space is essential to the survival of humanity is once more alluded to. (Note: In Engdahl’s books ‘humanity’ does not necessarily refer to people originating from the planet Earth, but to any humanoid species.)
After reading three of her books, I must confess that I am already thinking of Sylvia Engdahl as one my favorite authors.
Below are some quotes from book which epitomize the general tone and flavor:
“I don’t want my faith restored,” he said heatedly. “I want to know the truth. The truth is the most important thing there is, Talyra. Don’t you care about finding it?” “I already know what’s true,” she maintained vehemently.
“That’s blasphemous; I won’t listen.” “No, I don’t suppose you will. I can see how fraud has greater appeal than truth from your standpoint.”
That was the difference between himself and the others: he cared about the truth, and they did not.
We can’t be forced to do or to believe anything against our will.
...he was sorry for all of them, sorry because they truly did not understand the thing they were lacking. They could not see that there was more to life than working, eating, and making love.
“I respect it too much to believe anything merely because some book or some person tells me I should. I want to really know! Maybe you’d rather accept stories that make you feel comfortable about the way things are, but I care more for truth than for comfort.”
He would undoubtedly be hurt in the City; in the end he would be killed; but as long as he kept on caring, nothing could touch the freedom of his inner thoughts.
“It’s not enough just to learn what there isn’t; we need to know what there is. . .”
They will never change me, Noren promised himself grimly. No matter what they do or what they threaten, I will not deny the truth; I will not become like that man; I will not recant!
“Knowledge is worthless apart from truth. It’s the truth I really value, but if I recanted, I’d be lying. Truth belongs to everybody; to recant would be to accept your right to keep it from the other villagers.”
"Truth, Noren, can be quite terrible. Not everyone can face it."
“If we don’t give people symbols for the truths we cannot express openly,” he explained, “in time they’ll fall prey to superstition."
“Societies, like people, cannot be controlled without destroying their ability to grow and develop.”
“Truth is truth, and it’s more important than what people think of me.”
The Far Side of Evil
(Elana #2)
by Sylvia Engdahl
The author of this book asserts that it is not a sequel to Enchantress From the Stars, although in some ways it could be considered to be one. It is indeed a sequel in the sense that the story centers around the same protagonist, and it is set in the same universe. It is not a sequel in that it can be read completely apart from Enchantress From the Stars, and is aimed at a different audience, as the darker content is suitable for more mature teens and adults, but not for middle-grade students.
In The Far Side of Evil, Elana has received the training that she lacked in Enchantress From the Stars, and is ready for her first official assignment. Usually, a newly qualified agent of the Federation's Anthropological Service would only be assigned as part of a team under a more senior and experienced operative. However, Elana is sent on a solo mission to a planet called Toris, where there is an opportunity to observe a situation which has never been recorded hitherto by the Anthropological Service.
One of the author's personal convictions is that humanoid species on planets like Earth must at a certain point in their evolution expand into space if they are to avoid extinction. When their ambitions, aggressions, and need for overcoming risks and dangers are turned outward into space, the danger of total war is lessened, and when colonies start to be established beyond the home planet, most resources and energies are concentrated in this activity, leading to greater cooperation between nations and the eventual cessation of international conflicts. The period between the invention of weapons of mass destruction and the peaceful colonization of space is called the Critical Stage.
The Anthropological Service is well aware of the importance of the Critical Stage, but the recent discovery of Toris has provided a unique opportunity to observe firsthand the factors which decide whether a world survives or not. Unfortunately, Toris appears to be on the brink of self-annihilation, and it evidently has no interest in space exploration. Elana is sent on a solo mission of observation into a totalitarian dictatorship which seems bent on starting a nuclear war with more liberal-minded nations.
The Anthropological Service has an important Prime Directive of non-interference in younger 'less mature' cultures (similar to the one which is rarely adhered to in Star Trek). Agents like Elana take this principle very seriously since it is part of their Sworn Oath, and they are willing to die rather than risk disclosure of their true origins and the existence of the Federation.
Another young agent also assigned to the same planet considers himself an authority on Critical Stage cultures, and becomes convinced that direct intervention is justified and necessary in order to save the Torisians from themselves. But his naive actions play right into the hands of the dictatorship, which arrests Elana and interrogates her mercilessly (which is partly why this book is unsuitable for children).
In some ways this book is related to the time in which it was written (as are most works of fiction). In the early 1970s, the Cold War was still in full swing, but there was optimism about the future based on the then-recent Moon landings. Many people who observed events at that time would probably have expected there to be bases and colonies beyond Earth by the year 2020, and that we would by now be emerging from the Critical Stage. Although many things have changed greatly in the last half century, it nonetheless appears that we are yet firmly within that phase. But despite these facts, the story in no way feels dated.
Some readers have commented that the book contains too much philosophy and too little plot, but I did not feel that way when reading it. In fact, I found the balance to be just right. There are the overarching philosophical concepts involving whole planets and peoples, and the personal moral and ethical concerns regarding the decisions of individuals. To what extent do the ends justify the means when supporting an ideal, and how far should personal sacrifice go in adhering to cherished principles?
The idea that The Far Side of Evil is in some way a veiled political commentary is also baseless in my opinion, since the political powers mentioned are clearly generic and not intended to represent any specific parties in our world.
I found The Far Side of Evil to be a significantly more profound read than Enchantress From the Stars, but like that book there are many quotable passages which are relevant to our lives today, and which can help us make sense of the situations we find ourselves in.
Here are some of them:
“The human mind can’t be forced. You can’t even hurt me if I decide not to be hurt.”
“...there’s a danger in concentrating too hard on abstract theory.”
“...you have to trust the universe. You have to believe that the natural order of things has some sort of sense to it, some real if incomprehensible logic, and that what’s true isn’t to be feared.”
“After all, agents are chosen for sensitivity and imagination, among other things; and sensitive, imaginative people aren’t fearless. They are usually more apprehensive than average.”
“The underlying basis of panic is terror not of the threat itself but of how you’ll react to it.”
“Maybe it was simply that people live with what they have to live with, whether they think they can face it or not.”
“...there’s a pattern that takes in more than this world. I don’t understand it, and neither does anybody else. We can’t expect to understand it when we don’t have all the facts, but that’s no reason for deciding that everything is senseless! If it were, we might as well blow up the whole planet right now and be done with it, because what would it matter?”
“There comes a point for every human race when for the first—and only—time in its history it has the ability to destroy itself completely, and that point coincides with the point at which it is ready to take its first steps beyond its home world. The level of technology that creates one possibility simultaneously creates the other. If the colonization of space is undertaken, it becomes all-absorbing, full-scale war is forgotten, and the danger is averted.”
“The world is the way it is. There’s no place to hide; we’ve got to live in it and bear up under the pressure.”
“If there’s anything harder to counter than a clever lie, it’s a truth that’s been honestly misinterpreted.”
““Everything is purposeful,” I said gently. “Even the terrible things. But we don’t understand them while they’re happening.””
“If you ever find yourself faced with something really bad, something inescapable against which you have no defense, your only recourse is to accept it. Once you’re absolutely sure that there’s no way out, don’t resist. Just relax and let it happen. That will seem hard, but believe me, it will be less painful than shrinking from the thing. You’ll get something from it—you won’t feel that you can; you won’t understand; but in the end you will gain, if not from the experience itself, then simply from your bravery.”
“You have more to draw on than you think, I guess; you can do what you have to do.”
“It’s a funny thing, but if you try to act scared, any real fear you start out with stops bothering you; it becomes part of the game.”
“Nobody ever jumps from naïveté to realism; there’s a cynical stage in between. That’s true of worlds, and I guess it’s true of people, too.”
“...by subordinating the means to the end. That’s the only way anybody can judge anything, and when such a judgment is immoral it’s because the end itself is worth less than what must be destroyed to achieve it.”
“Evil lies not in a given act but in a person’s sense of values.”
“...the sustaining knowledge that evil, even victorious evil, was not the most powerful force in the universe.”
“It was as if I didn’t really mind what they did to me, because it wasn’t important compared with what I was doing by resisting. I was free inside, and they couldn’t change that; but I could stop them from doing harm to the world, so I had more power than any of them.”
“People differ in their ideas about morality, but by and large everybody agrees that if you deliberately do wrong, somewhere, somehow, you will suffer for it. Well, you do, and it can’t be avoided.”
“Dictatorships always fall in the end; that’s an incontrovertible law of nature.”
Enchantress from the Stars
(Elana #1)
Enchantress From the Stars (1970) is the first of two novels about Elana and the Anthropological Service of the Federation (the second book being The Far Side of Evil).
The Federation is extensive and powerful, but also so advanced as to have overcome problems like social injustice and warfare among its own peoples. It takes non-intervention in other cultures very seriously, and it hides its very existence from 'less developed' worlds, including the newer star-faring powers. Protecting pre-industrial worlds like Andrecia from colonialists is therefore not an easy thing to achieve.
Young Elana's father is a seasoned and high-ranking agent in the Federation, and his principal work is to protect 'Youngling' worlds from exploitation, even though this must be done behind the scenes and in an entirely unobtrusive manner. Elana illegally sneaks aboard the Federation vessel transporting her father and his two colleagues down to the planet Andrecia, even though she has hardly any training and knows that experienced Anthropology Service Agents sometimes die in the field. In her inexperience, Elana is allured by the thrilling prospects of exploration and adventure.
When one of the authorized members is killed by imperial colonists, the Anthropology Service team is missing a field agent. Elana’s father thus has little choice but to involve his daughter in the effort to save the native people of Andrecia from colonization by the Empire.
Since the local residents have no experience of high technology, they interpret the work of the huge land-clearing machine at the colonists' camp as a dragon establishing its lair and intending to take over their land. The king sends out his bravest men to kill the dragon, but everyone who embarks on the venture vanishes.
Bound by the strict rules of the Federation forbidding the use of any sort of violence, Elana's father is forced to concoct an unlikely scheme to frighten the imperialists away from Andrecia. If the representatives of the Empire can be led to believe that paranormal powers are a natural possession of the indigenous people, they might just abandon their annexation of Andrecia.
The woodcutter Georyn is the fortunate (or unfortunate) Andrecian selected for training. If he proves successful, he stands to save his world. If he fails, he will die and his people will be enslaved. The success of the plan largely depends on Elana who, playing the role of a sorceress in possession of supernatural powers, must guide Georyn to his ultimate goal of defeating the 'dragon'.
Arthur C. Clarke famously stated that any sufficiently developed technology is indistinguishable from magic in the eyes of those who are unfamiliar with it. Enchantress from the Stars is a classic example of this principle expressed through a science fiction story.
The author employs three points of view to present the convergence of three cultures, and these three interweaved story threads represent the best traditions of epic fantasy, space opera heroics, and coming-of-age romance. The only point I found perhaps a little unconvincing was that all three viewpoints are supposed to be written by the protagonist who is relating her experiences to a relative after the adventure is over. I am still not sure how she could write about events which she was not present to witness in such detail, although, to be fair, the author does touch briefly on this matter in the prologue.
Overall, I think that this well-structured and engrossing story has clearly stood the test of time, since it continues to provide thought-provoking material concerning the natural course of societal development and related ethical considerations, the power of belief, and the value of allowing both cultures and individuals to find their own paths. Also significant is the fact that probably the most intuitive and intelligent character is a member of the least developed society. Indeed, the only real advantage that the Federation has over the two other cultures is the amount of time it has been in existence and the proportionally greater opportunity it has had to progress.
There are many memorable and inspiring quotes in this classic work of young adult science fiction. Here are some of them:
"The human mind is incredible. It can do nothing without belief, yet practically anything with it."
"No one ever has all the facts. All a person can do is to choose a goal that seems worthwhile and commit to it."
"We live as anyone does: by hope; for what other way is there?"
"But it is ever true that what looks like a paradox is merely a thing that cannot be understood by means of our present knowledge."
"Elana! Don’t be afraid! Underneath, things aren’t as terrible as we make them."
"There is nothing that teaches you the value of life for its own sake faster than the prospect of having to give it up."
"I do believe the age of disenchantment must be the hardest. To see so much, by methods you think are scientific, that you’ve no faith in there being anything you don’t see—it must be awful."
"When you’re convinced that you’ll soon be dead, you are free in a way that you can never be at any other time—free in the sense that anything can happen to you and you will not mind, because you have already faced the most frightening thing there is to face. So if what happens is something good, something so good as suddenly knowing that you are going to live after all, why, that in itself is pretty tremendous."
"For it is better to know of what exists than not to know. I would rather be helpless than blind; and if in seeking wisdom as my reward I got more than I had need for, well, that is not your fault but mine."
"We act in the light of the knowledge we have. Do you suppose I see the whole picture? Do you suppose anyone does?”
by Sylvia Engdahl
Enchantress From the Stars (1970) is the first of two novels about Elana and the Anthropological Service of the Federation (the second book being The Far Side of Evil).
Young Elana's father is a seasoned and high-ranking agent in the Federation, and his principal work is to protect 'Youngling' worlds from exploitation, even though this must be done behind the scenes and in an entirely unobtrusive manner. Elana illegally sneaks aboard the Federation vessel transporting her father and his two colleagues down to the planet Andrecia, even though she has hardly any training and knows that experienced Anthropology Service Agents sometimes die in the field. In her inexperience, Elana is allured by the thrilling prospects of exploration and adventure.
When one of the authorized members is killed by imperial colonists, the Anthropology Service team is missing a field agent. Elana’s father thus has little choice but to involve his daughter in the effort to save the native people of Andrecia from colonization by the Empire.
Since the local residents have no experience of high technology, they interpret the work of the huge land-clearing machine at the colonists' camp as a dragon establishing its lair and intending to take over their land. The king sends out his bravest men to kill the dragon, but everyone who embarks on the venture vanishes.
Bound by the strict rules of the Federation forbidding the use of any sort of violence, Elana's father is forced to concoct an unlikely scheme to frighten the imperialists away from Andrecia. If the representatives of the Empire can be led to believe that paranormal powers are a natural possession of the indigenous people, they might just abandon their annexation of Andrecia.
The woodcutter Georyn is the fortunate (or unfortunate) Andrecian selected for training. If he proves successful, he stands to save his world. If he fails, he will die and his people will be enslaved. The success of the plan largely depends on Elana who, playing the role of a sorceress in possession of supernatural powers, must guide Georyn to his ultimate goal of defeating the 'dragon'.
Arthur C. Clarke famously stated that any sufficiently developed technology is indistinguishable from magic in the eyes of those who are unfamiliar with it. Enchantress from the Stars is a classic example of this principle expressed through a science fiction story.
The author employs three points of view to present the convergence of three cultures, and these three interweaved story threads represent the best traditions of epic fantasy, space opera heroics, and coming-of-age romance. The only point I found perhaps a little unconvincing was that all three viewpoints are supposed to be written by the protagonist who is relating her experiences to a relative after the adventure is over. I am still not sure how she could write about events which she was not present to witness in such detail, although, to be fair, the author does touch briefly on this matter in the prologue.
Overall, I think that this well-structured and engrossing story has clearly stood the test of time, since it continues to provide thought-provoking material concerning the natural course of societal development and related ethical considerations, the power of belief, and the value of allowing both cultures and individuals to find their own paths. Also significant is the fact that probably the most intuitive and intelligent character is a member of the least developed society. Indeed, the only real advantage that the Federation has over the two other cultures is the amount of time it has been in existence and the proportionally greater opportunity it has had to progress.
There are many memorable and inspiring quotes in this classic work of young adult science fiction. Here are some of them:
"The human mind is incredible. It can do nothing without belief, yet practically anything with it."
"No one ever has all the facts. All a person can do is to choose a goal that seems worthwhile and commit to it."
"We live as anyone does: by hope; for what other way is there?"
"But it is ever true that what looks like a paradox is merely a thing that cannot be understood by means of our present knowledge."
"Elana! Don’t be afraid! Underneath, things aren’t as terrible as we make them."
"There is nothing that teaches you the value of life for its own sake faster than the prospect of having to give it up."
"I do believe the age of disenchantment must be the hardest. To see so much, by methods you think are scientific, that you’ve no faith in there being anything you don’t see—it must be awful."
"When you’re convinced that you’ll soon be dead, you are free in a way that you can never be at any other time—free in the sense that anything can happen to you and you will not mind, because you have already faced the most frightening thing there is to face. So if what happens is something good, something so good as suddenly knowing that you are going to live after all, why, that in itself is pretty tremendous."
"For it is better to know of what exists than not to know. I would rather be helpless than blind; and if in seeking wisdom as my reward I got more than I had need for, well, that is not your fault but mine."
"We act in the light of the knowledge we have. Do you suppose I see the whole picture? Do you suppose anyone does?”
This Time of Darkness by H.M. Hoover
This is a book which was published in 1980 and aimed mainly at older children and young adults, at a time when Young Adult literature as a separate genre was relatively new.
Eleven-year-old Amy lives in a decaying enclosed city, the residents of which have never seen the light of day. Although we are never told when the story is set relative to our day, it will probably be assumed by the reader that events take place in the far future. Neglected by her mother and under surveillance by the authorities and their 'watchers' who suspect that she can read and therefore probably has 'abnormal' thinking patterns, Amy reluctantly finds herself drawn to Axel, a boy whose behavior is considered aberrant and who claims to have come into the city from outside.
Although both know it is forbidden, Amy and Axel secretly plan to escape from their filthy and cramped environment, and hope that by following the spiral ramp which leads ever upward to find the relative paradise of the mythical Eightieth Level, and perhaps even a way out of the city.
The author tells a suspenseful, fast-paced and compelling futuristic survival story which obliquely comments on corrupt rulerships and entrenched social structures. Excellent descriptions, meticulous attention to detail, and a perfect sense of timing make this a believable and highly readable story which, while powerfully dark in places, nevertheless ends on a positive note. Overall, is it a marvelous dystopian novel which people of all ages should be able to enjoy thoroughly.
Scanners Live in Vain
by Cordwainer Smith
Scanners Live in Vain is a short story published by Cordwainer Smith in 1950, and it is considered a seminal work of science fiction.
It was fortuitous that the story came to be noticed at all, since it was published in a science fiction magazine with a very low circulation (Fantasy Book). However, that publication happened to carry a story by the more well-known author Frederik Pohl, who read Smith's story and recommended it to others. Afterwards, Smith wrote other stories set in the same universe.
The narrative begins abruptly by throwing a series of unexplained terms at the reader, making you curious about what could be going on, although quite a lot can be deduced from the context.
The story is set in a distant future in which space travel has become commonplace. However, space travel is fatal to humans if they do not hibernate for the duration of long flights due to something called the "Great Pain". A special group of people is therefore created through a process of physical modification, and these individuals are able to stand the pain of traveling in a conscious state through deep space. However, the cost of this modification is the loss of all human senses (apart from sight), and instruments attached to the body must be continuously monitored by users to "scan" both basic physical functions and everything in the environment around them instead of feeling these things naturally. Most of these modified humans are criminals who have been forcibly drafted into service, but the Scanners who oversee them on space flights have made the sacrifice voluntarily and are therefore held in the highest esteem within society.
Only through a special process called "cranching" can Scanners temporarily experience their human senses and emotions again, and this cannot be done too often or for too long without adverse effects.
Against this background, a man named Adam Stone comes to the attention of the Confraternity of Scanners when he discovers a process whereby people can remain awake during space travel without feeling the Great Pain. The Scanners feel threatened by this discovery since it would render their role obsolete, but they do not all agree on what should be done about the situation.
This short work showcases Cordwainer Smith's vision in several areas, for example in his idea of how a futuristic government and society may operate, the influence new technology may have upon human psychology, and the advantages and disadvantages of physical modification. Of course, a major factor which makes it relevant to the reader is that it, like many other notable works, probes the question of what it means to be human.
The only possible flaw may be that the ending feels a little rushed and overly optimistic.
The House of One Hundred Clocks
by A.M. Howell
The House of One Hundred Clocks by A.M. Howell is an intelligent middle-grade mystery novel, original in concept, and brought to a satisfying conclusion at the end so that no questions are left unanswered. The writing style is rewardingly descriptive.
It is June, 1905, and Helena Graham’s father, a clockmaker, has accepted a position in the city of Cambridge as a clock curator to a wealthy businessman who collects timepieces so obsessively that they fill his entire house, leaving almost no space for living.
Helena’s mother died a year ago, and the move from London to Cambridge has come at just the right time for her father, who wishes to bury himself in his work and distance himself from the past. However, he gets more than he bargained for.
Edgar Westcott, has filled his mansion with clocks and watches of all shapes and sizes, and is inexplicably terrified of any one of them stopping.
Mr. Westcott hires Helena’s father as his personal clock-winder and maintenance expert in-residence, and Helena and her pet parrot, Orbit, move into the mansion too.
Helena’s father is bound by a very odd legal contract as soon as he accepts this work: that under no circumstances must even one of the timepieces be allowed to stop. There will be dire consequences if this occurs.
From the first, Helena is perplexed by the strange goings-on in the house:
Why has Mr. Wescott collected so many clocks? Why does he have an almost pathological fear that even a single one of them may stop?
Why have the servants all left their positions at the mansion? Who are the two ghostly children that Helena sees in the clock rooms? Who has been stopping the clocks deliberately? And how does Mr. Westcott's sister Katherine fit into all of this.
Will Helena be able work out the secrets of the house before time runs out both for her father and for herself?
The story stays on course until the final revelations, and the author makes good use of historical facts and symbolism to add depth and personal meaning for the reader.
Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan
This is an enchanting story which begins as a fairy tale and then revolves around music and an unusual harmonica. The promise made at the start permeates the whole book:
“Your fate is not yet sealed.
Even in the darkest night, a star will shine,
A bell will chime, a path will be revealed.”
After this introduction, there are related the fictional experiences of three children living during the era of WWII. Through these three different stories and three pieces of music (Brahms' Lullaby, Auld Lang Syne, and America the Beautiful) the reader is shown how prejudice, extreme political positions and nationalism, and racism, all create discord, injustice, and unhappiness, and how music is a common language which possesses the power to unite people regardless of their origins or backgrounds. The story of the harmonica is woven into the destinies of the three young people, until it finally fulfils its ultimate purpose in saving a life and bringing them all together in one place.
I think the writing feels a little oversentimental in places, but this does not detract from the power of the message or the skill with which the author tells the story. This cleverly structured and multi-layered novel is definitely a healthy and inspiring read for people of about ten years of age and older.
The Ghost of Gosswater
by Lucy Strange
In my opinion, The Ghost of Gosswater is the best of this author's books to date. The characters are well drawn and believable, and the heroine of the story is easy to sympathize with. It is also quite cleverly written so that the reader only guesses as much about the ultimate mystery as the protagonist does, and is likely to come to the same conclusions based on the evidence available. Highly engrossing and readable.
by Katherine Rundell
This is an interesting and imaginative book. I thought that the first few chapters were the best, and wish the story had continued in the same vein. The rest of the book was good, but it was pretty obvious what the outcome would be, and the story ended a little too abruptly to be truly satisfying. Overall, though, a memorable story from a talented author.
The Emergency Zoo
by Miriam Halahmy
The premise for this story is fascinating, but I felt that the execution did not quite do justice to it. I have read many children's books set in WWII, and this one failed to make the grade for me. My principal complaints are related to dialogue and plot pacing. I feel that tension was lacking and could have been built up more skillfully, and that the interaction between the characters did not seem very realistic. I know that the content represents a different era, but some of the speech felt positively cringeworthy. Overall, it is still a good book with a healthy message, but it was not as compelling as When the Sky Falls by Phil Earle, which explores a similar topic.
by Lucy Strange
Very enjoyable and compelling all the way through, possibly even more so than The Secret of Nightingale Wood. Only one slight grumble: the villain unnecessarily making a full confession instead of just getting on with the nefarious deeds was a little cliched and had a Scooby Doo feel to it. "And I would have got away with it too if it hadn't been for you pesky kids!"
Orion Lost
by Alastair Chisholm
Excellent science fiction for young readers. Good fast-paced plot and sufficient introspection and personal growth by the main characters. More experienced readers will probably guess in advance some of the developments and discoveries, but others will come as a surprise. A highly enjoyable read.
I hope this author writes more science fiction books for young people in the future.
The Wild Road
(Tag, the Cat #1)
by Gabriel King
Epic. Brilliant. Magical. Memorable. Excellent lyrical quality to the writing. Well worth investing the time to read.