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Elana #2
The far side of evil
On completion of her training as an agent of the interstellar federation's Anthropological Service, Elana is sent to a world whose people may soon destroy their civilization. Since not enough is understood about the situation to justify any interference with their evolution, the Service has no power to act; its agents must go as helpless observers, posing as natives, in the hope of gaining knowledge that may help to save other worlds. This passive role proves intolerable to the young, inexperienced agent assigned to the same city as Elana, a city under totalitarian rule. After falling in love with a local girl who has become Elana's closest friend, he identifies too completely with the natives and unwittingly endangers the entire world by a well-meant but ill-advised attempt to intervene. Forced to assume responsibility for undoing the damage, Elana finds that only she—at great cost—can prevent an immediate war of annihilation.
Although this novel has the same heroine as the author's Newbery Honor book Enchantress from the Stars, it is not a sequel but a completely separate—and very different—story not intended for readers below high school age, and is also enjoyed by adults. The two books are in no way dependent on each other and can be read in either order.
Although this novel has the same heroine as the author's Newbery Honor book Enchantress from the Stars, it is not a sequel but a completely separate—and very different—story not intended for readers below high school age, and is also enjoyed by adults. The two books are in no way dependent on each other and can be read in either order.
292 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1971
16 people are currently reading
1011 people want to read
About the author
Sylvia Engdahl
92 books268 followersSylvia Engdahl is the author of eleven science fiction novels, six of which, including the Newbery Honor book Enchantress from the Stars, are YA books also enjoyed by many adults. Although she is best known as an author for Young Adults, her most recent novels, the Founders of Maclairn duology (Stewards of the Flame and Promise of the Flame) and the Captain of Estel trilogy (Defender of the Flame, Herald of the Flame, and Envoy of the Flame) are adult science fiction and are not appropriate for readers below high school age. For FAQs about them and more, visit her website.
She has also written a nonfiction book, The Planet-Girded Suns: Our Forebears' Firm Belief in Inhabited Exoplanets, of which updated and expanded paperback and ebook editions were published in 2012, and three collections of her essays. Most of the nonfiction books listed under her name were edited, rather than written, by her as a freelance editor of anthologies for high schools.
Engdahl says, "I never listed more than a few of the books I read here and now the list is so outdated that i have removed all but a very few that are still among my favorites, plus ebooks I produced for my mother and for my friend Shirley Rousseau Murphy. For current lists of good books on the subjects I care about, please visit the Opinion section of my website."
She has also written a nonfiction book, The Planet-Girded Suns: Our Forebears' Firm Belief in Inhabited Exoplanets, of which updated and expanded paperback and ebook editions were published in 2012, and three collections of her essays. Most of the nonfiction books listed under her name were edited, rather than written, by her as a freelance editor of anthologies for high schools.
Engdahl says, "I never listed more than a few of the books I read here and now the list is so outdated that i have removed all but a very few that are still among my favorites, plus ebooks I produced for my mother and for my friend Shirley Rousseau Murphy. For current lists of good books on the subjects I care about, please visit the Opinion section of my website."
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August 18, 2021This is the updated edition of a novel I first published in 1971. Though the action of the story hasn't changed, the updating is important, as the wording of the original edition did not take into account the slowness of our progress in space since the Apollo era, a time when we assumed that once we started going into space we would continue making a major effort toward expansion beyond a single world.
Although this book has the same heroine as Enchantress from the Stars it shouldn't be called a sequel, as the two books are completely independent and can be read in either order. Also, this one is unsuitable for readers as young as many children who enjoy Enchantress.
Although this book has the same heroine as Enchantress from the Stars it shouldn't be called a sequel, as the two books are completely independent and can be read in either order. Also, this one is unsuitable for readers as young as many children who enjoy Enchantress.
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April 4, 2009I've read the most recent edition of this book, and can't say I notice substantial differences from the older edition in my library. If I have a serious quarrel with the arguments in this book, it's with the assertion that we all believe that the end justifies the means. 'We all' don't, because I'm part of 'we all', and I don't.
August 31, 2020
Strong storyline that grapples with personal ethics and morality; do the ends justify the means when dealing with the nuclear ‘critical stage’ of society and technology.
November 12, 2025
I found this sanctimonious and smug; I kept waiting for the protagonist to grow and change in any way, but I'm not convinced she did. Knowing that Engdahl deeply believes everything she's written here about human nature, psionics, and psychohistory is true hinders my enjoyment; so, given current politics, does the blatant 1950s-esque worldbuilding of Evil Communists vs Morally Correct Libertarians. Would I have liked it better if I'd read it twenty years ago? Perhaps.
July 12, 2014
This heroine could completely rocked my world when I was 12.
November 19, 2007
It might be a little dated and is a bit depressing since we have not passed out of the critical stage even though we have made it to the moon.
November 30, 2019
Enchantress from the Stars is a beloved and oft-read book from my childhood. I hadn't known about this sequel until I read a reference to it here on Goodreads.
I wish I'd read it as a teen. Or, if reading as an adult, that it hadn't been as an American in 2019. Too much of it, from the evil of authoritarian nationalism to Randil's appalling blind arrogance, were all too familiar.
I much prefer Octavia Butler's Parable books for a discussion of focusing energy on space to improve conditions on Earth.
I wish I'd read it as a teen. Or, if reading as an adult, that it hadn't been as an American in 2019. Too much of it, from the evil of authoritarian nationalism to Randil's appalling blind arrogance, were all too familiar.
I much prefer Octavia Butler's Parable books for a discussion of focusing energy on space to improve conditions on Earth.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2015
Sequel to ENCHANTRESS FROM THE STARS (1970). Both YA space operas are set in the same cosmos: humanoids, similar physiologically but in different stages of cultural/technological development, are found on countless far-flung planets. Culturally mature peoples belong to the Federation, which oversees the maturation and continued existence of “Youngling” races. Agents to Youngling worlds are highly trained anthropologists, who risk their lives to assist struggling peoples, hiding the existence of advanced extra-terrestrial societies until Younglings are ready. Federation peoples have solved the social problems that drive less advanced peoples to violence. They have fully developed the latent psi powers possessed by all humanoids, communicating both verbally and telepathically and practicing psychokinesis.” Readers of Engdahl’s two novels observe societies much like out own through characters that are kinder, wiser, and more historically informed than ourselves.
In ENCHANTRESS, the protagonist, Elana, though still a student, helps to save Andrecia, a Youngling world in a feudal stage of development, threatened by a society that has mastered space flight but not yet an altruistic social order. In FAR SIDE, Elana is about to begin her first mission as a certified anthropologist. She and a classmate, Randil, are sent to Toris, a planet on the brink of nuclear annihilation. Elana and Randil are charged with a task that would be nearly intolerable for any compassionate being: they must not try to avert the impending nuclear holocaust, merely record Toris’s political and cultural developments. For reasons that make dramatic—not logical—sense, the two novice agents are prohibited from communicating with one another. Periodically, a senior Federation agent, Varned, posing as a carnival fortune-teller, advises and debriefs them. The two young agents, however, are left on their own when the dictatorial, war-mongering Neo-Statests kill Varned because he resembles a Toresian racial minority.
Both Elana and Randil are committed to a young Toresian woman, Kari, Elana’s roommate. Deeply in love with Kari, idealistic Randil defies Federation strictures by publishing technical articles, designed to push Toresian society toward space exploration. Randil’s academic studies have convinced him that the Toresians may be diverted from nuclear war if they throw their energies into space exploration. Attempting to stop Randil’s rash, short-sighted intervention, Elana ends up in a grim Neo-Statist prison. She uses the mental disciplines learned at the Academy to resist torture. When the frustrated torturers attempt to break Elana’s will by torturing Kari, Elana teachers her young friend to communicate telepathically and to block pain, under the pretext of giving her a mind-altering drug—actually a fragment of bread. Of course, the reader knows that the young Federation agents save Toris. The suspense of FAR SIDE lies in how.
FAR SIDE has a fascinating premise. Having observed the development of countless Youngling cultures, Federation anthropologists conclude that each reaches a “Critical Stage”: Younglings either annihilate themselves with nuclear war, or they devote their energies to space flight. If they choose to conquer space, they continue to develop technologically and to progress toward an equitable social order. On Toris, Elana finds a culture disturbingly close to the reader’s own. With systematic suppression of dissident speech and the killing of minorities, the Neo-Statists recall the Nazis. The book, however, hits closer to home. The Neo-Statists are engaged in an arms race that resembles the Cold War from which we have emerged (if at all) only recently. In an “Afterword” to the 1989 edition, Engdahl states that Americans “are still in the Critical Stage. . . . The only way out of it is to make a greater commitment to the exploration and humanization of space” (293).
The idealism and courage displayed by the young Federation agents and their Toresian friend are exceedingly moving. As the novel progresses, Elana, Randil, and Kari, grow in wisdom and self-confidence. While Elana’s constant soul-searching occasionally wearied me, I was utterly engaged by Kari. When we first meet her, Kari lacks the confidence to act on her “Liberationist” sympathies. After triumphantly resisting torture, Kari has the courage to join the “Liberationist” underground.
According to amazon.com, Engdahl has written many interplanetary adventures for young adults. I look forward to reading other books.
In ENCHANTRESS, the protagonist, Elana, though still a student, helps to save Andrecia, a Youngling world in a feudal stage of development, threatened by a society that has mastered space flight but not yet an altruistic social order. In FAR SIDE, Elana is about to begin her first mission as a certified anthropologist. She and a classmate, Randil, are sent to Toris, a planet on the brink of nuclear annihilation. Elana and Randil are charged with a task that would be nearly intolerable for any compassionate being: they must not try to avert the impending nuclear holocaust, merely record Toris’s political and cultural developments. For reasons that make dramatic—not logical—sense, the two novice agents are prohibited from communicating with one another. Periodically, a senior Federation agent, Varned, posing as a carnival fortune-teller, advises and debriefs them. The two young agents, however, are left on their own when the dictatorial, war-mongering Neo-Statests kill Varned because he resembles a Toresian racial minority.
Both Elana and Randil are committed to a young Toresian woman, Kari, Elana’s roommate. Deeply in love with Kari, idealistic Randil defies Federation strictures by publishing technical articles, designed to push Toresian society toward space exploration. Randil’s academic studies have convinced him that the Toresians may be diverted from nuclear war if they throw their energies into space exploration. Attempting to stop Randil’s rash, short-sighted intervention, Elana ends up in a grim Neo-Statist prison. She uses the mental disciplines learned at the Academy to resist torture. When the frustrated torturers attempt to break Elana’s will by torturing Kari, Elana teachers her young friend to communicate telepathically and to block pain, under the pretext of giving her a mind-altering drug—actually a fragment of bread. Of course, the reader knows that the young Federation agents save Toris. The suspense of FAR SIDE lies in how.
FAR SIDE has a fascinating premise. Having observed the development of countless Youngling cultures, Federation anthropologists conclude that each reaches a “Critical Stage”: Younglings either annihilate themselves with nuclear war, or they devote their energies to space flight. If they choose to conquer space, they continue to develop technologically and to progress toward an equitable social order. On Toris, Elana finds a culture disturbingly close to the reader’s own. With systematic suppression of dissident speech and the killing of minorities, the Neo-Statists recall the Nazis. The book, however, hits closer to home. The Neo-Statists are engaged in an arms race that resembles the Cold War from which we have emerged (if at all) only recently. In an “Afterword” to the 1989 edition, Engdahl states that Americans “are still in the Critical Stage. . . . The only way out of it is to make a greater commitment to the exploration and humanization of space” (293).
The idealism and courage displayed by the young Federation agents and their Toresian friend are exceedingly moving. As the novel progresses, Elana, Randil, and Kari, grow in wisdom and self-confidence. While Elana’s constant soul-searching occasionally wearied me, I was utterly engaged by Kari. When we first meet her, Kari lacks the confidence to act on her “Liberationist” sympathies. After triumphantly resisting torture, Kari has the courage to join the “Liberationist” underground.
According to amazon.com, Engdahl has written many interplanetary adventures for young adults. I look forward to reading other books.
November 5, 2021
The Far Side of Evil 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.”
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.”
May 30, 2015
Elana, our heroine, has just graduated from the Federation Anthropological Service Academy. Her first "official" assignment has her going undercover on the youngling planet, Toris. The planet is in the "Critical Stage," and the Federation is sending dozens of agents in undercover. It's an information gathering mission, not one of intervention. The goal: blend in as much as possible with the Younglings, and transmit your observations when possible. It's dangerous because if Toris goes critical--uses nuclear weapons--then all the agents are essentially just as doomed as the younglings themselves. The only other agent Elana knows is another recent graduate. His name is Randil. He's a mess.
Toris has two "warring" governments, which is putting the planet in "Critical Stage." Elana's cover gets blown, and she's captured as a spy. The book is her report of how she become imprisoned and how she's handling the daily torture.
The premise of Far Side of Evil is simple. All civilizations--all planets--evolve through a critical stage, a stage where they choose to use their technology for weapons--nuclear warfare--or they choose to use their technology to go to the stars, to explore and colonize space.
Did I like The Far Side of Evil? Not really. Why? That's a good question. Was it because the chapters were way too long? Perhaps. Was it because it lacked the charm of The Enchantress From the Stars? Perhaps. I will say that Enchantress from the Stars has an almost fairy-tale feel to it in places. It reads like a fantasy book. Was it Randil's fault? Probably. He certainly proves irritating and infuriating. But it wasn't his fault alone. I also found Elana's narration to be less than ideal. I found her to be smug, arrogant, condescending, and repetitive. Why was Elana so likeable in Enchantress from the Stars and so unlikeable in Far Side of Evil? I think in the first book she was more vulnerable, and less confident in her abilities. She wasn't alone. She was acting under the advice of other older-and-wiser Federation agents, including her father. Both books are premise-driven to a certain extent; but Far Side of Evil is only premise-driven, and Enchantress from the Stars is plot-driven and character-driven too.
Toris has two "warring" governments, which is putting the planet in "Critical Stage." Elana's cover gets blown, and she's captured as a spy. The book is her report of how she become imprisoned and how she's handling the daily torture.
The premise of Far Side of Evil is simple. All civilizations--all planets--evolve through a critical stage, a stage where they choose to use their technology for weapons--nuclear warfare--or they choose to use their technology to go to the stars, to explore and colonize space.
Did I like The Far Side of Evil? Not really. Why? That's a good question. Was it because the chapters were way too long? Perhaps. Was it because it lacked the charm of The Enchantress From the Stars? Perhaps. I will say that Enchantress from the Stars has an almost fairy-tale feel to it in places. It reads like a fantasy book. Was it Randil's fault? Probably. He certainly proves irritating and infuriating. But it wasn't his fault alone. I also found Elana's narration to be less than ideal. I found her to be smug, arrogant, condescending, and repetitive. Why was Elana so likeable in Enchantress from the Stars and so unlikeable in Far Side of Evil? I think in the first book she was more vulnerable, and less confident in her abilities. She wasn't alone. She was acting under the advice of other older-and-wiser Federation agents, including her father. Both books are premise-driven to a certain extent; but Far Side of Evil is only premise-driven, and Enchantress from the Stars is plot-driven and character-driven too.
May 1, 2017
One thing I loved about this how Elana learns that 'Younglings' are not primitive or childlike. The Prime Directive is analyzed very carefully, and characters are made to understand that the more 'advanced' races are *not* made up of superior beings.
I also liked one of the other themes, one that is similar to that expressed in A Wrinkle in Time. "[E]vil, even victorious evil, was not the most powerful force in the universe."
Intelligent and thoughtful, perfect for the quiet & questing teen. Also wonderful for many of the rest of us.
I also recommend the author's website. And I will look for more of her books.
I also liked one of the other themes, one that is similar to that expressed in A Wrinkle in Time. "[E]vil, even victorious evil, was not the most powerful force in the universe."
Intelligent and thoughtful, perfect for the quiet & questing teen. Also wonderful for many of the rest of us.
I also recommend the author's website. And I will look for more of her books.
September 1, 2017
Hm. I came to read this because I very much enjoyed *Enchantress from the Stars* and was looking forward to a similar romp through mythology and sci-fi. However, this book is very different in tone. It is a philosophical argument about the importance of traveling to space.
I did not enjoy the book for most of the book. In fact, I would say that I did not enjoy the book until the last few chapters. Once I read the author's note to this 2003 edition, I am happy I read the book - but I did not enjoy it.
It is somewhat boring. The frame is that Elana is imprisoned and being tortured and then she is telling you the backstory while in prison to occupy herself. I did like the descriptions (again) of the psychic powers that let her release herself from pain, etc. Then the backstory is somewhat boring until the frame and the story join together. I was waiting the whole time for some incredible climax to have happened, and it didn't really.
The book is set in a Cold War sort of planet and all about the risk of nuclear war vs. space travel. Here is where the author's notes adds depth to the book - she started writing it in the 50's and published it in the 70's. Clearly there has been a lot of change since then. The author noted that she used the trappings of politics to explore space travel. In that context, the book makes a lot more sense and is a lot more interesting.
I think this would be a good book to read in correlation with other books about the Space Race and the Cold War and ruminations about nuclear arms. Not a pleasure book, though.
I did not enjoy the book for most of the book. In fact, I would say that I did not enjoy the book until the last few chapters. Once I read the author's note to this 2003 edition, I am happy I read the book - but I did not enjoy it.
It is somewhat boring. The frame is that Elana is imprisoned and being tortured and then she is telling you the backstory while in prison to occupy herself. I did like the descriptions (again) of the psychic powers that let her release herself from pain, etc. Then the backstory is somewhat boring until the frame and the story join together. I was waiting the whole time for some incredible climax to have happened, and it didn't really.
The book is set in a Cold War sort of planet and all about the risk of nuclear war vs. space travel. Here is where the author's notes adds depth to the book - she started writing it in the 50's and published it in the 70's. Clearly there has been a lot of change since then. The author noted that she used the trappings of politics to explore space travel. In that context, the book makes a lot more sense and is a lot more interesting.
I think this would be a good book to read in correlation with other books about the Space Race and the Cold War and ruminations about nuclear arms. Not a pleasure book, though.
August 17, 2019
Wow.
This book... this book feels like the current USA administration, with totalitarianism and roundups of "different people," and the demonizing of the Other Side. I pray we can expand to the stars before another nuclear event happens.
This book... this book feels like the current USA administration, with totalitarianism and roundups of "different people," and the demonizing of the Other Side. I pray we can expand to the stars before another nuclear event happens.
May 29, 2023
The story is about Elana who has recently graduated form the interstellar federation's Anthropological Service, and is assigned a mission to prevent Toris from destroying itself without interfering.
This book deals with interesting topics and themes, primarily the “critical stage” as defined by the author, is a civilization that has the capacity to destroy itself or expand into space. I think the idea that exploring space or destroying oneself is an interesting and somewhat plausible idea, however I feel that it is a bit unrealistic. Exploring space or mining it for resources will not totally remove the threat of the critical stage. Governments will compete for resources and planets, and in my opinion result in something similar to The Expanse series by James S.A. Corey. War has always persisted throughout humanity’s history; I highly doubt that expanding into space will eliminate the threat of humanity killing itself.
The characters were fine but I feel they were unlikable, primarily because I did not enjoy their actions, nor their personalities. The story is primarily written in first person perspective of Elana but also uses third person perspective of Randil.
The writing style has a superfluous amount of words and is very slow.
The world building was definitely an interesting choice. The world felt very hollow. Not much is shown; It’s just a recollection of events or conversations. I would much have preferred seeing the everyday life of the people of Toris and more dialogue.
My final thoughts are that I did not enjoy reading this book. While it had interesting ideas and topics, I just couldn’t get past the slow pacing and poor execution of the plot. The writing style is just not to my liking. Personally I don’t recommend this book, however if you enjoy a slower paced and analytical kind of novel than this book might be for you.
This book deals with interesting topics and themes, primarily the “critical stage” as defined by the author, is a civilization that has the capacity to destroy itself or expand into space. I think the idea that exploring space or destroying oneself is an interesting and somewhat plausible idea, however I feel that it is a bit unrealistic. Exploring space or mining it for resources will not totally remove the threat of the critical stage. Governments will compete for resources and planets, and in my opinion result in something similar to The Expanse series by James S.A. Corey. War has always persisted throughout humanity’s history; I highly doubt that expanding into space will eliminate the threat of humanity killing itself.
The characters were fine but I feel they were unlikable, primarily because I did not enjoy their actions, nor their personalities. The story is primarily written in first person perspective of Elana but also uses third person perspective of Randil.
The writing style has a superfluous amount of words and is very slow.
The world building was definitely an interesting choice. The world felt very hollow. Not much is shown; It’s just a recollection of events or conversations. I would much have preferred seeing the everyday life of the people of Toris and more dialogue.
My final thoughts are that I did not enjoy reading this book. While it had interesting ideas and topics, I just couldn’t get past the slow pacing and poor execution of the plot. The writing style is just not to my liking. Personally I don’t recommend this book, however if you enjoy a slower paced and analytical kind of novel than this book might be for you.
May 20, 2025
I enjoyed this more than I expected. It gave me a quick, easy book to read, and the plot kept me on my toes. I'm intrigued by the premise of a highly developed inter-planetary society, and Engdahl raises some real questions and solid moral dilemmas.
However, much of the book--like its predecessor--felt shallow to me. Elana does more telling than showing throughout the story, she presents basic, non-detailed arguments in favor of the laws of the Service and the guidelines in the Oath, and she fails to convince me. Are readers simply supposed to calmly accept the scarcely defended statement that disclosure would be disastrous? Perhaps, and perhaps Engdahl can be excused in not building up more solid arguments. That wasn't the point of the story, it was simply a backdrop for the events and characters.
Elana also believes that the end justifies the means, and she believes that everyone believes that and that's what every society is built around and every person lives by. There are issues with that viewpoint, but she doesn't consider them.
Lastly, the idea that every planet is basically the same and follows basically the same path made me raise an eyebrow. There are vast differences in cultures on earth; each country has its own feel, its own look, its own assumptions and beliefs. Yet Elana slides smoothly in to life on a different planet without making note of cultural differences (with the exception of certain ignorances and barbarities of the Younglings) and with the blithe belief that she knows all about this planet because she studied Youngling worlds in the past.
Those issues aside, however, I felt the plot moved forward very nicely. It wasn't predictable, it wasn't too simple, and it reached a satisfying conclusion.
However, much of the book--like its predecessor--felt shallow to me. Elana does more telling than showing throughout the story, she presents basic, non-detailed arguments in favor of the laws of the Service and the guidelines in the Oath, and she fails to convince me. Are readers simply supposed to calmly accept the scarcely defended statement that disclosure would be disastrous? Perhaps, and perhaps Engdahl can be excused in not building up more solid arguments. That wasn't the point of the story, it was simply a backdrop for the events and characters.
Elana also believes that the end justifies the means, and she believes that everyone believes that and that's what every society is built around and every person lives by. There are issues with that viewpoint, but she doesn't consider them.
Lastly, the idea that every planet is basically the same and follows basically the same path made me raise an eyebrow. There are vast differences in cultures on earth; each country has its own feel, its own look, its own assumptions and beliefs. Yet Elana slides smoothly in to life on a different planet without making note of cultural differences (with the exception of certain ignorances and barbarities of the Younglings) and with the blithe belief that she knows all about this planet because she studied Youngling worlds in the past.
Those issues aside, however, I felt the plot moved forward very nicely. It wasn't predictable, it wasn't too simple, and it reached a satisfying conclusion.
September 24, 2020
I really liked Enchantress From the Stars, and while I agree that this book is darker and heavier than that, I don't think there's as wide a divide in age-level as the author does. Enchantress From the Stars had a lot of complex philosophical stuff in it just like this book, and both are best suited to young adult level.
Anyway, it was interesting to see Elana move on to a new mission now that she has been fully trained. She definitely gets put through her paces in this book and must face many philosophical and ethical dilemmas, which she works through as thoroughly as she can. There is a lot of debate about the Service and its policies, about what a society needs to evolve past the "Critical Stage" and avoid destroying itself, and what Elana is willing to do in order to carry out what she feels is right. She's got other factors to deal with in this book, including a fellow agent who has a completely different view on what's right for this planet, and a new best friend to whom she can't reveal herself, but who ends up getting drawn into the mix and the danger anyway.
It was a good read that makes you think, and also remains hopeful. The author has stated that she was using political story elements to advance her theories on the necessity of space colonization, and not trying to make the story reflect politically on the state of the world in 1971. Still, you can compare elements to American and world history, and it does make you curious how our slow push in regards to space travel could have affected our international politics.
I'm looking forward to reading another series by Engdahl.
Anyway, it was interesting to see Elana move on to a new mission now that she has been fully trained. She definitely gets put through her paces in this book and must face many philosophical and ethical dilemmas, which she works through as thoroughly as she can. There is a lot of debate about the Service and its policies, about what a society needs to evolve past the "Critical Stage" and avoid destroying itself, and what Elana is willing to do in order to carry out what she feels is right. She's got other factors to deal with in this book, including a fellow agent who has a completely different view on what's right for this planet, and a new best friend to whom she can't reveal herself, but who ends up getting drawn into the mix and the danger anyway.
It was a good read that makes you think, and also remains hopeful. The author has stated that she was using political story elements to advance her theories on the necessity of space colonization, and not trying to make the story reflect politically on the state of the world in 1971. Still, you can compare elements to American and world history, and it does make you curious how our slow push in regards to space travel could have affected our international politics.
I'm looking forward to reading another series by Engdahl.
November 26, 2017
Fiction doesn't have to be profound, just entertaining. But every once in a long while, a novel comes along that is both. Here, Sylvia Engdahl presents her "Critical Stage" argument for space exploration -- to wit, if we do not get out into space now, much further and longer than we have heretofore, then we may never get the opportunity again. As an advocate of space exploration and human life in the cosmos, I have explored this theme in my own non-fiction writings, noting how many cultures invented many things, only to see them languish (the Aztecs invented the wheel, to give but one example -- but they confined its use to just the toys of children). Engdahl had developed this idea years earlier, in The Far Side of Evil, but with all the tender flourishes and haunting interludes and personal verve of science fiction at its very best. The heroine, Elana (last seen in Enchantress from the Stars) is not very old. But the challenges she encounters echo from the very beginning to the ends of time, and speak to the very place of humanity in the universe, and what we need to do to attain and claim it. In age in which terrorism has threatened our ways of life in unexpected ways, Engdahl's probing story, and the recommendation it contains, are especially relevant. Originally published some four decades ago, this new edition, revised by the author's deft hand, is even better.
June 20, 2019
3.5 stars
I didn’t enjoy this one nearly as much as Enchantress From the Stars, but it was still a good read. You can tell this was written in the 70s when the nuclear arms race and the space race were a big deal. The author’s assertion (through the main character Elana) that every planet reaches a Critical Stage where they will either destroy themselves through nuclear war fare or launch out to conquer space was an interesting theory. And just like in Enchantress From the Stars, the author explores what it would be like for an entire civilization to truly live out the dictum of others before self. In many ways, it’s a hopeful story, despite the bleak picture of human existence on Toris (presented as a planet comparable to earth).
I didn’t enjoy this one nearly as much as Enchantress From the Stars, but it was still a good read. You can tell this was written in the 70s when the nuclear arms race and the space race were a big deal. The author’s assertion (through the main character Elana) that every planet reaches a Critical Stage where they will either destroy themselves through nuclear war fare or launch out to conquer space was an interesting theory. And just like in Enchantress From the Stars, the author explores what it would be like for an entire civilization to truly live out the dictum of others before self. In many ways, it’s a hopeful story, despite the bleak picture of human existence on Toris (presented as a planet comparable to earth).
December 21, 2023
Wow!
I don't agree with the author's opinions about a number of things (and she makes it clear in afterwords and elsewhere that several ideas which seem to be plot devices are her actual opinions), but she sure tells a good story!
The previous Elana book, Enchantress from the Stars, would probably be suitable for a 10-year-old and up, but for this one I would wait until 14 or so, depending on the person. There is torture, though the author is careful not to be graphic, and the account of it is mitigated in other ways.
Both are still quite interesting even to old people.
I don't agree with the author's opinions about a number of things (and she makes it clear in afterwords and elsewhere that several ideas which seem to be plot devices are her actual opinions), but she sure tells a good story!
The previous Elana book, Enchantress from the Stars, would probably be suitable for a 10-year-old and up, but for this one I would wait until 14 or so, depending on the person. There is torture, though the author is careful not to be graphic, and the account of it is mitigated in other ways.
Both are still quite interesting even to old people.
Read
December 17, 2014This is NOT the edition I have, which is a trade paperback, cited as being a 1991 edition, and has the same cover picture as one that's defined as a hardback in this database (pink and black, with a depiction of a woman looking at (through? I'm pretty sure they're not transparent) an Emblem).
I've commented in reviews of other editions of this many of my problems with the book. I don't like the valorization of suffering and sacrifice. I do not believe that the end EVER justifies the means. I have pretty serious problems with the notion of a galaxy-spanning civilization that can't even come up with a way to drive intruders out of a landing ship BEFORE the ship is destroyed. Or, for that matter, a ship that won't take off if loaded with missiles, at all. It wouldn't be that hard to establish safety features which would render the ship useless without injuring intruders, and degenerate the engines, steering systems, etc, in the event of unauthorized access. These simple precautions would prevent the protagonist from facing agonizing doubts and torture just to prevent destructive use of Federation facilities.
Other points arise on a rereading; some of them I've already covered. But one that I noted on this reading that I'd vaguely noticed before: why doesn't an anthropologist include much anthropological detail? For example, the Agent notes that part of the torture regime involves violating taboos which are almost completely unknown to Elana. Granted, she's a newcomer to the world, as are all agents of the Federation. But if she didn't at least know enough to avoid accidentally violating a taboo (as, for example, by having her hair cut short, when the recently-conquered city she has arrived at finds short hair obscene), how could she have managed at all?
Amnesia would provide an excuse for many lapses, to be sure. But I think of a story in which an amnesiac woman wonders if she drinks coffee. Trust me: if she didn't, she'd know. If you don't remember your first taste of coffee, I do. The aroma is enticing (when not overdone), but the actual taste is DISGUSTING. If you'd never had a cup of coffee, you'd be able to recognize that you hadn't, even if you couldn't remember consciously.
Are the Torisians really so benighted that they know NOTHING AT ALL about psychology? This seems more improbable than if they'd had eyes on their fingertips. Further, it seems belied by the arguments of the torturers, who, though they claim more knowledge of psychology than they have (most of it wrong, and all of it hypergeneralized), do at least have SOME claim to psychological knowledge. If they universalize highly variable and socially idiosyncratic traits (at one point, for example, Elana fails to respond in the expected manner to obscenities--because she doesn't recognize them as obscenities, never having encountered them in speech or writing before), they nevertheless have a reasonably canny understanding of how to use taboos to disturb social integration. Just because it doesn't work on an alien doesn't necessarily mean it wouldn't have worked on a local.
But the torturers' belief that they can consistently manipulate 'their own' people isn't consistent with the facts. Many people in all times and places where torture is practiced have successfully resisted torture: have refused to tell what they know even if the alternative is death...or prolonged suffering, which can be worse. You can only die once, after all. It's not just that people lie under torture, and tell their torturers anything they think the 'interrogators' want to know, true or entirely made up. It's that some people won't talk AT ALL. Elana comforts herself that the Torisians will eventually encounter somebody of their own soil who 'will' discover the truths she has laboriously been taught. But aside from psychic abilities (which are not a necessary prerequisite for successful resistance), there can be no doubt that there has ALREADY been abundant successful resistance. If not, there would be no need for the 'neo-Statists' to conquer or attempt to establish control. Why re-till already plowed soil? All that would be necessary would be to insert the new variables into the old plugs, and flip a few switches, and on to the next task.
The fact is that despotic societies are NOT effective at controlling people. They believe that they have 'the' key to people's minds. They not only do not have 'the' key: there IS no single key. The interrogator in this book would never prevail, even without the dea ex machina of the alien spy. He can't. He's trying to fly with a defective theory of lift, drag, and thrust.
The agents in the story are trying to figure out what causes 'Critical Stage' societies to fail or (more often) succeed. What if the critical factor is that somebody who's been trying to explain electromagnetic phenomena using a theory of aether, suddenly discovers a theory of electrons? If the Torisians have been working all along with a (several?) false theory(ies) of mentality, maybe the reason a commitment to space travel makes a difference is that those who venture 'where no one has gone before' discover new horizons in the mind, as well as the physical horizons beyond their homeworlds' gravity wells.
I've commented in reviews of other editions of this many of my problems with the book. I don't like the valorization of suffering and sacrifice. I do not believe that the end EVER justifies the means. I have pretty serious problems with the notion of a galaxy-spanning civilization that can't even come up with a way to drive intruders out of a landing ship BEFORE the ship is destroyed. Or, for that matter, a ship that won't take off if loaded with missiles, at all. It wouldn't be that hard to establish safety features which would render the ship useless without injuring intruders, and degenerate the engines, steering systems, etc, in the event of unauthorized access. These simple precautions would prevent the protagonist from facing agonizing doubts and torture just to prevent destructive use of Federation facilities.
Other points arise on a rereading; some of them I've already covered. But one that I noted on this reading that I'd vaguely noticed before: why doesn't an anthropologist include much anthropological detail? For example, the Agent notes that part of the torture regime involves violating taboos which are almost completely unknown to Elana. Granted, she's a newcomer to the world, as are all agents of the Federation. But if she didn't at least know enough to avoid accidentally violating a taboo (as, for example, by having her hair cut short, when the recently-conquered city she has arrived at finds short hair obscene), how could she have managed at all?
Amnesia would provide an excuse for many lapses, to be sure. But I think of a story in which an amnesiac woman wonders if she drinks coffee. Trust me: if she didn't, she'd know. If you don't remember your first taste of coffee, I do. The aroma is enticing (when not overdone), but the actual taste is DISGUSTING. If you'd never had a cup of coffee, you'd be able to recognize that you hadn't, even if you couldn't remember consciously.
Are the Torisians really so benighted that they know NOTHING AT ALL about psychology? This seems more improbable than if they'd had eyes on their fingertips. Further, it seems belied by the arguments of the torturers, who, though they claim more knowledge of psychology than they have (most of it wrong, and all of it hypergeneralized), do at least have SOME claim to psychological knowledge. If they universalize highly variable and socially idiosyncratic traits (at one point, for example, Elana fails to respond in the expected manner to obscenities--because she doesn't recognize them as obscenities, never having encountered them in speech or writing before), they nevertheless have a reasonably canny understanding of how to use taboos to disturb social integration. Just because it doesn't work on an alien doesn't necessarily mean it wouldn't have worked on a local.
But the torturers' belief that they can consistently manipulate 'their own' people isn't consistent with the facts. Many people in all times and places where torture is practiced have successfully resisted torture: have refused to tell what they know even if the alternative is death...or prolonged suffering, which can be worse. You can only die once, after all. It's not just that people lie under torture, and tell their torturers anything they think the 'interrogators' want to know, true or entirely made up. It's that some people won't talk AT ALL. Elana comforts herself that the Torisians will eventually encounter somebody of their own soil who 'will' discover the truths she has laboriously been taught. But aside from psychic abilities (which are not a necessary prerequisite for successful resistance), there can be no doubt that there has ALREADY been abundant successful resistance. If not, there would be no need for the 'neo-Statists' to conquer or attempt to establish control. Why re-till already plowed soil? All that would be necessary would be to insert the new variables into the old plugs, and flip a few switches, and on to the next task.
The fact is that despotic societies are NOT effective at controlling people. They believe that they have 'the' key to people's minds. They not only do not have 'the' key: there IS no single key. The interrogator in this book would never prevail, even without the dea ex machina of the alien spy. He can't. He's trying to fly with a defective theory of lift, drag, and thrust.
The agents in the story are trying to figure out what causes 'Critical Stage' societies to fail or (more often) succeed. What if the critical factor is that somebody who's been trying to explain electromagnetic phenomena using a theory of aether, suddenly discovers a theory of electrons? If the Torisians have been working all along with a (several?) false theory(ies) of mentality, maybe the reason a commitment to space travel makes a difference is that those who venture 'where no one has gone before' discover new horizons in the mind, as well as the physical horizons beyond their homeworlds' gravity wells.
November 16, 2020
Awesome.
Sylvia’s mind has an amazing understanding of the trials a species like ourselves must go through to ultimately become one with the stars and at peace with each other. Something I hope one day humans will achieve. Thank you for this read and know that there are many other minds on this planet that share your views.
Sylvia’s mind has an amazing understanding of the trials a species like ourselves must go through to ultimately become one with the stars and at peace with each other. Something I hope one day humans will achieve. Thank you for this read and know that there are many other minds on this planet that share your views.
June 16, 2023
A very different book from Enchantress from the Stars. The premise is fascinating, but the author's commentary at the end kind of ruined it for me. I just don't buy in to her assertion that space colonies are a resource-gaining option, even if they were as close as Mars. Come on, Matt Damon almost died!
February 15, 2025
Two stars for the writing and three stars for the ideas. In many ways this is a rather old-fashioned science fiction novel. The somewhat stilted writing makes it clear that it is from that period of the golden ghetto of science fiction before more literary values had permeated through. For all that it is still worth reading if you do like your classic sci-fi.
November 28, 2018
While I find these books incredibly fascinating and they effect me very deeply, I find that they go in and out of incredible sections of writing and very boring ones. Overall, a good read and I'd recommend just based on the subject matter addressed, but not my all time favorite.
December 27, 2018
It should be noted that the original year of publication 1971; while NASA was still very active.
Elana narrates parts of the story, which addresses warfare and hubris.
There is a strong similarity to Gene Roddenberry's: Star Trek
Elana narrates parts of the story, which addresses warfare and hubris.
There is a strong similarity to Gene Roddenberry's: Star Trek
September 29, 2019
Was reminded of this book by The Geeks' Guide to the Galaxy. Haven't read it for decades but the moral conflict between observation and salvation still haunts me. Those darn irreplaceable bread pills...
February 6, 2021
This is one of my favorite books of all time, and it formed a lot of my thinking about how mankind should function here on Earth. I had a lot of trouble tracking this title down on Goodreads, which saddens me, because it's a terrific book that I wish more people would read.
December 11, 2016
I won this book through Goodreads. Very enjoyable read. Loved the formatting and cover. The story was very exciting. I read it in 1 sitting. Too enthralling to put down.
February 4, 2020
This was such a thought-provoking book, while still being full of plenty of action.
June 3, 2021
It smarts a little to think I first read this book when I was in my early twenties, my mind full of the Apollo moon missions and Star Trek. I remember being impressed by its ideas and questions especially regarding that awkward Star Trek thing – the Prime Directive. Heavy sigh! I had long hair in those days, no paunch, my own teeth – forget the acne and the aching shyness.
Anyway, the teenage Elana – from Enchantress from the Stars - has managed to persuade the Federal Anthropological Service that she is ready for her first post-grad assignment. She is to be sent with another young operative, Randil, to observe the Youngling planet Toris as it teeters on the edge of nuclear self annihilation or progress into the stars. Whatever happens they must always remain anonymous observers. The Torisians must never know they have aliens among them.
Elana, courageous and dedicated, can handle that. She forms a friendship with a Torisian girl called Kari who accepts her as another Torisian. Sadly Randil is made of different material. He falls in love with Kari, knows he doesn't want to lose her, and as Toris stumbles closer to nuclear war that Prime Directive thing cracks and begins to crumble. Can Elana stitch things together and save the day?
Well, she's not one to throw in the towel and that's despite being captured and subjected to a lengthy torture scene involving sensory deprivation and an evil spy-breaker, Commander Feric, who seems to enjoy it all a little bit too much for comfortable reading. And she has an altruistic fellow observer in Varned to inspire her with his own willingness to accept execution rather than defy that rigid Directive.
It is a stirring adventure story with an heroic female role and the storytelling rolls along at a fairly hectic pace. However, you do begin to wonder about the Federation's attitude to Youngling civilizations. The term itself seems derogative. Perhaps the Federation is one step away from Empire and colonial repression. And if Younglings blow themselves up does the Federation really care? Do the Younglings become Losers while the Federation moves on to the next candidate. Randil's views may have shown greater empathy to our Youngling humanity than a Prime Directive inspired Elana ever would.
Anyway, the teenage Elana – from Enchantress from the Stars - has managed to persuade the Federal Anthropological Service that she is ready for her first post-grad assignment. She is to be sent with another young operative, Randil, to observe the Youngling planet Toris as it teeters on the edge of nuclear self annihilation or progress into the stars. Whatever happens they must always remain anonymous observers. The Torisians must never know they have aliens among them.
Elana, courageous and dedicated, can handle that. She forms a friendship with a Torisian girl called Kari who accepts her as another Torisian. Sadly Randil is made of different material. He falls in love with Kari, knows he doesn't want to lose her, and as Toris stumbles closer to nuclear war that Prime Directive thing cracks and begins to crumble. Can Elana stitch things together and save the day?
Well, she's not one to throw in the towel and that's despite being captured and subjected to a lengthy torture scene involving sensory deprivation and an evil spy-breaker, Commander Feric, who seems to enjoy it all a little bit too much for comfortable reading. And she has an altruistic fellow observer in Varned to inspire her with his own willingness to accept execution rather than defy that rigid Directive.
It is a stirring adventure story with an heroic female role and the storytelling rolls along at a fairly hectic pace. However, you do begin to wonder about the Federation's attitude to Youngling civilizations. The term itself seems derogative. Perhaps the Federation is one step away from Empire and colonial repression. And if Younglings blow themselves up does the Federation really care? Do the Younglings become Losers while the Federation moves on to the next candidate. Randil's views may have shown greater empathy to our Youngling humanity than a Prime Directive inspired Elana ever would.
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