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    Enchantress from the Stars
    Enchantress from the Stars
    Enchantress from the Stars
    Audiobook10 hours

    Enchantress from the Stars

    Written by Sylvia Engdahl

    Narrated by Jennifer Ikeda

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    A Newbery Honor Book and a Book Sense 76 Selection, Enchantress from the Stars is a science fiction classic. Three alien races meet on the small green world of Andrecia. The Imperial Exploration Corps wants to claim the planet for their own, but the Anthropological Service stands in their way. And when young Elana makes contact with native Georyn, a love story exploring the very depths of human emotion unfolds. "Original and charming ..."-Ursula K. LeGuin, New York Times best-selling author
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateFeb 15, 2008
    ISBN9781449802981
    Author

    Sylvia Engdahl

    Sylvia Engdahl is the author of eleven science fiction novels. She is best known for her six traditionally-published Young Adult novels that are also enjoyed by adults, all but one of which are now available in indie editions. That one, Enchantress from the Stars, was a Newbery Honor book, winner of the 2000 Phoenix Award of the Children's Literature Association, and a finalist for the 2002 Book Sense Book of the Year in the Rediscovery category. Her Children of the Star trilogy, originally written for teens, was reissued by a different publisher as adult SF.Recently she has written five independently-published novels for adults, the Founders pf Maclairn dulogy and the Captain of Estel trilogy. Although all her novels take place in the distant future, in most csses on hypothetical worlds, and thus are categorized as science fiction, they are are directed more to mainstream readers than to avid science fiction fans.Engdahl has also issued an updated edition of her 1974 nonfiction book The Planet-Girded Suns: Our Forebears' Firm Belief in Inhabited Exoplanets, which is focused on original research in primary sources of the 17th through early 20th centuries that presents the views prevalent among educted people of that time. In addition she has published three permafree ebook collections of essays.Between 1957 and 1967 Engdahl was a computer programmer and Computer Systems Specialist for the SAGE Air Defense System. Most recently she has worked as a freelance editor of nonfiction anthologies for high schools. Now retired, she lives in Eugene, Oregon and welcomes visitors to her website at www.sylviaengdahl.com. It includes a large section on space colonization, of which she is a strong advocate, as well as essays on other topics and detailed information about her books. She enjoys receiving email from her readers.

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    Reviews for Enchantress from the Stars

    4/5

    219 ratings13 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I read this in the 7th grade originally and I was really taken by the description of soda pop as a drink to be describe in a medival sort of society! That is what kick started it for me learning to really describe things in my writing.
    • 5/5
      I first read this book when I was in the sixth grade, and it changed my life. Not only was this the first science fiction story I'd ever read, it was my introduction to the idea that where you come from shapes how you see and interpret the world.

      The story is presented as an intersection of fairy tale and sci-fi adventure, with the medieval residents of the planet Andrecia interpreting the high tech tools of an advanced civilization as a "dragon".

      Elana, the story's heroine, is a somewhat rash but deeply principled young woman who accepts the consequences for all her actions and who faces the conflicts between heart and duty with a clear vision. The two other two p.o.v. characters share her idealistic qualities, each expressing them through the lense of his own unique background.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book when I first read it over 20 years ago, and I enjoyed it again today. The syntax and dialogue occasionally feels dated (the book was first published in 1970), but the ideas are as topical as ever.
    • 2/5
      I got halfway through this before I gave up (I'm 53 now, life is too short to keep reading books one's not enjoying!)

      It could have been titled "Ode to Mansplaining" as the all-knowing father goes on for pages, chapter after chapter, hectoring his daughter about stuff that she ought to know (to be fair, she doesn't seem to know the stuff she ought to know, but that's another issue!) The viewpoint is split for the most part between the characters who think they're in a fantasy, and the characters who know they're in a sci-fi novel, but you get nothing added from the other viewpoint--the SF characters know exactly what the fantasy characters are thinking, so reading their viewpoint is redundant.

      Other nits: I'm sure a "higher" civilization (itself an outmoded concept) can come up with better ways to save a planet than this screwy plan, the main protagonist is apparently of marriageable/university age, but acts/thinks/feels about 10, nobody's actually interesting (apparently they find each other interesting, but for no clear reason), and an early death is dispensed with / accepted so casually as to put one off our supposed heroes right away (and was also stupid).

      So mostly, I found it annoying, although I imagine it seemed radical in its day "Hey, kids, other people's cultures are valuable and you shouldn't colonize them!")

      (Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s)
    • 1/5
      I wasn't aware when I ordered this book that it was a YA selection... now, I pretty often read books that have been marketed toward teens - but I have this perception of two types of teen books (or childrens' books, for that matter.) One type is where the author had a story to tell, and told it, and then the publisher decided, for what ever reason, that the story would sell more to young people... and then the second sort is where the author says, "I feel like imparting a Valuable Message to Young People Today, so I will write an Instructive Book."
      Unfortunately, I feel that 'Enchantress From the Stars' is firmly in the second category.
      The protagonist, Alana, is a young woman from an advanced human culture, much like Ursula LeGuin's Ekumen - they travel the stars, studying, mostly keeping their nose out of more primitive planets' affairs (Prime Directive?) but anonymously interfering in the case of potential disaster.
      In this case, a primitive planet has been invaded by a colonizing team from a more technologically advanced and violent culture. The locals see the machines and gear of the invaders in the context of dragons and spells. Alana, although not yet a sworn member of the team, stows away on her father's ship, and is forced to become a full-fledged member of the team when one team member abruptly dies. Although unprepared, she must play the role of an 'enchantress' to the locals, who live in a culture similar to that seen in Western fairy tales.
      The plan is to convince the colonists that the locals possess 'magic' or psychic powers, in order to scare them into leaving. In doing so, Alana gains some experience and maturity, falls in love (sorta), and learns respect for those from less-advanced societies.
      I didn't really buy that this whole 'plan' would work at all - the way the invading culture was presented, I'm sure they would be much more interested in studying a primitive race with psychic powers, rather than just running away, no questions asked.
      My other problem with it is that the book is written in the format of a letter from Alana to a cousin (whom we never meet). However, the narrative spends a LOT of time explaining things about the society and culture that Alana lives in that she would never feel the need to state explicitly to a relative living in the same milieu. This sort of thing is one of my big pet peeves in literature...
    • 5/5
      Enchantress to the Stars first appeared in 1970, won a Newbury Honor in 1971, and is today still considered to be a shining jewel in the crown of juvenile science fiction--so it's odd that I'd never heard of this book until just last year. Me, a child of the late-seventies/early-eighties who devoured any book in our public library with a blue spaceship sticker on the spine. Me, an author in the field of speculative fiction for children, who continues to read as many genre books as time will allow. Me, who apparently still has a whole lot of classic literature left to discover.

      Arthur C. Clarke famously observed that any sufficiently developed technology is indistinguishable from magic. EftS is a graphic example of this principle in action. To the medieval natives on Planet Andrecia, spacesuited scouts from the expanding interstellar Empire are demons and their groundmoving equipment is a dragon to be slain. But to the science-minded Imperials, the New Age psychic abilities of the Federationites (Federationalists? Federationians?) are equally beyond their understanding. In fact, the mere disclosure of the Federation's existence would permanently impair the development of the entire Empire, which means that the benevolent and highly ethical Federation agents are obliged to die rather than divulge their secrets.

      This makes their society the ultimate high-tech conspiracy theory!

      Engdahl uses three points of view to present the intersection of three planetary cultures--a clever device marred slightly by the framing explanation that one character, Elana of the Federation, is enhancing her own narrative with imagined accounts of the events from two other points of view in a book-length missive to a younger relative. As a reader I constantly found myself jarred out of the story with questions like: How does she know that? Why would she think that? And is this something she'd really be telling to someone other than the judges at her upcoming mission inquest?

      But if the frame is ignored--perhaps with the use of "Start reading here" and "Stop reading here" tape flags--the three intertwining story strands represent the best traditions of epic fantasy, space cowboy heroics, and sentimental coming-of-age romance. Okay, so maybe I'm not the world's biggest fan of coming-of-age romance, but even I can appreciate a well-done interplanetary love triangle gone wrong. In this case, it goes something like this…



      INTERIOR - STONE HUT FURNISHED IN SPARSE MEDIEVAL STYLE

      Elana and Georyn stand gazing deeply into each other's eyes.

      ELANA: Oh, Georyn!

      GEORYN: Oh, Lady of the Enchanted Realms, I have placed you upon such a pedestal in my mind that no mere mortal of flesh and bone, such as myself, could ever dare to deem himself worthy of your notice, let alone your interest, and each word you speak thrills me with a million unspoken desires, such that I can hardly maintain any semblance of control--however I know that I must because it would be improper to even think such thoughts in your pristine presence and if you were to but suspect me of such blasphemy there would surely be no reason for you to continue the charade of pretending to care for me at all.

      ELANA (giggles): Oh, Georyn!

      EVREK (peering in through a window): How strange that Elana seems to enjoy spending so much time with that Youngling. I might be jealous if not for the security of being Elana's fiancee and having a psychic bond that allows us to share our deepest thoughts and emotions on a level that immature cultures could never imagine.

      ELANA (with a deep sigh): Oh, Georyn!



      EftS was first published soon after the original "Star Trek" series went off the air, at the height of the Space Race, just as mankind was still putting its first bootprints on the Moon. The book reflects the optimism and sense of wonder of its time, when it seemed inevitable that humans would march forward across the Solar System and out into the Galaxy. In the fashion of 50's and 60's sci-fi, the universe of EftS is crammed with inhabitable worlds with each planet inexplicably featuring Earthlike plants, Earthlike animals, and people who look and act just like us but maybe a tiny bit different. It made me wonder if, perhaps, some hidden force even above the Federation were seeding the planets with humanoid life, which of course there was and it's called an author.

      Otherwise, the story has stood the test of time and continues to provide ethical thought-food on the natural course of societal development, the power of belief, and the value of allowing aboriginal cultures to find their own paths. It's also notable that the most intelligent and intuitive character in the story by far is a member of the least developed society, and that the Andrecians and Imperials are both on their way to someday becoming the equals of the Federation, whose only advantage over the others is that "they got there first."

      Bottom line: Readers 9 and up will appreciate the blending of familiar fantasy and science fiction tropes, and might widen their own worlds in the process. Older readers who have somehow missed this book should make an effort to go back and look for it.
    • 5/5
      Elana is a young woman from an advanced civilization, in training to be part of the anthropology service. She looks forward to a life of traveling the universe, studying younger civilizations, seeing uncharted planets, and having grand adventures. However, when her impulsive nature lands her in the middle of a delicate mission for which she is unprepared, she discovers that the life she's chosen may not be as glamorous as she was imagining. As she, her father, and her fiance try to save one "youngling" culture from another, she finds that it's not possible to remain detached from the people she meets, particularly one young man who may be his planet's best hope for survival.I found this a quick, enjoyable read, as long as I made an effort to suspend disbelief at some of the tenets of the storyline. (All alien civilizations are basically humanoid and follow the same developmental stages? Hmm...) This book was written 45 years ago, and taking that into consideration, it's an impressive piece of science fiction. Plus, the character development is really good, and the plot (so long as one doesn't spend too much time picking it to pieces) is also fairly good. I'd recommend it.
    • 1/5
      I was young when I read this, I had not had training as a critical theorist or on postcolonialism and I still picked up on all the problematic issues this book chooses to romanticize.

      A young woman defies the rules of her space travelling culture to help the people of a world they are visiting (as far as I remember for "benevolent" observation). She does this because she falls in love with one of the locals. Not this young man or any other of the natives are presented as intelligent capable human beings, since their level of technology does not allow them to participate in what is really going on and even the brave lady does not think she should treat her beloved as an equal and let him know what is going on. Instead she wisens up and decides to paternalistically protect his little head from the shock of an advanced civilization, also abandoning him in the process. Not like you can EXPLAIN interstellar travel!

      So... all in all, left a terrible taste in my brain and it's been more than a decade since I read it.
    • 5/5
      Elana sneaks on board her father’s ship as he travels to the medieval-level planet Andrecia to protect the planet and its people from a more advanced space-faring people who aim to colonize the planet. Elana’s father is a member of the Federation Anthropological Service, designed to protect less sophisticated civilization and allow them to evolve at their own rate in their own way. Elana is in training for the same job. She becomes vital in the plan to protect Andrecia that must occur without revealing the existence of the Federation. The plan is to work through an Andrecian woodutter Georyn. It is Georyn’s faith and courage that can save his planet. This book is unique in that the story is coming from three very different viewpoints. Elana, as a member of the advanced Federation, sees the other two cultures as Younglings, one in the medieval, belief in magic stage and the other in the technological, belief in science stage. She alone of the three sees the whole picture. Jarel, an apprentice medical officer, is a member of invading colonizers who wishes the planet did not have a native humanoid race. He regrets the destruction of Andrecia his people will commit, but he cannot stop it, being only one man, and he does agree that society must progress. The Andrecian peasant Georyn knows only that a dragon exists on the other side of the woods and that it must be defeated. He sees Elana as the Enchantress from the Stars who will aid him in defeating the dragon. The interweaving of the multiple views and perspectives give the story a richness and a depth that allows this science fiction to story to fully engage the reader. The book captures the heart and the imagination. The book features gorgeous, black and white illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. It is a 1971 Newbery Honor book and it fully deserves that honor. It is one of the finest science fiction and fantasy combination titles available for young adults. It is recommended for readers 11 and up.
    • 5/5
      So, the premise for this story is pretty simple at first. It's a futuristic story about a girl, Elana, who stows away on her father's spaceship to observe an anthropological mission. This group, the Imperial Exploration Corps studies the "Younglings" on less technologically advanced planets. They also "protect" weaker planets from being exploited by stronger ones. For this particular mission Elana is called into service (once she has been discovered as a stowaway) to trick the natives of an exploited planet into helping themselves fight a "dragon." The natives think their woodland is being haunted by a tree-eating dragon when really it's intruding strangers hell bent on taking over their planet by clearing their land. Elana uses psychic powers to argue with her father and help the natives, as well as fight the intruders. The most interesting thing about Enchantress From the Stars is the different points of view. Engdahl switches from the first person perspective of Elana to a third person approach with the natives and the intruders giving the story more depth and interest.
    • 2/5
      This is quite a lengthy story about a modern civilized world coming to a "youngling" world in order to help save it from being taken over by another youngling world with more technology. A young girl, Elana, sneaks aboard her father's ship bound for a mission. While on the world she learns many lessons of sacrifice and how it is her team's responsibility to protect the youngling people she is with from learning of the future. Elana, her father, and her fiance plan to trick two youngling men so they may be the ones to save the planet. The two men succeed in each test and then learn what they think is magic. After many trials, the older brother decides to try to go and defeat the "dragon" of the other world. He dies in the attempt so the younger brother, Georyn, goes through more tests so he may defeat the dragon. Of course, the plan goes ary and Elana and Georyn must show courage in the end in order to save the planet. There is a love that grows between them, even though he sees her as an enchantress. It is a sad departing when Elana must go back to her world.This would be a good discussion book for 6th-8th grade about the advancing of technology and how our world is affected by it. Also, they could discuss how knowledge is the tool that defines who we are.
    • 3/5
      Alanna stows away on a landing craft when representatives of her advanced civilization try to save a primitive society and its planet from an invading force. Young, untried and unsworn, she has a key role to play in stopping the takeover.
    • 5/5
      First edition (woohoo!!!)One of my favorite books of all time!!! If I were going to change my name, I would change it to Elana. So well-written. Sylvia Engdahl has one helluva head on her shoulders. I always feel a little inspired reading her words.