This Star Shall Abide: aka Heritage of the Star

by Sylvia Engdahl

Overview

(This book is known in the UK as Heritage of the Star.)

Children of the Star trilogy, Book One. Noren knew that his world was not as it should be—it was wrong that only the Scholars and Technicians could use metal and Machines. It was wrong that only they had access to the knowledge hidden in the mysterious City. He was a heretic. He defied the High Law and had no faith in the Prophecy’s promised fulfillment. But was defiance enough, or could some way be found to make it come true?

This classic science fiction novel is enjoyed by readers age 12 and up as well as by older teens and adults who go on to read the other two books of the trilogy, Beyond the Tomorrow Mountains and The Doors of the Universe. Originally published in hardcover by Atheneum in the US as Young Adult fiction and by Gollancz in the UK under the title Heritage of the Star, it was the winner of a Christopher Award, given for "affirmation of the highest values of the human spirit."

In 2000 an updated omnibus edition of the entire trilogy Children of the Star was republished as adult science fiction. Ebook editions of the three novels were issued under the author's personal imprint Ad Stellae Books in 2008, a new paperback edition of this book alone in 2010, a paperback edition of the omnibus in 2012, and an audiobook edition of this book alone in 2013. The covers of the ebooks were changed in 2015 and again in 2016 without any change to the books themselves.

From the reviews:

“Tension-filled, beautiful and haunting.” —Commonweal

“Both logically and consistently suspenseful.... This Star will Abide a good deal longer than most here today, gone tomorrow sci-fi.” —Kirkus Reviews

“An excellent plot and remarkable character development make this tale of the future highly satisfying and thought-provoking.” —Top of the News, American Library Association

“This is not the electronic-light-flashing-exterminate-him-thing from outer space type of science fiction. It is an allegory which poses one of the most heart-searching dilemmas of the human race, perhaps in the C. S. Lewis tradition. I mean Perelandra rather than Narnia.... This is a thought-provoking book distantly related to Lord of the Rings and The Glassbead Game, and may appeal to a similar readership.” —The Junior Bookshelf, London

“The story is noteworthy for its dramatization of the crucial meeting of man, science and the universe.” —Horn Book

“Superior future fiction concerning the fate of an idealistic misfit, Noren, who rebels against his highly repressive society.... The attention of mature sci-fi readers will be held by the skillful writing and excellent plot and character development.” —School Library Journal

“In another superior and thoughtful science fiction novel, the author has created a believable civilization ... on a far-off planet in a far-distant time.... What happens to the hero Noren when he forces admission to the inner city makes for fascinating reading.” —Chicago Daily News

“This is more than an exceptionally fine book about outer space. It is a wonderful book, perhaps telling the subtle story of many faiths. Watch for this for awards.” —Fresno Bee

“I read this, fascinated, right to the end. The sequel that Miss Engdahl promises might benefit from a reduction in soul-searching, but I’m sure it will be worth reading.” —Christian Science Monitor

Product Details

BN ID:	2940000842836
Publisher:	Ad Stellae Books
Publication date:	04/05/2010
Series:	Children of the Star , #1
Sold by:	Smashwords
Format:	eBook
File size:	325 KB
Age Range:	13 Years

About the Author

Sylvia Engdahl is the author of ten science fiction novels. She is best known for her traditionally-published Young Adult novels that are also enjoyed by adults. One of them, 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 republished as adult SF. Recently she has been writing independently-published novels for adults, the Hidden Flame dulogy and the RIsing Flame duology. Although all her novels take place in the distant future on hypothetical worlds and thus are categorized as science fiction, they are character-driven and are directed more to mainstream readers than to avid science fiction fans. Engdahl is a strong advocate of space colonization and has maintained a widely-read space section of her website for many years. She has also recently issued an updated edition of her 1974 nonfiction book The Planet-Girded Suns: The History of Human Thought About Extrasolar Worlds, which is focused on original research in primary sources of the 17th through early 20th centuries. She lives in Eugene, Oregon.