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Enchantress
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From: Jonathan Hunt <jhunt24>
Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2001 17:14:20
While I do think Harry Potter has had a great impact on the marketability of both newly written fantasy and recent fantasy re-issues, ENCHANTRESS FROM THE STARS seems an unlikely, improbable choice for all those If-you-liked-Harry-Potter lists.
If I see an influence, it has to be in the physical production of the book, from the beautiful cover illustration by the Dillons to their interior artwork for the chapter headings.
To me, ENCHANTRESS seems much more closely akin to those books which straddle fantasy and science fiction. Ron already mentioned Anne McCaffrey's Harper Hall trilogy, and I'd also add Madeleine L'Engle's Time quartet, and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy to this group. Engdahl seems particularly interested in using science fiction as a vehicle to explore fundamental questions about the human condition.
One of my favorite review quotes regarding her work is from the Provident Book Finder, and expresses my sentiments exactly: "Engdahl's science fiction I cannot praise highly enough. Anyone truly interested in books of philosophical and moral depth for young people should fix her name in his mind. The questions posed are not easy, the answers are rarely pat, but surely in a time of moral, social, economic and ecological crisis they are extremely relevant."
Jonathan
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Received on Tue 06 Nov 2001 05:14:20 PM CST
Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2001 17:14:20
While I do think Harry Potter has had a great impact on the marketability of both newly written fantasy and recent fantasy re-issues, ENCHANTRESS FROM THE STARS seems an unlikely, improbable choice for all those If-you-liked-Harry-Potter lists.
If I see an influence, it has to be in the physical production of the book, from the beautiful cover illustration by the Dillons to their interior artwork for the chapter headings.
To me, ENCHANTRESS seems much more closely akin to those books which straddle fantasy and science fiction. Ron already mentioned Anne McCaffrey's Harper Hall trilogy, and I'd also add Madeleine L'Engle's Time quartet, and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy to this group. Engdahl seems particularly interested in using science fiction as a vehicle to explore fundamental questions about the human condition.
One of my favorite review quotes regarding her work is from the Provident Book Finder, and expresses my sentiments exactly: "Engdahl's science fiction I cannot praise highly enough. Anyone truly interested in books of philosophical and moral depth for young people should fix her name in his mind. The questions posed are not easy, the answers are rarely pat, but surely in a time of moral, social, economic and ecological crisis they are extremely relevant."
Jonathan
_________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
Received on Tue 06 Nov 2001 05:14:20 PM CST
