Young Adult/Teen

324

A science fiction novel related to Enchantress from the Stars because it has the same heroine, but completely independent and intended for older teen readers.

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Elana, having completed her training as an agent of the Anthropological Service, 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.

The 2003 edition has been revised, mainly to update statements about the significance of space colonization. The story's action hasn't changed, but the book is now much more timely than the 1971 edition.

Now also available in paperback from Firebird, ISBN 0142402931.