Defender of the Flame Official Author Site of

Sylvia Louise Engdahl


New!
My brand new novel, Defender of the Flame. While this novel completes the trilogy begun with Stewards of the Flame and Promise of the Flame, it is a completely independent story set two hundred years later, and can be read alone. Unlike my other earlier novels, it is not a Young Adult book and is not appropriate for middle-school readers. (If you are wondering why, please read the Flame Trilogy FAQ). However, it will be of interest to adults and mature high school students who have enjoyed Enchantress from the Stars and The Far Side of Evil, as it deals with some of the same themes. Available in paperback and ebook editions -- click on the cover for full information and an excerpt, or to purchase a signed copy at 20% off. cover of The Planet-Girded Suns


Recently issued: Updated paperback and ebook editions of my 1974 nonfiction book The Planet-Girded Suns: The History of Human Thought about Extrasolar Worlds, with a new Afterword, "Confronting the Universe in the Twenty-First Century." Click on the cover for full information and to purchase a signed copy at 20% off.

Plus, a new print-on-demand edition of Children of the Star (all three novels of the trilogy in one volume), as all copies of the Meisha Merlin edition are gone. Also available: paperback and audiobook editions of This Star Shall Abide (known in the uk as Heritage of the Star), Book One of Children of the Star. Unlike books Two and Three, it can be enjoyed by readers as young as 12, so it is now available separately for those wanting a book for middle-school readers.


Explore My Site!

Frequently Asked Questions
About my writing and about my life.

Excerpts from Reviews
Reviewers' comments on my YA novels.

FAQ about the Elana Books
Comments on Enchantress from the Stars and The Far Side of Evil

FAQ about Children of the Star
My trilogy for older teens and adults (contains spoilers).

My Adult Trilogy
Description, reviews, video trailer, FAQ, background information.

Gateway to My Space Pages
My essays, lecture series, space quotes, links, and more.

Ad Stellae Books Entry Page
Imprint for my indie editions.

My Essays and Interviews
About writing for teens, and more.

My Awards and Publications
A complete bibliography.

More Topics I Care About
Parapsychology, medical philosophy, etc.

Purchase Signed Copies
Now all at sale prices!

Ebook Information
How to choose an ebook format.

A Writer's Cats
The cats who've lived with me.

In Memory of Mildred Butler Engdahl
A memorial to my mother.

Advice to Aspiring Writers
Questions I'm often asked.

Guest Book
Please make comments!



My Books ~ Click on Covers for Detailed Information

Six YA science fiction novels, all republished in hardcover in the 21st century
Three adult science fiction novels, published in 2007, 2009 and 2013
A nonfiction book updated and republished in 2012
An anthology of stories edited by me that contains my short fiction


Ad Stellae paperback and ebook editions (my personal imprint)

cover of Stewards of the Flame
For adults
Paperback and ebook
cover of Promise of the Flame
For adults
Paperback and ebook
Defender of the Flame
For adults
Paperback and ebook

This Star Shall Abide ebook edition
(aka Heritage of the Star)
Age 12 and up
Paperback, ebook, audiobook
Beyond the Tomorrow Mountains ebook edition
High school & adults
Ebook only

The Doors of the Universe ebook edition
High school & adults
Ebook only


cover of Children of the Star
High school & adults
Paperback only
The Planet-Girded Suns updated edition
High school & adults
Paperback and ebook
The Far Side of Evil ebook edition
High school & adults
Ebook only


Firebird paperback editions (hardcover editions out of print but still available)

Enchantress from the Stars Firebird paperback
Age 11 & older
The Far Side of Evil Firebird edition
High school & adults
Journey Between Worlds Firdbird edition
Age 12 & older


From the Reviews of My YA Novels

On Enchantress from the Stars: "Not just a novel for young adults but also one of the finest sf novels ever written--a classic of the genre. The only possible complaint one can make is that, after finishing it, you will likely find yourself disinclined for a while to pick up anything else in the genre for fear it will, as it were, taste of ashes. In sum, it is almost impossible to convey how good this book is. Please just read it." --John Grant, infinityplus

On The Far Side of Evil: "Fiction doesn't have to be profound, just entertaining. But every once in a long while, a novel comes along that is both.... [it] speak[s] to the very place of humanity in the universe, and what we need to do to attain and claim it. In an 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." --Paul Levinson, amazon.com

On Journey Between Worlds: "A beautifully-written, heartwarming, and scientifically plausible novel. What's more, it's quite a lot of fun ... The sort of thing that's easy to devour in one sitting, and though short, it will leave you satiated afterward. On the other hand, now that I'm done with it, I want more." --John Joseph Adams, Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show,

On Children of the Star: "Once again, Engdahl creates a believable and thought-provoking piece of sf/fantasy that doesn't fall to the usual ray-guns-or-dragons cliches. The questions raised about freedom in this book kept making me pause in the middle of a page, thinking deeply about what was being shown in the story.... For fans of originality/intelligence: there's plenty." --E. A. Solinas, amazon.com

From the Reviews of My Adult Novels

On Stewards of the Flame: "A thought provoking novel that may make you question the authority and direction of modern Western medical practices. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading genre fiction with some substance to it." --Anna Creech, Blogcritics

On Promise of the Flame: "It is not necessary to read the first [book] in order to be enthralled by the second. . . . Engdahl's gift is to make her characters seem comfortable and familiar to the reader, even though their circumstances are not. Although clearly a work of science fiction, the ideas and futuristic possibilities are disturbingly real and will remain with the reader long after they've finished the book." --Peggy LaVake, IndieReader Staff Review



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Entire site copyright 1997-2012 by Sylvia Engdahl (except where earlier text copyright indicated).
Last updated April 20, 2013

Approximate number of visitors since July 1, 2000