Sylvia Engdahl's Essays About Her Books and Writing
These are essays about specific books and about writing. As some of those in the ebook are quite long you may prefer to read them there -- it is permafree at all ebook retailers (see the links below).
Essays in the ebook Reflections on Enchantress from the Stars and Other Essays
About My Novels
Reflections on Enchantress from the Stars
A more detailed and formal presentation of things I have been saying in my FAQs and elsewhere for many years. Please read it, especiallly if you are a teacher who has discussed the book with young readers. (2017)
Update on the Critical Stage: The Far Side of Evil's Relevance Today
An explanation of why The Far side of Evil isn't oudated, with some of my later thoughts about the Critical Stage. (2017)
Faith as the Focus of Children of the Star
The intended themes of the trilogy, and why the third book appeared long after the first two. (Contains major spoilers.) (1972, 2017)
A Response to Some Reactions to
Journey Between Worlds
The reasons for my characterization of the heroine: a reply to those who criticized it. (2015)
Thoughts About the Flame Novels
How I came to write them, one by one wiithout having planned to go beyond the previous one. (Contains spoilers.) (2019, 2021)
Why My Adult Novels Aren't Suitable for Kids
The reasons why the novels in my Founders of Maclairn duology and Captain of Estel trilogy shouldn't be given to readers below high school age. (2017)
About Literature for Young People
The Mythic Role of Space Fiction
Modified version of my acceptance speech for the 1990 Phoenix Award. (1990)
The Changing Role of Science Fiction in Children's Literature
In Horn Book Magazine, October 1971, pp. 449-455. Reprinted in
Children and Literature, Virginia Haviland, ed., Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1973 (Not available online.)
Perspective on the Future: The Quest of Space Age Young People
Adapted from a speech presented to the Washington State Association of School Librarians. (1972)
The Relevance of Roots
Based on a speech presented at Parkway School District, St. Louis. (1990)
Why Write for Today's Teenagers?
In Horn Book Magazine, June 1972, pp. 249-254. Reprinted in Crosscurrents of Criticism, Paul Heins, ed., The Horn Book, 1977. (Not available ionline.)
Do Teenage Novels Fill a Need? *
In English Journal, February 1975, pp. 48-52. Reprinted in Young Adult Literature in the Seventies, Jana Varlejs, ed., Scarecrow Press, 1978. (Not avaiable online.)
About Writing and Publishing
The Trouble with Genre Labeling
Appeared in the blog Night Owl Reviews. (2010)
Not All Stories About the Future Should Be Called Science Fiction
Introduction to the ebook edition of Anywhere, Anywhen. (2011)
What It Takes to Write a Novel
An invited contribution to Critique Magazine's "On Writing III," explaining why I haven't written more novels. (2003)
Autobiographical Essays
Autobiography: Sylvia Louise Engdahl
Originally published in Something About the Author, Vol. 122, Gale, 2001 and Contemporary Aurhors, Vol. 195, Gale 2001. A long essay of about 20,000 words, illustrated with pictures. (1988, 2001)
Looking Back from my Eighties
A more personal autobiography dealing with aspects of my life not covered in the Something About the Author essay. (2017, not available ionline.)
Bibliography of Sylvia Engdahl's Published Writing
Other Essays
Afterword to the 2003 Edition of The Far Side of Evil
Explaining what did, and did not, need updating in the new edition. (2003)
Are My Novels Set in a Distinct Fictional Universe?
To my dismay, some online sources grouped novels of my separate series as "The Anthropological Service Universe series," causing confusion. (2019)
Discussion Guide for Stewards of the Flame
Questions about the story for discussion by book clubs. A free copy of the book will be sent on request if your book club is considering it.
How Genre Labeling Keeps Some Books from Being Discovered
Indies Unlimited, June 25, 2013
Are You Sure the Description of Your Book at Amazon Is Your Latest One?
Indies Unlimited, August 19, 2014
How to Post Author Updates at Amazon Author Central if You Don't Have a Blog
Indies Unlimited, July 29, 2016
For Engdahl's essays about space, click the SPACE tab above.
For her essays about topics such as future lifestyles, artificial intelligence, psi, and healthcare policy, click the OPINION tab above.
You can download the free ebook Reflections on Enchantress from the Stars and Other Essays at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play (in PDF form), and Smashwords. Amazon sometimes prices it at 99 cents without informing me; if this happens get the mobi (Kindle) format at Smashwords.
There is no print edition, but if you prefer to see pages rather than flowing text you can get a pdf edition at Google Play that's formatted just like a book (rather than like a manuscript) and you can print it if you want to. (It's called "original pages" rather than "pdf" on the order page.) Also, there is a short sampler paperback containing 12 essays from my essay collections, since the ebooks are too long to be issued in paperback at reasonable prices.
Last updated in December 2023