Green Sky Trilogy
| Industry | Publishing, Literature |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1975 |
| Founder | Zilpha Keatley Snyder |
| Products | Science fantasy novels |
| Parent | Atheneum |
The Green Sky Trilogy comprises a set of science fantasy novels authored by Zilpha Keatley Snyder, released from 1975 to 1978 through Atheneum, featuring artwork by Alton Raible.
This trilogy unfolds on the extraterrestrial world of Green-sky, focusing on the Kindar, a humanoid civilization inhabiting seven arboreal cities constructed within colossal trees. The narrative primarily takes place in Orbora, the largest of these cities. The Kindar sustain themselves by gathering food from tree vines and orchards, and navigate between the towering trees via ladders woven from vines. Due to the planet's reduced gravity, they can safely fall from significant heights and glide using their shuba, a cape-like wingsuit crafted from silk.
Descending to the forest floor is prohibited for the Kindar, who fear the Pash-shan, creatures thought to be monstrous beings confined below. In truth, the Pash-shan are the descendants of Kindar prisoners known as Erdlings.
Their society is characterized by an idealistic absence of violence and negative feelings, upheld through strict social rituals involving chants and songs. Governance and spiritual leadership rest with the elite group called the Ol-zhaan, who oversee political affairs, assign roles at age thirteen, and select two "Chosen" individuals to join their order.
Children among the Kindar exhibit psychic talents referred to as spirit-force, which generally diminish between ages five and ten. The Ol-zhaan are believed to maintain these abilities into adulthood and actively recruit gifted youths as Chosen members. Spirit-force encompasses several skills:
- Pensing – The capacity for mind reading and telepathic communication, varying from emotional sensing to full mental exchange.
- Kiniporting – The ability to move lightweight objects over short distances using telekinesis.
- Grunspreking – The manipulation of plant growth for diverse purposes.
- Foretelling – Occasional prophetic visions concerning future occurrences.
The storyline of the trilogy is further expanded by the 1984 game Below the Root, which includes an author-written narrative considered part of the official canon.
Characters
- Raamo D'ok – A thirteen-year-old boy exhibiting potent Spirit-force, chosen for induction into the Ol-zhaan.
- Pomma D'ok – Raamo’s seven-year-old sister.
- Genaa D'anhk – A thirteen-year-old girl selected as the other Chosen alongside Raamo.
- Hiro D'anhk – Genaa’s father, a revered Kindar who is confined within the Erdling realm.
- Teera Eld – An Erdling child who has escaped to Green-sky.
- D'ol Neric – A young member of the Ol-zhaan responsible for recruiting Raamo to investigate Green Sky’s hidden truths.
- D'ol Falla – A senior Ol-zhaan figure serving as high priestess of the vine.
See also
- Trilogy
- Below the Root, video game adaptation
External links
- Fan page dedicated to Green-sky
- Blog themed around Green-sky: Berry Dreamers
- Rob McAlear, "The ideology of the wissenvine: Critique and Closure in Zilpha Keatley Snyder's Green-sky Trilogy." Studies in the Novel 42(1):139-153, March 2010.
- Carrie Hintz, "Joy but Not Peace: Zilpha Keatley Snyder's Green-sky Trilogy." In Utopian and Dystopian Writing for Children and Young Adults, edited by Carrie Hintz and Elaine Ostry (Routledge, 2009), p. 107.