Published: March 15, 2010
Words: 164,564 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781452401416

Short description

When starship captain Jesse Sanders is detained by a dictatorial medical regime on the colony planet Undine, he is plunged into a life involving ordeals and joys unlike anything he has ever imagined. This controversial novel deals with the so-called paranormal powers of the human mind and appeals to a wide range of readers who question the dominant medical philosophy of today's society.

Extended description

Crime is considered illness, untreated illness is crime; ambulances crews are the only police. Dead bodies stay on "life support" forever. Can anyone gain freedom?

When burned-out starship captain Jesse Sanders is seized by a dictatorial medical regime and detained on the colony planet Undine, he has no idea that he is about to be plunged into a bewildering new life that will involve ordeals and joys beyond anything he has ever imagined, as well as the love of a woman with powers that seem superhuman. Still less does he suspect that he must soon take responsibility for the lives of people he has come to care about and the preservation of their hopes for the future of humankind.

Winner of a bronze medal in the Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards, this controversial novel deals with government-imposed health care, end-of-life issues, and the so-called paranormal powers of the human mind. Despite being set in the distant future on another world, it appeals not only to science fic.. (Read more) Crime is considered illness, untreated illness is crime; ambulances crews are the only police. Dead bodies stay on "life support" forever. Can anyone gain freedom?

When burned-out starship captain Jesse Sanders is seized by a dictatorial medical regime and detained on the colony planet Undine, he has no idea that he is about to be plunged into a bewildering new life that will involve ordeals and joys beyond anything he has ever imagined, as well as the love of a woman with powers that seem superhuman. Still less does he suspect that he must soon take responsibility for the lives of people he has come to care about and the preservation of their hopes for the future of humankind.

Winner of a bronze medal in the Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards, this controversial novel deals with government-imposed health care, end-of-life issues, and the so-called paranormal powers of the human mind. Despite being set in the distant future on another world, it appeals not only to science fiction readers but to others who question the dominant medical philosophy of today's society, or who value personal freedom of choice.

From the reviews:

"The story is compelling, and drew me in from the first few pages. . . . I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading genre fiction with some substance to it." --Blogcritics

"A suspenseful and thought-provoking novel that seems so plausible that it sends chills up my spine . . . truly a masterpiece of parapsychological science fiction." --Rebecca’s Reads

"A chilling look at what extreme socialized medicine could become in the hands of a dictatorial medical regime. . . Would make an excellent discussion topic for a book club." --MyShelf.com

"A brilliant twist on dystopianism. . . . The book builds just the right amount of tension, and shows the stark reality of benevolent tyranny, one that any so-called democracy could creep towards quite easily." --Prometheus

"Grips the attention with the raw immediacy of the problems. . . . It asks the sort of questions only SF can pose, and paints a vivid picture of where failing to answer those questions might lead. . . . Stewards is the kind of SF I've been craving!" --Jacqueline Lichtenberg (author of the Sime/Gen series)

"Stewards of the Flame is a brave book, and the numbers of those holding to the sentiments it conveys are growing. While the novel portrays extreme measures taken to prolong life to reductio ad absurdum lengths, it can't be faulted for challenging our comfort zone, when after all, that is one sure measure of worthwhile fiction." --ScifiDimensions

The author:

Sylvia Engdahl is the author of the Newbery Honor book Enchantress from the Stars and other Young Adult novels. Stewards of the Flame and its sequel Promise of the Flame are her first novels for adults.
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Tags

dystopia, future, freedom, paranormal powers, esp, space colonies, medical policy

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Videos

Trailer for Stewards of the Flame
When burned-out starship captain Jesse Sanders is detained by a dictatorial medical regime on the colony planet Undine, he is plunged into a bewildering new life involving ordeals and joys unlike anything he has ever imagined, as well as the love of a woman with powers that seem superhuman. And ultimately, he must take responsibility for the lives of people he has come to care about.

Reviews

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Review by: jules103 on Dec. 28, 2011 :
This is a well-written, thought-provoking book that held my attention. Science fiction has often been defined as "what if..." and Stewards of the Flame fits that description: What if the government and the health care industry was the same entity? What if dying is a crime? What if health care providers find you because of potential health problems rather than you calling the doctor?
I look forward to reading the sequel.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

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