This novella follows the story of Magnus, who lives in the village of Arden, from his seventh birthday until he is almost sixty. Through his eyes we learn about the encroaching ice age, advancing on his planet of Aerth. It feels like a medieval culture, subsistence agriculture during their brief, chilly summer, old, solid wood structures heated with wood in hearths, wool and leather clothing. In school and at home, children learn five rules for living: First, do no harm. Listen with all your heart. Walk gently. Live truth. Love. We learn that this planet has suffered two waves of virus that have killed a large portion of the population. Perhaps society experienced great chaos during those periods, leading to this cash-free, cooperative, peaceful co-existence of mutual aid and dependence. There is little to no discussion of history here.

Magnus feels great urges toward adventure and exploration, so when he turns eighteen he abandons this life. We are surprised to learn that Aerth has a space program, establishing a colony on Mars, terraforming that planet. While establishing the colony, astronauts learn of a twin planet on the opposite side of their sun, which they call Urth. Magnus volunteers to travel to Mars, then on to Urth, leading a team of five astronauts.

Urth feels more like our planet, only a bit further in the future. Greatly over-populated, it is a society of deception, constant wars, violence, cynicism, drinking and drugs. They appear to be amidst a global warming trend, and there is no natural space, no forests— only high rises, technology, and everyone out for themselves. Seeing this world through Magnus’s eyes, you will gain a fresh perspective on our world. I am leaving out many aspects and details for you to discover, just to highlight the main focus: two similar worlds that are choosing very different values and ways of living in response to the natural challenges of their respective planets.

We learn upon Magnus’ much later return to Aerth, that Urth’s astronauts would like to visit Aerth. I think you will agree that Aerth should dissuade any such visit, any influence coming from Urth. The fact that Aerth’s society is maternal, with values of peaceful cooperation drilled into their children by mothers and older women who serve as mentors to the teens, implies that Aerth has learned the hard way, and is leaving a society similar to Urth’s in its past. Just a suspicion. Aerth has chosen a better way. I highly recommend this novella— a quick read, packed with thought-provoking ideas, great for a book discussion group.