Books like Downward to the Earth by Robert Silverberg
Belzagor, once part of Earth’s Galaxy‑wide empire, is a planet of stark contrasts—from mist‑shrouded valleys to lush jungles. Its two intelligent species, the elephant‑like Nildoror and the husky, dark‑haired Sulidoror, have reclaimed independence after decolonization. Edmund Gundersen, a former Earth colonial official, comes back ostensibly as a tourist, but secretly to atone for a past transgression: during a crisis he commandeered a group of Nildoror for manual labor, using a fusion torch to force obedience, thereby preventing their essential ceremony of rebirth. Seeking absolution, Gundersen intends to journey alone through the jungle and offer himself as a candidate for rebirth in Belzagor’s esoteric rite, even if it means relinquishing his human life.
First publish date: August 17, 1976
Genre: Science Fiction/Space Opera
Authors: Robert Silverberg
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