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The Turning Place: Stories of a Future Past
Nine short stories reveal various aspects of future life on Earth and other planets.
220 pages, Paperback
First published March 31, 1976
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71 people want to read
About the author
Jean E. Karl
8 books6 followersJean Edna Karl was an American book editor and writer who specialized in children's and science fiction titles. She founded and led the children's division and young adult and science fiction imprints at Atheneum Books.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 18, 2017
Exciting and thought-provoking, at least to a young teen in the time this was written. Much smarter than Heinlein or even Asimov juveniles. The newer golden cover is much more appropriate than the purple that I read, but even a bad cover didn't spoil this creative speculative SF. The stories are linked, and since the earlier stories take place in the near future, they're more accessible, more immediately interesting. The far future does get a little weird, and so the later stories are more about how it gets weird, and a little less about the individual characters... but the characters are, nonetheless, all more developed than cardboard icons.
I would have been the right age for it when it was new. And I would have given it five stars then. I'm tempted to keep it now for a reread later. I will try to find more by the author.
I would have been the right age for it when it was new. And I would have given it five stars then. I'm tempted to keep it now for a reread later. I will try to find more by the author.
April 22, 2009
Really 2.5 stars but it's a sentimental favorite.
I first read this collection of young-adult SF stories sometime in my middle-school or early high-school tenure. Recently, I reread the stories, and (as an adult with a more critical, less innocent eye) they're really not 4-star good. The heart is there but the writing is amateurish. I can see, though, how my initial enjoyment of the book fed into the development of reading preferences. With the exception of the first few stories, Karl can't generate sufficient suspence or interest to carry her ideas.
And it's the first story, "The Turning Place," that's really worth reading. The collection as a whole is a series of stories that charts the course of human history after we're almost wiped out by aliens fearful of our continued expansion into space (the Clordians are only a few decades ahead of us technologically and made it into space just ahead of us). They all deal with humanity's growing maturation as a species, and they all focus on the actions of young people in that advance (without being maliciously "anti Old Folks").
"The Turning Place" explains how the Clordians destroyed all terrestrial, carbon-based life on the planet. A few isolated spots survive the "Clordian Sweep," and humanity slowly struggles to recover. There are two reasons these stories continue to "stick" in my head. The first is that my imagination was fired up by the sheer breadth of the devastation -- a genocide surpassing the Permian die-off (95%+ of land species). The second factor is that Earth, when it recovers, doesn't strike out to destroy Clord but sends ambassadors to show them that there is a better way. A theme of peaceful co-existence and cooperation that was (and is) relatively rare in the SF. And Karl manages it without a fundamental change in human nature. Yes, the species is changed by the Sweep but not so radically that we lose our human identity nor does it make us immune to the irrationalities that currently plague us.
In the final analysis that would be the reason to take a look at these stories: A basic sense of optimism that we can achieve a bright future relatively free of the "four horsemen." So I give a qualified recommendation. The ideas Karl wants to highlight are good but the execution could be better.
I first read this collection of young-adult SF stories sometime in my middle-school or early high-school tenure. Recently, I reread the stories, and (as an adult with a more critical, less innocent eye) they're really not 4-star good. The heart is there but the writing is amateurish. I can see, though, how my initial enjoyment of the book fed into the development of reading preferences. With the exception of the first few stories, Karl can't generate sufficient suspence or interest to carry her ideas.
And it's the first story, "The Turning Place," that's really worth reading. The collection as a whole is a series of stories that charts the course of human history after we're almost wiped out by aliens fearful of our continued expansion into space (the Clordians are only a few decades ahead of us technologically and made it into space just ahead of us). They all deal with humanity's growing maturation as a species, and they all focus on the actions of young people in that advance (without being maliciously "anti Old Folks").
"The Turning Place" explains how the Clordians destroyed all terrestrial, carbon-based life on the planet. A few isolated spots survive the "Clordian Sweep," and humanity slowly struggles to recover. There are two reasons these stories continue to "stick" in my head. The first is that my imagination was fired up by the sheer breadth of the devastation -- a genocide surpassing the Permian die-off (95%+ of land species). The second factor is that Earth, when it recovers, doesn't strike out to destroy Clord but sends ambassadors to show them that there is a better way. A theme of peaceful co-existence and cooperation that was (and is) relatively rare in the SF. And Karl manages it without a fundamental change in human nature. Yes, the species is changed by the Sweep but not so radically that we lose our human identity nor does it make us immune to the irrationalities that currently plague us.
In the final analysis that would be the reason to take a look at these stories: A basic sense of optimism that we can achieve a bright future relatively free of the "four horsemen." So I give a qualified recommendation. The ideas Karl wants to highlight are good but the execution could be better.
May 23, 2018
One day in middle school, perhaps 6th or 7th grade, I found this book on a shelf in the library.
I will never, ever forget the chilling impact the first few stories had on me: a disturbing vision of earth changed forever by an inexplicable event, and the history of its survivors.
Even just thinking of it now stands my hair on end.
I will never, ever forget the chilling impact the first few stories had on me: a disturbing vision of earth changed forever by an inexplicable event, and the history of its survivors.
Even just thinking of it now stands my hair on end.
March 24, 2020
When I was about 12, I pulled one of this author’s other books, one called “Strange Tomorrow,” off of the library shelf and fell in love with it immediately because it involved a girl about my age inadvertently surviving an alien attack that wipes out nearly all life on earth, because she happened to be holed up in a Cold War era bunker with her family at the time the attack occurs. The second half of the book focuses on her descendants, a few generations later, living in a society that has reverted to near-stone age conditions. I loved the book, but was left wanting more answers; what about the aliens who attacked? Why did they attack? What about the other survivors? The first half of the book leaves off with the original character and her family setting off to search of the sender of a radio transmission, who identifies themselves as “12 near Sante Fe.”
Almost 20 years later I finally have some closure thanks to this book, “The Turning Place.” I enjoyed the format- it’s a series of short stories told in the same universe, same planet, same events, but on a much larger time scale. The first segment is told from the point of view of a teenager who goes hiking in the desert with their best friend, only to end up trapped inside a mysterious force field with ten other people. This segment was flat out terrifying for someone who has already read “Strange Tomorrow,” as you quickly realize you are now reading the story of the 12 survivors near Sante Fe; and therefore you know before the narrator does just exactly how this will end; yet this doesn’t ruin the ominousness at all.
The remaining chapters are surprisingly different in tone, jumping quickly along humankind’s recovery and progression through a second Stone Age, another industrial revolution, and into space age colonization and exploration; even more surprisingly, forging a peaceful relationship with the planet responsible for the extinction-level event at the start of the novel. The whole book raises some interesting theories about human evolution and advancement; including how much of a negative difference would it make if life on Earth were nearly wiped out and forced to start all over again with a not-fully-erased slate? How might humanity learn from their mistakes on round 1 and use it to get ahead in round 2? Could we come out the other side of an ELE more universally altruistic than we went in, if we knew we were being looked at and judged by other worlds this time around?
Almost 20 years later I finally have some closure thanks to this book, “The Turning Place.” I enjoyed the format- it’s a series of short stories told in the same universe, same planet, same events, but on a much larger time scale. The first segment is told from the point of view of a teenager who goes hiking in the desert with their best friend, only to end up trapped inside a mysterious force field with ten other people. This segment was flat out terrifying for someone who has already read “Strange Tomorrow,” as you quickly realize you are now reading the story of the 12 survivors near Sante Fe; and therefore you know before the narrator does just exactly how this will end; yet this doesn’t ruin the ominousness at all.
The remaining chapters are surprisingly different in tone, jumping quickly along humankind’s recovery and progression through a second Stone Age, another industrial revolution, and into space age colonization and exploration; even more surprisingly, forging a peaceful relationship with the planet responsible for the extinction-level event at the start of the novel. The whole book raises some interesting theories about human evolution and advancement; including how much of a negative difference would it make if life on Earth were nearly wiped out and forced to start all over again with a not-fully-erased slate? How might humanity learn from their mistakes on round 1 and use it to get ahead in round 2? Could we come out the other side of an ELE more universally altruistic than we went in, if we knew we were being looked at and judged by other worlds this time around?
September 23, 2021
Still the best, most engrossing, most thoughtful and thought-provoking post-apocalyptic novel I've ever read. I'm baffled why this one didn't become an instant and wildly-popular classic, and I've never met anyone else who's read it. This is a huge shame because it's brilliantly written, and the "future history" structure is still incredibly unusual and effective even 45 years after it was written. It must have been shockingly innovative at the time. (Perhaps that's part of why it didn't "go" with an audience?) Anyone who loves sci-fi should read this, not only because it's a wonderful work in itself, but because it feels almost prescient now in the way it laid out so many of the forms and patterns and concerns that post-apocalyptic YA fiction would finally catch up to decades later. Such a great, great book.
September 17, 2016
*This book was received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
This was a good collection of short stories all set around the same setting; Earth before and after the Chlordian Sweep (an event which killed many humans and was caused by extra terrestrials called Chlordian's). My favourite overall was 'Over the Hill', (it was sweet and touching), followed closely by 'Enough' and 'Catabilid conquest'. The writing was descriptive and lyrical. This was an enjoyable read.
This was a good collection of short stories all set around the same setting; Earth before and after the Chlordian Sweep (an event which killed many humans and was caused by extra terrestrials called Chlordian's). My favourite overall was 'Over the Hill', (it was sweet and touching), followed closely by 'Enough' and 'Catabilid conquest'. The writing was descriptive and lyrical. This was an enjoyable read.
January 2, 2022
[I read old fantasy and sci-fi novels written by women authors in search of forgotten gems. See more at forfemfan.com]
It's been far too long since I finished reading The Turning Place. I still remember a lot of the book, but the feeling of everything coming together that you get when you close a book is long gone.
This delay was not intentional. Life conspired against me with sick family members, house-sitting obligations, work trips, family trips, holiday trips, and birthday get-togethers.
Stupid life.
The Turning Place is a compilation of short sci-fi YA stories by Jean E. Karl spanning what must be hundreds of years. We start with an earth much like that of 1976—when the book was published—but with a dash of nearby aliens nervous about our potential expansion into the stars. From there, time leaps forward by decades and centuries, showing a new slice of life often directly impacted by the actions of the previous story. Characters don't double up, and the specifics don't carry over. The events of the last story have shaped the galaxy in which this story takes place. That is all.
Naturally, the stories often cover Big Moments when something momentous happens. At first, I loved seeing these unfurl. In time, though, I started to wish I could stay with the stories a little longer. Often, what's most interesting about change is how people and society at large grapple with it, but we miss almost all of that. I began to feel like I was reading a highlight reel rather than nuanced stories.
Reading started to become a bit of a chore. I didn't hate the stories, but the excitement wasn't there. I kinda expected to finish it dutifully, give it a mediocre review with a caveat that kids really into sci-fi might find it engaging, and call it a day.
It wasn't until late in the book that I began to see the nuance of each story building towards an emotional climax about what it means to be alive.
And once that came into focus, the stories I kinda stolidly marched through, out of a sense of obligation, took on new meanings. I could see myself as a kid reading the last page and then immediately flipping back to the first page to start over again—this time looking for the buildup and savoring how each moment affects the next.
It's still not perfect. There are a few stories that seemed a bit ho-hum and others that hit super hard. It doesn't feel well balanced, but perhaps that is part of the point. Ho-hum moments followed by massive excitement are certainly part and parcel of being alive.
Kids interested in sci-fi who don't need constant high-stakes action would almost certainly like The Turning Place. I wouldn't recommend it quite so highly for adults, mostly because even with the accumulation of an emotional arc, we still do miss out on those moments after a significant discovery where people are at their most exposed and honest. I feel like adults need those moments more than children do.
It's been far too long since I finished reading The Turning Place. I still remember a lot of the book, but the feeling of everything coming together that you get when you close a book is long gone.
This delay was not intentional. Life conspired against me with sick family members, house-sitting obligations, work trips, family trips, holiday trips, and birthday get-togethers.
Stupid life.
The Turning Place is a compilation of short sci-fi YA stories by Jean E. Karl spanning what must be hundreds of years. We start with an earth much like that of 1976—when the book was published—but with a dash of nearby aliens nervous about our potential expansion into the stars. From there, time leaps forward by decades and centuries, showing a new slice of life often directly impacted by the actions of the previous story. Characters don't double up, and the specifics don't carry over. The events of the last story have shaped the galaxy in which this story takes place. That is all.
Naturally, the stories often cover Big Moments when something momentous happens. At first, I loved seeing these unfurl. In time, though, I started to wish I could stay with the stories a little longer. Often, what's most interesting about change is how people and society at large grapple with it, but we miss almost all of that. I began to feel like I was reading a highlight reel rather than nuanced stories.
Reading started to become a bit of a chore. I didn't hate the stories, but the excitement wasn't there. I kinda expected to finish it dutifully, give it a mediocre review with a caveat that kids really into sci-fi might find it engaging, and call it a day.
It wasn't until late in the book that I began to see the nuance of each story building towards an emotional climax about what it means to be alive.
And once that came into focus, the stories I kinda stolidly marched through, out of a sense of obligation, took on new meanings. I could see myself as a kid reading the last page and then immediately flipping back to the first page to start over again—this time looking for the buildup and savoring how each moment affects the next.
It's still not perfect. There are a few stories that seemed a bit ho-hum and others that hit super hard. It doesn't feel well balanced, but perhaps that is part of the point. Ho-hum moments followed by massive excitement are certainly part and parcel of being alive.
Kids interested in sci-fi who don't need constant high-stakes action would almost certainly like The Turning Place. I wouldn't recommend it quite so highly for adults, mostly because even with the accumulation of an emotional arc, we still do miss out on those moments after a significant discovery where people are at their most exposed and honest. I feel like adults need those moments more than children do.
July 26, 2017
I had read this in my grade school library and couldn't remember the name. I posted what I remembered to a story ID site, and someone could match my description to this book.
The book is made up of 10 independent short stories all set in different points of earth's future history. Rereading as an adult, they held up pretty well. However, the fist three stories are the the strongest of the group. The fourth story is pretty good as well, but from there, the speculation about the future doesn't seem to hold up quite as well. All things considered, I'm glad I was able to track this book down.
The book is made up of 10 independent short stories all set in different points of earth's future history. Rereading as an adult, they held up pretty well. However, the fist three stories are the the strongest of the group. The fourth story is pretty good as well, but from there, the speculation about the future doesn't seem to hold up quite as well. All things considered, I'm glad I was able to track this book down.
February 23, 2024
Still Holds Up
I read this as a kid when it was first published, near the end of the 20th century, and am delighted to find that it's just as enjoyable to this adult as it was to me as a young teen. Even the imagined tech hasn't been made silly by advancements in the years since it was written. A few scenes might seem a bit dated, but not enough to spoil anything.
Above all, this is a book about growing up in the world where things are changing rapidly. It encourages the reader to search and explore. To understand both themselves and the universe around them by looking inward and outward at the same time.
I read this as a kid when it was first published, near the end of the 20th century, and am delighted to find that it's just as enjoyable to this adult as it was to me as a young teen. Even the imagined tech hasn't been made silly by advancements in the years since it was written. A few scenes might seem a bit dated, but not enough to spoil anything.
Above all, this is a book about growing up in the world where things are changing rapidly. It encourages the reader to search and explore. To understand both themselves and the universe around them by looking inward and outward at the same time.
August 23, 2019
Another Jean Karl book! I really liked her as a tween/early teens. This was a fun speculative fiction short story collection.
June 28, 2016
"The Turning Place" is a collection of short stories giving an "historical" account of Earth after aliens, the Clordians, come. Although it was originally written in 1976 (I read an advance copy of the rerelease scheduled for August 2016), the stories are timeless, as they still take place in an unnamed future.
It's an easy sci-fi read which fits quickly and each story can be read on its own (good if you need to put it down for a while or only have a short time to read). Altogether, it's a solid piece of science fiction which has and will be able to stand the test of time.
I'd be interested to read more about each of the stories (they could easily each be lengthened into a novel) but it's still well written as-is!
Please note that I received this from the publisher through netgalley for my honest review.
It's an easy sci-fi read which fits quickly and each story can be read on its own (good if you need to put it down for a while or only have a short time to read). Altogether, it's a solid piece of science fiction which has and will be able to stand the test of time.
I'd be interested to read more about each of the stories (they could easily each be lengthened into a novel) but it's still well written as-is!
Please note that I received this from the publisher through netgalley for my honest review.
June 3, 2016
Although, I found it a little difficult to maintain my reading pace in the beginning, this book really caught onto me as I moved from the first story to the next. It is written in the form of short stories where the survivors talk about the apocalypse and their experience during the time. What I really enjoyed was the fact that this story was told from a future past perspective, as in, an account of the events given many years later by the human survivors. The little notes at the end of the book also make a very interesting read. Pick this up if you enjoy sci-fi fiction.
July 13, 2013
I always loved this book. I was totally amazed by this book the first time I read it, and always enjoy reading it. I love most of the stories in it and like the rest. My favorite is Catabilid Conquest.
June 7, 2023
This was a reread with my original read being in 1996.
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