SOLVED. YA Post-apocalyptic Sci-Fi. A child angers their primitive village by visiting a holy "cave" and "angering the gods" by activating lights. Read before 1998 in Swedish (translated or original language). Possible Spoilers of early book. [s]

[Efraim]

I read this book in middle grade in Sweden between 1995-1997, borrowed from the small school library.

All I can remember is this kid (boy or girl) who lived in a primitive village/tribe that supported itself by fishing or hunting. They had a forbidden or holy cave that our curious protagonist visited. It's described from the perspective of the people living like in the stone age, how there were strange things in the roof that didn't feel natural.

I think the kid accidently pushes a button and makes the cave light up, and we as reader understand that it's a modern concrete bomb shelter or similar, with flourecent lights that still work and are activated. The people don't live in the past but in a far future when civilization has crumbled and humans once again live like in the stone age.

The village is upset that the kid has "angered the gods" by doing this, and I think that's how the kid is forced to go on a journey or are banished from the village.

I think the cover (of my Swedish version) had some grey mountains and some green landscape.

Thanks for any help getting closer to finding this again!

[Genesistrine]

Sounds like The Guardian of Isis by Monica Hughes, 2nd in the Isis trilogy.

Various covers at https://www.goodreads.com/work/editio... , but I can't see a Swedish one...

[Efraim]

Genesistrine wrote: "Sounds like The Guardian of Isis by Monica Hughes, 2nd in the Isis trilogy.

Various covers at https://www.goodreads.com/work/editio... , but I can't see a Swedish one..."

That's a VERY interesting lead, thank you! There is a Swedish translation called "Makten över Isis", published 1985, just not on Goodreads. I haven't been able to see what the cover on that edition looks like, but it is still available in a few libraries so I'm gonna track it down! I'll come back with an update as soon as I know.

[Genesistrine]

Good luck! The 1st book in the series is well worth reading too (and the 2nd is a bit of a spoiler for it), though the 3rd isn't as good in my opinion.

[Capn]

The English original is on OpenLibrary
https://openlibrary.org/works/OL57484...

(The Sacred Cave seems very central to main character Jody's experiences!)
page 107
"Oh, many things. The Sacred Cave is taboo, except to those whose duty it is to keep vigil there. And your Gifts which are kept there are also taboo, I think, but I am not certain." Jody remembered the President's anger at him, but he still did not feel that he had done anything wrong.
page 108
"I made the light come back inside the Cave," he whispered, and waited with his head bowed for the wrath to crack down upon him.
Page 126
"There is the computer in the Sacred Cave. Will you help me make that work again?"

(I think Genesistrine cracked it....!)

[Capn]

Swedish covers:



(website is unsecured.......but this is the source: http://www.puh.nu/listor/bocker/h/det...)


from https://www.minabibliotek.se/sv/revie...

[Efraim]

Thanks a lot! I did find the Swedish cover and I think this is it! I have ordered the Swedish version through my library but that will probably take weeks since it’s in an archive so I’ll read the English one online as soon as I can to be sure :)

[Efraim]

SOLVED! I have now managed to read far enough in the English digital version to confirm it is The Guardian of Isis as Genesistrine suggested (though I read the Swedish translation "Makten över Isis" as Capn linked).

The thing I remembered a bit wrong was that (view spoiler)[it's not a post-apocalyptic Earth in the future, but a colony on another planet where the leaders want people to forget modern technology after they got there, and live a more primitive life. (hide spoiler)]

Thanks to the both of you for letting me re-read a bit of my childhood!

[Genesistrine]

Hooray! Glad to help!

(I never found it very convincing that the original colonists would be happy to go back to that level of primitiveness, though, to be honest, and Guardian setting the signal to warn other colonist ships off landing is pure creepiness.)

[Kris]

Glad you found your book, Efraim.

The Guardian of Isis (book 2) of the Isis series by Monica Hughes - Genesistrine's find.