Dawn

This very engrossing book is in many ways an answer to Isaac Asimov's seminal short story, Nightfall. The two stories take place in similar theocratic societies, driven by similar multi-star systems that cause their planets to only very rarely be dark. But while in Nightfall, the society colapses despite the effort of the protagonist, Dawn has a more optimistic view of people's ability to maintain progress. McLaughlin pays homage to Asimov in naming a historical figure "Lagash" (the name of Asimov's planet) and by using star-names that are derived from Asmov's bald Greek-alphabet names.

Isak is a scribe who has traveled the world looking at the six orbs in the sky. He consults the priests' records and comes to some conclusions about the orbits which can be seen in the daylight. When he arrives in the city of Center, he consults the temple records and through advanced arithmetic comes to the conclusion that at a certain time that he names darkness will spread across the land. The people and the priest don't believe what he says about the gods and the high priests want him killed before he can spread this foretelling. Isak takes shelter in a merchant's house and comes to care for the pregnant daughter who was gang rapedby the priests who masquerade their actions as a religious rite. Isak comes to learn that the ruling theocracy is corrupt and when he is offered the chance to chase them out of power when the foretelling proves correct, he takes it. Members of a secret rebellion use Isak as their spokesperson and as each day passes he wins more converts. He is still in danger from the priests who want to capture him and he has doubts he will have enough to overthrow the priest hood. There is no magic in this tale nor is a spell cast yet this is a fantasy story of a feudal world who believes suns and planets are gods and people worship them. Many fantasies that don't have magic feel flat but DAWN is not one of them because of the atmosphere the author creates that is imbued throughout the storyline. The protagonist is a combination of innocence and pragmatist who does what he believes is right for the people of his world. He is a hero in the bardic sense of the word. Harriet Klausner