Green Sky Trilogy

Zilpha Keatley Snyder wrote the Green Sky Trilogy, a set of science fantasy novels published by Atheneum from 1975 to 1978. Alton Raible provided the illustrations. The story is set on the alien world of Green-sky. A video game called Below the Root, released in 1984, continues the plot of the trilogy. Unusually, the author herself wrote the game's story, and it is accepted as part of the official narrative.

The planet Green-sky is home to a civilization of humanoids called the Kindar, who live in seven cities built within giant trees. The main setting is Orbora, the largest city. The Kindar construct their homes among the branches and gather food from vines and orchards growing on the trees. They travel between trees where branches meet or by using woven vine ladders. The planet's low gravity lets them fall great distances without injury and allows them to glide using a shuba, a silk cape that attaches to the hands and feet, similar to a wingsuit.

The Kindar are strictly forbidden from going to the forest floor or even looking down at it. They fear it because of stories about the Pash-shan, monsters supposedly trapped beneath a web of vines at ground level. Children who fall before learning to use a shuba are said to have been taken by the Pash-shan, never to return. In reality, the Pash-shan are the descendants of imprisoned Kindar who call themselves Erdlings.

Kindar society is a utopia without violence and almost entirely free of negative emotions like anger or unhappiness. Even a public frown is considered improper. Their lives are full of rituals, chants, and songs that bring them pleasure and help control their feelings. They are led by an elite group called the Ol-zhaan, who live in a private temple and are mostly seen leading ceremonies or in processions. When a Kindar turns 13, the Ol-zhaan decide their occupation, and two are chosen to join the Ol-zhaan themselves.

Kindar children have psychic powers called spirit-force, but these abilities usually fade between the ages of five and ten. The Ol-zhaan are believed to be the only adults who can still use spirit-force, and a child with strong abilities might be chosen to join them. The powers include pensing, or mind reading, which lets weak users sense emotions and intentions and strong users read actual thoughts. Strong users can also send messages, link minds by touch, and block others from reading their minds. Kiniporting is telekinesis, working on light objects within a short range. Grunspreking allows the user to make plants move and grow, even to build structures. Foretelling, the ability to see future events, is rare.

Key characters include Raamo D'ok, a 13-year-old boy with unusually strong spirit-force who is chosen for the Ol-zhaan; his seven-year-old sister Pomma; Genaa D'anhk, the other 13-year-old chosen; her father Hiro, a respected Kindar imprisoned in the Erdling world; Teera Eld, an Erdling child who escapes to Green-sky; D'ol Neric, a young Ol-zhaan who asks Raamo to uncover the truth about Green-sky; and D'ol Falla, the oldest and most senior Ol-zhaan, the high priestess of the vine.