Monica Hughes

Monica Hughes, arguably the first Canadian writer of YA science fiction, published close to 35 books, many of which focus on the delicate balance between humans, scientific progress, and nature. While her stories are nowhere near as well-known as Madeleine L’Engle's, the two authors do have a similar sensibility. (Although compared to L'Engle's stories, the religious symbolism in Ms. Hughes's books is scaled way, way back.)

Note: The product of a rather unusual British education, Ms. Hughes was taught how to write in both Egyptian hieroglyphs and ancient cuneiform.


Aftertaste:
The ending of Devil on My Back could have been happier, but Dream Catcher makes up for it... sort of.

Availability:
Very limited. Try libraries or eBay.

Other Recommendations:
Anything by Madeleine L’Engle

The Supernaturalist, by Eoin Colfer