Early 90's young adult science fiction

Published by: cfz 2010-03-15

I'm looking for a book that I haven't been able to get out of my head for years. I read it between 1988 and 1992. It was in the young adult section of the library. The random bits of the plot that I remember are: The story started out on another planet where everyone lived underground (I think) and there were 8 weekdays and 3 days in the weekend. It's possible that this planet was only used as a boarding school. Two girls and two boys (or maybe three girls and three boys) left the planet in a spaceship for some kind of contest or school assignment. Spaceships were steered by wearing a special helmet that sensed your thoughts. Throughout the book, there was a certain type of cookie or biscuit that they ate as a dessert. When they stopped eating the cookies, they realized that the cookies had been supressing their libidos, and the teachers at their school had been using them to control the children. After the effects of the cookies had worn off, at least one couple formed among the group. Something went extremely wrong during the trip, and the focus switched from whatever the original assignment was to mere survival and being able to return to their planet. Somehow they returned to the planet and their school, and they ending up coming back just in time to meet the deadline for the contest/assignment. Is this ringing a bell for anyone? I know it's pretty vague, but I was about 10 when I read the book. I would be extremely happy and impressed if anyone recognizes any of this.

But how did you find the description in the library of congress? I wouldn't know where to start if I had to do this.

Wonderful! Well, the description in the Library of Congress just felt right, so then I did some searches for "But We Are Not of Earth" on the Internet and also the newsgroup archive at groups.google.com. Although I was unable to confirm very many of the exact details that you mentioned, the basic plot sounded right. Nothing about "But We Are Not of Earth" really contradicted your description, so I figured that it was probably right. This approach seems to work for me about 95% of the time, so I went with it. Luckily, this wasn't one of those rare times when, unbelievably, there were two books with nearly identical plots, as happened on this question: http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=288553

No, it's not a wild goose chase. We'll find it eventually. There can't really be that many books about four teens on a space mission.

Hmmm. This doesn't seem quite right. I don't remember them getting off of the spaceship. But then again, I was 10. I'll try to track this book down at the library and I'll get back to you in a few days. I also found this description of the book that you mentioned: "At the Inter-Earth System School and Home for Discovers' Children, everyone was training to be a Discover. Their jobs would be to explore the universe, but Earth doesn't allow Discovers to colonize livable planets, just build more Earth Bases on uninhabitable planets. So 14-year old Rom and her podmates learn to explore. Together, they make up the "Terrible Four", and because they like to try new ideas, they always seem to be in trouble. But after a quick trip to another planet using a new, faster route, the Terrible Four feel like they may never get out of trouble. Then they get chosen for a special training mission, where they find something they never expected." http://www.bookhive.org/books/category.asp?category=sc&whichpage=5 The faster route part seems right, but I think I might also be mixing in parts of the episode of Star Trek:TNG where Wesley and his friends at the academy do a dangerous flight formation that gets someone killed. Boy, do I sound like a nerd. :)

Thanks for the tip! I'm glad that the book turned out to be right. I was almost to the point of going to go a library myself to check it. :-) Have nice weekend. -juggler

Thank you! I'm quite impressed!

Wow! You were right! That was the right book! I didn't realize it until about the fifteenth page, though. It was strange, because I didn't recognize anything except for the things that I told you before. It was like reading a completely new book. Maybe I was even younger than ten when I read it. Thank you! Sorry I didn't realize that you were right before. How in the world did you find it?

You can search the LOC catalog at: http://catalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=Second There are maybe 13 science fiction books that have the word 'students' in the description. "But We Are Not of the Earth" is one of them. So how I did think to search for the word 'students'? I don't know. I suppose I read your description and it sounded like a book about 'students' on space mission. Of course, I probably tried a lot of other things first that didn't work out! Notice that a couple hours elapsed before your question was answered. :-)

By the way, have you read this book?

Hello. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that your book was probably "But We Are Not of Earth" by Jean E. Karl. From what I can tell, the plot basically matches your description. It's a "young adult" sci-fi novel about four teens (two boys & two girls, apparently) from some sort of boarding school go on a space mission as an assignment. Additionally, the book was first published in 1981 and was reprinted several times in the mid-1980s. As such, the dates are consistent with your recollection of having obtained it at a library circa 1988-92. Here is the description from the Libary of Congress catalog: "Four students from Meniscus F on a mission to the far-away Sector 22 delight in the habitable but uninhabited planet they discover until they realize their pod nentor has no intention of allowing them to leave." source: Library of Congress http://catalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v3=1&DB=local&CMD=010a+80021849&CNT=10+records+per+page From biblio.com: "To escape from their dull planet, Meniscus F. Rom Linders, and her friends are determined to become a part of the space program. Known as The Terrible Four at the School/Home for Discoverers' Children, they are anxious to embark on the dangerous and mysterious mission that will take them deep into the galaxy. Discovering Ariel, the beautiful Earth-like planet, seems like an accident at first, but as time passes they suspect that they have been brought there for a specific purpose. Just how dangerous and terrible is their mission, however, is far worse than anything they could have imagined". source: biblio.com. See the cover photo depicting two girls & two boys at: http://www.biblio.com/books/1104108.html Multiple used copies available beginning at $0.01 at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/offering/list/-/0525273425/all/ ------ search strategy: library of congress catalog terms: science fiction, students I hope this is the right book. If you have any reason to believe that is NOT the right book, please let me know via the "request clarification" feature. I will gladly resume my search if necessary. Thanks.

No, I haven't read the book. My approach on questions such as yours it to try to find the book that most closely conforms to the description presented in the question. If I've missed the mark here, I'm very sorry. Thanks for letting me know of your belief that, in your book, the kids never got off the spaceship. Can you think of any other ways in which "But We Are Not of Earth" differs from the book that you read?

Let me ask you this... Is it your impression that the book was relatively NEW when you read it? Or could it have been a decade old (or even older)? Do you remember any characters' names?

After calling several libraries, I've found a copy of "But We Are Not of Earth." The first library that I called said that theoretically, they had it, but that it had been "in mending" since 1998. The next said that a library in their consortium had it, and they could have it for me in 3-4 days. The third said that theoretically, they had it, but that it hadn't been checked out since 1996. When they went to find the book, it wasn't there. But on the fourth try, I found a library that not only has it theoretically, but also physically. So I'll check it out and let you know. Who knows? You could be right.

I don't remember any character names. I didn't have the impression that it was very old, but it might be possible that it was written during the 70's (no earlier). I'm sorry -- I really didn't mean to send someone off on a wild goose chase. I just thought someone might recognize it! :)

Sorry for that typo above: "...some sort of boarding school WHO go..."

"Terrible four" doesn't sound familiar, and neither does the title itself.