Downward to the Earth

By Robert Silverberg

Who knoweth the spirit of men that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? –Ecclesiastes 3:21

Okay, they did resemble elephants, it can't be denied. That led many people to underestimate the Nildoror and their obviously more fearsome commensals, the Sulidoror.

But aliens should never be judged by human standards, as the Company learned to its cost when Holman's World, now once again known as Belzagor, was given back to the natives and the Company sent packing.

Now Edmund Gunderson, once head of the Company's operation on this world, has come back across the galaxy to settle old scores with the Nildoror. If he can even get them to acknowledge his existence.

Downward to the Earth is a classic from the golden age of Robert Silverberg's career in the 1970s. His homage to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, it remains as fresh and powerful today as the day it was written. Our Orb edition will have a map of Gunderson's journey across Belzagor and a new introduction by the author.



At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Aug 7, 2012
• ISBN: 9781429942270

Robert Silverberg

Robert Silverberg has written more than 160 science fiction novels and nonfiction books. In his spare time he has edited over 60 anthologies. He began submitting stories to science fiction magazines when he was just 13. His first published story, entitled "Gorgon Planet," appeared in 1954 when he was a sophomore at Columbia University. In 1956 he won his first Hugo Award, for Most Promising New Author, and he hasn't stopped writing since. Among his standouts: the bestselling Lord Valentine trilogy, set on the planet of Majipoor, and the timeless classics Dying Inside and A Time of Changes. Silverberg has won the prestigious Nebula Award an astonishing five times, and Hugo Awards on four separate occasions; he has been nominated for both awards more times that any other writer. In 2004, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America gave him their Grand Master award for career achievement, making him the only SF writer to win a major award in each of six consecutive decades.

Reviews for Downward to the Earth

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

the planet and the aliens are truly different than the human explorers - every character and culture is well-developed - one of the few Silverberg I liked

[sundowneruk · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I can't say that I didn't enjoy this book because I did, it was the ending that let it down for me. The main character feels like he has turned into a messiah!
Maybe he has but it felt so contrived that I was a little uncomfortable with it.

Overall the storyline was interesting with some nice plot twists along the way as we discover all about this world and it's creatures. I even bought into the fact that one of the intelligent species resembled elephants on our planet. I mean, who's to say what does exist out there on other worlds.
The author built a believable world in almost every respect apart from the final scene.

[traveller1_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Read a long time ago. I remember a dream like quality, as the former governor goes up country and learns about the people and planet he governed.

[hayduke_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A self-described homage to Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Silverberg’s Gundersen has returned to the planet he once helped colonize. The planet is now controlled by the native species, and Gunderson wants to participate in the ritual of “rebirth,” as a way of making amends for his previous misdeeds while on the planet. I read this novel over twenty years ago, but I still think back on it as one of my favorite science-fiction novels. It’s nice to see in back in print, with a new preface by the author.

[stephenbarkley · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantasy and Science Fiction are often kept in two separate sections of the bookstore. Silverberg marries the two masterfully in Downward to the Earth.This book is essentially the sequel to Avatar. No, it's not set in the same world, but the themes remain. In fact, I'd be surprised to find out that the script writers of Avatar had not drawn inspiration from this book.In Downward to the Earth, the humans recognized the error of mining a world with sentient creatures on it so they gave back ownership of the planet. Now, a few years later, a former player during the mining days returns for some unfinished business. The contrast between the science fiction of space travel and the fantastic elements of native creature's religion make a compelling story.This is more than just another museum-piece science fiction novel. It's a story about spiritual discovery with a few unseen twists along the way.

[helenleech · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Boy, this feels dated. Gunderson returns to the planet he helped colonise, ten years ago, to make amends for his colonial behaviour and find out more about the process of rebirth which is a key part of the Nildoror race's culture. This whole book is about the white man's guilt. He treated the locals like animals, he didn't understand them, he actively participated in events which caused massive disruption and offence. There's no questioning Silverberg's talent, though. Although it feels like a product of the 1970s, he makes you feel like you're standing on the planet. In your tinfoil boots.

[aulsmith · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Inspired by Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Silverberg writes a very different book about colonial administrations, trips up-country, secrets, and redemption. Silverberg tends to write very picaresque travel adventure stories where the protagonist goes from one weird alien setting to another. While I don't dislike these kinds of narratives, they often drag, and this was not an exception. In addition, you can see the many of the answers that the protagonist is seeking about 70 pages before he does. Nevertheless, I thought that Silverberg delivered a sufficiently interesting end to the book to redeem these flaws. He ties up many things and makes some interesting comments on the Conrad story at the same time.

[helver_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After having served as an Administrator on the planet Belzagor for ten years, Edmund Gunderson returns eight years after he left on a journey of personal redemption. As they say, Belzagor has the ability to capture men... capture them and change them. With each step of his rediscovery of Belzagor, Gunderson sinks deeper and deeper into the quagmire of Belzagor all the while attempting to understand the fundamental truth that evades him.An interesting read. I enjoyed the descriptions of the rebirth process... smelling colors, tasting mountains, breathing souls.. It seemed to capture the essence of a completely foreign experience. I also enjoyed the description of Gunderson's time with Seena. Definitely provocative without being ashamed of sex, and not as explicit as Silverberg could have made it.The concept of gr'akh was interesting... and I note a certain resemblance to Heinlein's grok. As explained at the end of the book, the two concepts seem to have a lot of overlap... I wonder if one begat the other.Some interesting themes on religion and redemption. And while I know that the big secret wasn't kept totally secret, I knew what was coming fairly early on.