[Welcome to the EL Book Introductions series. These posts are all short (<180 words) introductions/reviews of books in the EL library. They focus on telling you what we think will be interesting for you, a college student and English learner, so use them to help you find the right book for you. You can also use the tags to find books about topics you might be interested in.]
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This book is the story of Stel and Atan, two space travelers who discover a mysterious pyramid. The pyramid transports them to Edena, a paradise world. They have many adventures there as they give up technology and adapt to living in nature. There are connections to the story of Adam and Eve in Eden (楽園), but instead of Paradise Lost, it’s more like Paradise Rediscovered. And there are lots of weird aliens, monsters, and future human civilizations.
Edena is a beautiful book. It may take you a little time to get used to the art style. But after a few pages, you will be sucked into its weird, beautiful world. It may even seem familiar: Miyazaki Hayao calls this book a strong influence on Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. You should definitely take a look at it!
Note: The first full chapter and the beginning of the last chapter have a lot of fake fantasy/science fiction words. Don’t get scared: keep reading, and the story becomes much easier to understand.
My two cents: You would never believe that this story started out as a card advertisement! It’s an amazing journey, and I highly recommend it.
