Child of a Far Star
A Novel by
RJ Bolsey
What if Robinson Crusoe were an alien – say, a child of seven? What if the island where he was shipwrecked was a planet called Earth? And what if the primitive savages he encountered… were us?
In the rugged Rocky Mountains of the American West, on June 19, 1883, a ship from the stars fell through a roiling sky to the valley below.
Imagine you are a child, stranded, alone, on an alien planet, impossibly far from everything you know, impossibly far from everything you need to survive. Towering peaks loom above you on every side. Cold air fills your lungs. Now you must descend from the alpine heights that claimed your parents and crew when your ship crashed. Your feet, designed for living in high forest canopies, make every step sheer torture. Your only hope for salvation are the violent natives in this bizarre and alien world. You are now the child, Bendreu, and the alien planet where you are stranded is Earth.
Redemption is a village nestled in a valley of the Rocky Mountains amid a forest that stretches for miles in every direction. It is largely populated by dropouts from a rapidly changing and highly competitive society. How will they respond to a newcomer, especially one who looks more than a little different?
So Bendreu hides and watches. But that can only work for so long. Little things happen. Little things that become big things…
Rumors spread like wildfire. Is the elusive and strange child a gift from heaven? A demon from hell? Or something else entirely? As opportunistic men learn of Bendreu, they see only advantages to exploit, or a prize to be claimed. With danger closing in, Bendreu must find a place between two worlds and perhaps become a bridge between them.
Child of a Far Star is a sweeping historical science fiction novel that blends rich 19th-century detail with the wonder of first alien contact. It explores themes of found family, prejudice, and the complexities of morality. It weaves classic historical fiction with speculative adventure in a vivid Rocky Mountain setting. Fans of The Man Who Fell to Earth, and The Sparrow will find much to admire in this beautifully imagined tale of resilience and hope.
Step into a world where one small child alone, desperate and determined, may touch the hearts of those brave enough to shelter him, and quietly change the course of history.
Bendreu, the Child from a Far Star
From a people born within the dense canopies of the immense trees of their home planet, Bendreu’s species did not descend to the surface until much later in their evolution. With arms longer by proportion to those of a human, and shorter legs, his fingers and toes have claws closer to the talons of a bird of prey. He can leap from branch to branch with speed and agility. Adapted to the dense canopies of home, he can see in the dark with his sensitive eyes or by using sound with his echo-locating organs, as does a bat.
Now surface dwellers, his people have their own violent past. They once nearly exterminated an entire sub-species in a brutal and one-sided religious war on Deleyra, their home planet. Today, they struggle to live by a strict pacifist ethos. Knowing this, after his arrival on Earth, Bendreu feels as though he has traveled in time as much as through space.
Bendreu traveled 30 light years…
June 19, 1883. Above the towering Rocky Mountain peaks, an alien craft rips through the afternoon sky during a violent storm, trailing fire and terror across the forested land. Moments later, it is ripped apart on a remote summit, high above the tree line surrounded by unforgiving terrain. All except one perish. Bendreu, a child of another world, emerges alone from the wreckage. Injured, frightened, and grieving, he faces a terrible truth: no rescue is possible. He must descend from the deadly heights and risk everything to make first contact with a primitive alien culture…humankind.
...and crashed on Earth
Carrying a legacy from the stars, knowledge beyond imagination, and a will to survive, Bendreu sets out through an unfamiliar world of horses, steam engines, and wary frontier settlers. The small Rocky Mountain town of Redemption may offer hope—or destruction. Step into the world of Child of a Far Star, where one small child—alone, desperate, and determined—may transform the hearts of those brave enough to shelter him, and change the course of history itself.
Child of a Far Star
A Novel by
By RJ Bolsey
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About the Author
RJ Bolsey
RJ Bolsey grew up in White Plains, New York, but has called many places home since that time. With a background in geology and physics, he holds college credits in both fields, as well as being an instrument, commercial, and instructor-rated pilot.
Aside from the modest living of a flight instructor, RJ spent many hours during the 1980s and early 1990s volunteering with The Planetary Society in Pasadena, California. He assisted with field testing of space prototype hardware and developing concepts, as well as outreach activities and event planning. He had the opportunity to collaborate with many remarkable people. If your interests include space, look up The Planetary Society!
For more than three decades, RJ has worked in ice drilling and polar science, including 21 field seasons in Antarctica. Much of Child of a Far Star was written in a tent staked to the ice and snow under a midnight Antarctic sun.
Beyond the ice, RJ Bolsey is listed as contributor or co-author on several scientific papers and publications, including “Drilling in Extreme Environments” (a Jet Propulsion Laboratory Publication).
RJ’s preferred writing leans toward the human/alien side of science fiction, exploring how worlds — and people — might connect across the stars. Child of a Far Star blends his love of science, adventure, and the unknown, transporting readers to new frontiers rooted in a passion for exploration.
About the Author
RJ Bolsey
RJ Bolsey grew up in White Plains, New York, but has called many places home since that time. With a background in geology and physics, he holds college credits in both fields, as well as being an instrument, commercial, and instructor-rated pilot.
Aside from the modest living of a flight instructor, RJ spent many hours during the 1980s and early 1990s volunteering with The Planetary Society in Pasadena, California. He assisted with field testing of space prototype hardware and developing concepts, as well as outreach activities and event planning. He had the opportunity to collaborate with many remarkable people. If your interests include space, look up The Planetary Society!
For more than three decades, RJ has worked in ice drilling and polar science, including 21 field seasons in Antarctica. Much of Child of a Far Star was written in a tent staked to the ice and snow under a midnight Antarctic sun.
Beyond the ice, RJ Bolsey is listed as contributor or co-author on several scientific papers and publications, including “Drilling in Extreme Environments” (a Jet Propulsion Laboratory Publication).
RJ’s preferred writing leans toward the human/alien side of science fiction, exploring how worlds — and people — might connect across the stars. Child of a Far Star blends his love of science, adventure, and the unknown, transporting readers to new frontiers rooted in a passion for exploration.