High Couch of Silistra
 First edition | |
| Author | Janet Morris |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Silistra |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Bantam Books |
Publication date | July 1977 |
| Media type | Print (paperback) |
| ISBN | 978-0-553-10522-3 |
| Followed by | The Golden Sword |
Returning Creation is the alternate title for High Couch of Silistra, the first book in the Silistra quartet, by Janet Morris. Published in 1977 by Bantam Books, High Couch of Silistra was the debut title of her writing career. It was one of the first science fiction/fantasy books to include bi-sexual/pan-sexual characters and erotic themes. The series went on to have more than four million copies in print and was also published in French, Italian and German.
The original human colonists of Silistra nearly destroyed their planet in a war so vicious the populace had to go into underground shelters for centuries and, even many centuries later, the planet has not recovered. Infertility is one of the worst problems facing the planet's populace—thanks to the fallout of that deadly war. The women of Silistra are treasured and have established Wells where the male population can attempt to create a child, if they are fertile.
In The High Couch of Silistra, Estri, Well-Keepress of Astria and holder of the ultimate seat of control begins an epic adventure to discover her origins and save the dwindling population.
Charles N. Brown, Locus Magazine, is quoted on the Baen Books reissues of the series as saying, "Engrossing characters in a marvelous adventure," and Frederik Pohl is quoted there as saying "The amazing and erotic adventures of the most beautiful courtesan in tomorrow's universe."
The actual Silistra, from which the fictional planet's name is derived, is a port city in the far northeast of Bulgaria.
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