Imagine a world where humans live in peace with one another and with all of nature, and in telepathy with plants. Where it’s possible to travel through space as a light wave. Alicia Bay Laurel invites you to experience that world.

Eartha & Aetherias, an eco sci-fi romantasy graphic novella, unfolds in the 22nd century on a utopian planet Earth populated by peaceful human beings, plus a variety of spirits and light beings, and the occasional extraterrestrial. It includes a love story, a series of heroic journeys, as well as a tour of an innovative future human society. Since many of the beings in the illustrations are unclothed, the book is intended for readers 18 years or over, but designed for readers that like to color the illustrations.

With large-format pages entirely hand-lettered in cursive script, and lavishly illustrated with colored ink line drawings, clearly this book design came from Alicia Bay Laurel. Renowned for her best-selling bohemian outdoor living unguide, Living on the Earth, first published in 1970 and still in print over 50 years later, Alicia pioneered this influential book design and illustration style.

Here, exclusively at the Indigo with Stars online store, we are offering two versions of the book – the deluxe full color edition, and the economical black and white interior edition, for our beloved reader-collaborators who want to add their own colors to the illustrations, and also save themselves the cost of four-color interior printing. (Please send snapshots of your hand-colored illustrations, so that Alicia can share them here!)

The color version is available worldwide at The Indigo with Stars online store, bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, Lulu, Amazon, and anywhere else that orders books wholesale from Ingram.

Editorial Reviews

Set in the future in a tropical paradise where indigenous spirituality is supreme over economics, Eartha & Aetherias is the story of transformational love, a world where human beings can transcend their corporal existence into light and spirit. Our island home, Gaia, has been recognized as a living, breathing organism. The earth is no longer in crisis but rather a safe and loving home for all of its creatures.

Alicia defines her book as an “eco sci-fi romantasy graphic novella,” but it is so much more than that. The book’s illustrations are whimsical and intricate, drawing the reader deeply into Alicia’s magical world. The line drawings alternate with handwritten text in a beautiful, legible script. The prose is lyrical and poetic. Not every page contains text, but every page is illustrated in some form.

I have spoken at length about Alicia’s beautiful prose, but her illustrations are equally enchanting. Ethereal figures and light beings are depicted with dotted line drawings. Creatures and humans are drawn with solid lines. Every illustration is a delightful exploration of the unexpected. In a single drawing, one discovers two beautiful women wading in a river, fish swimming at their feet, lotus flowers blooming in the hills, faeries keeping watch, and dotted-line depictions of spiderwebs and spiders in the borders. (page 5) As I paged through the novella, I found myself pausing multiple times to admire the complexity of her drawings.

Many of the full page illustrations-colored or uncolored–are worthy of framing. Alicia’s style emulates the illustrated manuscripts produced by monks and scholars during the Dark and Middle Ages, and like the illuminated manuscripts, Alicia often begins the text with an illustrated first letter. For example, a capital letter A overlays a night sky with a quarter moon and stars, and a capital letter E is entwined with a flower.

This is a book you will want to savor and explore, and if you would like to have separate pages to color and frame, Alicia will be offering some of the illustrations as print-on-demand frameable prints.

Jeanne Gassman
Novelist and Professor of Creative Writing
Eastern New Mexico University-Ruidoso

Written for Tiferet Literary Journal


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A modern fairy tale for child-hearted adults, “Eartha and Aetherias” tells the tale of the reunion of two eternal lovers, and the travails they must experience in order to manifest as pure spirit and recognize their existence as ever-entwined souls. On their journeys, they encounter concepts such as harmony with our earthly planet, the role of various other-worldly beings including fairies, angels, and elves, love for fellow humans, and the necessity of the transcendental experience in self-realization. For those who seek to reclaim the innocence and idealism of the early 1970’s (or discover it anew) it is a lovely coda to a meaning-filled life. For all of us, now, more than ever, we need a story which can help us rise above darkness of days; offering another perspective – one of hope, joy and love; a bright star sparkling in a sometimes very black sky.

Terri Van Orman
Retired Executive Director of Folklore Village
Dodgeville, Wisconsin
Board Member of the Folk Education Association of America


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Eartha & Aetherias is a magnificent piece of work. We love the book. It harkens back to Alicia’s earliest publications, but very much stands on its own as a work of contemporary (and future!) art/literature. Alicia’s sweetly compassionate voice and vision are needed now more than ever.

Alastair Gordon, Author, Professor, Harvard Graduate School of Design

Barbara de Vries, Artist, Fashion Designer, Interior Designer, Book Designer, Author

Gordon de Vries Studio, New York City, New York




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Reader Reviews:


It is even more mystical and delightful than I was prepared for. What a gorgeous, spellbinding, inspiring book. The details outlining the vision of the 22nd century fill me with so much hope. The peacefulness of the relationships and the lack of ego throughout truly gave my spirit a deep sense of peace and reprieve. Thank you for creating such spiritually uplifting work!

Richard F.

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Eartha and Aetherias is a treasure! It extends the vision, creativity and promise of a harmonious way forward that her first seminal book Living on the Earth brought in. It’s beautiful illustrations are a delight and the story is a transcendent balm for these times of transition into the age of Aquarius. Living on the Earth was a favorite book in my youth and this will be another to read again and again!

Susan Hadden
Architectural Designer
Germantown, New York



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This fairy-true was such a detailed and magickal experience to read. A stardust filled treat to my Fairie Starseed Soul! I wondered, cheered, and was deeply touched throughout the novella, as it sparked my imagination and memories.

Alicia Bay Laurel writes with hope, innocent wonder, and even ancient wisdom about the evolving of humanity and their possible origins. Such delightful and playful images too. I highly recommend this enchanted book! May ALL beings remember such joy and an existence of co-creation and co-existence with our planet, each other, and the Universe.

Kira


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A wonderous and original tale that will resonate with readers of any age.


Sharon C. McGovern
Fine artist, painter, designer
Scottsdale, Arizona


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If, like me, you were a young woman coming of age in the early 70’s, you might have encountered the publication, “Living on the Earth” by Alicia Bay Laurel. My discovery of the book came when I was 19, pregnant with my child, and preparing to move to Europe for a few years. I was smitten with Alicia’s lifestyle manual, and the book proved an inspiration, as later, I too, moved onto the land, grew a large garden, built a dwelling, and made my living as a weaver. Alicia Bay Laurel was like a much cooler, slightly older sister who held the keys to a magical realm, and I wanted to follow in her footsteps as best as I was able. She obviously knew everything that I wanted to know.

Fast forward 50+ years. In the interim, Alicia has been busy with a plethora of creative projects. From wedding planner on Maui to touring musician, she has continued to write books, record music, and create visual art.

But now this – her latest book, “Eartha and Aetherias” is described as an “eco sci-fi romantasy graphic novella.” Like her earlier work, the new book is rich with a hand-written text and the line-drawings for which she is known, although they have become much more detailed, complex, and wonder-filled than the illustrations from “Living on the Earth.”

A modern fairy tale for child-hearted adults, “Eartha and Aetherias” tells the tale of the reunion of two eternal lovers, and the travails they must experience in order to manifest as pure spirit and recognize their existence as ever-entwined souls. On their journeys, they encounter concepts such as harmony with our earthly planet, the role of various other-worldly beings including fairies, angels, and elves, love for fellow humans, and the necessity of the transcendental experience in self-realization.

For those who seek to reclaim the innocence and idealism of the early 1970’s (or discover it anew!) it is a lovely coda to a meaning-filled life. For all of us, now, more than ever, we need a story which can help us rise above darkness of days; offering another perspective – one of hope, joy, and love; a bright star sparkling in a sometimes very black sky.

Terri Van Orman
Retired Executive Director of Folklore Village
Dodgeville, Wisconsin
Board Member of the Folk Education Association of America


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I was very excited to finally receive “Eartha & Aetherias.” Several years ago, I bought a copy of Alicia Bay Laurel’s first book, “Living on the Earth,” which was first published in 1970 and quite remarkably is still in print 50 years later!

Stepping into the author’s vision of the 22nd century, into this eco-fairy tale romantasy, was exactly what my nervous system needed at this time when the world feels more chaotic and dangerous than ever.

As a writer and artist myself, I especially appreciate the book’s profound human touch. It is entirely hand-lettered in cursive and illustrated with the trademark line-drawing by the author herself. It’s a beautiful reminder of the power of personal, manual creativity and inspires my own creative process.

I love that the book doubles as a coloring book! I anticipate many hours of coloring pleasure. I’m keeping one pristine copy for my library and buying a second one just for coloring so I can fully interact without fear of messing up.

If you’re looking for a touch of beauty—and of hope—to hold in your hands, I can’t recommend this highly enough.

Jen L.


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I don’t know if I told you but I loved the ending so much and have been using the story as inspiration for manifesting my own romantic partnerships. What a blessed myth and a wonderful depiction of the idyllic romantic journey. Thank you for your creativity and sharing it with the world!

Izzy Fradin
Editor
Abradacabra Magazine

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Note: If you would like to send Alicia your feedback about Eartha & Aetherias (and/or photos of your personally colored illustrations) to post here, please send these via the website’s email address: alicia (at) aliciabaylaurel (dot) com.