Tracking down a Story I read once

[Haradion Drogon]

Hey everyone. Not sure if this is the right place for this.

 

I was listening to the radio, and heard on a movie review channel, a call in, of a viewer trying to work out the name of a childhood favourite film.

Inspired, I hoped you could help me with a similar problem.

 

I have vague recollections of reading a story (I think it was a group of three or four?) which I am trying to track down and reread here. It wasn't published, it was a piece done for a writing group - and I think it was here.

 

I do not remember who wrote it, only that I liked it.

I was hoping if I posted what I remembered about it, you guys would be able to help track it down?

 

It started on a desert world. The main character belonged to a tribe of desert dwelling people, who lived in a valley or canyon. On the world, venturing out of the Canyon, was forbidden by their religion, and meant death, or exile.

 

The humans on this population were photosynthetic, and became faster, stronger, and able to survive more upon exposure to direct sunlight - something that didn't happen in the canyon/valley.

However, the main character (incidentally, son the chief?) was never exposed to sunlight other than that of the canyon, which didn't trigger these powers (but at the same time they didn't die of heat. They were aware of other humans, but these were heathens and they did not associate with them.

 

Until of course, the main character's sister becomes terminally ill. The sickness is treatable with the right plants, but the plants are out of season, and the sister will surley die. But upon hearing that the flowers are growing outside, in the desert, the main character risks everything, and leaves the village, along with his best friend, who is a herbalist, to find the flowers and treat his sister.

 

When they eventually do, (experiencing sun stroke, and interpreting it as the Sun God's curse for leaving the canyon) and also feel the affects of the photosynthesis, they return triumphant, but are swiftly ostracised and disowned, for breaking their religious laws. They escape execution, because in doing so, they saved the life of the hero's sister.

 

They leave, along with a few others, and set up their own society, and the next few stories are about their new way of life, solving disputes, trading with other humans, and their society flourishes with their Photosynthesis (which they now view as the Sun God's blessing).

 

Eventually, the viewpoint passes onto the hero's offspring, who through a sequence of events, is forced to return to their ancestor's village, in order to save someone else, but at the same time, risk execution.

 

To their surprise though, the village is now ran by the sister who survived, thanks to her brother's sacrifice, who upon recovering, was disgusted to learn of her brother's exile, and spent much resources trying to reach out and reconcile with her brother as soon as she took power.

 

The tribes reunite, and are now open to accepting trade and communication with the rest of the world (though they still cover their skin when leaving the canyon) and everyone lives happily ever after.

 

Does anyone know what these stories were called, or who wrote them? They were extremely engaging, and still stick in my head over a year later.

 

Any ideas?

[A Joe in the Bush]

This is kind of the Right place.

 

And you know any Proper names in the Story? The Kid's name, or the Canyon's? According to 10 different Google searches, the only book about Photosynthesis in humans is Top-Secret-John-Reynolds-Gardiner

[Haradion Drogon]

I can't remember anything other than plot points. I kinda think it was here at reading excuses, but that might be my memory playing tricks on me. As far as I recall, it wasn't published and was only available online.