Returning Creation is the first of the High Couch of Silistra series, by Janet Morris. Published in 1977, it was the first 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 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.
