Shadows in the Sun

Chad Oliver's 1954 novel "Shadows in the Sun" initially looks like another retread of the Cold War "helpless us vs. evil them" theme of so many SF books and films of the era. Oliver, a social scientist by training, soon defies that tired stereotype by weaving the thoughtful tale of Paul Ellery, a cultural anthropologist studying a small south Texas town. Ellery soon finds himself in the unique laboratory--one in which he is the the subject of study and testing, not the inhabitants. Discovering the townspeople are extraterrestrials trained from birth to help relieve extreme overpopulation in their native galactic civilization, Ellery is soon faced with the toughtest decision any thinking individual within any culture must make. This work is one of the earliest attempts to approach an SF story from the viewpoint of complex social interaction rather than purely mechanical or ideological forces. Like his contemporary, Richard Matheson, Oliver puts his professional background to good use, reminding us that living, reasoning beings are subject to similar cultural, emotional and psychological influences no matter how "advanced" their particular civilization is judged to be.

Chad Oliver's 1954 novel "Shadows In the Sun" initially looks like another retread of the Cold War "helpless us versus evil them" theme of so many SF books and films of the era. Oliver, a social scientist by training, quickly defies that stereotype by weaving the thoughtful tale of Paul Ellery, a cultural anthropologist studying the social dynamics of a small south Texas town. Ellery soon finds himself in the ultimate laboratory--one in which he suddenly realizes he is the subject of study and testing, not the inhabitants. Discovering the townspeople are extraterrestrials trained from birth to live in this specific culture to help relieve extreme overpopulation in their native galactic civilization, Ellery is soon faced with the toughest decision any thinking individual within any culture must make. This work is one of the earliest attempts to approach an SF story from the viewpoint of complex social interaction rather than purely mechanical or ideological forces. Like his contemporary Richard Matheson, Oliver puts his professional training to good use, reminding us that living, reasoning beings are subject to similar cultural, emotional and psychological forces no matter how "advanced" or "primitive" their particular civilization is judged to be.