male-dominated religions. In Aliens in Popular Culture, Edward James observes that Tepper's satire explores the "take me to your leader" trope. Reception Library Journal notes "Tepper's talent for creating believable human and alien characters lends power and credibility to her work and makes her a convincing portrayer of sociologically oriented sf." Booklist states that the latter half of the book "stretches the limits of credibility" but concludes that "she has created an overwhelmingly detailed scenario for humanity's first contact with aliens." Kirkus describes it as "consummately skillful, wise, sometimes hilarious, iconoclastic performance, although possibly too relentlessly polemical". References Feminist science fiction novels Utopian novels 2000 science fiction novels