one by aliens) corresponding to the events described in the chapter. Compared with the "first hand" information the reader gains in the chapters, both sources show a substantial bias in their interpretation of the events while often being in direct contradiction. Inspiration and relation to other works The book's narrative describes a historical framework which serves as a setting for a number of Resnick's other works of fiction, including the novels Ivory, A Miracle of Rare Design, and Santiago. The story is inspired by Resnick's personal interest in Africa. Humanity's behavior and motivation is a direct continuation of 16th to 19th century European colonialism and imperialism: ruthless exploitation and domination of other cultures, justified by an ideology of racial superiority. "Birthright" is based on the speculation that this behavior could be a fundamental trait of humans, which would be exhibited in just the same way towards extraterrestrial aliens. The later part is apparently based on the rather less speculative notion that seemingly invincible empires can and invariably do crumble and disappear, often quite quickly. History provides numerous examples, including Ancient Rome, the Mongol and British Empires and the domain of Alexander the Great. "Birthright" can also be seen as the antithesis of the science fictional stereotype of vicious, dangerous aliens who threaten humanity, as seen e.g. in Starship Troopers, the Predator and Alien movies, and many others. In Birthright, it is humanity itself that is the most vicious and dangerous of galactic races. This much less common theme is also found in the short story With Friends Like These as well as The Damned trilogy by Alan Dean Foster. 1982 American novels 1982 science fiction novels American science fiction novels Signet Books books