A Far Sunset
A psychiatrist stranded on Altair Five confronts primitive culture.
A Far Sunset, a science fiction novel by Edmund Cooper, first appeared in July 1967, published in the UK by Hodder & Stoughton and in the US by Walker and Company. The story begins in 2032 when the starship Gloria Mundi, built and crewed by the United States of Europe, lands on the planet Altair Five. After a party of crew members exploring the landing site loses radio contact and fails to return, a rescue team of three is sent after them; they too vanish within hours. The three remaining crew members eventually leave the ship to search for the missing, but all are captured. Only the ship’s psychiatrist, Paul Marlow, survives. The planet is inhabited by primitive humanoids.
A central conflict arises between Marlow’s rational, scientific mindset and the superstitious, often brutal culture of the indigenous Bayani tribe, who pronounce his name “Poul Mer Lo.” He rises to a position of leadership within their society. Marlow later undertakes a journey that reveals the factual origin of the natives’ religion, uncovering that the humans of Altair Five share a common ancestry with those of Earth and other worlds in the Milky Way. Upon his return, he is elevated to the most powerful role in the tribe. Using this authority, he educates the Bayani, introducing them to writing and to Earth inventions such as the wheel, the ball-bearing, and the axle, as well as improved industrial and agricultural methods.
Throughout his stay, Marlow longs to return home, but he eventually adapts to the simplicity and naivety of Bayani life, coming to see the complexities of Earth as absurd. When, after less than three Altair Five years, a starship contacts him and rescue becomes imminent, he chooses to remain, despite a specific fate that awaits him.
- published
- July 1967
- publisher_UK
- Hodder & Stoughton
- publisher_US
- Walker and Company
- genre
- Science fiction
- protagonist
- Paul Marlow
Lore & Background
The starship Gloria Mundi, built and crewed by the United States of Europe, lands on Altair Five in 2032. After initial exploration parties vanish, only psychiatrist Paul Marlow survives capture by the planet's primeval humanoids. He is renamed Poul Mer Lo by the Bayani tribe and rises to a leading position in their society. Marlow undertakes a journey that demystifies the natives' religion by revealing its factual origin—that the humans of Altair Five share ancestry with Earth and other worlds in the Milky Way. Upon his return, he is elevated to the most powerful position and introduces writing, the wheel, ball-bearing, axle, and improved industrial and agricultural methods. Despite longing to go home, Marlow adapts to the simplicity of Bayani life and, when rescue arrives after less than three Altair Five years, chooses to stay despite a specific fate awaiting him.
Reader's Guide
A Far Sunset explores the theme of cultural clash between rationalism and superstition, embodied by Marlow's transformation from a stranded outsider to a leader who reshapes an alien society. The novel's significance lies in its examination of colonialism and adaptation: Marlow uses his knowledge to uplift the Bayani, yet ultimately rejects rescue to embrace their lifestyle. The story's demystification of religion—revealing a shared human ancestry across worlds—adds a speculative layer to questions of identity and belonging. Published in 1967, the novel reflects mid-20th-century anxieties about technology, progress, and the cost of civilization. Its legacy endures as a thoughtful entry in the science fiction canon, often compared to works like Lest Darkness Fall for its focus on a single protagonist altering a primitive society.
Did You Know?
- The starship Gloria Mundi is crewed by the United States of Europe.
- Marlow's name is pronounced 'Poul Mer Lo' by the Bayani tribe.
- Marlow introduces the wheel, ball-bearing, and axle to the alien race.
- The novel was published in the UK by Hodder & Stoughton in July 1967.
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