The book is heavily influenced by the works of writers such as Ray Bradbury, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Arthur C. Clarke, and Larry Niven.

Because of the discovery, the United States and the Soviet Union have poured all of their resources into space exploration and sent their best and brightest to colonize Venus and Mars.

Although there have been a few outbreaks of hostilities on Earth, an uneasy détente exists in space between the Americans and the Soviets, who are struggling for supremacy and supported by their respective allies.

Born in a Cajun family amidst the Louisiana bayous, his primary function is exploration of the vast wild lands, but at the beginning of the novel, he is tapped to welcome newcomers to the colony.

The new arrivals include Cynthia Whitlock, a young African-American specialist, and Wing Commander Christopher Blair, a supposedly-British linguist.

Although the base has no means to check DNA (as in the alternate timeline, most research funding has been spent on space travel), other tests indicate that the natives are closely related to Terrans.

The airship Vepaja, with Captain Tyler commanding, is selected for the rescue attempt, and Marc, Cynthia, and Chris are chosen as the crew.

Additionally, Blair discovers that the Cloud People speak a Proto-Indo-European language, which indicates that the creator race has taken Homo sapiens from earth and seeded them on Venus within the last several thousand years.