the story functions as social commentary – in this instance, the dangers of colonialism. the story, by former communist party of great britain member malcolm hulke, has been described as "unashamedly left wing", with the pioneering colonists and the greedy imc. as with "the space pirates" (1969), the story can be seen as a western in space, with the colonists using rifles like cowboys and the primitives wielding spears in a similar role to indians.