Clifford Simak was renowned as one of the "pastoral" Sci Fi writers, based upon his creation of stories of basically good, unheroic characters who inadvertently and unexpectedly find themselves in out-worldish situations that appear threatening but may not be -- or indeed may be. Watching these situations evolve and resolve can be fascinating reading. This novel was Simak's last and ends on a positive note about the future. Highly recommended.
