The protagonist and narrator of this novel, Andrew is called Andrew as a convenience. In fact, the narrator has no name of his own. The novel traces Andrew’s character development from a hyper-rational extraterrestrial to a deeply emotional human being. Initially disgusted by the human race, Andrew gradually warms to humans—their emotions, the complex lives and norms, and even their bodies, which he previously found repulsive. As his affection for humans (and other animals) grows, he displays it in many ways: through his desire to protect his troubled son, Gulliver; his attraction to his estranged wife, Isobel; and even his easy bond with the family dog. Andrew’s attachment to his new human community grows so strong that he chooses to become fully human, even though doing so means giving up his powers and his chance of returning home.

Through Andrew’s eyes, the reader is brought on a careful and emotional observation of humanity. Haig uses Andrew to criticize society’s standards of normal, humans’ hesitancy to reveal their true selves, and the way societies reject what is alien to them. Haig also uses Andrew as a lens through which the reader can appreciate the special nature of human beings: our compassion, our love for one another, our joys, and our perseverance through pain and mortality.