Child of the Sun

"Child of the Sun" by Leigh Brackett is a science fiction novel written in the early 1940s. It explores themes of freedom, oppression, and existence within a cosmic setting, as it follows the struggle of humans in a dystopian world governed by a tyrant named Gantry Hilton, who wields near-godlike control over minds through his Psycho-Adjuster. The narrative centers on the character Eric Falken and his desperate attempts to escape capture and save both himself and an Unregenerate woman named Sheila Moore from the clutches of Hiltonism. In the book, Eric Falken is pursued by the Hiltonist forces and must navigate the treacherous depths of space aboard his ship, the "Falcon". Along the way, he grapples with his past, loss, and the looming threat of being "Hiltonized." As he and Sheila seek refuge on a mysterious planet named Vulcan, they encounter a powerful entity known as the Sun-child, a being of immense energy and intelligence who has created its own fantastical world, yet remains trapped in it. The narrative evolves into a battle of wills as Falken and Sheila confront both their oppressor and the Sun-child, ultimately forming a tentative alliance to create a new haven for the Unregenerates. The climax revolves around a poignant moment where Falken challenges the Sun-child’s identity and purpose, leading to a transformation that offers hope for humanity's future in a newly formed world. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Leigh Douglass Brackett was an American author and screenwriter. Nicknamed "the Queen of Space Opera," she was one of the most prominent female writers during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. As a screenwriter, she was best known for her collaborations with director Howard Hawks, mainly writing Westerns and crime films. She also worked on an early draft of The Empire Strikes Back (1980), elements of which remained in the film; she died before it went into production.