Observers from a future Earth are embedded on an alien planet to observe the dev
elopment of the local civilization, which is currently in a feudal stage. Anton,
known on assignment as Don Rumata, pits himself against the king's adviser, Don
Reba, who holds immense power and has turned the realm into a fascist state, ar
resting artists and scientists and brutally repressing any dissent. Although Rum
ata tries to help Reba's victims, he is often frustrated by the strictures of th
e society in which he operates. While Rumata's technology could make him a god,
he is still hampered by his own human nature.
