From 1957-1961, Farmer published separately five stories featuring Father John Carmody and then later collected them together in Father to the Stars (1981).

In addition to "The Night of Light," which Farmer turned into the novel Night of Light, these stories are "Attitudes," "Father," "A Few Miles," and "Prometheus."

These stories are in no sense "sequels" of each other, but when grouped together, create a episodic, loosely structured novel that could be described as "picaresque" if Father Carmody were a rogue or a rascal instead of a Christian humanist and Catholic priest.

"Attitudes" illustrates the kind of ironic reversal often present in Farmer's writing: A gambler assumes he is winning a fortune in an alien roulette game until Carmody informs him that the "winner" will be crucified. "A Few Miles" and "Prometheus" are charming stories revealing how Carmody teaches moral laws to a group of intelligent birds...