At first glance, Lord of Light might seem a novel devoid of any social concern. Certainly it lacks the themes readers usually associate with science fiction — awful warnings about technology run amok, overpopulation, nuclear war, or ecological disaster. Its premise suggests highly imaginative escapist fare. In the remote future a ship filled with colonists from earth reaches a distant planet. The crew, armed with remarkably advanced technology, has conquered the natives and established itself as a virtually immortal ruling elite, lording it over classes of servants, peasants, and artisans descended from the original colonists.

To strengthen their hold over the masses, the former crew members have used their technological skills to assume godlike powers and personas, drawn from Hindu mythology. They become "gods" and rule over a populace denied education, technology, and freedom. One of the "gods" rebels against this static, hierarchical society, and the...