His first sf novel was Beloved Son (1978 UK), in which an interstellar expedition returns to Earth in 2032 to find a diminished post-holocaust population with very few old people, and a radically changed and somewhat merciless culture; the scenario is complicated by developments in genetic engineering: the other novels in this Ethical Culture series -- different protagonists but a common background -- are Vaneglory (1981 UK) and Yesterday's Men (1983 UK). They are serious and interesting, but the characteristic solemnity of their presentation has alienated some'' (Peter Nicholls/Encyclopedia of SF).