The Blue Tower

"The Blue Tower" by Evelyn E. Smith is a science fiction story from the late 1950s that looks at what happens when aliens control society, focusing on happiness and how humans relate to each other. The main character, Ludovick Eversole, is a poet who lives in a world ruled by the Belphins, aliens who say they help people by using love. Ludovick struggles with his loyalty to the Belphins when his girlfriend Corisande's family gets involved in a secret plan against the aliens. As he gets drawn into their plans, Ludovick has to decide whether to support the way things are or to go against his loved ones by telling the Belphins about the danger. His quest to challenge the main Belphin ends badly, leading to the destruction of the Belphin leaders and the confusion that results. This story warns about the dangers of power, what it means to betray someone, and what can happen when human emotions clash with authority.