"
Look Into the Sun" (1989) is an excellent stand-alone
science fiction novel by one of the best
SF short story writers around,
James Patrick Kelly, who is maybe best known for the
Hugo-nominated
short story "
Itsy Bitsy Spider".
The
novel is set on
near future Earth. The
Messengers, a benevolent
alien race, are integrating into
society and recruiting people for their
religion. Meanwhile, main character
Phillip Wing is an
architect who is commissioned to design the
tomb of an
alien living
god. When Wing accepts the assignment, he is transported to the alien planet and physically changed to be able to live among the aliens. He has to learn to deal with losing his
home planet and his very
humanity.
The novel is beautifully written and is one of the best studies of
"alienation" (
literally and
figuratively) I have read in the
genre. Very highly recommended, as are almost all of Mr. Kelly's short works.