Well, it's an adventure story, and a Bildungsroman, of course, but there was also the intention to describe a culture that had been seen in rather narrow terms.
-- John M. Ford
   
John M. Ford   Name:
John M. Ford
Type:
Writer
Nationality:
American
Birth:
April 10, 1957
Death:
September 25, 2006
https://www.nutquote.com/quote/John_M._Ford