underpeople

The epilogue and prologue of 'The Planet Buyer' establish the setting of Old North Australia (Norstrilia), a harsh but wealthy world known for producing the immortality-granting drug stroon derived from giant sick sheep. The narrative introduces Rod McBan, a young man facing a life-or-death trial to inherit his family's Station of Doom farm, highlighting his unique telepathic deafness and the cultural context of Norstrilia's people, their values, and their guarded isolationism. The chapter sets the stage for Rod's adventures, including his unprecedented legal purchase of Earth and his unexpected desire for postage stamps rather than wealth or women.