We're Not from Here

Choom is the primary setting of We’re Not From Here. The refugees from Earth initially take an interest in Choom because it has the proper makeup to support human life, though the planet’s inhabitants frighten some potential settlers. In this way, the planet represents the difference between necessities and desires. The humans need a planet where they can survive. Discomfort caused by the appearance of others on that planet is less critical, and the humans who go to Choom show the compromises people are willing to make to survive. The importance of being honest about what one needs versus what one wants becomes clear in the differing fates of the groups who returned to Earth or settled on a third planet; neither are heard from again.

Choom society also allegorizes the racism and discrimination that takes place on Earth. The Zhuri are both the species in power and the majority population, which makes them a threat to the other races on the planet, even if they aren’t actively violent. Their leadership position and control over the media allow them to control the narrative for Choom’s people, portraying humans as violent and dangerous and illustrating