The Tendu are not a technologically advanced species, let alone a space-faring race. They have advanced skills in biology, medicine, and ecology, but these derive largely from innate physiological capabilities. As such, they find the environments of spaceships and orbital stations to be stunningly strange. Thomson does a great job of describing how these human environments affect the aliens.

Much of the plot revolves around the issues of how human society reacts to the aliens. While Ukatonen and Moki have only the best of intentions, they repeatedly run up against human fear, greed, prejudice, and even power-mongering. As the title of the book implies, there is a focus on how our flawed society would appear to aliens. These particular aliens are so good and free of malice, almost implausibly so, that human deficiencies stand out in sharp relief.

The book's biggest problem is the uneven pace. The first chapter is quite tedious, as Thomson attempts to establish the alien character of the Tendu by using many alien words. After this, the pace picks up for the most part, but still drags periodically. The last couple of chapters then seem rushed, as if Thomson were running out of time to make a deadline.

Despite this, Through Alien Eyes is a wonderfully engaging story. Its very refreshing variation on the first contact genre easily overcomes its minor shortcomings.