In the Valley of the Short Faced Bear began as a thought problem. What does our planetary society look like from the outside-in as opposed to view we have, looking out? As I began to work through the problem, it became apparent that the real question was "How will those in power react?" If humans that had left 7000 Earth years before, returned after establishing a successful interstellar civilization, how would they be seen? As a threat, as hope or what? But this also begged the question "How do our leaders feel about us?" And "How do we really feel about them?" What if the human aliens didn't want to conquer us but to have us join them? All of this tends to make us question ourselves, our society our relationship to this world and our fellow Earthers. That is the purpose of this book. To persuade others to ask the questions that aren't apparent from our point of view in the belly of this beast. But also to entertain and maybe cause a few laughs