Black Man's Burden is a science-fiction novella and the first in a series of near-future stories set in North Africa. The series has been called a notable exception to the indirect treatment of racial issues in 1960s science fiction. In Black Man's Burden, the tradition of white imperial benevolence is initially subverted by having black-only field workers foment economic and technological progress in the underdeveloped regions of North Africa. It is later promoted by Homer Crawford's decision to become El Hassan and engage in nation-building rather than continuing the imperial interests of the West. This series includes Black Man's Burden, Border, Breed nor Birth, Black Sheep Astray, and The Best Ye Breed.