Turner's first science fiction novel, "Beloved Son" (1978), was followed by two related works, "Vaneglory" (1981) and "Yesterday's Men" (1983), comprising the "Ethical Culture" series. While they did not form a coherent trilogy, they were set in the same future, plagued by the problems of both a nuclear holocaust and the ravages of ill-advised experimentation with genetic food crops and epidemics caused by mutated viruses. "Vaneglory" introduced perhaps his most memorable creation, the Children of Time, a secret society of mutant human beings who are virtually immortal and have certain advanced mental skills. Unlike similar fictional creations however they do not control human destiny- although they intermittently dabble in human politics, their cynical and self-absorbed personalities make it difficult for them to care much about humanity or to co-operate in planning its future.