Trumbo, who would later be called to testify before Congress (and was subsequently jailed and blacklisted as a member of the so-called Hollywood Ten during the McCarthy-era Red Scare), skillfully plants early warning signs in Eclipse about the political climate of the decades to come.
Considered scandalous and controversial at the time of its initial release, Eclipse draws heavily from Trumbo's own boyhood experiences in Grand Junction, Colorado, and many of the characters are based on real-life citizens from that time. Over time it has come to be regarded as an honest and candid depiction of the way life really is in a small town America.
Readers interested in related titles from Dalton Trumbo will also want to see: Time of the Toad (paperback, ISBN 1635610974).