 Lafferty's quirky prose drew from traditional storytelling styles, largely from the Irish and Native American, and his shaggy-dog characters and tall tales are unique in science fiction.Little of Lafferty's writing is considered typical of the genre.His stories are closer to tall tales than traditional science fiction and are deeply influenced by his Catholic beliefs; "Fourth Mansions", for example, draws on "The Interior Mansions" of Teresa of Avila.