Louisa Baker wrote all 16 of her novels under the pseudonym 'Alien' – a name she may have chosen because she lacked a strong sense of identity tied to place. Baker was born in England, grew up in New Zealand and returned to England in 1894.

In Another woman's territory (1901), Caroline Grey must fend off a woman who sets herself up as a rival for her husband Howard's attentions. In this and other novels, Baker upholds the value and sanctity of marriage, but in The untold half (1899) she admits the possibility of intimate relationships outside of marriage. In all her work she argued for acknowledgement of female sexuality and passion, and for equality within marriage.