At the moment of his death, Alp, a powerful and cunning Turkish warrior chieftain, is thrust naked, weaponless and horseless into a bewildering world that her perceives as hell. He soon discovers that the hell he inhabits is filled not with demons, but a race of humans known as Galactics from an age far removed from his own. He has been chosen to fight, and perhaps die again, in a vast intergalactic game called Steppe-a strange recreation of his own era where horses are starships, cities are planets and mountains are suns.

Alp has always been a victor in the bloody struggle for survival among his people. Will his barbarian cunning be enough to defeat the intellectual might of the Galactics and by his knowledge of his own time win a place for himself among the stars?

This book is easily findable at used book stores so don't worry about finding it here on amazon. Never before or probably again will I read a book quite like this one. This book is real world history intricatly and intelligently weaved into a future landscape. It cannot be fully explained just how well done this book is. Even if you don't like science fiction and you don't like history. You will still marvel at the skill involved in this book. You will laugh at yourself because you will feel as if you've been tricked into reading a history lesson. But it feels nothing like that. This book is where Anthony truly shines because it took intelligence and a great artistic mind to write this novel. This book is Great!!!!!!!!

This is one of my favorite books because after I finnished it and read the end notes I was facinated with the background. This is a sci-fi recreation of a historical figures life. Just a caution don't try to find out ahead of time who it is just read and then try to see if you can figure out who just from the story (it is accurate in a strange way). This is also a great way to get people who like sci-fi into history or to get a history buff into sci-fi.

A good introduction to Xanth, I guess. I haven't read any other Xanth books, though. If you know, could you e-mail me at wibsatp@hotmail.com?

This is a good book for getting you acquainted with the Xanth series. I have been reading them for years, but get confused which comes next as they are not all numbered. I like them as one leads into another. Maybe someone has these listed somewhere from start to most recent? ...

The Xanth stories are full of wonderful puns and jokes. It also is filled with action, romance, and young women whom, for some reason or another show their panties to creatures. This is not a dirty book however. This is perfect from young adult to ancient adult.

I happen to own all five books of the Bio of a Space Tyrant series, in paperback format. I've read each one at least twice. I was looking to replace rather a worn-out copy of Politician - but now it appears I will have to scour the Out-of-Prints. This pentology tells the epic tale of one boy's rise from humble beginnings as a refugee to becoming a powerful leader, visionary, and elder statesman in a setting where the political climate holds close parallels with our own global situation of the early 1980s.

In REFUGEE, we follow Hope Hubris as a teenager with his family, forced to escape from Callisto (counterpart to Cuba or Haiti) into space and brave the depradations of pirates in the hopes of finding a better life elsewhere. Raped, plundered, and set adrift by pirates, the survivors resort to cannibalism to survive - eating their own friends and family.

In MERCENARY, we find Hope and his sister Spirit as the only known survivors of their family. Now in the military of the United States of Jupiter (counterpart to our United States), they proceed to ascend the ranks, gather allies, and mount an expedition to wipe out piracy throughout the solar system.

Returning from their successful mission, Hope turns to civilian life and embarks upon a career as a POLITICIAN, with the eventual goal of becoming President of the United States of Jupiter. With the help of his wife, Meghan, his sister, Spirit, and others, he succeeds - with a twist. Massive opposition from the incumbent president, Tocsin, leads a Constitutional assembly to suspend their Constitution and government and declare Hope Hubris to be the sole source of lawful government.

Backed by the military of which he was once a part of, he takes power as Tyrant in EXECUTIVE. Under his rule, he enforces sweeping social changes in government - addressing recurring societal problems within health care, education, crime, and the economy by executive fiat. While this approach solves some problems, his harsh rule lends strength to oppositional forces that eventually force him from power.

In the last book of the series, STATESMAN, a middle-aged Hope Hubris travels the solar system, promoting peace and sharing his vision of developing light-speed travel as a means of settling mankind into the stars before political and populational pressures cause the solar system to erupt into an unsurvivable System War III (counterpart to what would be our World War III).

The Bio of a Space Tyrant series really is an excellent read, but it can definitely bore others. If you want, you can read Mercenary first. The military tactics, intrigue, and human manipulation angles can be very interesting. It might then lead you to want to read the others, including Refugee, the book that began it all, or Executive, which is also somewhat fun.

I hope you find this review useful in determining whether these books are worthy of your purchase.

I was an early lover of the Xanth series and then the Incarnation series. Although not all of Piers Anthony's books/Series have given me equal pleasure, I found a second hand copy of of all five books of this series years ago and plunged into a most vivid world of imagination for a week and a half. I was consumed by this wonderful story of the adventure, ingenuity and growth of Hope Hubris (what an appropriate name!) and his sister. I somehow lost the books among many moves and am hoping I can buy them again to share with my son.

The books are not really out of print. All five volumes of Bio of a Space Tyrant can be found at www.Xlibris.com (search under piers), however these new copies are expensive and are not too hard to find used.

The books parallel the history of the last 50 tears transposed to the twenty-seventh century. The first volume is quite downbeat; the other four are more like Piers's usual upbeat style. The originals of a lot the places and people can be identified. For example Megan (of volume 3) is Helen Mary Gahagan Douglas who lost a race for the Senate to Nixon in 1950. One final comment. There is a nice definition of honor on page 72 of Mercenary (vol.2). Those familiar with Piers's books know this is a recurring theme for him.

I read the first 2 books, and read this one for the sake of finishing the trilogy. I hoped that it would be better, but unfortunately I am disappointed.

Firstly, the writing just doesn't flow. The very opening of the book seems chunky and stilted. It takes quite an effort to read the whole book. Throughout, much of the dialogue seems...weird... just not natural at all. You have this sense that the characters have written their thoughts down and are reciting it.

Though the storyline is on the whole acceptable, I find that much of the book is cluttered with details, details and more details. I find myself flipping over pages, even chapters, at a time, skipping tedious commentary and descriptions to get straight to the action.

Piers Anthony can write better than this. Just look at most of his Xanth novels -- plots flow smoothly, the writing is fluent and fresh, etc. Somehow this one has the feel of being written when half asleep.

I thought that this book was better than the first two. Not that it was written any better, but that it had more interesting things going on in it. I thought that it was interesting how, towards the end, they had to struggle against the goblins and "Adverse Adepts" to get the huge ball of phazite across the curtain.

The twist at the end that leaves Stile in Phaze and puts Blue in Proton wasn't something that I would've suspected.

It wrapped up that part of the series quite nicely.

The book just keeps building and building at a manic pace, to produce one the craziest, most chaotic endings to a book and a series ever. It is really one of Anthony's best series...part of me wishes he'd kept the series to just the first three, but the second "trilogy" was also really good. But if you like adventurous (i.e. creative) fantasy, read this series.... And Sheen has quite a will for a robot.

Anthony has long been one of my favorites. I cannot keep up with the outpouring of his titles. Hope of Earth thrilled me as did the other volumes of the Geodyssey series. True to his form of writing, Anthony conjures a vivid portrayal of humanity's history and just makes you rethink some of those ideas you have held as being "the only truth". Anyone who enjoys the annals of history will enjoy the traipsing adventures of characters that are not movers-and-shakers of history, but witness first hand those prime agents of our past. Hats off to Anthony's research assistant as he continualy provides information that gives the detail to live the story.

This is one of my favorite series by Piers Anthony. I would have to say this is my favorite book this series. I like this one because of the ancient greek references. These are wonderful books with a great story and the marvelous job Piers does weaving the characters into each of these novels, yet keep them apart as their own. These books are well worth the time and money to read and buy them. Highly Recommended reading. If you like historial-fantasy this is a series for you.

The third of Piers Anthony's roller-coaster rides through the history of humankind, 'Hope of Earth' showcases a half-dozen characters as they experience a lifetime of five million years. Why should you care about these characters? Because they are archetypes, each of their conversations and actions illustrating humanity's strengths and weaknesses. Why else? The supporting cast features the Ice Man, Boudica, Perikles, Herod, Samo, Toqtamish, and Louis XIV. Imagine meeting even one of these; Anthony's six meet them all.Conflict is important to fictional characters, and here each has a major problem to deal with: for example, one of the characters has a six-fingered hand, the natural successor to the left-handedness in the prior volume. As we have come to expect in the Geodyssey, the score of settings has lush variety. Central to the novel, and a quarter of its length, is the exploration of the war between Athens and Sparta beginning in 431 BC; other interesting locations include the Maginot Line, the supposed Great Wall of China, and the Great Rift Valley.Once molded by evolution to conquer the world, mankind proceeded to do so along Anthony's lines. His message, however, is that the world-conquering gifts our species retains may be our downfall as conquest turns to destruction. The hope of Earth is for us to learn from history and mend our ways. This splendid effort to wake us up to that task is not only inspirational but also enjoyable, and readers can ask for no better combination than that.

This was one of the few books in the series I could not put down. You never forget Grundy, and I was pleased he got his own book. The sharp tongue(witted) and bold Grundy the Golem makes an excellent character. You will actually love his sarcastic personality. Grundy finally gets his own quest.

Golem in the Gears, as well as the entire Xanth series, is a great book. I read Golem in 2 days, and all the books (so far) from A Spell For Chameleon to Man from Mundania in an average of 2 1/2 days each, and I'm still going!!I highly recomend the Xanth series to anyone and everyone. If you like books that capture you from the beginning, then Xanth's for you. ********** stars

The sharp and bold Grundy the Golem makes an excellent character because of his natural sarcastic personality, and his awesome talent. I recommend this book to anybody of any age who has ever loved fantasy books. It grips your imagination and will take you to heighths you never dreamed possible. Piers Anthony is the best!!!

I, like many who reviewed this series, got into this series when I was 16 years old. The inordinate amount of sex was surely a major aspect of my voracious reading of this series. As I look back, 14 years later, I ralize that Piers Anthony had a gift of coming up with some great plots. Yet he had to suffuse them with so much sex (and bad sex, may I say), which he does with virtually every book he writes, that the story just becomes soft porn books. Of course teen boys love it! But this is not real science fiction.

The writing of Piers Anthony is mediocre at best, lacking in complex characters. His strength is good plots and knowing how to turn teen boys on.

I FIRST READ THESE BOOKS IN THE 10TH GRADE OF HIGH SCHOOL. I READ EACH BOOK OF THE SERIES ABOUT 20 TIMES. THEN MY LIBRARIAN TOOK THE BOOKS AND WOULDN'T LET ANYONE READ THEM.NOW I'M A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL AND WANT TO FIND THEM SOME WHERE ELSE, ANY IDEAS? E-MAIL ME AT eboz9@nctimes.net. THANKS.

This story captivated me. I started reading it when I was in highschool and couldn't put it down. Between then and now, 10 years later, I've read the series over again a million times. Read the first couple of pages and if you don't want to read anymore, I'd be shocked.

This book was great. I haven't read it in forever, but as a fan of Piers, I figured I might as well try this one. Wow, was I surprised! Gone was the fun of Xanth, this was some seriously scary writing. I couldn't put it down one night because I was afraid to go to sleep. Maybe it should be in the horror genre. Anyway, it was really great, and then... it had a really, really, REALLY, HORRIBLE HORRIBLE ending. It ruined the entire book, otherwise it would've gotten 5 stars. But the ending was horrible! So if you want to keep the book being nice, near the end.. stop reading there and make up your own ending. Almost anything could be better.

Piers Anthony demonstrates his competence at horror novel writing. This story enthralls almost immediately, about a father and his two children taking refuge from The Big City in a safe, rural setting. Anthony builds empathy for the plight of the family, who have just lost their mother to NY crime. But as he does this, he begins to insert elements into the rural Florida setting that don't quite fit, that can be explained away at first, but then ...

I won't give anything away, but this could have made a great X-Files episode. Anthony demonstrates that he can run with King or Straub with this story. His characterization is much deeper than usual, but he doesn't neglect his perversely creative ability to plot beyond the lines.

Great bedtime reading for city dwellers. Not certain I'd read it at all if I lived in an old house under an old tree, miles from anywhere ...

There was a day when Piers was known for more than his stupid and silly fantasies, and this is one the best books from those times. Much of the scenery and background is taken from his real life, but here he creates more suspense and drama than I've ever seen in any of his books. The characters are real and believeable, the writing is tight and descriptive, and the overall suspense of the book keeps you turning the pages until the very end -- where the book goes from suspense/horror to outright light fantasy. But hey, I'm not complaining, at least it's not some cope out, splatter the wall with blood ending that Stephen King has come up with a hundred and one times already. I highly recommend this book to all who are even remotely interested in this genre of writing; it is not, however, for those who are incapable of conceiving of literature beyond Xanth.

OK...I am a huge fan of Anthony and have 90% of his novels. This is a collection of disjointed musings. Man falls for bad sales pitch, loses fortune, fails at multiple jobs, adopts a Daughter (some kind of fascination from the author here) novel ends. The last 30 pages are a prelude to another book......

These aren't Anthony's most vibrant, three-dimensional characters (Okay, we get it, Fisk has trouble reconciling his basic decency with his career. Move on). It's funny, but that's it. This isn't helping SF's reputation any.

It isn't really a novel, but a short story collection with connecting material. If you're new to Anthony, by all means go for it. But if you're any kind of SF fan, you'll have read at least a few of these in their original forms.

I have to admit that when i started this book i had my doubts about it.But after I read the opening sales pitch,made by the mars salesmen,I was hooked!I've read alot of his other books,but this was one of the best!!

Basically, I enjoyed reading this book but it did not hold my interest or spark new thoughts as many of Piers Anthony's books do when I read them. The author apparently likes to explore sexual subjects (see his book Firefly) and explore taboos (see some of his other series other than Xanth). Nothing wrong with that but I would never want someone who loves the Xanth series to get the wrong idea. The basic story of a man placing too much emphasis on the size of his genitalia is easy to catch hold to and most of the book is easy enough to follow but it does not leave you wanting more. Although it is sexually graphic, and has some odd scenes, it is not overly pornographic, like a letter to a men's magazine. If you need a book to soak up a little time and something without much weight or thought needed, this is good. If you want to be intellectually challenged, you may want to look elsewhere (like Piers Anthony excellent Incarnations of Immortality series). Because this book is usually out of print, it can be a collector's item.

I'm not certain a wilder fantasy can be had. An incubus/succubus, magical smegma, a set of detachable, interchangable penises of various sizes & functions, demons, & a woman scientist who doesn't know the meaning of the word "No" nor how a man values his own penis. This is Piers Anthony boldly rushing in where Mrs. Grundy fears to tread.

I enjoy his novels, and this one was no exception. I read it long before I had discovered Xanth, Tarot, or the Incarnations of Immortality. I don't think I had yet read the first Phaze trilogy. What an introduction! This book stood alone in it's own right--one doesn't have to be an Anthony fan to enjoy it.

I was attracted to the taboo-violating nature of the basic plot device: Evil scientist removes man's stubby little penis & gives him a wide range of accessories (with full sensate functioning) to replace it. Man goes on quest to obtain techno-magical item to exchange for his original organ. The theme of "a quest to obtain something magical so the wizard will return what is rightfully yours" is a tired old theme. Applying it to a man's =PENIS= returns it to novelty!

Once you get past the creative audacity, this reads like any other Anthony novel. The characters don't have a lot of depth (the hero seems to occupy a fractal dimension larger than two but fails to achieve a full three dimensions). Who cares? His creativity is legendary--and this book showcases it well. Lots of challenges, action & even the odd pun, all played out in a sci-fi-magico-phantasy-sexual arena.

Yes, there are some very interesting forms of coupling portrayed in this book. I would hesitate to label it erotica, and certainly =NOT= consider it pornography. It's not a one-handed read. Think of it more as a Xanth novel you'd hate to explain to a pre-pubescent! This is as violent as any quest novel, but the sexual arena for the quest makes the violence less palatable.

Three stars for characterization. Four stars for plot. Five stars for shear audacity. If you've got an open & adventurous mind, don't miss this unique book.

(If you liked this review, please read my other reviews at Amazon.com. Thanks, Elderbear)

DO *NOT* buy this book if you're expecting Xanth style fun. This is a very adult book, and quite fun as one.