Some 30 years ago, Alexei Panshin authored a series of three science fiction novels that have achieved minor legendary status. These were about a somewhat venal nobleman - Anthony Villiers, Viscount Charteris - and his highly illegal traveling companion Torve the Trog. What Trogs look like are six foot tall fur bearing frogs, what they think like has made them persona non grata throughout the Nashuite empire.

Trogs believe, among other strange things, that events arise out of imminent conjugation, rather than cause and effect. They have a fine sense of when these intersections of time and space are going to occur, during which they are known to express themselves with "Thurbs" of appreciation. Since they are also known to behave unpredictably at these moments, the Emperor has seen fit to invite them to remain in the vicinity of their home planet, where the most likely victim of a "Thurb" is likely to be another Trog.

Villiers and Torve have come to Delbaso to pick up some forged papers for the Trog so that he will no longer have to baffle as many customs officers; in addition, the viscount wants to pick up the stipend that his family pays them to stay out of their way. While not as unpredictable as Torve, Villiers has a tendency to wander into adventures that his relatives find disconcerting. The current arrangement suits everyone.

Or it would if the post from Duden would arrive, and if Lord Semichastny, Villier's uncle, had not conveniently misplaced the bank draft. For there is more afoot that the disguising of illegal aliens. The Delbaso Monist Association's Xochitl society is seeking wonders and marvels. The peels are grunting, and the bells of the last Christian historian are pealing. Lord Semichastny plots defiance of Delbaso's Winter-Summer Laws (recently enacted to force his lordship to leave the planet) by planning a party and hefting rotten melons at Lady Oliphaunt. Obviously, conjugations are threatening to break out everywhere.

Panshin's style, which combines wit with a sublime sense of the ridiculous, is something I have missed dearly. But unfortunately, these works are given to momentary reappearances followed by long period out of print. At present, 'Masque World' is the only one available. Recently the three Villiers novels have appeared in electronic form, which will help them regain some well-deserved notoriety. Lacking that, keep an eye out for them on the shelves of used bookstores in the hope that you can conjugate with a copy imminently.

Alexei Panshin's 'Anthony Villiers Adventures' are among the most treasured books on my shelves. They look at the world in a wacky way that is nevertheless perfectly reasonable. This one, the second in the series (which regrettably never got beyond the third volume), is as excellent as the other two. If you can find a copy in your local public library, you should check it out. If you can find a copy for sale, you should definitely buy it -- unless fun reading isn't your cup of tea.

Before there were Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett, there was Alexei Panshin. I think he was ahead of his time, I can't think of another reason why these weren't wild smash hits. One quote, as well as I remember it, went something like "Everyone ever born has extended the range of human possibility- new music, new ideas, new fashions. Jerzy McBee, being human, had extended the the range of human possibilities, but not by much".

Farewell to yesterdays tommorow is a collection of short New Wave Sci-Fi stories that all relate to one another.The central theme of the stories seems to be growing up.Be sure to read 'When The vertical World Turns Horizontal'.Its very odd.A great collection.

I've read these books over and over in paperback form, and it's good to finally see these books made available to the public again. Always delightful and skillfully written, these three short novels are guaranteed to amuse you and convince you that life's not so bad after all. Anthony Villiers travels, staying one step ahead of creditors, side-stepping the villians and presenting an enigma to almost everyone else. Mr. Villiers travelling companion is a Trog, best described as a big furry toad with glowing blue eyes who believes in "lines of occurance" instead of causality. Note: the 4th book in this series was never written. Nonetheless, I still strongly recommend these books to anyone looking for a fun, light read.

As someone who has always been, and always will be, a child at heart, I find that reading this book is like going home and then coming back again. I re-read it at least once every two years, and no, you can't have my falling-apart copy. You can't even borrow it. I'd sooner loan you one of my arms or legs.

In the beginning, the story may remind you of Heinlein's novella, Universe. But where in that work the punchline is the science, in this one it's the humanity. A young girl works up to, and then works through, her rite of passage to adulthood, and in the process gains much and loses even more, as always happens when we grow up. Be warned: it's not a "kids' book" though. This is for adults who remember, or who want to remember, what it was like to make the transition-- all the joys and all the sorrows. It's also great for young teens who are going through the process right now.

Reviewers who think the politics and the moral issues are oversimplified have missed the point. When you're that age, politics and morals ARE that simple. Would they could always be.

One of my 'top six best science fiction works of all time' picks.

This book is out of print?!?! This was one of the best books I read in high school. Although the main character is female, aged 10-14 in the story, readers of both sexes and all ages can relate to her coming of age and shaking off the prejudices of her society. Now that my own children are approaching the teenage years, I'd like to own it again. I'm not the only one, I'm sure. I hope someone in the publishing world is paying attention!

I read a lot of science fiction as a teenager and young adult...the best way to describe this book is 'charming'. It is definitely science fiction, but the focus on the lead female adolescent character and how she changes as she explores her environment, makes the book very accessible for younger readers.

While the book provides typical thought-provoking content in the plot and situations, the real beauty is watching the lead character change mentally and emotionally from a teenager to a young adult.

This is my favorite coming-of-age story...I can't believe it is out of print. Get a paper copy if you can (I've seen it in some used book stores)

Alexei Panshin started off on the wrong foot with this book: he read some of Mr. Heinlein's mail without first getting Heinlein's permission.

This in turn led Heinlein to refuse to cooperate with him, or even speak with him when they met at a public event (Heinlein said: "You have read my mail. GOOD DAY, SIR!" and he turned his back on him).

Panshin demonstrates at length in this book that he doesn't like Heinlein, doesn't approve of his ideas, doesn't understand him, and thinks that Heinlein isn't a very good writer. How much of this opinion is personal animus, how much left-wing disapproval of a right-winger, and how much plain stupidity I wouldn't venture to guess, but to paraphrase the author of a review below, entitled "Panshin in Dimension" , it contributes very little of value to the study of Heinlein or his work.

I realize it is hard to be objective and insightful about someone you don't like, and it does have the occasional interesting insight into Heinlein's fiction, but mostly, it stinks. Not recommended, unless you read it first at the library and decide you want it.

This book pretends to be objective about Heinlein, but I suspect that this is mostly a technique to try to draw Heinlein's fans away from him. RAH's most important works, such as _Stranger in a Strange Land_, _Starship Troopers_, or "Gulf," are invariably trashed by Panshin. To give one really glaring example of Panshin's bias, when the hero of _Glory Road_ states that he dislikes Vietnamese women because they are small, Panshin takes this as bigotry. Panshin himself notes that the hero here is markedly different from the hero of _The Door Into Summer_, who goes back in time to tell a young girl to meet him in the future and marry him. Somehow, he fails to make the connection--Heinlein, contrary to what Panshin and other critics say, IS capable of creating DIFFERENT characters whose life views do NOT necessarily represent his own. And of course, Panshin's review of "Gulf" is one of the worst examples of literary criticism I have ever seen.

I waited a long time before deciding to to buy and read this book. Heinlein was the author of the first SF I ever read; I didn't read anything by Panshin until twenty years later. However, I like them both, in different ways and for different reasons. While I cannot say I agree with all of the observations, criticisms, and conclusions Panshin has made about Heinlein -- I don't -- "Heinlein in Dimension" *did* make me think a bit more about the Heinlein I've read. Seeing how Panshin viewed him and his work has made me consider my own opinions on the matter. If you're looking for an RAH cheerleading book, this isn't it. If you're looking for a completely objective and unbiased book about Heinlein and his work, I don't think this is it either. If, however, you're familiar with Heinlein (even a fan), are looking for someone *trying* to be objective about the subject, and can read it with the continual remembrance that you're reading someone's *opinion*, then you might find "Heinlein in Dimension" worthwhile -- in viewpoint-stretching ways if not as pure analysis.