"The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes"
by Robert A. Heinlein and an introduction by David Weber
https://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Pankera-Parallel-Novel-Universes/dp/1647100291/

Book number four in a very loose series of six science fiction books. I
read the well printed and well bound trade paperback published by CAEZIK
SF & Fantasy in 2021 that I bought new in 2021. The book was found in
Robert Heinlein's stored items in 2017 in many pieces and several
editors put it together over three years for publishing. I plan to
reread "The Cat Who Walks Through Walls" and "To Sail Beyond The Sunset"
soon. I have yet to decide if I am going to reread "The Number Of The
Beast".

This book and "The Number of The Beast" are exactly alike through about
first third of the books. After that, they are radically different.
The current theory is that this book was written first and Virginia
Heinlein vetoed it. Plus there were copyright problems. So RAH threw
away the middle and end and rewrote it.

I need to reread Doc Smith's Lensmen books. I did not remember Worsel
the Venusian dragon Lensman nor many of the other Lensmen. But I read
those books over fifty years ago and lost several of them when my house
was flooded in 1989. Anyway, I really enjoyed the first third of the
book and the last third of the book. The middle third dragged just a
little bit, mostly because I have forgotten most of the Edgar Rice
Burroughs's Mars books and I never read the Oz books.

If you are offended by sex, and I mean lots of sex, in a book then I
would advise you to stay away from this book and series. Except for the
first book in the series, "Methusalah's Children". All of the books,
except the first book, have group marriages in or mentioned in them
which was first expounded by Heinlein in "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress"
book.

The book series is
1. Methuselah's Children
2. Time Enough For Love
3. The Number Of The Beast
4. The Pursuit Of The Pankera
5. The Cat Who Walks Through Walls
6. To Sail Beyond The Sunset

There is a much better good review at "Long-Lost Treasure: The Pursuit
of the Pankera vs. The Number of the Beast by Robert A. Heinlein" by
Alan Brown
https://reactormag.com/long-lost-treasure-the-pursuit-of-the-pankera-vs-the-number-of-the-beast-by-robert-a-heinlein/

Jo Walton says that "The Number Of The Beast" is not Heinlein's worst
novel by far, but, it is too long. She does not have a review for the
Pankera book that I have found.
https://reactormag.com/heinleins-worst-novel/

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Amazon rating: 4.4 of out 5 stars (2,648 reviews)

Lynn

In article <uvrvi7$2etvr$1@dont-email.me>,
Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
>I need to reread Doc Smith's Lensmen books. I did not remember Worsel
>the Venusian dragon Lensman nor many of the other Lensmen.

You do not remember the coolest of the non-human Lensmen? *
*boggle* I always thought that all of the L2s should have
found their counterparts and produced L3 children, especially
the Velantians, like Worsel.

I don't think any depection of him on covers (and especially
that anime botch) have ever gotten him close to right.
Though, I suppose, he's one of those alien designs that can
sound good on paper which is ... really challenging ... to
depict in a visual medium in a way that looks good.

I was kind of iffy about "Pankera", but if Worsel is in it,
I'm definitely going to have to read it.

* Depending on your definition of "cool". Temperature-wise,
Nadrek blows them all out of the water... er, liquid helium.

--
Mike Van Pelt | "I don't advise it unless you're nuts."
mvp at calweb.com | -- Ray Wilkinson, after riding out Hurricane
KE6BVH | Ike on Surfside Beach in Galveston

On 4/18/2024 10:24 PM, Mike Van Pelt wrote:
> In article <uvrvi7$2etvr$1@dont-email.me>,
> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
>> I need to reread Doc Smith's Lensmen books. I did not remember Worsel
>> the Venusian dragon Lensman nor many of the other Lensmen.
>
> You do not remember the coolest of the non-human Lensmen? *
> *boggle* I always thought that all of the L2s should have
> found their counterparts and produced L3 children, especially
> the Velantians, like Worsel.
>
> I don't think any depection of him on covers (and especially
> that anime botch) have ever gotten him close to right.
> Though, I suppose, he's one of those alien designs that can
> sound good on paper which is ... really challenging ... to
> depict in a visual medium in a way that looks good.
>
> I was kind of iffy about "Pankera", but if Worsel is in it,
> I'm definitely going to have to read it.
>
>
>
> * Depending on your definition of "cool". Temperature-wise,
> Nadrek blows them all out of the water... er, liquid helium.

Dejah Thoris and John Carter's son, Glinda the Good, and several Lensmen
are in the TPOTP book.

Lynn

On 18/04/2024 15.24, Lynn McGuire wrote:
> "The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes" by Robert A. Heinlein and an introduction by David Weber
>
> https://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Pankera-Parallel-Novel-Universes/dp/1647100291/

> I need to reread Doc Smith's Lensmen books.  I did not remember Worsel the Venusian dragon Lensman

Rereading the Lensmen books is always a good thing to do. That's especially
true if it has been so long that you think that Worsel was a Venusian. He
was a Velantian.

> If you are offended by sex, and I mean lots of sex,

Especially the rampant incest.

--
Michael F. Stemper
Nostalgia just ain't what it used to be.

In article <uvtpgi$30h6m$1@dont-email.me>,
Michael F. Stemper <michael.stemper@gmail.com> wrote:
>On 18/04/2024 15.24, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>> "The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel
>Universes" by Robert A. Heinlein and an introduction by David Weber
>>
>> https://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Pankera-Parallel-Novel-Universes/dp/1647100291/
>
>
>> I need to reread Doc Smith's Lensmen books.  I did not remember
>Worsel the Venusian dragon Lensman
>
>Rereading the Lensmen books is always a good thing to do. That's especially
>true if it has been so long that you think that Worsel was a Venusian. He
>was a Velantian.
>
>> If you are offended by sex, and I mean lots of sex,
>
>Especially the rampant incest.
>

I can't recall any incest in _Pankera_.
--
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..

On 19/04/2024 08.40, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
> In article <uvtpgi$30h6m$1@dont-email.me>,
> Michael F. Stemper <michael.stemper@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 18/04/2024 15.24, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>>> "The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel
>> Universes" by Robert A. Heinlein and an introduction by David Weber

>>> If you are offended by sex, and I mean lots of sex,
>>
>> Especially the rampant incest.
>>
>
> I can't recall any incest in _Pankera_.

Sorry, I was referring to the six other books that Lynn mentioned; the
list that, in retrospect, I should not have snipped.

--
Michael F. Stemper
Nostalgia just ain't what it used to be.

On 4/19/2024 7:53 AM, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
> On 18/04/2024 15.24, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>> "The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel
>> Universes" by Robert A. Heinlein and an introduction by David Weber
>>
>> https://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Pankera-Parallel-Novel-Universes/dp/1647100291/
>
>
>> I need to reread Doc Smith's Lensmen books.  I did not remember Worsel
>> the Venusian dragon Lensman
>
> Rereading the Lensmen books is always a good thing to do. That's especially
> true if it has been so long that you think that Worsel was a Venusian. He
> was a Velantian.
>
>> If you are offended by sex, and I mean lots of sex,
>
> Especially the rampant incest.

There is no incest in
1. Methuselah's Children
3. The Number Of The Beast
4. The Pursuit Of The Pankera
5. The Cat Who Walks Through Walls (so far, I am halfway through)

Is sex with your clone sisters incest ?

I have decided that "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" belongs in this book
series due to many mentions in TCWWTW. The position is first since MC
occurs after 2100.

Lynn

In article <v078bh$1ddg6$1@dont-email.me>,
Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
>On 4/19/2024 7:53 AM, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
>> On 18/04/2024 15.24, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>>> "The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel
>>> Universes" by Robert A. Heinlein and an introduction by David Weber
>>>
>>>
>https://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Pankera-Parallel-Novel-Universes/dp/1647100291/
>>
>>
>>> I need to reread Doc Smith's Lensmen books.  I did not remember Worsel
>>> the Venusian dragon Lensman
>>
>> Rereading the Lensmen books is always a good thing to do. That's especially
>> true if it has been so long that you think that Worsel was a Venusian. He
>> was a Velantian.
>>
>>> If you are offended by sex, and I mean lots of sex,
>>
>> Especially the rampant incest.
>
>There is no incest in
>1. Methuselah's Children
>3. The Number Of The Beast
>4. The Pursuit Of The Pankera
>5. The Cat Who Walks Through Walls (so far, I am halfway through)
>
>Is sex with your clone sisters incest ?
>
Clone, clone of my own,
With the Y chromosone changed to an X..

>I have decided that "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" belongs in this book
>series due to many mentions in TCWWTW. The position is first since MC
>occurs after 2100.
>

Which kinda sorta, maybe not really, means _The Rolling Stones_ belongs..
--
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..

On 4/22/2024 11:15 PM, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
> In article <v078bh$1ddg6$1@dont-email.me>,
> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 4/19/2024 7:53 AM, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
>>> On 18/04/2024 15.24, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>>>> "The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel
>>>> Universes" by Robert A. Heinlein and an introduction by David Weber
>>>>
>>>>
>> https://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Pankera-Parallel-Novel-Universes/dp/1647100291/
>>>
>>>
>>>> I need to reread Doc Smith's Lensmen books.  I did not remember Worsel
>>>> the Venusian dragon Lensman
>>>
>>> Rereading the Lensmen books is always a good thing to do. That's especially
>>> true if it has been so long that you think that Worsel was a Venusian. He
>>> was a Velantian.
>>>
>>>> If you are offended by sex, and I mean lots of sex,
>>>
>>> Especially the rampant incest.
>>
>> There is no incest in
>> 1. Methuselah's Children
>> 3. The Number Of The Beast
>> 4. The Pursuit Of The Pankera
>> 5. The Cat Who Walks Through Walls (so far, I am halfway through)
>>
>> Is sex with your clone sisters incest ?
>>
> Clone, clone of my own,
> With the Y chromosone changed to an X..
>
>> I have decided that "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" belongs in this book
>> series due to many mentions in TCWWTW. The position is first since MC
>> occurs after 2100.
>>
>
> Which kinda sorta, maybe not really, means _The Rolling Stones_ belongs..

Yup. And that book is in my SBR too.

I am not sure if TBR or TCWWTW comes first though. Ah, TBR precedes TCWWTW.
https://www.sffchronicles.com/threads/579486/

Lynn

On 4/22/2024 11:43 PM, Lynn McGuire wrote:
> On 4/22/2024 11:15 PM, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
>> In article <v078bh$1ddg6$1@dont-email.me>,
>> Lynn McGuire  <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> On 4/19/2024 7:53 AM, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
>>>> On 18/04/2024 15.24, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>>>>> "The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel
>>>>> Universes" by Robert A. Heinlein and an introduction by David Weber
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>> https://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Pankera-Parallel-Novel-Universes/dp/1647100291/
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> I need to reread Doc Smith's Lensmen books.  I did not remember Worsel
>>>>> the Venusian dragon Lensman
>>>>
>>>> Rereading the Lensmen books is always a good thing to do. That's
>>>> especially
>>>> true if it has been so long that you think that Worsel was a
>>>> Venusian. He
>>>> was a Velantian.
>>>>
>>>>> If you are offended by sex, and I mean lots of sex,
>>>>
>>>> Especially the rampant incest.
>>>
>>> There is no incest in
>>> 1. Methuselah's Children
>>> 3. The Number Of The Beast
>>> 4. The Pursuit Of The Pankera
>>> 5. The Cat Who Walks Through Walls (so far, I am halfway through)
>>>
>>> Is sex with your clone sisters incest ?
>>>
>>     Clone, clone of my own,
>>     With the Y chromosone changed to an X..
>>
>>> I have decided that "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" belongs in this book
>>> series due to many mentions in TCWWTW.  The position is first since MC
>>> occurs after 2100.
>>>
>>
>> Which kinda sorta, maybe not really, means _The Rolling Stones_ belongs..
>
> Yup.  And that book is in my SBR too.
>
> I am not sure if TBR or TCWWTW comes first though.  Ah, TBR precedes
> TCWWTW.
>    https://www.sffchronicles.com/threads/579486/
>
> Lynn

Sigh. Not TBR, the shortened form of "The Rolling Stones" is TRS. I
have no idea where I got BR from.

So, TRS precedes TCWWTW. And, TMIAHM precedes TRS. And, I think that
TMIAHM precedes MC (2136). But, I am not sure about the date for TMIAHM.

And I just hit the group marriage stuff in TCWWTW. Near as I can tell,
there are about 40 or 50 people married together in the Lazarus Long
group marriage, including his mother and his two clone sisters.

Lynn

On Thu, 18 Apr 2024 15:24:38 -0500, Lynn McGuire
<lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:

>There is a much better good review at "Long-Lost Treasure: The Pursuit
>of the Pankera vs. The Number of the Beast by Robert A. Heinlein" by
>Alan Brown
>
>https://reactormag.com/long-lost-treasure-the-pursuit-of-the-pankera-vs-the-number-of-the-beast-by-robert-a-heinlein/

One of my first reactions upon reading the review was: who does he
think he is, Philip José Farmer? However, the opportunity to read a
(partially) new Heinlein novel - and a good one - is a wonderful and
unexpected treat.

John Savard

On 22/04/2024 22.02, Lynn McGuire wrote:
> On 4/19/2024 7:53 AM, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
>> On 18/04/2024 15.24, Lynn McGuire wrote:

>>> If you are offended by sex, and I mean lots of sex,
>>
>> Especially the rampant incest.
>
> There is no incest in
> 1. Methuselah's Children

Part Two, Chapter 1 has Eleanor Johnson, "granddaughter, four times
removed" of Lazarus Long, state that she had proposed to him and
been turned down by him because of their blood relationship.

So, the incest was only proposed, not actually implemented.

> 3. The Number Of The Beast

Chapter IV has Deejah Thoris tell Hilda that:

“I’ll tell you the truth, Aunt Hilda. Pop has never laid a hand on me. But if he had … I would not have refused. I love him.”

Later[1], Elizabeth Andrew Jackson Libby Long says:

[…] “Being a woman seemed completely natural. I’ve had five children now — borne five, I mean; I had sired twenty-one … and one was put into me by one of my own descendants.” […]

In Chapter XLIV, we read:

“While I’m on this and no one here but family — Jacob, there is no reason not to create a third mathematical supergenius by crossing you with your daughter.”

[…]

So I looked at Jake in time to see his face shift from suprise to shock. “But that’s —”

“Incest?” Libby supplied. “No, Jacob, incest is a social matter. Whether you choose to bed your daughter is none of my business. […]”

> 4. The Pursuit Of The Pankera

Not one of the non-Pankera LL books on your list, so not relevant to my remark.

> 5. The Cat Who Walks Through Walls (so far, I am halfway through)

And you've now posted elsewhere in this thread about the group marriage
including LL, his mother, and his clone sisters.

[1] Sorry to be so vague about where this is found, but my notes say
"Chapter IV", which is obviously way too early for Libby to have made
her appearance.
--
Michael F. Stemper
There's no "me" in "team". There's no "us" in "team", either.

On 25/04/24 01:00, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
> On 22/04/2024 22.02, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>> On 4/19/2024 7:53 AM, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
>>> On 18/04/2024 15.24, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>
snip
Is it not probable that Dimwire's reading incomprehension is due to
someone mischievously swapping the dust jackets on his hardbacks?

On 19/04/2024 00.57, Lynn McGuire wrote:
> On 4/18/2024 10:24 PM, Mike Van Pelt wrote:

>> I was kind of iffy about "Pankera", but if Worsel is in it,
>> I'm definitely going to have to read it.

>> * Depending on your definition of "cool".  Temperature-wise,
>>    Nadrek blows them all out of the water... er, liquid helium.
>
> Dejah Thoris and John Carter's son, Glinda the Good,

Okaaay...

--
Michael F. Stemper
Life's too important to take seriously.

On 4/24/2024 11:12 PM, Titus G wrote:
> On 25/04/24 01:00, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
>> On 22/04/2024 22.02, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>>> On 4/19/2024 7:53 AM, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
>>>> On 18/04/2024 15.24, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>>
> snip
> Is it not probable that Dimwire's reading incomprehension is due to
> someone mischievously swapping the dust jackets on his hardbacks?

Well with you being a wealthy man, you can obviously afford hardbacks.
Me, I read MMPBs when available and trade paperbacks when not.

Lynn

On 4/25/2024 7:44 AM, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
> On 19/04/2024 00.57, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>> On 4/18/2024 10:24 PM, Mike Van Pelt wrote:
>
>>> I was kind of iffy about "Pankera", but if Worsel is in it,
>>> I'm definitely going to have to read it.
>
>>> * Depending on your definition of "cool".  Temperature-wise,
>>>    Nadrek blows them all out of the water... er, liquid helium.
>>
>> Dejah Thoris and John Carter's son, Glinda the Good,
>
> Okaaay...

Apparently Robert Heinlein's wife did not like the book so he rewrote it
as The Number Of The Beast. Plus the copyright issues with Oz, Lensmen,
and Barsoom.

Lynn

In article <v0jsfr$jie9$1@dont-email.me>,
Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
>On 4/25/2024 7:44 AM, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
>> On 19/04/2024 00.57, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>>> On 4/18/2024 10:24 PM, Mike Van Pelt wrote:
>>
>>>> I was kind of iffy about "Pankera", but if Worsel is in it,
>>>> I'm definitely going to have to read it.
>>
>>>> * Depending on your definition of "cool".  Temperature-wise,
>>>>    Nadrek blows them all out of the water... er, liquid helium.
>>>
>>> Dejah Thoris and John Carter's son, Glinda the Good,
>>
>> Okaaay...
>
>Apparently Robert Heinlein's wife did not like the book so he rewrote it
>as The Number Of The Beast. Plus the copyright issues with Oz, Lensmen,
>and Barsoom.
>
>Lynn
>
>

Well, they still went to OZ in NOTB. Barsoom was replaced with a glancing
pass at a British colonized Mars, and they blinked out of the Lensman
universe after a few seconds when it looked like the Lensmen might arrest
Hildy for weed..
--
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..

On 4/27/2024 8:35 PM, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
> In article <v0jsfr$jie9$1@dont-email.me>,
> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 4/25/2024 7:44 AM, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
>>> On 19/04/2024 00.57, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>>>> On 4/18/2024 10:24 PM, Mike Van Pelt wrote:
>>>
>>>>> I was kind of iffy about "Pankera", but if Worsel is in it,
>>>>> I'm definitely going to have to read it.
>>>
>>>>> * Depending on your definition of "cool".  Temperature-wise,
>>>>>    Nadrek blows them all out of the water... er, liquid helium.
>>>>
>>>> Dejah Thoris and John Carter's son, Glinda the Good,
>>>
>>> Okaaay...
>>
>> Apparently Robert Heinlein's wife did not like the book so he rewrote it
>> as The Number Of The Beast. Plus the copyright issues with Oz, Lensmen,
>> and Barsoom.
>>
>> Lynn
>>
>>
>
> Well, they still went to OZ in NOTB. Barsoom was replaced with a glancing
> pass at a British colonized Mars, and they blinked out of the Lensman
> universe after a few seconds when it looked like the Lensmen might arrest
> Hildy for weed..

"The Wizard of Oz" entered public domain long ago. At least some Barsoom
books are PD, not sure the year. The serialized version of
Triplanetary, should be PD in 2029.

pt

In article <v0kbu2$qn2i$1@dont-email.me>,
Cryptoengineer <petertrei@gmail.com> wrote:
>On 4/27/2024 8:35 PM, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
>> In article <v0jsfr$jie9$1@dont-email.me>,
>> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> On 4/25/2024 7:44 AM, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
>>>> On 19/04/2024 00.57, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>>>>> On 4/18/2024 10:24 PM, Mike Van Pelt wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>> I was kind of iffy about "Pankera", but if Worsel is in it,
>>>>>> I'm definitely going to have to read it.
>>>>
>>>>>> * Depending on your definition of "cool".  Temperature-wise,
>>>>>>    Nadrek blows them all out of the water... er, liquid helium.
>>>>>
>>>>> Dejah Thoris and John Carter's son, Glinda the Good,
>>>>
>>>> Okaaay...
>>>
>>> Apparently Robert Heinlein's wife did not like the book so he rewrote it
>>> as The Number Of The Beast. Plus the copyright issues with Oz, Lensmen,
>>> and Barsoom.
>>>
>>> Lynn
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Well, they still went to OZ in NOTB. Barsoom was replaced with a glancing
>> pass at a British colonized Mars, and they blinked out of the Lensman
>> universe after a few seconds when it looked like the Lensmen might arrest
>> Hildy for weed..
>
>"The Wizard of Oz" entered public domain long ago. At least some Barsoom
>books are PD, not sure the year. The serialized version of
>Triplanetary, should be PD in 2029.
>
>pt

As I mentioned in another thread, all of Smith's major works are now on
Project Gutenberg, meaning that they are all in the public domain (at least
to the extent the project can verify):

Smith, E. E. (Edward Elmer), 1890-1965

Children of the lens (English) (as Author)
First Lensman (English) (as Author)
Galactic Patrol (English) (as Author)
The Galaxy Primes (English) (as Author)
Gray Lensman (English) (as Author)
Lord Tedric (English) (as Author)
Masters of Space (English) (as Author)
Masters of the vortex (English) (as Author)
Robot nemesis (English) (as Author)
Second stage Lensmen (English) (as Author)
The Skylark of Space (English) (as Author)
The Skylark of Valeron (English) (as Author)
Skylark Three (English) (as Author)
Spacehounds of IPC (English) (as Author)
Storm Cloud on Deka (English) (as Author)
Subspace Survivors (English) (as Author)
Tedric (English) (as Author)
Triplanetary (English) (as Author)
Triplanetary (English) (as Author)
The Vortex Blaster (English) (as Author)
The vortex blaster makes war (English) (as Author)

Well, I take back "all": I don't see _Skylark DuQuesne_ there.
--
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..

On 28 Apr 2024 03:08:35 GMT, ted@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan
<tednolan>) wrote:

>In article <v0kbu2$qn2i$1@dont-email.me>,
>Cryptoengineer <petertrei@gmail.com> wrote:
>>On 4/27/2024 8:35 PM, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
>>> In article <v0jsfr$jie9$1@dont-email.me>,
>>> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> On 4/25/2024 7:44 AM, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
>>>>> On 19/04/2024 00.57, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>>>>>> On 4/18/2024 10:24 PM, Mike Van Pelt wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>> I was kind of iffy about "Pankera", but if Worsel is in it,
>>>>>>> I'm definitely going to have to read it.
>>>>>
>>>>>>> * Depending on your definition of "cool".  Temperature-wise,
>>>>>>>    Nadrek blows them all out of the water... er, liquid helium.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Dejah Thoris and John Carter's son, Glinda the Good,
>>>>>
>>>>> Okaaay...
>>>>
>>>> Apparently Robert Heinlein's wife did not like the book so he rewrote it
>>>> as The Number Of The Beast. Plus the copyright issues with Oz, Lensmen,
>>>> and Barsoom.
>>>>
>>>> Lynn
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> Well, they still went to OZ in NOTB. Barsoom was replaced with a glancing
>>> pass at a British colonized Mars, and they blinked out of the Lensman
>>> universe after a few seconds when it looked like the Lensmen might arrest
>>> Hildy for weed..
>>
>>"The Wizard of Oz" entered public domain long ago. At least some Barsoom
>>books are PD, not sure the year. The serialized version of
>>Triplanetary, should be PD in 2029.
>>
>>pt
>
>As I mentioned in another thread, all of Smith's major works are now on
>Project Gutenberg, meaning that they are all in the public domain (at least
>to the extent the project can verify):
>
>Smith, E. E. (Edward Elmer), 1890-1965
>
> Children of the lens (English) (as Author)
> First Lensman (English) (as Author)
> Galactic Patrol (English) (as Author)
> The Galaxy Primes (English) (as Author)
> Gray Lensman (English) (as Author)
> Lord Tedric (English) (as Author)
> Masters of Space (English) (as Author)
> Masters of the vortex (English) (as Author)
> Robot nemesis (English) (as Author)
> Second stage Lensmen (English) (as Author)
> The Skylark of Space (English) (as Author)
> The Skylark of Valeron (English) (as Author)
> Skylark Three (English) (as Author)
> Spacehounds of IPC (English) (as Author)
> Storm Cloud on Deka (English) (as Author)
> Subspace Survivors (English) (as Author)
> Tedric (English) (as Author)
> Triplanetary (English) (as Author)
> Triplanetary (English) (as Author)
> The Vortex Blaster (English) (as Author)
> The vortex blaster makes war (English) (as Author)
>
>Well, I take back "all": I don't see _Skylark DuQuesne_ there.

Ah. But is that the USA Gutenberg or (say) the Australian one?

Different countries, different laws, different books in or out of
copyright.

As the Australian Gutenberg said (it's been quite some time since I
accessed it, so I make no claim about what it says) "if you don't line
in Australia, download at your own risk". Or, rather, words to that
effect.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

On Thu, 18 Apr 2024 15:24:38 -0500, Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com>
wrote in <uvrvi7$2etvr$1@dont-email.me>:

> "The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes"
> by Robert A. Heinlein and an introduction by David Weber
>
> https://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Pankera-Parallel-Novel-Universes/dp/
1647100291/
>
> Book number four in a very loose series of six science fiction books. I
> read the well printed and well bound trade paperback published by CAEZIK
> SF & Fantasy in 2021 that I bought new in 2021. The book was found in
> Robert Heinlein's stored items in 2017 in many pieces and several
> editors put it together over three years for publishing. I plan to
> reread "The Cat Who Walks Through Walls" and "To Sail Beyond The Sunset"
> soon. I have yet to decide if I am going to reread "The Number Of The
> Beast".
>
> This book and "The Number of The Beast" are exactly alike through about
> first third of the books. After that, they are radically different.
> The current theory is that this book was written first and Virginia
> Heinlein vetoed it. Plus there were copyright problems. So RAH threw
> away the middle and end and rewrote it.
>
> I need to reread Doc Smith's Lensmen books. I did not remember Worsel
> the Venusian dragon Lensman nor many of the other Lensmen. But I read
> those books over fifty years ago and lost several of them when my house
> was flooded in 1989. Anyway, I really enjoyed the first third of the
> book and the last third of the book. The middle third dragged just a
> little bit, mostly because I have forgotten most of the Edgar Rice
> Burroughs's Mars books and I never read the Oz books.
>
> If you are offended by sex, and I mean lots of sex, in a book then I
> would advise you to stay away from this book and series. Except for the
> first book in the series, "Methusalah's Children". All of the books,
> except the first book, have group marriages in or mentioned in them
> which was first expounded by Heinlein in "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress"
> book.
>
> The book series is 1. Methuselah's Children 2. Time Enough For Love 3.
> The Number Of The Beast 4. The Pursuit Of The Pankera 5. The Cat Who
> Walks Through Walls 6. To Sail Beyond The Sunset
>
> There is a much better good review at "Long-Lost Treasure: The Pursuit
> of the Pankera vs. The Number of the Beast by Robert A. Heinlein" by
> Alan Brown
>
> https://reactormag.com/long-lost-treasure-the-pursuit-of-the-pankera-vs-
the-number-of-the-beast-by-robert-a-heinlein/
>
> Jo Walton says that "The Number Of The Beast" is not Heinlein's worst
> novel by far, but, it is too long. She does not have a review for the
> Pankera book that I have found.
> https://reactormag.com/heinleins-worst-novel/
>
> My rating: 5 out of 5 stars Amazon rating: 4.4 of out 5 stars (2,648
> reviews)
>
> Lynn

[minor spoilers]

After finishing _Citizen of the Galaxy_, I searched my Virginia collection
for POTP. Not there. Bought the hardcover to shelve with the other
volumes, as well as the kindle for instant gratification. Finished POTP
yesterday, and I've got to say, it's better than NOTB.

Would love to learn why Mrs. Heinlein would "veto" the book. Perhaps
it was the genocide? The idea that an entire race of beings are _all_
deserving of death doesn't sit well with me...in fact, even detecting
a single "Panki" on a ship was grounds for blasting it out of the sky.
Wouldn't you try to warn the rest of the ship's complement first that
they had a spy onboard?

I daresay that if you take any population, it can be subdivided into
factions. All they had seen were "evil" Pankera, but without looking for
any potentially "good" Pankera, Our Heros did themselves (and potential
allies) a disservice (to put it mildly).

Maybe I'm reading too much into it.

--
-v

On 27/04/2024 16.59, Lynn McGuire wrote:
> On 4/25/2024 7:44 AM, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
>> On 19/04/2024 00.57, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>>> On 4/18/2024 10:24 PM, Mike Van Pelt wrote:
>>
>>>> I was kind of iffy about "Pankera", but if Worsel is in it,
>>>> I'm definitely going to have to read it.
>>
>>>> * Depending on your definition of "cool".  Temperature-wise,
>>>>    Nadrek blows them all out of the water... er, liquid helium.
>>>
>>> Dejah Thoris and John Carter's son, Glinda the Good,
>>
>> Okaaay...
>
> Apparently Robert Heinlein's wife did not like the book so he rewrote it as The Number Of The Beast.

Her tastes and mine obviously differ wildly. I'm now looking forward to
picking up a copy of Pankera.

--
Michael F. Stemper
The FAQ for rec.arts.sf.written is at
<http://leepers.us/evelyn/faqs/sf-written.htm>
Please read it before posting.

On 4/18/2024 3:24 PM, Lynn McGuire wrote:
> "The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes"
> by Robert A. Heinlein and an introduction by David Weber
>
> https://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Pankera-Parallel-Novel-Universes/dp/1647100291/
>
> Book number four in a very loose series of six science fiction books.  I
> read the well printed and well bound trade paperback published by CAEZIK
> SF & Fantasy in 2021 that I bought new in 2021.  The book was found in
> Robert Heinlein's stored items in 2017 in many pieces and several
> editors put it together over three years for publishing.  I plan to
> reread "The Cat Who Walks Through Walls" and "To Sail Beyond The Sunset"
> soon.  I have yet to decide if I am going to reread "The Number Of The
> Beast".
>
> This book and "The Number of The Beast" are exactly alike through about
> first third of the books.  After that, they are radically different. The
> current theory is that this book was written first and Virginia Heinlein
> vetoed it.  Plus there were copyright problems.  So RAH threw away the
> middle and end and rewrote it.
>
> I need to reread Doc Smith's Lensmen books.  I did not remember Worsel
> the Venusian dragon Lensman nor many of the other Lensmen.  But I read
> those books over fifty years ago and lost several of them when my house
> was flooded in 1989.  Anyway, I really enjoyed the first third of the
> book and the last third of the book.  The middle third dragged just a
> little bit, mostly because I have forgotten most of the Edgar Rice
> Burroughs's Mars books and I never read the Oz books.
>
> If you are offended by sex, and I mean lots of sex, in a book then I
> would advise you to stay away from this book and series.  Except for the
> first book in the series, "Methusalah's Children".  All of the books,
> except the first book, have group marriages in or mentioned in them
> which was first expounded by Heinlein in "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress"
> book.
>
> The book series is
> 1. Methuselah's Children
> 2. Time Enough For Love
> 3. The Number Of The Beast
> 4. The Pursuit Of The Pankera
> 5. The Cat Who Walks Through Walls
> 6. To Sail Beyond The Sunset
>
> There is a much better good review at "Long-Lost Treasure: The Pursuit
> of the Pankera vs. The Number of the Beast by Robert A. Heinlein" by
> Alan Brown
>
> https://reactormag.com/long-lost-treasure-the-pursuit-of-the-pankera-vs-the-number-of-the-beast-by-robert-a-heinlein/
>
> Jo Walton says that "The Number Of The Beast" is not Heinlein's worst
> novel by far, but, it is too long.  She does not have a review for the
> Pankera book that I have found.
>    https://reactormag.com/heinleins-worst-novel/
>
> My rating:  5 out of 5 stars
> Amazon rating:  4.4 of out 5 stars (2,648 reviews)
>
> Lynn

I have ordered a used copy of the first three Lensmen books and will try
reading that.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1568658044

Lynn