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Featuring Mrs. Waldo Wintergood, the Indomitable Admiral Beagle, and a Veritable Army of Yagoots ... Read more

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After the destruction of Earth, humanity has established itself precariously among a hundred planets. Between them roam the vast Ships, doling out scientific knowledge in exchange for raw materials. On one of the Ships lives Mia Havero. Belligerent soccer player, intrepid explorer of ventilation shafts, Mia tests all the boundaries of her insulated world. She will soon be tested in turn. At the age of fourteen all Ship children must endure a month unaided in the wilds of a colony world, and although Mia has learned much through formal study, about philosophy, economics, and the business of survival, she will find that her most vital lessons are the ones she must teach herself. Published originally in 1968, Alexei Panshin's Nebula Award-winning classic has lost none of its relevance, with its keen exploration of societal stagnation and the resilience of youth.Download Description
After the destruction of Earth, humanity has established itself precariouslyamong a hundred planets. Between them roam the vast Ships, doling outscientific knowledge in exchange for raw materials. On one of the Shipslives Mia Havero. Belligerent soccer player, intrepid explorer ofventilation shafts, Mia tests all the boundaries of her insulated world. Shewill soon be tested in turn. At the age of fourteen all Ship children mustendure a month unaided in the wilds of a colony world, and although Mia haslearned much through formal study, about philosophy, economics, and thebusiness of survival, she will find that her most vital lessons are the onesshe must teach herself. Published originally in 1968, Alexei Panshin'sNebula Award-winning classic has lost none of its relevance, with its keenexploration of societal stagnation and the resilience of youth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

one of 3 classic sci fantasy books
This is one of 3 science fantasy books that were a must read for my children as they were growing up. Much like the other 2, it's a moral tale I guess, one that makes you think about your beliefs by placing them into different circumstances.

It's about a child growing up on a spaceship world under a different set of rules for survival than the ones we are familiar with. It takes us through their planning for, training for and finally undertaking "the trial" that each child must undergo to be allowed to return as an adult component of the spaceship world. Each child approaches the trial in a different way, some don't make it back. The attitudes of the children to the outlanders they encounter on trial is thought provoking. There is also an interesting approach to how "criminals" are dealt with by the spaceship society and the book ends with a lovely Shakespeare sonnet that really makes you think about what you have read.

BTW the other 2 must reads are Ender's Game(Orson Scott Card) and The Chrysalids (John Wyndham).

Respect for young girls
As a 13 yr old in the mid 60s, this was a rare find, to have a book treating girls with respect and empowering them.It helped me get through my middle school years. I highly recommend it for Middle school girls and I have read it today with fond memories. A must to every child's library.

Well-written but ultimately disappointing
This book creates a dichotomy in a critical reader's mind.The book is well-written with nice character development and an interesting coming-of-age adventure, however, the overall concept is laughably silly.I would recommend this book to my teenage daughter but not to my adult sisters or brothers.

Some reviewers have argued that a starkly simple moral tale is the point of the novel but I disagree.Without spoiling the book, the moral tale is about the evils of overpopulation, which had led to the destruction of Earth.However, the author was 28-years-old when the book was published in an era struggling with a sudden upsurge in the world's population; apparently, he had not worked out the logic and implications of his morality tale.

The setting is a half-empty spaceship in a universe of over 100 colony worlds all of which are sparsely populated.Nevertheless, there are strict prohibitions against reproduction and the long-lived spaceship's couples are held to only one child or so every 40 years or so (the author is intentionally nebulous about the details but a close reading will provide these approximations).Apparently, the leaders of the spaceship believe that the short-lived inhabitants on the planets should not be allowed to govern themselves plus the tiny settlements on the 100+ planets should be held to the same strict prohibitions on birth.

The adventure in which the morality lectures are tucked revolves around a further whittling of the population:when the ship's children turn 14, they must go on a "trial" where only a portion will survive.The author is purposely fuzzy about the math of his depopulation scheme but it would not take many generations for humans to be extinct in the galaxy, a result that the author ostensibly does not champion.

The charm of the book is how well the author weaves an adventure story into a moral lecture.I would like to recommend it more highly but the logic comes crashing down for anyone who actually considers the rationale behind the moral that the young author was struggling to tell.

Thought provoking and deeply moving
One hundred and fifty years after the wars that destroyed an over-populated earth, mankind is now living on over one hundred colony worlds and a handful of giant roaming ships that once ferried men to the stars. Mia Havero is a young girl living on one of those ships whose residents are abundantly aware of the perils of the "lack of moral discipline" of "Free-Birthers" who embrace complete freedom of reproduction, an uncontrolled birth rate and the resulting exponential growth in population. They've adopted the harsh but entirely effective social policy of subjecting their young people to the "Trial". Every young person is dropped and summarily abandoned into a thirty day survive-or-die test in the harsh and cruel environment of a frequently hostile colony planet. Those who survive return to the fold of the ship and are called "adults". Those who don't - well, they just don't!

"Rite of Passage" is written from Mia's first person perspective as she grows through childhood, enters training for her time of Trial and is dropped onto the planet Tintera with her childhood friend, Jimmy Dentremont. At only 225 pages, "Rite of Passage" is a very short novel and for over 200 of those pages seems to be a rather typical coming of age story. It's reasonably well written with any number of heart-warming passages and some seriously thought-provoking essays and interludes on philosophy, education and ethics. In fact, the story concentrates so exclusively on Mia's education, evolution and the development of her character as she comes of age from self-centred girl child to mature young adult that any reader would be forgiven for forgetting that "Rite of Passage" won a Nebula Award as a science fiction novel!!

It's Panshin's epilogue that pulls "Rite of Passage" from mere novel into the realm of "classic", an eye-opening, jaw-dropping dissertation on the results of the irresponsible or reckless exercise of power. In a manner that will remind you of the subtle, quiet, yet compelling style of Simak's best novels, Panshin touches on issues of killing, prejudice, hatred, power and responsibility. When Panshin seamlessly returns our thoughts to the context of a science fiction novel by discussing the destruction of an entire planet, he brutally reminds us that these issues are timeless and are likely to remain with humanity forever unless we make a conscious decision to grow beyond cruelty.

"Rite of Passage" is a deeply moving novel likely to remain in your thoughts long after the final page is turned!

Paul Weiss

Subtle, well written, first class SF
Like several other reviewers I reread this recently after a gap of many years. My first reading was when I was too young to appreciate its deeper themes properly, but it nevertheless made enough of an impression that I've never forgotten it, I think just because it's very well written. Revisiting it I'm very impressed. I suppose it is "charming" as one reviewer has it, in a sense; but there's a dark undercurrent to the charm - good and admirable people do terrible things. For that matter, the "Rite of Passage" itself is frequently fatal...
This probably deserves a place as one of the top dozen or so SF novels. It is in no sense a "children's novel" if that means "unsuitable for adults", but the ideal reader would probably be a thoughtful adolescent (like the heroine) ... Read more

Book Description
An excellent companion to Alexei Panshin's novels, Farewell to Yesterday's Tomorrow collects twelve of his best stories, the last a novella written in collaboration with his wife, Cory. From the universe of the Nebula Award-winning Rite of Passage, where the hegemony of advanced ships over primitive worlds engenders complex moral dilemmas, to the first manned exploration of Neptune, to the interstellar quest of a fair lady and a noble beastman to find a home, these engaging fantasies turn the idea of SF as escape on its head, dramatizing how technology may give new expression to empathy and self-sacrifice but never replace them. In the afterword from which the collection takes its title, and which the Panshins updated in 2001, they sum up the vision that makes science fiction relevant and important to us all. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A collection of short stories
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. ... Read more

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A collection of Panshin's short fiction including: "What's Your Excuse", "The Sons of Prometheus", "A Sense of Direction", "How Georges Duchamps Discovered a Plot to Take Over The World", "On Sunday in Neptune", "Now I'm Watching Roger", "Arpad", "How Can We Sink When We Can Fly", "Sky Blue", "When the Vertical Becomes Horizontal", "Lady Sunshine and the Magoon of Beatus", and "Farewell to Yesterday's Tomorrow". ... Read more

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Many books have been hailed as "in the tradition of" The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Not this one. It came first.
It may, however, be something of a precursor. A space-operatic comedy of manners and meditation on life, a cheerful noir thriller, New Celebrations comprises the first three, and so far only, novels about the enigmatic Anthony Villiers, a young man who trails both a mysterious past and a six-foot furred toad companion whose papers are not in order. From a space-station gambling resort, to a nice camping venue in a nature reserve, to the masquerade on Delbalso where arboreal peels grunt like clockwork, Villiers tours many odd social circles of the interstellar Nashuite Empire. Hounded by want of cash, by assassins and, worse, bureaucrats, he remains polite, has fun, and makes an impression. Meet him and see.Download Description
Many books have been hailed as "in the tradition of" THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY.Not this one. It came first.It may, however, be something of a precursor. A space-operatic comedy of manners and meditation on life, a cheerful noir thriller, NEW CELEBRATIONS comprises the first three, and so far only, novels about the enigmatic Anthony Villiers, a young man who trails both a mysterious past and a six-foot furred toad companion whose papers are not in order. From a space-station gambling resort, to a nice camping venue in a nature reserve, to the masquerade on Delbalso where arboreal peels grunt like clockwork, Villiers tours many odd social circles of the interstellar Nashuite Empire. Hounded by want of cash, by assassins and, worse, bureaucrats, he remains polite, has fun, and makes an impression. Meet him and see."STAR WELL [the first book of NEW CELEBRATIONS] is a wise, delightful, and well-turned book; and it is something I have never seen in science fiction before. It is the first of a series of novels that examines the proposition that the world is composed of small communities of mutual interest. When the pith of that statement is bared as astutely as it is in this novel, it does not matter which 'small community' you belong to: Star Well hits." --Samuel R. Delany, from the Introduction"I strongly recommend you introduce yourself to Anthony Villiers . . . It's all glorious, ridiculous, tongue-in-cheek parody of almost anything you can think of . . . Get it!" --ANALOG ... Read more

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This digital document, covering the life and work of Alexei Panshin, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 1095 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author

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Neither swords-and-sorcery nor Tolkienesque romance, Earth Magic presents an archaic world in the tradition of the Northern European epic poems. Haldane, the young son of the Get warlord Black Morca, encounters a witch in the woods who unsettles his composure with prophecies of strange events and major changes. He returns home to find the first of the prophecies already come true-his father has been off raiding the more civilized countries to the West and has returned with a Western princess for Haldane to marry. Morca's ambitions arouse mistrust and anger among the other Get lords, and soon Haldane finds himself fleeing for his life with only a wizard of uncertain skills as his companion. Their journey will take them through hidden realms, to a decisive moonlight battle on Stone Heath amid the great menhirs, a place charged with earth magic and bloody memory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A brilliant, lost series.
Masque World, Star Well, and The Thurb Revolution were the first three Anthony Villiers novels.

They began a brilliant, swashbuckling, aristocratic comedy series, which was never finished because, I have always assumed, Panshin fell in love with and married a politically correct SF woman writer who drew him in new directions and wrecked him as a writer.

So the next book was Earth Magic, by Alexei and Cory Panshin. This is a fascinating but ultimately flawed book about the magic of the Earth Goddess, first of a new series that was never continued. A promising career had been derailed.

Too bad, really. However their future lives turned out privately, the ending of the Anthony Villiers series was a real pity.

Still, Alexei Panshin left three books behind him. Anyone who missed them should repair the deficiency, and for those who know them they are good enough to bear periodic rereading.

"Given the right premises, any conclusion can be reached."
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.

One of the best
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 asthe other two.If you can find a copy in your local public library, youshould check it out.If you can find a copy for sale, you shoulddefinitely buy it -- unless fun reading isn't your cup of tea.

A Marvelous Trilogy, both deep and funny.
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 ofhuman possibility- new music, new ideas, new fashions. Jerzy McBee, beinghuman, had extended the the range of human possibilities, but not bymuch". ... Read more

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In 1990, Alexei and Cory Panshin's massive history of science fiction, The World Beyond the Hill, won the Hugo award in competition with books by Arthur C. Clarke, Ursula LeGuin, and Harlan Ellison. Isaac Asimov called it, -The best, the BEST, history of science fiction I have ever read.- Exploring the genre from its roots in the Romantic Period to the late 20th century, the Panshins make the case for science fiction as modern mythology.

Customer Reviews (8)

Panshin, Heinlein, and Beethoven :-)
Panshin is a problematic character in the history of Heinlein fandom and scholarship because although this work was the first book-length Heinlein study, as many have observed here, much of the book is simply a personal attack on Heinlein rather than objective literary criticism. That having been said, the book did contain some insights into Heinlein's work that I found valuable, and I basically ignored the other biased criticisms. I give the work three stars for a pioneering effort and for providing at least some useful insights on Heinlein and his works. But it could have been so much better if Panshin had been able to control his obvious personal dislike of Heinlein.

Panshin and I corresponded briefly some years ago on several topics related to Heinlein's work (mostly on his ideas relating to the Renshawing concepts in Citizen of the Galaxy). I was very critical of his ideas there, but I have to give credit to Panshin who accepted them without ire and the correspondence remained civil throughout.

Around that time, we got into another debate on the Heinlein SIG on the subject of Heinlein's first story, Lifeline, and I thought I would post that here in case people find it interesting.

During the discussion, several people commented that Panshin's criticism of Lifeline was nothing more than nitpicking and pettiness. It might be, but I can't disagree with his statement that a later, more mature Heinlein might have written the story better. But it's impossible to disagree with that statement for most artists--it seems like common sense to me.

That having been said, I wanted to make a few more comments about this. I'm no literary critic, and since I am much more knowledgeable about music and art history than literary criticism, I'll use my background there to make my point, since I come at it from a somewhat different perspective.

At least in music and art, it is not the case that even the greatest masters of an art form or genre demonstrate their superiority at every turn. Take Beethoven, for example, arguably the greatest composer who ever lived. He often had technical problems with his musical transitions, those parts of a symphony that tie the other sections together and act as bridge elements.

On the other hand, Schubert and Mendelsohn composed transitions that were smooth as silk, and although they were great composers themselves, I wouldn't put either of them in the same league with Beethoven.

On the other hand, Schubert (arguably the second greatest composer, after his mentor, Beethoven), harmonically wanders around the circle of fifths as if he doesn't understand intermediate harmony at times. However, he is probably the greatest example of the "artesian well" stereotype of a composer. His melodies seem to "well up" from nowhere and he had no problem coming up with thousands of them.

In contrast, Beethoven often struggled with his melodic material. And yet he could create an entire movement in the 5th symphony from a musical phrase that doesn't even qualify as a melody (actually, it's only four notes), being more of small snippet or "idee fixe," as one historian has written. In other words, Beethoven could create a work of genius starting with source material that was quite modest and almost hum-drum, perhaps even minimalist, in a way no other composer could.

This is important, because although there are composers who could more easily come up with melodic material than Beethoven, they still didn't know how to develop it like he could. They might start out with better material, but the "finished product" wasn't as good because they lacked Beethoven's genius at thematic development and exposition.

There are other problems with Beethoven, but I'll leave it at that. If he was a times a little rough around the edges, as in his transitions, he can be forgiven for this relatively minor problem because his contributions in the most important areas were so amazing. To mention just two of these, he greatly increased the complexity and sophistication of harmonic and symphonic structure more than any other composer before or since.

Another way of thinking about it is that Beethoven, like Heinlein, was a pioneer and trail-blazer who revolutionized our thinking about music (or science fiction). If they're both a little rough around the edges at times, I don't mind that--as the refinement of a field can be left to the lesser artists and those who follow after (which is essentially what happened). And the same goes for the subsequent development of science fiction.

I'm sure this idea applies to great literary figures as well, and so I suspect the same thing could be said about Heinlein as about Beethoven. As I said, like Beethoven, Heinlein wasn't just another competent artist who just "upped the ante" a bit; he was a revolutionary who blazed new trails in SF writing, going where no man had gone before.

No artist or writer is perfect. Even if Heinlein had a few minor faults, they pale into insignificance in contrast to the greatness of his overall contributions, even as Beethoven's do.

The good, the bad, and .. you decide
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, indifferent ways and for different reasons.While I cannot say I agree withall of the observations, criticisms, and conclusions Panshin has made aboutHeinlein -- I don't -- "Heinlein in Dimension" *did* make methink a bit more about the Heinlein I've read. Seeing how Panshin viewedhim and his work has made me consider my own opinions on the matter. Ifyou're looking for an RAH cheerleading book, this isn't it.If you'relooking for a completely objective and unbiased book about Heinlein and hiswork, I don't think this is it either.If, however, you're familiar withHeinlein (even a fan), are looking for someone *trying* to be objectiveabout the subject, and can read it with the continual remembrance thatyou're reading someone's *opinion*, then you might find "Heinlein inDimension" worthwhile -- in viewpoint-stretching ways if not as pureanalysis.

How not to study an author
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.

Panshin isn't fit to lick Heinlein's boots
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_, _StarshipTroopers_, or "Gulf," are invariably trashed by Panshin.To giveone really glaring example of Panshin's bias, when the hero of _Glory Road_states that he dislikes Vietnamese women because they are small, Panshintakes this as bigotry.Panshin himself notes that the hero here ismarkedly different from the hero of _The Door Into Summer_, who goes backin 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 whatPanshin and other critics say, IS capable of creating DIFFERENT characterswhose life views do NOT necessarily represent his own.And of course,Panshin's review of "Gulf" is one of the worst examples ofliterary criticism I have ever seen.

A critique of Heinlein's philosophy more than his writing
Panshin seems to have many philosophical disagreements with Heinlein, and thus has a few axes to grind. This seriously distracts from his criticism of Heinlein's writing. The criticism mostly serves as a vehicle for makingcracks about Heinlein's philosophy instead.

Much criticism of Heinleinseems to fall into one of two camps - the bash him at all costs camp, andthe adoring fans camp. (This one is obviously from the bashing camp.)Neither really does the man justice. He's a great writer, but not withoutflaws. ... Read more

Product Description
From dust jacket: "Written in the Heinleinian tradition of social upheval amid advancing technologies, this classic tale of inocence lost as a far-flung humanity struggles to survive on alien worlds remains as daring and relevant as it was when first published in 1968." ... Read more