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| '''''The Pursuit of the Pankera''''' is a science fiction novel by American writer ], published in 2020 based on a rediscovered manuscript. As such is it the last published work by this iconic author. | '''''The Pursuit of the Pankera''''' is a science fiction novel by American writer ], published in 2020 based on a rediscovered manuscript. As such is it the last published work by this iconic author. | ||
| ⚫ | ===History=== | ||
| '']'' was published in 1980. However, an earlier version or variant of the book, fully written, was never published. No one is exactly sure why the other text was never published, but many theories have been put forth. One is that ] was not happy with the manuscript. However there were significant copyright issues which may have been a major hurdle at that time. | |||
| Both ''The Number of the Beast'' and this other variant took liberties with characters and settings created by other authors, in particular with ]'s ] and ]' ] series. Heinlein was a major fan of these writers and used these elements as a tribute to his favorite authors. | |||
| ⚫ | ==Plot== | ||
| The book is a series of diary entries primarily by each of the four main characters: Zebadiah "Zeb" John Carter, programmer Dejah Thoris "Deety" Burroughs Carter, her mathematics professor father Jacob Burroughs, and off-campus socialite Hilda Corners. The names "Dejah Thoris", "Burroughs", and "Carter" are overt references to ] and ], the protagonists of the ] novels by ]. | |||
| Whatever the reason, this variant of the book never got published and over the years, the original manuscript only survived in fragments, primarily in academic institutions. | |||
| In the opening, Deety is dancing with Zeb at a party at Hilda's mansion. Deety is trying to get Zeb to meet her father to discuss what she thinks is an article Zeb wrote about n-dimensional space, even going so far as to offer herself. Zeb figures out and explains to Deety that he is not the one who wrote the article but a relative with a similar name. | |||
| ] the owner of ] secured the US rights to publish this variant, originally titled by Arc Manor as ']' as a reference to the sister novel ''The Number of the Beast''. This title was eventually changed to ''The Pursuit of the Panerka'', a direct reference to the book's plot, which concerns itself with the pursuit of the alien race known as the Pankera. The novel was published in March 2020 by Arc Manor's flagship imprint, ], with permission from the estates of both Edgar Rice Burroughs and E.E. Doc Smith. | |||
| After dancing a very intimate tango, Zeb jokingly suggests the dance was so strong they should get married, and Deety agrees. Zeb is taken aback but then accepts. As they are leaving, Deety and Zeb rescue Jacob from a heated argument he is having with another faculty member before a fight breaks out. As they are approaching their vehicles, Hilda comes out, deciding to tag along. Zeb, having a premonition, grabs the three of them and ducks behind another vehicle before Jacob and Deety's vehicle explodes. Zeb gets everyone into his modified air car ''Gay Deceiver'' and by activating the ''Deceiver''{{'}}s flying capability, escapes undetected by the authorities or the criminals who put a bomb in the other vehicle. | |||
| ⚫ | ===Plot=== | ||
| Zeb flies to ], the state being the only one to allow people to get married 24 hours a day with no waiting period or blood test. The incidents have so traumatized Jacob that he has agreed to marry Hilda and so they have a double ceremony. The couples then go to Jacob's hidden cabin in the woods, where they have their honeymoons. | |||
| The Novel revolves around four main characters: Zebadiah Carter, Dejah Thoris "Deety" Burroughs, her father Jacob Burroughs, and Hilda Corners. They use a specially equipped vehicle, the "Gay Deceiver," capable of traveling through different parallel universes in a ]. | |||
| The story begins with the group escaping an assassination attempt by jumping to an alternate universe. The attack appears connected to Jacob's invention that facilitates their universe-hopping ability. The group, realizing they are being targeted, uses the "Gay Deceiver" to flee across multiple universes to elude their unknown assailants. | |||
| Thus begins the series of adventures that the four embark upon as they travel in the ''Gay Deceiver'', which is equipped with the professor's "continua" device and armed by the ]. The continua device was built by Professor Burroughs while he was formulating his theories on ''n''-dimensional ]. The geometry of the novel's universe contains six dimensions{{snd}} the three spatial dimensions, known to the real world, and three time dimensions: ''t'', the real world's temporal dimension, ''τ'' (]), and ''т'' (]). The continua device can travel on all six axes. The continua device allows travel into various ]s, such as the ], as well as through time. An attempt to visit Barsoom takes them to an apparently different version of ], seemingly under the colonial rule of the ] and ] Empires, but near the end of the novel, Heinlein's recurring character ] hints that they had traveled to Barsoom and that its "colonial" status was an illusion imposed on them by the ] adept Barsoomians: | |||
| {{blockquote|... E.R.B.'s universe is no harder to reach than any other and Mars is in its usual orbit. But that does not mean that you will find Jolly Green Giants and gorgeous red princesses dressed only in jewels. Unless invited, you are likely to find a ] illusion tailored to your subconscious...}} | |||
| As they navigate through various parallel Earths, each with its unique characteristics and challenges, they encounter different versions of themselves and familiar figures from their own world, leading to confusing and complex interactions. | |||
| ⚫ | === |
||
| In the novel, the ] turns out to be not ] but <math>(6^6)^6</math> = 10,314,424,798,490,535,546,171,949,056,<ref>Note: not <math>6^{6^6}</math>, which is a far bigger number, roughly 2.66 × 10^36305.</ref> the initial number of ] accessible through the continua device. It is later theorized by the character Jacob that the number may be merely the instantly accessible universes from a given location and that there is a larger structure that implies an infinite number of universes. | |||
| Their journey to understand who is behind the attacks and why leads them deeper into a web of multiverse intrigue. They discover that the motive behind the assassination attempts is tied to control over the technology that enables interdimensional travel. | |||
| The climax of the novel occurs when the group confronts the main antagonist in one of the parallel universes. They engage in a battle of wits and technology to stop the villain's plan, which threatens the stability of multiple universes. | |||
| The resolution sees the group successfully thwarting the antagonist, securing their safety and the safety of the dimensions they've traveled. They return to their original universe, more aware of the vast possibilities and dangers of multiverse travel. | |||
| ===Differences between The Number of the Beast and The Pursuit of the Pankera=== | |||
| Both ''The Number of the Beast'' and ''The Pursuit of the Pankera'' start off the same for the first one third of the book. After the first third, the books diverge completely. While The Number of the Beast morphs into something very different than a straightforward adventure tale and there has been substantial speculation about what the book is about. As the book progresses, the alien Pankera are largely ignored and the main characters encounter all sorts of strange situations. | |||
| ⚫ | ==Literary significance and reception== | ||
| Jack Kirwan wrote in '']'' that the novel is "about two men and two women in a time machine safari through this and other universes. But describing ''The Number of the Beast'' thus is like saying '']'' is about a one-legged guy trying to catch a fish." He went on to state that Heinlein celebrates the "competent person".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Kirwan |first=Jack |date=1980-12-12 |title=Books In Brief |journal=National Review |volume=32 |issue=25 |pages=1522–1523 |issn=0028-0038}}</ref> | Jack Kirwan wrote in '']'' that the novel is "about two men and two women in a time machine safari through this and other universes. But describing ''The Number of the Beast'' thus is like saying '']'' is about a one-legged guy trying to catch a fish." He went on to state that Heinlein celebrates the "competent person".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Kirwan |first=Jack |date=1980-12-12 |title=Books In Brief |journal=National Review |volume=32 |issue=25 |pages=1522–1523 |issn=0028-0038}}</ref> | ||
| Sue K. Hurwitz wrote in her review for the '']'' that it is "a catalog of Heinlein's sins as an author; it is sophomoric, sexist, militantly right wing, and excessively verbose" and commentary that the book's ending was "a devastating parody of SF conventions—will have genre addicts rolling on the floor. It's garbage, but right from the top of the heap."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Hurwitz |first=Sue K. |date=November 1980 |title=The Number of the Beast (Book Review) |journal=School Library Journal |volume=27 |issue=3 |pages=93 |issn=0362-8930}}</ref> | |||
| Heinlein buff ] explained on ].fan.heinlein, in a posting reprinted on the ], that the entire book is actually "one of the greatest textbooks on narrative fiction ever produced, with a truly magnificent set of examples of ''how not to do it'' right there in the foreground, and constant explanations of how to do it right, with literary references to people and books that ''did'' do it right, in the background." He noted that "every single time there's a boring lecture or tedious character interaction going on in the foreground, there's an example of how to do it ''right'' in the background."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://heinleinsociety.org/rah/numberbeast.html|title=Heinlein Society|website=heinleinsociety.org|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605193817/http://heinleinsociety.org/rah/numberbeast.html|archive-date=2011-06-05|access-date=2022-06-01}}</ref> | Heinlein buff ] explained on ].fan.heinlein, in a posting reprinted on the ], that the entire book is actually "one of the greatest textbooks on narrative fiction ever produced, with a truly magnificent set of examples of ''how not to do it'' right there in the foreground, and constant explanations of how to do it right, with literary references to people and books that ''did'' do it right, in the background." He noted that "every single time there's a boring lecture or tedious character interaction going on in the foreground, there's an example of how to do it ''right'' in the background."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://heinleinsociety.org/rah/numberbeast.html|title=Heinlein Society|website=heinleinsociety.org|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605193817/http://heinleinsociety.org/rah/numberbeast.html|archive-date=2011-06-05|access-date=2022-06-01}}</ref> | ||
| On the other hand, ''The Pursuit of the Pankera'' stays on message and is even reminiscent of earlier Heinlein's in many ways. This is a traditional Heinlein novel with a coherent plot that focuses on overcoming the alien invaders. | |||
| ] reviewed ''The Number of the Beast'' in '']'' #5 and commented: "No one writes like Heinlein, and what is a disappointment from him would be a smashing success from anyone else."<ref name="Ares">{{cite journal | last=Costikyan | first=Greg | author-link=Greg Costikyan | title=Books | journal=] | publisher=] | date=November 1980 | issue=5 | page=10}}</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | ===Literary significance and reception=== | ||
| The book was published to generally positive reviews. However, Publishers Weekly considered some dated text inappropriate by modern standards while commenting on it being a "fascinating window into Heinlein's creative process." Midwest Book Review called it an "extraordinary work of science fiction," and it was a Locus Magazine national bestseller. As of January 2025, the book had 2007 reviews on Amazon with a 4.4-star rating. | |||
| The book is also significant because it is the last published novel from a writer many consider one of the best and most influential science fiction writers to have ever lived. | |||
| ===Parallel books about parallel universes=== | |||
| ] has credited it as having taught him that he does not have to finish reading every book he begins.<ref name=James>{{cite web |url=https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/the-man-who-didnt-learn-better |title=The Man Who Didn't Learn Better |last=Nicoll |first=James |author-link=James Nicoll |website=James Nicoll Reviews |date=May 1, 2015 |access-date=2021-03-22}}</ref> | |||
| Since the books' texts diverge precisely as the four main characters make their first jump to a parallel universe, the two books (''The Number of the Beast'' and ''The Pursuit of the Pankera'') can be considered parallel books about parallel universes, with the characters not only jumping from one universe to another but also jumping from one book to another. | |||
| ''The Number of the Beast'' (reprint) and ''The Pursuit of the Pankera'' were published as a set, with matching artwork by Scott Grimando. | |||
| {{off topic|date=July 2024}} | |||
| In 2020, a previously unpublished manuscript by Heinlein was released as '''''The Pursuit of the Pankera'''''. Using the same premise and characters as ''The Number of the Beast'', the first third of the two novels are the same.<ref>{{cite journal | journal=The Booklist | volume=116 | issue=13 | date=March 1, 2020| page=34 | last=Keogh | first=John | title=The Pursuit of the Pankera | id={{ProQuest|2369759093}}}}</ref> In the remainder of ''The Pursuit of the Pankera'', the characters visit fictional universes, primarily ], ], and the world of ]{{'}}s '']'' series.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=Whitehorse Star | last=Davidson | first=Dan | date=July 17, 2020 | page=A.28 | title=An alternate take on an alternative realities book | id={{ProQuest|2424714878}}}}</ref> | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| Line 58: | Line 69: | ||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| * {{isfdb title|id= |
* {{isfdb title|id=2684984|title=The Pursuit of the Pankera}} | ||
| * {{OL work|id=59705W|cname=''The Number of the Beast''}} | * {{OL work|id=59705W|cname=''The Number of the Beast''}} | ||
| * | |||
| {{Heinlein (Novel)}} | {{Heinlein (Novel)}} | ||
Latest revision as of 18:36, 6 January 2025
2020 novel by Robert A. Heinlein First edition | |
| Author | Robert A. Heinlein |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Scott Grimando |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | Caezik SF & Fantasy, Shahid Mahmud (US) |
| Publication date | March 24, 2020 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print, eBook |
| ISBN | 9781647100018 |
The Pursuit of the Pankera is a science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, published in 2020 based on a rediscovered manuscript. As such is it the last published work by this iconic author.
History
The Number of the Beast (novel) was published in 1980. However, an earlier version or variant of the book, fully written, was never published. No one is exactly sure why the other text was never published, but many theories have been put forth. One is that Virginia Heinlein was not happy with the manuscript. However there were significant copyright issues which may have been a major hurdle at that time.
Both The Number of the Beast and this other variant took liberties with characters and settings created by other authors, in particular with E. E. Smith's Lensman series and Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom series. Heinlein was a major fan of these writers and used these elements as a tribute to his favorite authors.
Whatever the reason, this variant of the book never got published and over the years, the original manuscript only survived in fragments, primarily in academic institutions.
Shahid Mahmud the owner of Arc Manor secured the US rights to publish this variant, originally titled by Arc Manor as '''666''' as a reference to the sister novel The Number of the Beast. This title was eventually changed to The Pursuit of the Panerka, a direct reference to the book's plot, which concerns itself with the pursuit of the alien race known as the Pankera. The novel was published in March 2020 by Arc Manor's flagship imprint, Caezik SF & Fantasy, with permission from the estates of both Edgar Rice Burroughs and E.E. Doc Smith.
Plot
The Novel revolves around four main characters: Zebadiah Carter, Dejah Thoris "Deety" Burroughs, her father Jacob Burroughs, and Hilda Corners. They use a specially equipped vehicle, the "Gay Deceiver," capable of traveling through different parallel universes in a multiverse.
The story begins with the group escaping an assassination attempt by jumping to an alternate universe. The attack appears connected to Jacob's invention that facilitates their universe-hopping ability. The group, realizing they are being targeted, uses the "Gay Deceiver" to flee across multiple universes to elude their unknown assailants.
As they navigate through various parallel Earths, each with its unique characteristics and challenges, they encounter different versions of themselves and familiar figures from their own world, leading to confusing and complex interactions.
Their journey to understand who is behind the attacks and why leads them deeper into a web of multiverse intrigue. They discover that the motive behind the assassination attempts is tied to control over the technology that enables interdimensional travel.
The climax of the novel occurs when the group confronts the main antagonist in one of the parallel universes. They engage in a battle of wits and technology to stop the villain's plan, which threatens the stability of multiple universes.
The resolution sees the group successfully thwarting the antagonist, securing their safety and the safety of the dimensions they've traveled. They return to their original universe, more aware of the vast possibilities and dangers of multiverse travel.
Differences between The Number of the Beast and The Pursuit of the Pankera
Both The Number of the Beast and The Pursuit of the Pankera start off the same for the first one third of the book. After the first third, the books diverge completely. While The Number of the Beast morphs into something very different than a straightforward adventure tale and there has been substantial speculation about what the book is about. As the book progresses, the alien Pankera are largely ignored and the main characters encounter all sorts of strange situations.
Jack Kirwan wrote in National Review that the novel is "about two men and two women in a time machine safari through this and other universes. But describing The Number of the Beast thus is like saying Moby Dick is about a one-legged guy trying to catch a fish." He went on to state that Heinlein celebrates the "competent person".
Heinlein buff David Potter explained on alt.fan.heinlein, in a posting reprinted on the Heinlein Society, that the entire book is actually "one of the greatest textbooks on narrative fiction ever produced, with a truly magnificent set of examples of how not to do it right there in the foreground, and constant explanations of how to do it right, with literary references to people and books that did do it right, in the background." He noted that "every single time there's a boring lecture or tedious character interaction going on in the foreground, there's an example of how to do it right in the background."
On the other hand, The Pursuit of the Pankera stays on message and is even reminiscent of earlier Heinlein's in many ways. This is a traditional Heinlein novel with a coherent plot that focuses on overcoming the alien invaders.
Literary significance and reception
The book was published to generally positive reviews. However, Publishers Weekly considered some dated text inappropriate by modern standards while commenting on it being a "fascinating window into Heinlein's creative process." Midwest Book Review called it an "extraordinary work of science fiction," and it was a Locus Magazine national bestseller. As of January 2025, the book had 2007 reviews on Amazon with a 4.4-star rating.
The book is also significant because it is the last published novel from a writer many consider one of the best and most influential science fiction writers to have ever lived.
Parallel books about parallel universes
Since the books' texts diverge precisely as the four main characters make their first jump to a parallel universe, the two books (The Number of the Beast and The Pursuit of the Pankera) can be considered parallel books about parallel universes, with the characters not only jumping from one universe to another but also jumping from one book to another.
The Number of the Beast (reprint) and The Pursuit of the Pankera were published as a set, with matching artwork by Scott Grimando.
References
- Kirwan, Jack (1980-12-12). "Books In Brief". National Review. 32 (25): 1522–1523. ISSN 0028-0038.
- "Heinlein Society". heinleinsociety.org. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
External links
- The Pursuit of the Pankera title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- The Number of the Beast at Open Library
- Caezik SF & Fantasy Official Website
| Edgar Rice Burroughs's Barsoom | |
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