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22 reviews for:
The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes
David Weber, Robert A. Heinlein
3.74 AVERAGE
22 reviews for:
The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes
David Weber, Robert A. Heinlein
3.74 AVERAGE
It's interesting mostly to see Heinlein's fanfiction of some of his favorite story universes. But you can see why it wasn't published back when.
I did NOT expect to ever read another new Robert A Heinlein novel, and here one is! Well... newish. A variant on The Number of the Beast. This is not my FAVORITE RAH novel - I actually loved his short stories more, and various earlier works, and Stranger in a Strange Land - but, again, words written by RAH that I HADN'T READ! Wow! When I read Number of the Beast, like a few other books he wrote such as Friday, I didn't have much patience for them, they felt too silly. Far more fantasy than science fiction. This doesn't really pretend to be anything other than fantasy, at heart. You just need to approach it differently, with a more open mind. It makes me want to read Edgar Rice Burroughs, and E. E. "Doc" Smith, and Frank L. Baum. Not sure I will get around to those, but any tribute work like this has succeeded if it made me WANT to, right? It's also pretty clear this was written in the '60s or '70s, and RAH's military experience is evident here too. Very enjoyable!
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
What's next, a hardbound volume of Heinlein's laundry and grocery lists?
Look, I love Heinlein. I read Space Cadet when I was in seventh grade and went on to read everything he wrote. So, even though I was pretty sure I'd regret it, I read this. It reads to me like an earlier draft of the novel he ultimately published, The Number of the Beast. It had some interesting ideas in it, but the character development in NOTB was better, maybe because I read it 40 years ago for the first time and several times thereafter, including right before I finally read this one.
It's Heinlein. It's still pretty good. But I doubt I will reread it.
Look, I love Heinlein. I read Space Cadet when I was in seventh grade and went on to read everything he wrote. So, even though I was pretty sure I'd regret it, I read this. It reads to me like an earlier draft of the novel he ultimately published, The Number of the Beast. It had some interesting ideas in it, but the character development in NOTB was better, maybe because I read it 40 years ago for the first time and several times thereafter, including right before I finally read this one.
It's Heinlein. It's still pretty good. But I doubt I will reread it.
I loved Heinlein's so-called juveniles back in high school (admittedly approaching some 50 years ago). His later stuff? Not so much. So when I read that this "parallel novel" to Number of the Beast was more like the author's earlier works, I decided to give it a try. I should have realized from the description that I would have to wade through 150 pages or so of "recent Heinlein" to get to "classic Heinlein". Just couldn't do it, even with the "classic Heinlein" carrot dangling ahead of me. It's (disappointingly) a DNF for me.
I would agree with many people who say that Robert Heinlein’s novel, [b:The Number of the Beast|50877|The Number of the Beast|Robert A. Heinlein|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1201734223l/50877._SY75_.jpg|1077659] is one of his worst. Heavy with dialogue, occupied with irritating familial arguments, weirdly filled with incestuous longings, and devoid of much actual plot, it’s a stinker. But if a reader wanted to experience the complete future history and have access to Lazarus Long’s full biography, the book is a must-read. The book opens as a mad scientist, his beautiful daughter, an erstwhile professor, and a hostess reminiscent of Auntie Mame — flee a party after a fistfight nearly erupts over the scientist’s new invention, an invention capable of facilitating not only time travel, but travel to multiple universes. Once they’ve escaped, they tumble through time and multiple fictional universes, always one step ahead of the terrible beings sent to kill the scientist and presumably, destroy his device.
Long after THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST was published, the existence of a parallel novel that features the same main characters --- Jake, Hilda, Deety, and Zeb --- and begins the same way was discovered. PURSUIT OF THE PANKERA is that novel.
PURSUIT OF THE PANKERA opens the same way as the familiar NUMBER OF THE BEAST, but about chapter three, the plot and character begin to diverge from those in the published version and frankly, it’s all for the better. I have only recently discovered the existence of this book, and so I am not well-versed in the reasons THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST made it to publication and PANKERA didn’t.
THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST has great chunks of dialogue among the four main characters where nothing much happens. In PURSUIT OF HTE PANKERA, the dialogue is in about the right ratio to the narrative, and the plot is more well-developed. The mad scientist marries the hostess, and the beautiful daughter marries the professor, who turns out to be a military type with excellent fighting skills and a head for strategy. They can’t just live happily ever after, though, because the Pankera are out to kill them.
In the original novel, long swaths of the book are given over to squabbling among the protagonists. In PURSUIT OF THE PANKERA, much of that dialogue is gone and there is real conflict; the family must work together, and recruit some of the best mathematical and military minds from fiction, to eliminate the Pantera before they destroy humanity.
A big part of THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST concerns the Burroughs-Carter family’s rendezvous with Lazarus Long and his family, and how he ropes them into rescuing his mother and reuniting him with her. In PURSUIT OF THE PANKERA, that storyline never raises its head. Instead, the last part of the book is focused on the Burroughs-Carter family’s preparation for the showdown with the Pankera.
The book is not without its faults. Heinlein’s work is, overall, problematic given his attitudes toward women and BIPOC. The female characters in THE PURSUIT OF THE PANKERA are strong, athletic, intelligent women. But they are inordinately concerned with hair and makeup and sometimes seem more childish than feminine.
Overall, this novel reminded me of the juvenile novels Heinlein wrote. Those novels —and this one — feature strong action and characters and make for a great read.
Long after THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST was published, the existence of a parallel novel that features the same main characters --- Jake, Hilda, Deety, and Zeb --- and begins the same way was discovered. PURSUIT OF THE PANKERA is that novel.
PURSUIT OF THE PANKERA opens the same way as the familiar NUMBER OF THE BEAST, but about chapter three, the plot and character begin to diverge from those in the published version and frankly, it’s all for the better. I have only recently discovered the existence of this book, and so I am not well-versed in the reasons THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST made it to publication and PANKERA didn’t.
THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST has great chunks of dialogue among the four main characters where nothing much happens. In PURSUIT OF HTE PANKERA, the dialogue is in about the right ratio to the narrative, and the plot is more well-developed. The mad scientist marries the hostess, and the beautiful daughter marries the professor, who turns out to be a military type with excellent fighting skills and a head for strategy. They can’t just live happily ever after, though, because the Pankera are out to kill them.
In the original novel, long swaths of the book are given over to squabbling among the protagonists. In PURSUIT OF THE PANKERA, much of that dialogue is gone and there is real conflict; the family must work together, and recruit some of the best mathematical and military minds from fiction, to eliminate the Pantera before they destroy humanity.
A big part of THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST concerns the Burroughs-Carter family’s rendezvous with Lazarus Long and his family, and how he ropes them into rescuing his mother and reuniting him with her. In PURSUIT OF THE PANKERA, that storyline never raises its head. Instead, the last part of the book is focused on the Burroughs-Carter family’s preparation for the showdown with the Pankera.
The book is not without its faults. Heinlein’s work is, overall, problematic given his attitudes toward women and BIPOC. The female characters in THE PURSUIT OF THE PANKERA are strong, athletic, intelligent women. But they are inordinately concerned with hair and makeup and sometimes seem more childish than feminine.
Overall, this novel reminded me of the juvenile novels Heinlein wrote. Those novels —and this one — feature strong action and characters and make for a great read.
The first science fiction novel I ever read was Heinlein’s Red Planet; I was 8 and instantly hooked. For a decade at least Heinlein was my favorite author. Though I have other favorites now, I’ll always have a fondness for RAH and his un-put-down-able prose.
It was strange, interesting, and fun to read this “might-have-been” outtake of Number of the Beast, especially as RAH was famously a one-draft author. I hadn’t read NotB in probably 15 years, but I could still spot the exact moments the texts diverged, realigned, then diverged again.
Somewhat different endings, with less fan-service in Pankera (it’s hinted at, though). There were also some characterization differences. I’d say I prefer the Pankera ending, but I was one of the fans being pandered to in NotB, so ...shrug.
PS I should clarify that this will probably only be enjoyable for existing Heinlein fans. Draft or not, it’s one of his late-era books and thus pretty sprawling and self-indulgent. The sexual politics and descriptions are tooth-grinding to a modern reader.
It was strange, interesting, and fun to read this “might-have-been” outtake of Number of the Beast, especially as RAH was famously a one-draft author. I hadn’t read NotB in probably 15 years, but I could still spot the exact moments the texts diverged, realigned, then diverged again.
Somewhat different endings, with less fan-service in Pankera (it’s hinted at, though). There were also some characterization differences. I’d say I prefer the Pankera ending, but I was one of the fans being pandered to in NotB, so ...shrug.
PS I should clarify that this will probably only be enjoyable for existing Heinlein fans. Draft or not, it’s one of his late-era books and thus pretty sprawling and self-indulgent. The sexual politics and descriptions are tooth-grinding to a modern reader.
I forgot that Number of the Beast was my least favorite Heinlein...well, now it's tied for last place.
An interesting variation of The Number of the Beast.
Not surprising there are a lot of overlapping sections in both books, but there is more than enough new material that it is well worth the read.
But do be warned, in transcribing there were a number of obvious errors that I am sure Robert would never have allowed to let pass.
Not surprising there are a lot of overlapping sections in both books, but there is more than enough new material that it is well worth the read.
But do be warned, in transcribing there were a number of obvious errors that I am sure Robert would never have allowed to let pass.
I was a supporter of the Kickstarter campaign that brought this about and I'm glad I did. I liked "The Pursuit of the Pankera" a lot. The idea is that Heinlein wrote this to be published simultaneously with "The Number of the Beast" as a physical demonstration of the multiple worlds concept and it was found in his papers by the people cataloging everything. He had told someone once that it was all written and there it was, ready to be put in order. The man behind the project was very clear when he said nothing was added. It might not be the final book Heinlein would have produced, but there is nothing in it that is not Heinlein's.
Personally, after I read it I came away with the feeling that this was the real book and "The Number of the Beast" was the indulgent fanfic written about it.
As with "The Number of the Beast," the book follows four people -- a scientist, his daughter, a man they believe to be a scientist in the father's field, and their socialite friend. The scientist has developed a device to twist space and time to permit traveling through dimensions and as they're all working it out (and celebrating their marriages) they get attacked by an alien mascarading as a human being. It becomes very clear that this race is out to destroy anyone with this technology and they flee through the dimensions to make a strange discovery: anyplace anyone has ever invented is real, somewhere.
The books are identical up to when they land on Mars and go on their first excursion, and then they go wildly different. In Beast they may have seen banths but they leave before finding out. Here, they go straight into Barsoom and stay there for several chapters. Their visits to other fictional lands are similar but they avoid a few more from Beast and spend a great deal of time in one they ducked out of in the original.
The book's plot is much more straight-forward, with much more emphasis on battling the aliens, a plot that sort of dropped away in Beast. One huge chunk (and the whole ending) are gone, as is a lot of the philosophy, discussions of command and lifeboat rules, and kinda-cringy sex from Beast.
It doesn't replace Beast for me; cheesy as it is, I still love the original. But I'm very glad to have read this alternate version.
Personally, after I read it I came away with the feeling that this was the real book and "The Number of the Beast" was the indulgent fanfic written about it.
As with "The Number of the Beast," the book follows four people -- a scientist, his daughter, a man they believe to be a scientist in the father's field, and their socialite friend. The scientist has developed a device to twist space and time to permit traveling through dimensions and as they're all working it out (and celebrating their marriages) they get attacked by an alien mascarading as a human being. It becomes very clear that this race is out to destroy anyone with this technology and they flee through the dimensions to make a strange discovery: anyplace anyone has ever invented is real, somewhere.
The books are identical up to when they land on Mars and go on their first excursion, and then they go wildly different. In Beast they may have seen banths but they leave before finding out. Here, they go straight into Barsoom and stay there for several chapters. Their visits to other fictional lands are similar but they avoid a few more from Beast and spend a great deal of time in one they ducked out of in the original.
The book's plot is much more straight-forward, with much more emphasis on battling the aliens, a plot that sort of dropped away in Beast. One huge chunk (and the whole ending) are gone, as is a lot of the philosophy, discussions of command and lifeboat rules, and kinda-cringy sex from Beast.
It doesn't replace Beast for me; cheesy as it is, I still love the original. But I'm very glad to have read this alternate version.