Alexei Panshin
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Alexei Adam Panshin (born August 14, 1940) is an American author of science fiction (SF). He is perhaps best known for the 1968 Nebula Award-winning novel Rite of Passage.
Panshin is also noted for the cult favorite Anthony Villiers series which consists of three books
- Starwell
- The Thurb Revolution
- Masque World
The fourth volume of the series, The Universal Pantograph, never appeared, reputedly because of conflicts between the writer and his publisher. Of the Villiers series, noted SF writer Samuel R. Delany writes "It...examines the proposition that the world is composed of small communities of mutual interest...[Starwell] is a gallery of gamblers, duels and doublecrosses, a minuet of manners and manners mangled; the machinery of the universe is speculated upon; inspector generals arrive to inspect it. And Anthony Villiers, gentleman par excellence, dashes through it all, buckling a swash or two, bungling a couple of others."
Panshin published a study of SF legend Robert A. Heinlein, Heinlein In Dimension, which won a Hugo award. He also co-wrote Earth Magic with wife Cory Panshin. His general critcal work SF in Dimension (1976) was also co-written witten with Cory Panshin, as was The World Beyond The Hill (1989). His works also include a short story collection, Farewell To Yesterday's Tomorrow, a collection of articles, SF In Dimension, and a lengthy theoretical-critical book, The World Beyond The Hill.
Heinlein In Dimension first brought Panshin to wide public notice. Robert A. Heinlein objected strongly to it, and attemped to stop its publication, threatening to sue the publishers. As a result sections were published in [fanzine]s, winning a Hugo award for best fan activity, which in turn helped the book achieve professional publication. Opnions are divided on the value of thsi book, and the propriiety of Panshin's research techniques and of Heinlein's response. Spider Robinson and Sam Moskowitz have strongly cricicized both. Panshin's own views on the matter, along with some views by others, can be found on his website The Abyss of Wonder.
External links
- Complete text of Heinlein In Dimension (http://www.enter.net/~torve/critics/Dimension/hdcontents.html#Contents)
- The Abyss of Wonder (http://www.enter.net/~torve/contents.htm)
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- Bibliography at Fantastic fiction (http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/authors/Alexei_Panshin.htm)
- Review of Rite of Passage and comments on Pahshin's writngs genererally (http://www.adherents.com/lit/bk_Pans_RiteOfPassage.html)
- Review of Rite of Passage (http://www.thesustainablevillage.com/awrbooks/html/BooksinHTML/riteOfPassage.html)
- Panshin entry at Fictionwise (http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/AlexeiPanshineBooks.htm)
- Review of the Villars books, by Jed Hartman (http://www.strangehorizons.com/2003/20030324/villiers.shtml)nl:Alexei Panshin