Contributed by
Deborah Newbury
'Pursuit' does not suffer from the flaws of 'Number.' There is no endless wrangling over who is captain. Deety's annoying verbal tic appears only enough to remind you she has one, and not so frequently you want to slap her. The ERB Mars we visit in PotP is far more interesting than the British Colonial Mars of NotB. Hilda 'Sharpie' Corners is a more interesting character, and quite appealing to older women like myself who learned that it was OK to be smart from Heinlein juveniles. Although I am not familiar with the Lensman universe, PotP seems to visit in more depth and is far more engaging. All in all, "The Pursuit of the Pankera" is far more akin to Middle Period Heinlein than Late Period Heinlein.
I quote from the Publisher's Note:"...A recent examination of the manuscript (along with Heinlein's handwritten notes) made it clear that the fragments, if put together properly, would constitute the complete unpublished book...Other than regular editorial work, no additional author was asked to provide "fillers." So this book is ALL Robert Heinlein.
I am sitting here looking at my hardbound copy of "Pursuit of the Pankera," and have a leather-bound copy downstairs where the cat can't get to it. Both were printed in limited editions. Which, since bringing this book to life was very much a labor of love, only makes sense; a small publisher like Arc Manor cannot afford to take a huge risk on speculative project like this one. Indeed, there were a number of hurdles and delays along the way, and only those of us, like myself, who were willing to gamble on Shahid and Arc Manor eventually received their numbered limited edition of the book.
It was well worth the wait. after the disappointments of "Variable Star" and "For Us, The Living," it was wonderful to get a real Heinlein in his unmistakable voice so many years after his death.
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