Lorenzo, an out of work actor in the year 2100, finds himself agreeing to play the most difficult role of his life--posing as a double for a missing political leader whose presence is necessary to prevent interplanetary war. Winner of the Hugo Award.
"In this intricately plotted novel of interplanetary intrigue, Heinlein is at his best." - St. Louis Post Dispatch
"Pleasant and exciting reading." - Galaxy Science-Fiction
"Bears the Heinlein cache of credible authenticity." - Anthony Boucher (Fantasy and Science-Fiction)
"Not only America's premier writer of speculative fiction, but the greatest writer of such fiction in the world." - Stephen King
"There is no other writer whose work has exhilarated me as often and to such an extent as Heinlein." - Dean Koontz
"One of the most influential writers in American Literature." - The New York Times Book Review
From the Publisher
Like many people, I go way, way back with Heinlein. My very favorite book (and one that stands out in my mind--and with much affection--to this day) is Tunnel in the Sky. I really, really wanted to go off to explore new worlds with a covered wagon and horses, like the hero does at the very end of the book. But one of the nice things about Robert Heinlein is that he's got something for everyone. One of my best friends has a different favorite: Podkayne of Mars. Go figure. --Shelly Shapiro, Executive Editor
From the Inside Flap
One minute, down and out actor Lorenzo Smythe was -- as usual -- in a bar, drinking away his troubles as he watched his career go down the tubes. Then a space pilot bought him a drink, and the next thing Smythe knew, he was shanghaied to Mars.
Suddenly he found himself agreeing to the most difficult role of his career: impersonating an important politician who had been kidnapped. Peace with the Martians was at stake -- failure to pull off the act could result in interplanetary war. And Smythe's own life was on the line -- for if he wasn't assassinated, there was always the possibility that he might be trapped in his new role forever!
Description:
Lorenzo, an out of work actor in the year 2100, finds himself agreeing to play the most difficult role of his life--posing as a double for a missing political leader whose presence is necessary to prevent interplanetary war. Winner of the Hugo Award.
"In this intricately plotted novel of interplanetary intrigue, Heinlein is at his best."
- St. Louis Post Dispatch
"Pleasant and exciting reading."
- Galaxy Science-Fiction
"Bears the Heinlein cache of credible authenticity."
- Anthony Boucher (Fantasy and Science-Fiction)
"Not only America's premier writer of speculative fiction, but the greatest writer of such fiction in the world."
- Stephen King
"There is no other writer whose work has exhilarated me as often and to such an extent as Heinlein."
- Dean Koontz
"One of the most influential writers in American Literature."
- The New York Times Book Review
From the Publisher
Like many people, I go way, way back with Heinlein. My very favorite book (and one that stands out in my mind--and with much affection--to this day) is Tunnel in the Sky. I really, really wanted to go off to explore new worlds with a covered wagon and horses, like the hero does at the very end of the book. But one of the nice things about Robert Heinlein is that he's got something for everyone. One of my best friends has a different favorite: Podkayne of Mars. Go figure.
--Shelly Shapiro, Executive Editor
From the Inside Flap
One minute, down and out actor Lorenzo Smythe was -- as usual -- in a bar, drinking away his troubles as he watched his career go down the tubes. Then a space pilot bought him a drink, and the next thing Smythe knew, he was shanghaied to Mars.
Suddenly he found himself agreeing to the most difficult role of his career: impersonating an important politician who had been kidnapped. Peace with the Martians was at stake -- failure to pull off the act could result in interplanetary war. And Smythe's own life was on the line -- for if he wasn't assassinated, there was always the possibility that he might be trapped in his new role forever!