Past Master (novel)

infobox Book |
name = Past Master
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = Cover of first edition paperback
author = R. A. Lafferty
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series =
genre = Variously described as science fiction, or dramatic fantasy
publisher = Ace Books
release_date = 1968
media_type = Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
pages = 191 pp (first edition, paperback)
isbn = ISBN 0-441-65303-0

Past Master is a novel by science fiction writer R. A. Lafferty. It was first published in 1968, and was nominated for the 1968 Nebula award ("Rite of Passage" won) and the 1969 Hugo award ("Stand on Zanzibar" won) [ [http://members.tripod.com/templetongate/hugo-nebula5370.htm "Hugo & Nebula Awards"] ; [http://www.scottedelman.com/cordwainersmith.html "2002 Cordwainer Smith Rediscovery Award"] ] . It is generally categorized as part of the New Wave of science fiction.

Plot introduction

"Past Master" is set in the year 2535 on the world of Astrobe, a utopian Earth colony that is hailed as Golden Astrobe, "mankind's third chance" after the decline of the Old World and New World on Earth. Despite idealistic intentions, it is suffering moral and social decline that may be terminal for both Astrobe and the human race.

In an attempt to save their dying civilization, its leaders bring Thomas More (chosen for his fine legal and moral sense) from shortly before his death in the year 1535 to be the president of Astrobe. More struggles with whether to approve of the Astrobian society, noting its possible connections to his own novel "Utopia". His judgements soon lead him into conflict both with destructive cosmic forces on Astrobe and with its leaders who thought him a mere figurehead who could be manipulated.

Release details

*cite book
last=Lafferty
first=R.A.
title=Past Master
origyear=1968
edition=First
year=1968
publisher=Ace Books
location=New York, USA
language=English
id=OCLC: 10835111
pages=191 pages
*cite book
last=Lafferty
first=R.A.
title=Past Master
origyear=1968
year=1968
publisher=Ace Books
location=New York, USA
language=English
id=OCLC: 3838861
pages=248 pages
*cite book
last=Lafferty
first=R.A.
title=Past Master
origyear=1968
origmonth=
format=paperback
edition=Reprint of Ace edition as part of The Garland library of science fiction
publisher=Garland Pub.
location=New York, USA
language=English
id=ISBN 0-8240-1421-9; OCLC: 1693870
pages=191 pages
*cite book
last=Lafferty
first=R.A.
title=Past Master
origyear=1968
format=softcover
edition=Reprint of first Ace Books?
year=1968
publisher=Rapp & Whiting
location=London, England
language=English
id=OCLC: 17697
pages=191 pages
*cite book
last=Lafferty
first=R.A.
title=Past Master
origyear=1968
year=1970
publisher= Science Fiction Book Club
location=London, England
language=English
id=OCLC: 2014876
pages=191 pages
*cite book
last=Lafferty
first=R.A.
title=Astrobe, der goldene planet
origyear=1968
format=paperback
edition=Deutsche erstausgabe
year=1981
publisher=Droemer Knaur
location=München; Zürich
language=German
id=OCLC: 70117779
pages=207 pages
*cite book
last=Lafferty
first=R.A.
title=Past Master
origyear=1968
format=softcover
edition=Ace reprint
year=1982
publisher=Ace Books
location=New York, USA
language=English
id=ISBN 0-441-65303-0; OCLC: 8713622
pages=248 pages
*cite book
last=Lafferty
first=R.A.
others=Inoue, Hiroshi,; 1954- (translator)
title=Tomasu Moa no daiboken: pasuto masuta
origyear=1968
format=paperback
edition=Shohan; part of the Seishinsha bunko series
year=1993
publisher=Seishinsha
location=Tokyo
language=Japanese
id=ISBN 4-87892-030-0; OCLC: 50672738
pages=379 pages
*cite book
last=Lafferty
first=R.A.
title=Past Master
origyear=1968
edition=Wildside reprint
year=1999
publisher=Wildside Press
location=Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, USA
language=English
id=ISBN 1-880448-99-8
pages=248 pages

References

External links

* [http://home.salamander.com/~wmcclain/past_master.txt "Past Master"] -(a review)