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Anthony Villiers #1
Star Well
A small airless planetoid set deep in the heart of the Flammarion Rift. Due to its location, it is a minor hub of commerce within the Sashuite Empire, and though it is equipped with elegant dining rooms and casinos, luxury suites and expensive shops, Wu and Fabricant's GUIDEBOOK claims that Star Well is a dull place to visit and that travellers should avoid layovers if they can. But Wu and Fabricant had not been shown the secret basements, nor told the nature of the things stored there--if they had been, they might still have advised against layovers, but not because Star Well was dull. When our hero Anthony Villiers and his Traggish friend Torve arrive on the scene, it soon becomes evident that the truth must out: that Star Well has reached the end of an era...(thurb).
157 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1968
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About the author
Alexei Panshin
65 books57 followersAlexis Adams Panshin is an American author and science fiction critic.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
November 13, 2013
_Star Well_ by Alexei Panshin is an entertaining comedy of manners in the SF mode with a hint of the demimonde thrown in for flavour. Our protagonist is Anthony Villiers, Viscount Charteris, an aristocrat and fop whose life seems to be a perpetual Grand Tour of the Nashuite Empire, chasing the stipend afforded him by his father from port to port and resorting to what might, in impolite circles, be considered illicit means to gain funds when he is unable to catch up with it. He is no career criminal or grifter, though, and is content rather to live a life of comfort and fashion without sullying his hands with anything so low as labour or outright criminality. He is, in a word, a gentleman.
His travelling companion is the enigmatic Torve the Trog, a giant befurred frog who seems equal parts Yoda and Chewbacca. Torve is generally a rather stoic companion, at least in this volume, and is content merely to evade customs officials anxious to restrict Trog travel, sit cross-legged in the Palatine Suite composing indecipherable poetry seemingly based upon the single word “Thurb”, and utter gnomic phrases repudiating causality to Anthony whenever confronted by the latter’s concerns or problems: “No, you have very strange mind. I do not understand. But is no mattering: favourable line of occurrence and friendship travel together. I like you – means nothing to me.” He is rather a charming fellow.
Star Well is a space port tunnelled into an asteroid which resides in the Flammarion Drift, an empty reach of space “where the stars don’t grow” and which is known primarily for some gambling, a little shopping, and an otherwise complete lack of interest. It is thus generally used as little more than a stopover by travellers on their way to somewhere else. This suits its owners and operators fine, since it is, of course, also the home of illegal smuggling and other illicit activities. We follow Anthony as he becomes embroiled in these activities, quite by accident of course, and meets such varied characters as Godwin the deadly enforcer of low birth and aristocratic yearnings (a man who, if it can be believed, has an even more accomplished toilet than that of Villiers…though of course it is somewhat vulgar in its ostentation); Godwin’s boss the cow-towing Hisan Bashir Shirabi who might make a formidable criminal if only he could overcome his awe of his betters; a corpulent and red robed priest of Mithras who may be more than he appears; and the charming and capable Louisa Parini, a fifteen year old girl of shadowy parentage en route to a finishing school for girls which she would most heartily like to avoid.
There is another character even more prevalent in the tale, the narrator, whose asides and commentary make up most of the ‘mannerism’ of the tale. I generally don’t mind an intrusive narrator like this (in fact I quite love it when done with panache, as in Dumas), and usually such a tale demands one, but I think Panshin needed a slightly lighter touch with him than was on display here. Some of the bon mots were a little too strained and it would have been nice to see a few more in the mouth of Villiers himself, though he does get a few of his own.
All in all this was an enjoyable tale and if you like the comedy of manners mode and light sci-fi then you will likely enjoy this. Despite its slight beginnings the story ends in a satisfactory manner and leaves open some room for the development of Villiers and his adventures to something more substantial. Two volumes follow (a fourth, concluding volume, was never produced due to disputes between Panshin and his publishers).
Also posted at Shelf Inflicted
His travelling companion is the enigmatic Torve the Trog, a giant befurred frog who seems equal parts Yoda and Chewbacca. Torve is generally a rather stoic companion, at least in this volume, and is content merely to evade customs officials anxious to restrict Trog travel, sit cross-legged in the Palatine Suite composing indecipherable poetry seemingly based upon the single word “Thurb”, and utter gnomic phrases repudiating causality to Anthony whenever confronted by the latter’s concerns or problems: “No, you have very strange mind. I do not understand. But is no mattering: favourable line of occurrence and friendship travel together. I like you – means nothing to me.” He is rather a charming fellow.
Star Well is a space port tunnelled into an asteroid which resides in the Flammarion Drift, an empty reach of space “where the stars don’t grow” and which is known primarily for some gambling, a little shopping, and an otherwise complete lack of interest. It is thus generally used as little more than a stopover by travellers on their way to somewhere else. This suits its owners and operators fine, since it is, of course, also the home of illegal smuggling and other illicit activities. We follow Anthony as he becomes embroiled in these activities, quite by accident of course, and meets such varied characters as Godwin the deadly enforcer of low birth and aristocratic yearnings (a man who, if it can be believed, has an even more accomplished toilet than that of Villiers…though of course it is somewhat vulgar in its ostentation); Godwin’s boss the cow-towing Hisan Bashir Shirabi who might make a formidable criminal if only he could overcome his awe of his betters; a corpulent and red robed priest of Mithras who may be more than he appears; and the charming and capable Louisa Parini, a fifteen year old girl of shadowy parentage en route to a finishing school for girls which she would most heartily like to avoid.
There is another character even more prevalent in the tale, the narrator, whose asides and commentary make up most of the ‘mannerism’ of the tale. I generally don’t mind an intrusive narrator like this (in fact I quite love it when done with panache, as in Dumas), and usually such a tale demands one, but I think Panshin needed a slightly lighter touch with him than was on display here. Some of the bon mots were a little too strained and it would have been nice to see a few more in the mouth of Villiers himself, though he does get a few of his own.
All in all this was an enjoyable tale and if you like the comedy of manners mode and light sci-fi then you will likely enjoy this. Despite its slight beginnings the story ends in a satisfactory manner and leaves open some room for the development of Villiers and his adventures to something more substantial. Two volumes follow (a fourth, concluding volume, was never produced due to disputes between Panshin and his publishers).
Also posted at Shelf Inflicted
July 24, 2008
This is one of those rarities an excellent comedy of manners. I understand the Villiers stories are now collected in an omnibus cover as 'New Celebrations'
Nashuite High Culture definitely follows some rules that reflect historic European society.
"When you wish to insult a man — the Cut Direct. When you wish to snub a man — the Cut Indirect. The Studied Insult, the Pertinent Reflection — to be overheard, of course — even the smiles available for twelve separate effects."
These stories are told by a narrator with opinions. The opinions are often commenting on historic events or character flaws and always spoken with the assurance it is meant to be taken seriously but with tongue in cheek.
Nashuite High Culture definitely follows some rules that reflect historic European society.
"When you wish to insult a man — the Cut Direct. When you wish to snub a man — the Cut Indirect. The Studied Insult, the Pertinent Reflection — to be overheard, of course — even the smiles available for twelve separate effects."
These stories are told by a narrator with opinions. The opinions are often commenting on historic events or character flaws and always spoken with the assurance it is meant to be taken seriously but with tongue in cheek.
February 24, 2018
A short, light novel that has moments, but not much substance. The first of three Anthony Villiers books, this one got a complimentary preface by Samuel R. Delany. Not a keeper. 2.6 stars, rounded up.
March 10, 2011
The first of the three books in the sadly uncompleted Anthony Villiers saga. These are difficult to peg, especially at the time they are written; something about them makes me grasp for tortured analogies, something along the lines of "like what Jane Austen would have written if she grew up in the 1960's on a diet of space opera." Which is perhaps a bit helpful in characterizing it, even if it's totally inaccurate.
There is a plot to this one, but even after re-reading it last month I can only remember you that it involves something to do with smuggling and organized crime on a starbase. The tone and characters are what makes it stand out. The whole thing is good-natured, lightweight, and full of pseudo-philosophical digressions that would seem pretentious if they weren't based on made up events or societies in the Nashuite empire (with a few sly references to our times, like the unnamed but apparently dire consequences of "acetylsalicylic acid" fad.)
There is a plot to this one, but even after re-reading it last month I can only remember you that it involves something to do with smuggling and organized crime on a starbase. The tone and characters are what makes it stand out. The whole thing is good-natured, lightweight, and full of pseudo-philosophical digressions that would seem pretentious if they weren't based on made up events or societies in the Nashuite empire (with a few sly references to our times, like the unnamed but apparently dire consequences of "acetylsalicylic acid" fad.)
June 16, 2014
[Re-read] I love this book. There's not much to it, but it's like Wodehouse in space: a witty, genteel, well-plotted story featuring terrific characters. The omniscient narrator's voice reminds me of Bertie Wooster's in that it's extremely articulate and often reaches for pretty wild metaphors that are just hilarious, but the action of the story is much more serious than that in any Jeeves & Wooster book. I mean, the things that actually transpire in it are just ordinary 60s space opera plot points--the kinds of things you could find in decent but relatively weak novels by A. Bertram Chandler or E. C. Tubb--but they're not comical plot points either. The humor and gentility all arise in the use of language, both in the dialogue and in how the action is described. Anyway, I recently read this aloud to my wife, who is not really a fan of SF, and we both greatly enjoyed it.
March 24, 2024
review of
Alexei Panshin's Star Well
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - March 24, 2024
I read & reviewed Panshin's Rite of Passage some time ago ( https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... ). I wasn't that impressed by it. Then, very recently I read his The Thurb Revolution ( https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ) & I enjoyed it very much. That was the 2nd bk of the Anthony Villiers series. I usually avoid series as too cheesy or some such but now I've read the 1st of the series, Star Well. There're probably plenty of SF * Fantasy series out there w/ humorous plots & affable central characters that I'm missing out on but, for now, I'm glad to've discovered this one. Villiers & his traveling companion Torve the Trog are subtle characters, more notable for their ability to defuse dangerous situations w/o necessarily appearing to do much of anything (most of the time). I like that. They're not exactly diplomats but they're closer to diplomats than they are to intergalactic warriors.
Samuel R. Delany, another of my favorite writers, wrote an introduction to this. I quote:
"Twenty-eight-year-old Mr. Panshin's credentials for the undertaking are impressive. He is the author of one fine and solidly classical sf novel, RITE OF PASSAGE; he was the recipient of a "Hugo" award from the World Science Fiction Convention in 1967 for his critical writing over the previous year; he recently published the first full-length study of Robert Heinlein, HEINLEIN IN DIMENSION" - p 2
I'm lucky enuf to have a copy of Panshin's Heinlein study, I'll be reading that fairly soon.
Panshin starts off w/ his dating system.
"To history buffs, the year was 4171 A.U.C. To Christians, it was 3418. To Moslems, it was late in the year 2795. But by common reckoning, the year was 1461." - p 5
It wd've really made my day if he'd referred to the 'Pataphysical Calendar.
Villiers uses some psychological prodding on the 2nd-in-command of Star Well:
""It seems to me that on other occasions Mr. Shirabi has overseen operations at this time."
""You are very observant. Shirabi had some . . . warehouse work he wanted to supervise personally."
""There are things, then, that you aren't . . . permitted . . . to handle?"" - p 10
One of the characters is a representative of the Revived Church of Mithra.
"Mithra was worshipped six centuries before the founding of Rome, and has had his ups and downs ever since. He was the Sonf of the Sun, and born of a virgin on the 25th of December. But then, so was everybody else. He died for the sins of all mankind and was reborn at the spring equinox. That's standard, too, as are the rest of the clutch: baptism, communion, and the promise of eternal life. Perhaps the one best point of the religion is this: the violet is sacred to Mithra, and consequently the cultivation of flowerbeds is encouraged." - p 20
Sound familiar? For those who're interested in what Christinanity took from its predecessors I highly recommend Brian Flemming's excellent 2005 documentary entitled The God Who Wasn't There.
Writers who emphasize bks are pleasing to me even if it figures that they'd do so.
"As he walked, he thumbed the book, relishing the work. The book was solid and well-made, the layout attractive, the illustrations excellent three-dimensional likenesses. Although any number of supplements had been developed through the centuries, nothing had ever been invented to take the place of books. Taped records and films both required equipment to translate them into intelligible form. A book was portable and intelligible on the spot, and nothing could beat the smell of a freshly-made book, direct from the fac machine." - p 26
All of these people these days who advocate & prefer reading off their laptop or their iPad or other portable electronic device don't seem to take the longview. I'll take a bk any day - even if those tree roots that're crawling toward me do have teeth.
Did I say that Villiers was subtle? I know that I did & YOU know that I did so why did I ask that question?
""How did you lose?"
""He knew what I was doing and called me on it. No challenge. Just let me know he knew what I was doing. He knows Josiah's Flambeau table is rigged, too. I had to stop, and he won after that."" - pp 35-36
""Gentleman, I've been thinking and I'm starting to wonder about this Mr. Villiers of ours. If he didn't challenge you, he isn't the man I was taking him for. And I found him wandering down here this morning. Accidentally lost, he said."
""In the basements?"
""Yes. He's altogether too sharp for my tastes. And he told me he was leaving tomorrow for Luvashe. That's where he came from. Why would he just travel out here and then turn around? Makes it sound like he was coming here for something. I only know one thing that could be."" - p 37
& what about kids in Panshin's future, you don't ask?
"Man once thought fire was the wrath of the gods unleashed. Man learned to unleash a little wrath, too. Man once thought that flying was a sport reserved for the peasure of birds, bats and horses, but man learned how to share their pleasure. A thousand things, dimly understood, feared, thought beyond control, have been added when their time has come around to the grab-bag list of the possible. Still, some few things elude understanding, and of these one of the chiefest is the kid business.
"For a time, control was thought to be in reach. Parents could order their children to specification as they might order a home, clothing or any items of style. Happiness? Not by a damn sight. Ignorant parents found themselves saddled with children far more intelligent than themselves." - p 60
"In a family of conformists, at least one child will turn to cropping his head bald and performing contortionist exercises in the name of sport. In a family of the bizarre, at least one child will long for the security of a billion people who will dress, think, eat, work and play as he does, and comfort him. There is no way to prevent it. If you will remember, Socrates was condemned to death for corrupting the youth of Athens. He never did. The parents simply didn't know what time it was and needed someone to blame things on." - p 61
Panshin has a disrespect for bureaucrats, I can relate.
"I find it hard to believe in Inspector Generals. Look: men of utter probity who roam the Empire, commanding great personal power, but applying it only with restraint, secretly keeping their eyes on things, righting wrongs, checking on the practices of local rulers, calling in the Navy when necessary. I am certain, moreover. that they wait for no thanks, but simply do their duty and disappear into the night leaving bewildered but thankful people behind. And I don't believe it. People like that don't exist. Power does corrupt. Total personal honesty is a myth. Secret wrong righting is a make-believe game for children to toy with." - p 73
&, yet, Villiers comes close to being what the author disclaims, that sly dog.
There's a wealthy class for whom work is anathema & a shame. How cd an artistocrat like Villiers stoop to it?
"["]I signed on as a flanker. Beaters work behind and run teh sound machines: whitsles, booms, sirens, gongs. Flankers work the sides and supervise the stringmen, the boomers, and dirt wallahs."
""I'm not sure I want to hear this," Louisa said. "You didn't really work a straight job, Tony?"
""Does that bother you?"
""Yes."
""I was supervising."
""I still don't like to hear about it. You wouldn't really do anything like that."" - p 76
Louisa had other plans for Villiers.
"When Villiers finished, the man rose and broke, unable to cope with the situation. It is a pity that the game of hare and hounds should suffer from savage rabbits and hen-hearted hounds, but if the world was as it ought to be we would all be playing wooden whistles and eating bananas in Eden, as my mother used to say." - p 84
Gawrsh, his mother never used such language! There's something very pleasantly childish about this story & about what little I've read of Panshin's writing. We're not talking Punch & Judy here, there are no dastardly consequences, it's more like pudding.
"If somebody says, "Terms," and doesn't quit, he may roam as he likes for the rest of his life, and all will turn away as he passes. The people will point and say, "He said 'Terms,' and then he din't quit. He's a cheat. Don't have nothing to do with him." His only company will be rascals of his own stripe. It's silly, I will be ready to agree—but then it's no more silly than any other common convention.
""Terms," said Mapai, stepping to one side. "Terms," said Rafi, stepping to the other side.
""Terms," said Villiers." - p 145
Alexei Panshin's Star Well
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - March 24, 2024
I read & reviewed Panshin's Rite of Passage some time ago ( https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... ). I wasn't that impressed by it. Then, very recently I read his The Thurb Revolution ( https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ) & I enjoyed it very much. That was the 2nd bk of the Anthony Villiers series. I usually avoid series as too cheesy or some such but now I've read the 1st of the series, Star Well. There're probably plenty of SF * Fantasy series out there w/ humorous plots & affable central characters that I'm missing out on but, for now, I'm glad to've discovered this one. Villiers & his traveling companion Torve the Trog are subtle characters, more notable for their ability to defuse dangerous situations w/o necessarily appearing to do much of anything (most of the time). I like that. They're not exactly diplomats but they're closer to diplomats than they are to intergalactic warriors.
Samuel R. Delany, another of my favorite writers, wrote an introduction to this. I quote:
"Twenty-eight-year-old Mr. Panshin's credentials for the undertaking are impressive. He is the author of one fine and solidly classical sf novel, RITE OF PASSAGE; he was the recipient of a "Hugo" award from the World Science Fiction Convention in 1967 for his critical writing over the previous year; he recently published the first full-length study of Robert Heinlein, HEINLEIN IN DIMENSION" - p 2
I'm lucky enuf to have a copy of Panshin's Heinlein study, I'll be reading that fairly soon.
Panshin starts off w/ his dating system.
"To history buffs, the year was 4171 A.U.C. To Christians, it was 3418. To Moslems, it was late in the year 2795. But by common reckoning, the year was 1461." - p 5
It wd've really made my day if he'd referred to the 'Pataphysical Calendar.
Villiers uses some psychological prodding on the 2nd-in-command of Star Well:
""It seems to me that on other occasions Mr. Shirabi has overseen operations at this time."
""You are very observant. Shirabi had some . . . warehouse work he wanted to supervise personally."
""There are things, then, that you aren't . . . permitted . . . to handle?"" - p 10
One of the characters is a representative of the Revived Church of Mithra.
"Mithra was worshipped six centuries before the founding of Rome, and has had his ups and downs ever since. He was the Sonf of the Sun, and born of a virgin on the 25th of December. But then, so was everybody else. He died for the sins of all mankind and was reborn at the spring equinox. That's standard, too, as are the rest of the clutch: baptism, communion, and the promise of eternal life. Perhaps the one best point of the religion is this: the violet is sacred to Mithra, and consequently the cultivation of flowerbeds is encouraged." - p 20
Sound familiar? For those who're interested in what Christinanity took from its predecessors I highly recommend Brian Flemming's excellent 2005 documentary entitled The God Who Wasn't There.
Writers who emphasize bks are pleasing to me even if it figures that they'd do so.
"As he walked, he thumbed the book, relishing the work. The book was solid and well-made, the layout attractive, the illustrations excellent three-dimensional likenesses. Although any number of supplements had been developed through the centuries, nothing had ever been invented to take the place of books. Taped records and films both required equipment to translate them into intelligible form. A book was portable and intelligible on the spot, and nothing could beat the smell of a freshly-made book, direct from the fac machine." - p 26
All of these people these days who advocate & prefer reading off their laptop or their iPad or other portable electronic device don't seem to take the longview. I'll take a bk any day - even if those tree roots that're crawling toward me do have teeth.
Did I say that Villiers was subtle? I know that I did & YOU know that I did so why did I ask that question?
""How did you lose?"
""He knew what I was doing and called me on it. No challenge. Just let me know he knew what I was doing. He knows Josiah's Flambeau table is rigged, too. I had to stop, and he won after that."" - pp 35-36
""Gentleman, I've been thinking and I'm starting to wonder about this Mr. Villiers of ours. If he didn't challenge you, he isn't the man I was taking him for. And I found him wandering down here this morning. Accidentally lost, he said."
""In the basements?"
""Yes. He's altogether too sharp for my tastes. And he told me he was leaving tomorrow for Luvashe. That's where he came from. Why would he just travel out here and then turn around? Makes it sound like he was coming here for something. I only know one thing that could be."" - p 37
& what about kids in Panshin's future, you don't ask?
"Man once thought fire was the wrath of the gods unleashed. Man learned to unleash a little wrath, too. Man once thought that flying was a sport reserved for the peasure of birds, bats and horses, but man learned how to share their pleasure. A thousand things, dimly understood, feared, thought beyond control, have been added when their time has come around to the grab-bag list of the possible. Still, some few things elude understanding, and of these one of the chiefest is the kid business.
"For a time, control was thought to be in reach. Parents could order their children to specification as they might order a home, clothing or any items of style. Happiness? Not by a damn sight. Ignorant parents found themselves saddled with children far more intelligent than themselves." - p 60
"In a family of conformists, at least one child will turn to cropping his head bald and performing contortionist exercises in the name of sport. In a family of the bizarre, at least one child will long for the security of a billion people who will dress, think, eat, work and play as he does, and comfort him. There is no way to prevent it. If you will remember, Socrates was condemned to death for corrupting the youth of Athens. He never did. The parents simply didn't know what time it was and needed someone to blame things on." - p 61
Panshin has a disrespect for bureaucrats, I can relate.
"I find it hard to believe in Inspector Generals. Look: men of utter probity who roam the Empire, commanding great personal power, but applying it only with restraint, secretly keeping their eyes on things, righting wrongs, checking on the practices of local rulers, calling in the Navy when necessary. I am certain, moreover. that they wait for no thanks, but simply do their duty and disappear into the night leaving bewildered but thankful people behind. And I don't believe it. People like that don't exist. Power does corrupt. Total personal honesty is a myth. Secret wrong righting is a make-believe game for children to toy with." - p 73
&, yet, Villiers comes close to being what the author disclaims, that sly dog.
There's a wealthy class for whom work is anathema & a shame. How cd an artistocrat like Villiers stoop to it?
"["]I signed on as a flanker. Beaters work behind and run teh sound machines: whitsles, booms, sirens, gongs. Flankers work the sides and supervise the stringmen, the boomers, and dirt wallahs."
""I'm not sure I want to hear this," Louisa said. "You didn't really work a straight job, Tony?"
""Does that bother you?"
""Yes."
""I was supervising."
""I still don't like to hear about it. You wouldn't really do anything like that."" - p 76
Louisa had other plans for Villiers.
"When Villiers finished, the man rose and broke, unable to cope with the situation. It is a pity that the game of hare and hounds should suffer from savage rabbits and hen-hearted hounds, but if the world was as it ought to be we would all be playing wooden whistles and eating bananas in Eden, as my mother used to say." - p 84
Gawrsh, his mother never used such language! There's something very pleasantly childish about this story & about what little I've read of Panshin's writing. We're not talking Punch & Judy here, there are no dastardly consequences, it's more like pudding.
"If somebody says, "Terms," and doesn't quit, he may roam as he likes for the rest of his life, and all will turn away as he passes. The people will point and say, "He said 'Terms,' and then he din't quit. He's a cheat. Don't have nothing to do with him." His only company will be rascals of his own stripe. It's silly, I will be ready to agree—but then it's no more silly than any other common convention.
""Terms," said Mapai, stepping to one side. "Terms," said Rafi, stepping to the other side.
""Terms," said Villiers." - p 145
August 13, 2012
A little hunting enabled me to find the two remaining Anthony Villiers books. This is actually the first one that was published, and unlike The Thurb Revolution Villiers is a bit more active in this one. He even has to fight a duel, which is surprising because he is not the type to enjoy breaking a sweat (it affects the hang of his drapeau).
Much like the other Villiers book the writing is light, breezy and funny. Torve remains one of my favorite fictional philosophers/religious people (with Andromeda's Rev Bem also coming to mind). Torve is very much a minor character in this story. Villiers is trying to skate by on what change he has in his pocket as he is waiting for some funds to arrive from his family (which is how they keep him away from home-tell him to travel and keep sending him money to keep him traveling).
Along the way he becomes involved with the imperial navy, confidence schemes,smugglers, and a young woman who might be the best confidence player out of all of them.
Much like the other Villiers book the writing is light, breezy and funny. Torve remains one of my favorite fictional philosophers/religious people (with Andromeda's Rev Bem also coming to mind). Torve is very much a minor character in this story. Villiers is trying to skate by on what change he has in his pocket as he is waiting for some funds to arrive from his family (which is how they keep him away from home-tell him to travel and keep sending him money to keep him traveling).
Along the way he becomes involved with the imperial navy, confidence schemes,smugglers, and a young woman who might be the best confidence player out of all of them.
August 10, 2011
I Loved this book and its sequel The Thurb Revolution. Its light hearted and quite gentle, even as it leaves the reader with a lot of questions about just who Anthony Villiers is, and why he has so many enemies. Who exactly is he the son of? What does it mean that he's a survivor? Its hard to place it in a specific genre, sci fi definitely, but by parts adventure and humour with it. An Villiers himself reminds me most of a classic Victorian adventurer, second son, and dilettente who simply lives his life however he wants to.
October 28, 2011
I've read this book (and the other 2 in the series, years ago, and many times, and it never fails to please. The author has a distinctive writing style that shares his thoughts with the reader, so that one feels complicit in the story. And, his characters, Anthony Villiers, and Torve the Trog, are just fun.
June 23, 2020
Star Well by Alexei Panshin
First of all, if the reader expects another novel like Panshin’s Rite of Passage, Star Well may cause some disappointment, since this book is very different in content and style.
Some reviewers have described Star Well as a “comedy of manners”, something like a Jane Austen novel set in a future space-faring civilization or like a less overtly ludicrous The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I wonder if Douglas Adams ever read it, as there are certain similarities in the style of the narration. The narrator has definite opinions, and often expresses them with mild sarcasm. A similar feature to Rite of Passage may be found in the pithy and often humorous observations about the nature of life, the universe and society.
The protagonist, Anthony Villiers, is a very likable, mild-mannered gentleman with hidden depths. I identified with him because he loves books and has a tendency to walk about in public absorbed in reading (which can at times also provide Villiers with an excuse for ending up where he is not supposed to be), something I used to do frequently in my younger days. He is evidently practiced at searching antiquarian book sellers, which makes him a man after my own heart. The observation of the narrator that physical books never lost their popularity because nothing else of similar usefulness and portability could be invented to replace them has of course in our day to an extent been invalidated by the capacity of devices like mobile phones to store and display thousands of different texts, which you could conceivably become immersed in while navigating thoroughfares on foot.
Villiers’ invariably polite but highly intelligent and strategically witty conversational responses are one of the most amusing aspects of the story. The reader gradually realizes that there is more to this man than at first meets the eye, but you never really get a handle on exactly how ingenuous or calculating he really is.
And this brings us to Torve the Trog. I must admit that I chose to read this book on the basis of a fascination with this name and its promise of an unforgettable character. Torve is a book-loving alien who looks something like a man-sized furry toad, and he has a view of reality which is at variance with that of the humans around him, including Villiers, who apparently finds the Trog’s ideas impossible to comprehend. Torve’s central belief (which he maintains is a wholly scientific and self-evident fact, although others misunderstand it as being philosophical or religious in nature) is that causality does not exist, and that apparent links between events are simply coincidental interconnected “lines of occurrence” which may be either pleasingly serendipitous or discouragingly infelicitous. Denying causality might seem rather dangerous, but it works for Torve, who even seems able to use his method to predict how matters will turn out. Villiers claims to be non-plussed by all this, but I get the feeling that he understands more than he admits, and this way of thinking actually benefits him and gives him uncommon insight into events. However, I stress to add that this could just be my interpretation and may not have been the intention of the author.
In summary, Star Well is a light science fiction novel which is both quick and fun to read. The plot is adequate but rather basic and predictable. The most memorable aspects are arguably the quotable passages of narration and the witticisms. Here are some of them:
“Power does corrupt. Total personal honesty is a myth. Secret wrong righting is a make-believe game for children to toy with.”
“When you wish to insult a man — the Cut Direct. When you wish to snub a man — the Cut Indirect. The Studied Insult, the Pertinent Reflection — to be overheard, of course — even the smiles available for twelve separate effects.”
“You can take it as an axiom: celebrities who travel meet only fools, creeps, panhandlers, and climbers. People they would truly like to meet never have the bad taste to present themselves. The quality that makes them worth meeting automatically determines they will never be met.”
“While he lied little, he was excellent at being oblique.”
“It is a pity that the game of hare and hounds should suffer from savage rabbits and hen-hearted hounds, but if the world was as it ought to be we would all be playing wooden whistles and eating bananas in Eden, as my mother used to say.”
“Perhaps, if our minds were trained to accept the idea and our language permitted, it would be altogether better not to believe in causality.”
“Duels aren’t fair if the wrong people win them.”
“Look at him: Hisan Bashir Shirabi, a man near the end of the line. Purple robes, dark face, sharp nose, black mustache. Everything for total menace except the element of presence.”
First of all, if the reader expects another novel like Panshin’s Rite of Passage, Star Well may cause some disappointment, since this book is very different in content and style.
Some reviewers have described Star Well as a “comedy of manners”, something like a Jane Austen novel set in a future space-faring civilization or like a less overtly ludicrous The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I wonder if Douglas Adams ever read it, as there are certain similarities in the style of the narration. The narrator has definite opinions, and often expresses them with mild sarcasm. A similar feature to Rite of Passage may be found in the pithy and often humorous observations about the nature of life, the universe and society.
The protagonist, Anthony Villiers, is a very likable, mild-mannered gentleman with hidden depths. I identified with him because he loves books and has a tendency to walk about in public absorbed in reading (which can at times also provide Villiers with an excuse for ending up where he is not supposed to be), something I used to do frequently in my younger days. He is evidently practiced at searching antiquarian book sellers, which makes him a man after my own heart. The observation of the narrator that physical books never lost their popularity because nothing else of similar usefulness and portability could be invented to replace them has of course in our day to an extent been invalidated by the capacity of devices like mobile phones to store and display thousands of different texts, which you could conceivably become immersed in while navigating thoroughfares on foot.
Villiers’ invariably polite but highly intelligent and strategically witty conversational responses are one of the most amusing aspects of the story. The reader gradually realizes that there is more to this man than at first meets the eye, but you never really get a handle on exactly how ingenuous or calculating he really is.
And this brings us to Torve the Trog. I must admit that I chose to read this book on the basis of a fascination with this name and its promise of an unforgettable character. Torve is a book-loving alien who looks something like a man-sized furry toad, and he has a view of reality which is at variance with that of the humans around him, including Villiers, who apparently finds the Trog’s ideas impossible to comprehend. Torve’s central belief (which he maintains is a wholly scientific and self-evident fact, although others misunderstand it as being philosophical or religious in nature) is that causality does not exist, and that apparent links between events are simply coincidental interconnected “lines of occurrence” which may be either pleasingly serendipitous or discouragingly infelicitous. Denying causality might seem rather dangerous, but it works for Torve, who even seems able to use his method to predict how matters will turn out. Villiers claims to be non-plussed by all this, but I get the feeling that he understands more than he admits, and this way of thinking actually benefits him and gives him uncommon insight into events. However, I stress to add that this could just be my interpretation and may not have been the intention of the author.
In summary, Star Well is a light science fiction novel which is both quick and fun to read. The plot is adequate but rather basic and predictable. The most memorable aspects are arguably the quotable passages of narration and the witticisms. Here are some of them:
“Power does corrupt. Total personal honesty is a myth. Secret wrong righting is a make-believe game for children to toy with.”
“When you wish to insult a man — the Cut Direct. When you wish to snub a man — the Cut Indirect. The Studied Insult, the Pertinent Reflection — to be overheard, of course — even the smiles available for twelve separate effects.”
“You can take it as an axiom: celebrities who travel meet only fools, creeps, panhandlers, and climbers. People they would truly like to meet never have the bad taste to present themselves. The quality that makes them worth meeting automatically determines they will never be met.”
“While he lied little, he was excellent at being oblique.”
“It is a pity that the game of hare and hounds should suffer from savage rabbits and hen-hearted hounds, but if the world was as it ought to be we would all be playing wooden whistles and eating bananas in Eden, as my mother used to say.”
“Perhaps, if our minds were trained to accept the idea and our language permitted, it would be altogether better not to believe in causality.”
“Duels aren’t fair if the wrong people win them.”
“Look at him: Hisan Bashir Shirabi, a man near the end of the line. Purple robes, dark face, sharp nose, black mustache. Everything for total menace except the element of presence.”
February 9, 2024
Wow, there was a lot of talk about clothing in this SF. But then, we couldn't have a light comedy of manners, complete with skullduggery and confidence games, without a well-turned cut of cloth.
The Star Well is a backwater space station that serves mostly as a watering hole and gambling establishment for the well-to-do of the galaxy.
Honestly? It was pretty fun, if not glorious. Its speed was genteel and dry and the narrator nailed it just fine. I feel like I was watching 60's Bond in space.
I guess that's not too far off, being published in '69. I'll continue.
The Star Well is a backwater space station that serves mostly as a watering hole and gambling establishment for the well-to-do of the galaxy.
Honestly? It was pretty fun, if not glorious. Its speed was genteel and dry and the narrator nailed it just fine. I feel like I was watching 60's Bond in space.
I guess that's not too far off, being published in '69. I'll continue.
July 13, 2024
Oh I don't know, about two and a half stars or something...
This has been on my radar for years and I finally picked up New Celebrations, the omnibus that collects this series and is available as an ebook. This is described as sci-fi of manners and although that isn't wrong exactly, it didn't really scratch any of the itches I needed. It's light and entertaining enough, the narrative voice is very present and opinionated, and I have a feeling it will be very unmemorable. I kind of enjoyed reading it I guess, but really not sure I'll read the other two.
This has been on my radar for years and I finally picked up New Celebrations, the omnibus that collects this series and is available as an ebook. This is described as sci-fi of manners and although that isn't wrong exactly, it didn't really scratch any of the itches I needed. It's light and entertaining enough, the narrative voice is very present and opinionated, and I have a feeling it will be very unmemorable. I kind of enjoyed reading it I guess, but really not sure I'll read the other two.
September 18, 2021
Older science fiction with wheels within wheels and many "secret" identities. Sometimes I lost track of who, exactly, various characters were, but most of that lessened as I went along. The closest recent read this made me thing of was Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastards series, but not as polished and complex.
Espionage, duels, cons, gambling, theology?, and a comedy of manners blend in this one.
Espionage, duels, cons, gambling, theology?, and a comedy of manners blend in this one.
September 20, 2022
A fun book, filled with bits dry humor told in a style that's almost a throwback to the 19th Century. Especially evident in the characters' dialogue. While this is ostensibly the first Anthony Villiers novel, I still felt it wasn't his first appearance. The book reads like we the readers should already have some familiarity with him. Maybe he debuted in an earlier short story. Still, it's worth the time to read.
RIP Alexei Panshin.
RIP Alexei Panshin.
May 31, 2023
A light SF adventure and comedy of manners. Anthony Villiers is seemingly a cultivated man of many talents, including gambling, dueling and dressing correctly. He arrives at Star Well, a planetoid on the Rim, with his funds nearly exhausted, and his companion, and alien partner Torve has an unusual perspective on causality, theology and physics. His situation is further complicated when he falls under suspicion of the local smuggling band. An entertaining read but a pretty minor novel.
January 4, 2018
Alexei Panshin has got a dictionary, and he's not afraid to use it. Very well written. I particularly liked the way he used archaisms to good effect when voicing certain characters. The narration was thoughtful and, at times, quite hilarious. A ripping yarn, set in space but so well written that people who aren't fans of science fiction would find it accessible.
July 28, 2024
The protagonist, Anthony Villiers, is a rogue in the style of Cugel the Clever but with a touch of Retief. Plenty of detail if you want to base a Traveller campaign in his universe, and there's two other books on Villiers as well.
September 12, 2019
Always enjoy Viscount Charteris.
November 5, 2024
This has been one of my favourite books for most of my adult life, along with its sequels: they’re good friends that I can turn to for comfort, good company, and cheering up in case of need. I know them so well by now, but I still enjoy rereading them now and then.
Each book is a little different from the others. This first one is something of a thriller, there are ruthless criminals at large, and our hero Anthony Villiers is at risk of violent death a couple of times. The danger level drops somewhat in the second book, and then again in the third, as the author realizes that the risk of death is not really an essential feature of this kind of story.
What kind of stories are these, then? I suppose they might be described as adventures in good company, in which the author himself is one of the company, and feels free to comment about what’s going on, or to make observations about life in general.
Samuel R. Delany contributed an introduction to this book in 1968, part of which explains: “What follows 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 arrived to inspect it. And Anthony Villiers, gentleman par excellence, dashes through it all, buckling a swash or two, bungling a couple of others.”
A comment embedded in the story itself explains that: “This is a small story. Outside is a vast Empire set in a vaster universe. Billions delve and spin, fight and love. Storms and wars shake whole planets and are never noticed. Nonetheless, here money, love and life hang in the balance; important enough things, I think you will agree, without the necessity for overstatement.”
A lot of science fiction tells of world-shaking events that affect whole societies, but this is more of a miniature, a story whose events affect only the characters we meet in the course of it. It nevertheless becomes quite exciting, once you get past the scene-setting of the first few chapters.
I should warn that these first few chapters are not really captivating: you have to be ready to persevere, until Panshin gets into his stride later on.
Each book is a little different from the others. This first one is something of a thriller, there are ruthless criminals at large, and our hero Anthony Villiers is at risk of violent death a couple of times. The danger level drops somewhat in the second book, and then again in the third, as the author realizes that the risk of death is not really an essential feature of this kind of story.
What kind of stories are these, then? I suppose they might be described as adventures in good company, in which the author himself is one of the company, and feels free to comment about what’s going on, or to make observations about life in general.
Samuel R. Delany contributed an introduction to this book in 1968, part of which explains: “What follows 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 arrived to inspect it. And Anthony Villiers, gentleman par excellence, dashes through it all, buckling a swash or two, bungling a couple of others.”
A comment embedded in the story itself explains that: “This is a small story. Outside is a vast Empire set in a vaster universe. Billions delve and spin, fight and love. Storms and wars shake whole planets and are never noticed. Nonetheless, here money, love and life hang in the balance; important enough things, I think you will agree, without the necessity for overstatement.”
A lot of science fiction tells of world-shaking events that affect whole societies, but this is more of a miniature, a story whose events affect only the characters we meet in the course of it. It nevertheless becomes quite exciting, once you get past the scene-setting of the first few chapters.
I should warn that these first few chapters are not really captivating: you have to be ready to persevere, until Panshin gets into his stride later on.
March 19, 2021
This is what fine fiction is all about. Well crafted characters moving in a intricate dance, carried on by the authors sublime use of words. Every word, even the philosophizing, is enjoyable and entertaining and maybe a little insightful. Our hero is not perfect but he is well-trained and in the mold of Zorro or the Scarlet Pimpernel, understated and under appreciated by people around him. He doesn't shout to make everybody think he's clever. But you have to be impressed at how he handles himself. This is the kind of guy James Bond wanted to be.
The sidekick is an alien, who has his own agenda but you'll never know what it was. He greases the skids but he is not an Deus ex machinae. He doesn't believe in cause and effect; he believes in what is and will be. It will all work out.
Most books in the present market called science fiction or space opera grab your attention and your throat as they terrify you to keep you engaged. But you tire of the constant battles, blood letting and body count that fills up the pages without giving you any character development. In too many books the characters are just cardboard cutouts, arranged to fit the narrative of the moment.
Let me compare today's fiction to a modular home. It's bright and shiny on the lot. At first you're impressed with the amenities as you walk through and smell the freshness of new construction. But then you live in it for a while and you find out it's not up to expectations. The workmanship is shoddy. The walls are thin. Instead of improving with age it moves steadfastly towards rack and ruin.
This book is a well-built mansion that you can explore over and over. When you move into it it's thrills you, it keeps you constantly impressed at the thoughtfulness of its construction. Even as it ages, you forgive it as it's age begins to show. Because you enjoy every minute of being there.
The sidekick is an alien, who has his own agenda but you'll never know what it was. He greases the skids but he is not an Deus ex machinae. He doesn't believe in cause and effect; he believes in what is and will be. It will all work out.
Most books in the present market called science fiction or space opera grab your attention and your throat as they terrify you to keep you engaged. But you tire of the constant battles, blood letting and body count that fills up the pages without giving you any character development. In too many books the characters are just cardboard cutouts, arranged to fit the narrative of the moment.
Let me compare today's fiction to a modular home. It's bright and shiny on the lot. At first you're impressed with the amenities as you walk through and smell the freshness of new construction. But then you live in it for a while and you find out it's not up to expectations. The workmanship is shoddy. The walls are thin. Instead of improving with age it moves steadfastly towards rack and ruin.
This book is a well-built mansion that you can explore over and over. When you move into it it's thrills you, it keeps you constantly impressed at the thoughtfulness of its construction. Even as it ages, you forgive it as it's age begins to show. Because you enjoy every minute of being there.
September 8, 2016
I am a great fan of Alexi Panshin. I enjoy telling the story on myself that when I first read this short novel in college, I failed completely to recognize the humor. (Imagine watching Pirates of Penzance and not getting the joke.) I was near the end when it dawned on me that Panshin was writing satire. I immediately started over and read it from the beginning.
"Of all the irrelevant qualities that men have chosen to cherish, immensity is perhaps the least worthy" (37). The author is teasing, but then again he is serious.
"Will admit that you have fears so breathtaking, so elemental, and so personal that you only allow them free run of your mind in the last hour of an October night?" (179).
Panshin's use of direct address is amusing and rare—almost no one actually writes in omniscient voice anymore. Look back at J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan in Kensington Garden or Dickens in Christmas Carol—that's the sort of wry first-person authorial voice Panshin utilizes here. The story is slight and direct, but his universe is fully formed, the dialogue authentic and entertaining, and his characters are entirely believable even in service of comic opera sans music.
This is fun, but his novel, Rite of Passage is genius. All the fun and something important as well.
"Of all the irrelevant qualities that men have chosen to cherish, immensity is perhaps the least worthy" (37). The author is teasing, but then again he is serious.
"Will admit that you have fears so breathtaking, so elemental, and so personal that you only allow them free run of your mind in the last hour of an October night?" (179).
Panshin's use of direct address is amusing and rare—almost no one actually writes in omniscient voice anymore. Look back at J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan in Kensington Garden or Dickens in Christmas Carol—that's the sort of wry first-person authorial voice Panshin utilizes here. The story is slight and direct, but his universe is fully formed, the dialogue authentic and entertaining, and his characters are entirely believable even in service of comic opera sans music.
This is fun, but his novel, Rite of Passage is genius. All the fun and something important as well.
March 10, 2014
These three books are certainly among the more unique experiences I've had. Sort of like Seinfeld set in space with very dry humor and almost no plot. Of course I draw the Seinfeld reference as my primary experience with the 'comedy of manners', but for others this may not ring true. Honestly, I find it hard to characterize these books. Even despite the lack of a compelling plot I read through and enjoyed all of these fairly quickly. Just as the books are really hitting their stride, it ends, unfortunately, but if you're in the mood for something a little different, I'd recommend giving these a go.
August 26, 2011
A comedy of manners, this falls heavily into the "If you like this sort of thing, this is the sort of thing you'll like" category.
Reminded me of Walter Jon Williams' Maijstral trilogy, which fans of this work would probably enjoy (and vice versa).
Sadly, this series remains unfinished, as the blurb for the unpublished fourth book sounded interesting.
Reminded me of Walter Jon Williams' Maijstral trilogy, which fans of this work would probably enjoy (and vice versa).
Sadly, this series remains unfinished, as the blurb for the unpublished fourth book sounded interesting.
January 13, 2016
I love mannered fiction. Star Well is the kind of book that nobody would publish today -- too short to be a novel, too idiosyncratic and intellectual to appeal to the niche SF publishers, simultaneously too fluffy and too dense. Arch, yet sensitive. Mocking, self-mocking, yet subtly serious. A simultaneous pat on the back and thumb in the eye.
What a great book.
What a great book.
July 28, 2008
This fine book is the first of the Anthony Villiers series. You must read all three!
July 28, 2008
My review of all three books in this incredible series is under The Thurb Revolution
February 3, 2009
Sci-fi comedy of manners.
June 13, 2010
Vastly entertaining science fictional comedy of manners. If you like sf-style Steampunk, this book and its two sequels are definitely worth checking out.
June 17, 2012
liked it when I read it years ago - time to re-read
April 27, 2024
Off-kilter future autaristcrate tale of humor. Space opera. Paperback
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