Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.PCS 1/10/84; site mtgzz.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!houxm!mtuxo!mtgzz!ecl
From: ecl@mtgzz.UUCP (e.c.leeper)
Newsgroups: net.books,net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Alexei Panshin
Message-ID: <1334@mtgzz.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 28-Oct-85 21:16:59 EST
Article-I.D.: mtgzz.1334
Posted: Mon Oct 28 21:16:59 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 30-Oct-85 04:37:42 EST
References: <392@bocklin.UUCP> <1162@sdcsvax.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Labs, Middletown NJ
Lines: 41
Xref: watmath net.books:2479 net.sf-lovers:10860
Cc: ecl

(Originally posted to net.books only.)

> three books:  _Masque World_, _The Thurb Revolution_, and _Starwell_, which
> were supposed to be a kind of James-Bond-in-space series with hero Anthony
> Villiers.  They were listed as being by Alexei and Cory Panshin.  They weren't
> just disappointing; they were poorly written, extremely short (~150pp.  and in
> larger-than-average print), and in general seemed to be the work of an amateur
> pulp SF writer.  I don't know who Cory Panshin is -- son, I suspect -- but I
> bet he or she wrote 95% of this and got Alexei to agree to add his name to the
> cover.

Cory Panshin is Alexei Panshin's wife.  The Villiers novels originally came out
under Alexei's name alone in the late 1960's (the one I glanced at was 1968)
for 75 cents each from Ace.  The story behind "Alexei and Cory Panshin" (as I
understand it) is that Panshin at one point, in a burst of high writing energy
and low bank account, sold the rights (first refusal rights, whatever) for his
next five novels to a publisher.  After he spent the advance, he realized that
he'd have to write five novels for nothing (well, it would seem that way) and
hit upon the idea of co-authoring his future work with his wife, thereby
avoiding having to turn it over to said publisher.  (I'm not trying to libel
him, merely repeating what I have heard.  If it's not true, I'm sure Jayembee
will correct me.)  I suspect he has adopted a policy of releasing all his work
under the double byline as a precaution.  While his wife may be co-authoring
his current novels, it seems unlikely that she retroactively helped write the
Villiers novels.

I haven't read the Villiers novels, though I have known people who have enjoyed
them immensely.  Panshin (singular/plural) has also written:
	EARTH MAGIC
	FAREWELL TO YESTERDAYS TOMORROW
	HEINLEIN IN DIMENSION (non-fiction)
	SF IN DIMENSION (non-fiction)
as well as others than I can't think of off-hand.

					Evelyn C. Leeper
					...ihnp4!mtgzz!ecl

******************************************************************************
*	       Get a Usenetter on the ballot at Confederation!               *
*	Nominate MARK R. LEEPER for Hugo for Best Fan Writer in 1986!        *
******************************************************************************