The Number of the Beast cover
Book

The Number of the Beast

by Robert A. Heinlein

1980•EN
About the book

Zebadiah Carter, Dejah Thoris Burroughs, Hilda Corners, and Jacob Burroughs escape an assassination attempt by fleeing Earth in a modified air car equipped with the continua craft drive. This device utilizes a non-Euclidean geometry involving six dimensions, allowing the four protagonists to navigate a multiverse containing 10,314,424,710,875,520 unique realities. As they travel, they discover that fictional universes—including L. Frank Baum’s Oz and Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom—physically exist. The narrative culminates in a multiverse convention where they encounter characters and authors from across the history of speculative fiction.

This novel is for readers who enjoy metafiction and the technical mechanics of multi-dimensional travel. It appeals to those familiar with the history of pulp science fiction who want to see various literary tropes deconstructed through character dialogue. Readers walk away with a complex understanding of the "World as Myth" concept, where human imagination functions as a creative force that generates physical worlds. It provides an exhaustive look at how a single mathematical discovery can bridge the gap between scientific reality and literary fantasy.

Details
Published
1980
Language
EN

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