PM>> While I admit that RAH's early stuff was quite good

 PM>> (although dated by the time I read it), the stuff he wrote

 PM>> in his last few years is crap. The poor man must have been

 PM>> senile.



 PM>> The Lazarus Long books were the ones I was talking about

 PM>> when I said that his stuff is crappy. The world certainly

 PM>> doesn't need more books like that.



 RM> Didn't Lazarus appear in "Methuselah's Children" from
1958? I rather

 RM> liked that one.



The first book I read that had Lazarus in it was _Time Enough For Love_
which was written  in 1974. I had heard that
there was an earlier book, so you're probably right. TEFL was, to my mind,
the start of RAH's decline into senility. While I did enjoy the most of
book, the end was getting pretty stupid.



After that I read _Number of the Beast_ (1980) which was entertaining in
parts but took a sudden turn and ended up in the Lazarus Long universe.
This was a turn for the worse in my opinion.



Then there was _The Cat Who Walks Through Walls_ (1985) - another Lazarus
Long book. I don't even remember the plot of this piece of crap, and I
don't think I even finished it.



Most of his other work I quite enjoyed, despite the fact (and I'll say this
again just to make Bob feel old) that the majority of his books were
written before I was born.



 BL>> I feel like an

 BL>> eighteen-year-old, but I refuse to stoop to using that awful old joke.

 BL>> One must keep one's standards (as Prince Charlie said when he took up

 BL>> the flag).



 PM>> And do pennants for one's sins.



 RM> nnnngggghhh............





Ah! Another fan :-)





Paul



--- GoldED/2 2.42.G1114