Before I started writing a review of this book, because I felt so strongly about it, I first read enough prior reviews that I realized there’s no need for me to add anything: it’s already been said. The dialog is sophomoric and tedious—it took all my efforts (and remembrances of Heinlein’s greatness) to finish the story. My first impression is that my teenage self might have enjoyed the story and dialog…but my elder self finds it all rather silly and immature. And finally, in the last chapter, I realized that Heinlein was "literarily" masturbating. He was having fun partying with his friends and didn’t need—or cared?—to please anyone but himself.

Okay, ignoring the puerility of the story, I would definitely like to comment about the premise that “whatever we can imagine, can exist, somewhere”. I don’t believe it. And I wouldn’t be surprised if John Scalzi wrote his “Red Shirts” story after having read this book.

The universe is a super-set (THE super-set!); our imaginations form a microscopically small sub-set of “reality”. The fact that God (or the “Absolute”) has created us out of His/Her/Its imagination doesn’t make our imaginary worlds any realer. Or even conceivable. My understanding of religion is that God wants us to grow out of our belief that anything less than “God” is meaningful or relevant. Playing with the idea that anything we imagine can be real distracts us from the “truth” that we, ourselves, are: not merely figments of God’s imagination…but split-off aspects of God that, theoretically, are able to merge back with God—much as a drop of water can merge with the ocean. ( )

The Gay Deceiver is hands down the coolest ship ever constructed. As the genesis of Heinlein's concept of pantheistic solipsism, this book isn't too shabby either. While the "journey to new universe, explore, get into trouble, escape--wash-rinse-repeat" cycle gets a little tedious in a few spots, Heinlein's imagination and ability to keep you engaged is definitely worth the read. ( )

Had to re-read this alongside it's parallel book "The Pursuit of the Pankera" just for comparison sake. Found that I enjoyed this one more as it seems more in-depth. ( )

Had to re-read this alongside it's parallel book "The Pursuit of the Pankera" just for comparison sake. Found that I enjoyed this one more as it seems more in-depth. ( )

Basic story a group of 4 geniuses meet at a party and start hopping multiple universes. A lot of changes of viewpoint, way to much technobabble. ( )