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Title: Heir to Heinlein
Review: And I mean that review title for both good and ill. Like Heinlein's last few works (everything starting with _Number of the Beast_), the Callahan series has (d)evolved into tales of Extraordinarily Talented and Witty People, (over)laden with cultural in-jokes, references to earlier tales, and a twee jolliness that makes for light, breezy reading when it's not just irritating. Robinson has seemingly fallen into the "How do I trump what I did last time?" trap, and while it's nice to see the old gang again, hear the awful puns, and sit back for the ride, I look back on the much warmer, more *human* early Callahan tales (and even tales of Lady Sally's House) and miss them.I don't regret having bought the book, even at today's exorbitant paperback prices. I just wish I'd enjoyed it as much as his earlier ones.
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