Anthony Villiers Series by Alexei Panshin, Vincent Di Fate

A small airless planetoid set deep in the heart of the Flammarion Rift. Due to its location, it is a minor hub of commerce within the Sashuite Empire, and though it is equipped with elegant dining rooms and casinos, luxury suites and expensive shops, Wu and Fabricant's GUIDEBOOK claims that Star Well is a dull place to visit and that travellers should avoid layovers if they can... moreA small airless planetoid set deep in the heart of the Flammarion Rift. Due to its location, it is a minor hub of commerce within the Sashuite Empire, and though it is equipped with elegant dining rooms and casinos, luxury suites and expensive shops, Wu and Fabricant's GUIDEBOOK claims that Star Well is a dull place to visit and that travellers should avoid layovers if they can. But Wu and Fabricant had not been shown the secret basements, nor told the nature of the things stored there--if they had been, they might still have advised against layovers, but not because Star Well was dull. When our hero Anthony Villiers and his Traggish friend Torve arrive on the scene, it soon becomes evident that the truth must out: that Star Well has reached the end of an era...(thurb). less

ALIEN ART AND HUMAN ASPIRATIONS COMBINE INTHE THURB REVOLUTIONThe little-known, backwater planet Pewamo seemed an unlikely site for bomb-throwers, pornographers and maniacs- yet ask Admiral Beagle, ever-watchful for the moral safety of his world, and he would tell you that such unsavory individuals were collecting in droves on Pewamo... moreALIEN ART AND HUMAN ASPIRATIONS COMBINE INTHE THURB REVOLUTIONThe little-known, backwater planet Pewamo seemed an unlikely site for bomb-throwers, pornographers and maniacs- yet ask Admiral Beagle, ever-watchful for the moral safety of his world, and he would tell you that such unsavory individuals were collecting in droves on Pewamo.Normally Pewamo was the habitat of slumberous vacationers and odd pink clouds that floated idly overhead and didn't bother anybody - but then Anthony Villiers arrived.bringing his obdurately alien companion Torve the Trog, and Pewamo would never be the same again.Strange sounds were heard regularly in the night. Villiers spoke in riddles when questioned by Admiral Beagle. Torve the Trog rode his speedy red tricycle on obscure missions. And somehow an army gathered around them.But not even Villiers knew that one of the men he'd attracted was an assassin, sent to kill him... less

The third and sadly the last of the documented adventures of Anthony Villiers, gentleman adventurer and his traveling companion, Torve the Trog. I'm not sure I know what goes on in this one, but I don't mind -- and neither will you. The Villiers books are Comedy of Manners set in Space. They are ridiculous, irreverent, and highly amusing.

Many books have been hailed as "in the tradition of" THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY.Not this one. It came first.It may, however, be something of a precursor. A space-operatic comedy of manners and meditation on life, a cheerful noir thriller, NEW CELEBRATIONS comprises the first three, and so far only, novels about the enigmatic Anthony Villiers, a young man who trails both a mysterious past and a six-foot furred toad companion whose papers are not in order... moreMany books have been hailed as "in the tradition of" THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY.Not this one. It came first.It may, however, be something of a precursor. A space-operatic comedy of manners and meditation on life, a cheerful noir thriller, NEW CELEBRATIONS comprises the first three, and so far only, novels about the enigmatic Anthony Villiers, a young man who trails both a mysterious past and a six-foot furred toad companion whose papers are not in order. From a space-station gambling resort, to a nice camping venue in a nature reserve, to the masquerade on Delbalso where arboreal peels grunt like clockwork, Villiers tours many odd social circles of the interstellar Nashuite Empire. Hounded by want of cash, by assassins and, worse, bureaucrats, he remains polite, has fun, and makes an impression. Meet him and see."STAR WELL [the first book of NEW CELEBRATIONS] is a wise, delightful, and well-turned book; and it is something I have never seen in science fiction before. It is the first of a series of novels that examines the proposition that the world is composed of small communities of mutual interest. When the pith of that statement is bared as astutely as it is in this novel, it does not matter which 'small community' you belong to: Star Well hits." --Samuel R. Delany, from the Introduction"I strongly recommend you introduce yourself to Anthony Villiers . . . It's all glorious, ridiculous, tongue-in-cheek parody of almost anything you can think of . . . Get it!" --ANALOG less