E. C. “Scar” Gordon was on the French Riviera dealing with a tour of fight in Southeast Asia, but he hadn’t given up his habit of scanning the personals in the newspaper. One ad in particular leapt out at him:

Are you a coward? This isn’t for you personally. We badly want a brave man. He must be 23 to 25 years previous, in perfect health, at least six feet tall, weigh about 190 pounds, fluent English with some French, efficient with all weaponry, some knowledge of executive and mathematics essential, about Glory Street ready to travel, no family members or emotional ties, indomitably courageous and good-looking of encounter and figure. Permanent employment, high pay out, glorious experience, great danger. You must apply in person, 17 rue Dante, Great, 2me étage, apt. D.

How will you not reply an ad like this, especially when it seemed to describe you perfectly? Well, except maybe for the “attractive” part, but that was in the eye from the beholder anyway. So he visited that house and was greeted by the most amazing woman he’d ever met. She seemed to possess many brands but decided he could contact her Star. A fairly appropriate name, since it turned out, for the empress of twenty universes. And she sends him on the experience of a lifetime.Robert A. Heinlein’s one true fantasy novel, Glory Road is really as much fun today as when he had written it after Stranger within a Strange Land. Heinlein shows himself as adept with sword and sorcery much like rockets and slip rules, and the effect is exciting, satirical, fast-paced, funny, and enormously readable-a favorite of all who’ve read it. Glory Road is a masterpiece of escapist entertainment using a typically Heinleinian sting in its tail.