Refugee (Bio of a Space Tyrant, Vol. 1) [Paperback]

Piers Anthony (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1991

This is the first in the series BIO OF A SPACE TYRANT, featuring the stages in the life of Hope Hubris, the Tyrant of Jupiter, and his beloved sister Spirit.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Piers Anthony is an established novelist with more that 130 books published, 21 of which were New York Times bestsellers. He lives in backwoods Florida with his wife. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Avon Books; later printing edition (August 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380841940
• ISBN-13: 978-0380841943
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,165,410 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Piers Anthony is one of the world's most popular fantasy authors, and a New York Times bestseller twenty-one times over. His Xanth novels have been read and loved by millions of readers around the world, and he daily receives hundreds of letters from his devoted fans.In addition to the Xanth series, Anthony is the author of many other best-selling works. Piers Anthony lives in Inverness, Florida.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best Sci Fi Series ever, October 25, 2003

By 

Atomicwasteland (Rockville, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Refugee (Paperback)

Why Piers Anthony is primarily considered a fantasy author, I'll never know. I think that at least half of his greatest work is Sci-Fi, and this book is the beginning of one of his best series. Bio of a Space Tyrant (beginning with Refugee) is a great look at the rise of one person in a sea of chaos to the pinnacle of leadership.

In this book we learn of the main character's race for survival as he flees his home planet in a simple space pod along with 100 or so other refugees. This book is not for the prude -it deals with violent encounters and the need and drive for survival in the worst of human conditions.

I could not put this book down, and think the rest of the series lives up to its promise.

While obviously a lot of events in the book mirror some of the events and historical cold-war issues of our time, I found that a lot of the commentary was refreshing and thoughtful, and it reminded me of Robert E. Heinlein, who often proposed "harsh" solutions to mankind's problems -solutions that very well may have worked had we the will to implement them.

I found it to be a fantastic book, and when I got to the end I was truly surprised at the depth of what I had read. I had NOT expected the book to progress as it had.

Though out of print in the mass market paperback edition, I would say it would ABSOLUTELY be worth purchasing the trade paperback versions or purchasing the older ones used. A small price to pay for a series that may open up your mind to different ways at looking at the world, and to understanding in a fresh way the human machinations within.

If you liked this sci-fi excursion with Piers Anthony, I'd also recommend his 5 volume "Cluster" Series which is also amazing sci-fi (and even more imaginative), as well as his "Omnivore / Orn / Ox" series, and finally, and most especially, his Split Infinity series (which may be my favorite -but is only half sci-fi; the other half being pure fantasy). Really imaginative and compelling Science Fiction here.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Piers' best writing!, December 8, 2000

By 

D. Berdanis "endymion9" (Joliet, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Refugee (Paperback)

I loved the Bio of a Space Tyrant series. Refugee was one of the most affecting/haunting books I've ever read. It is not for the weak stomached. There is much violence in this book, but it's not about the violence it's about the human will to survive. The first four books in this series, Refugee, Mercenary, Politican and Executive are excellent page turners. The fifth Statesman is good but not quite the same level, a little anticlimatic. But don't miss out by not reading at least the first four!

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not for the kids, or anyone else who doesn't want to read about graphic rape, September 18, 2011

By 

Nemo (RVA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Refugee (Bio of a Space Tyrant, Vol. 1) (Paperback)

Maybe it was because I was very young when I read this, but I truly did not like this book. It depressed me and was basically rape and death of innocents and just not my sort of book. I picked this up since I was a fan of Piers Anthony's Xanth series and really was not just disapointed but put off from reading new books for a bit. WAY to graphic for my tastes.