The Number of the Beast

New York, (1980): Fawcett Columbine. First Edition. Octavo. 511pp., illustrated by Richard M. Powers. A professor named Jacob Burroughs invents a space-time machine, enabling him and his 3 companions to travel to numerous fictional and real alternate universes. They use the machine to escape an alien attack and embark on a journey through the multiverse. The novel's central concept is the existence of an infinite number of parallel universes. This allows Heinlein to bring together characters and settings from across the entire spectrum of science fiction, both his own creations and others'. A very nice clean copy bound in dark blue cloth, spine lettered in silver, very minute corner bumps, in a near fine unclipped pictorial dust jacket.