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. 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