The novel was generally well received by critics who praised both its style and story telling. His judgements soon lead him into conflict both with destructive cosmic forces on Astrobe and with its leaders who thought him a mere figurehead who could be manipulated. More struggles with whether to approve of the Astrobian society, noting its possible connections to his own novel Utopia. In an attempt to save their dying civilization, its leaders use time travel to fetch Sir Thomas More (chosen for his fine legal and moral sense) from shortly before his death in the year 1535 to be the president of Astrobe. Despite idealistic intentions, it is suffering moral and social decline that may be terminal for both Astrobe and the human race. Past Master is set in the year 2535 on the world of Astrobe, a utopian Earth colony that is hailed as Golden Astrobe, 'mankind's third chance', after the decline of both the Old World and New World on Earth. It is generally categorized as part of the New Wave of science fiction. The novel was well received by critics, and was nominated for the 1968 Nebula Award and the 1969 Hugo Award. The novel follows the attempt of a future Utopian society in preventing its decline, by bringing Sir Thomas More to the year 2535. Past Master is a science fiction novel by American writer R.

Aloys by R.A. Lafferty