After Beneath the Planet of the Apes ended with the destruction of Earth, Escape From the Planet of the Apes took the only option open to it: time travel. The story finds Cornelius and Zira traveling back to 1973 on Taylor's spacecraft and navigating then-modern-day-America. The goofiness of the previous entry is gone as the characters, both Ape and Human, must navigate the philosophical ramifications of a paradox, where Cornelius and Zira could cause the very future they left. This feels like classic science fiction at its best, with all characters trying to do what they think is right, either for themselves or for the world, all while wrestling with larger philosophical issues. Jerry Pournelle's writing is up to the task and serves as a worthy successor to Pierre Boulle's work on the book that originated the franchise. ( )