"The only thing we may predict about Peter Dickinson is that his next book will always be unpredictable," concluded a Junior Bookshelf reviewer. Although the reviewer referred to Dickinson's books for children, the same may be said about his equally imaginative adult novels, which like his books for younger readers have been praised by critics for their original plots. "Dickinson," wrote Michael Dirda in the Washington Post Book World, "possesses the enviable talent of being able to write all kinds of books equally well. His mystery novels--such as The Glass-sided Ants' Nest and The Poison Oracle--have won England's equivalent of the Edgar; his novel, Tefuga, earned acclaim for its depiction of whites and blacks in Africa; and his children's fiction has been set, with easy mastery, in both the distant past and near future." An essayist for the St. James Guide to Young-Adult Writers explained that "Dickinson...