Review: Friday by Robert A. Heinlein

Friday by Robert A. Heinlein

Published: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1982

Awards Nominated: Nebula, Hugo, Locus SF, and Prometheus Awards

The Book:

“Friday is her name... She is as thoroughly resourceful as she is strikingly beautiful. She is one of the best interplanetary agents in the business. And she is an Artificial Person... the ultimate glory of genetic engineering.

Friday is a secret courier. She is employed by a man known to her only as "Boss." Operating from and over a near-future Earth, in which North America has become Balkanized into dozens of independent states, where culture has become bizarrely vulgarized and chaos is the happy norm, she finds herself on shuttlecock assignment at Boss's seemingly whimsical behest.

From New Zealand to Canada, from one to another of the new states of America's disunion, she keeps her balance nimbly with quick, expeditious solutions to one calamity and scrape after another. Desperate for human identity and relationships, she is never sure whether she is one step ahead of, or one step behind, the ultimate fate of the human race.” ~WWEnd.com

Heinlein is always kind of hit and miss for me, and I have to say this book was kind of both.  My husband and I listened to this one together as an audiobook. There are some spoilers in the review below.

My Rating: 2 /5

Friday has a lot of the social quirks I expect from a Heinlein novel, and it ended up being a weird combination of things I enjoyed and things that annoyed the crap out of me. It was fun following Friday as she skips from one exciting spy situation to the next, and it seemed for a while that her story was going to be about uncovering some events that are causing upheaval in the fractured future US.  I was really getting into this plot arc, but it was dropped without resolution later in the book. On a character level, I initially liked reading about Friday’s efforts to find a place for herself in the world. I especially enjoyed the subplot about her New Zealand family, which addressed both her desire to belong and the unpleasantness of finding out loved ones hold bigoted beliefs.

The parts I didn’t enjoy include a gang rape scene (which Friday was weirdly blasé about) and some occasional bizarre gender stereotypes that were presented as if they were commonplace. It wasn’t so much misogynistic stereotypes, as it was stuff that just seemed nonsensical.  For example, “there is no stronger aphrodisiac than a woman’s tears.” Was that actually a thing in the 80s? I’m not even offended, just confused. The plot also didn’t flow like a traditional narrative, and not in a way that felt well planned. I guess was expecting the smaller parts to build into a coherent story, but instead it was just a collection of slice-of-life short stories about Friday.  This means that a lot of subplots are randomly dropped, and some short stories are much more interesting than others. On a last note, I am also not a fan of Heinlein’s “all women desperately want to have kids and fulfill traditional gender roles” kick, which is on display by the end of the book.

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Review: Farmer in the Sky by Robert A. Heinlein

Farmer in the Sky by Robert A. Heinlein

Published: Scriber, 1950

Awards Won: Retro Hugo Award

The Book:

“The Earth is crowded and food is rationed, but a colony on Ganymede, one of the moons of Jupiter, offers an escape for teenager Bill Lermer and his family. Back on Earth, the move sounded like a grand adventure, but Bill soon realizes that life on the frontier is dangerous, and in an alien world with no safety nets, nature is cruelly unforgiving of even small mistakes.

Bill's new home is a world of unearthly wonders and heartbreaking tragedy. He will face hardships, survive dangers, and grow up fast, meeting the challenge of opening up a new world for humanity and finding strengths within himself that he had never suspected existed.” ~WWEnd.com

I’ve read my fair share of Heinlein novels and stories, though I think this is the first I’ve read of his juveniles.  I originally picked this up because it won the Retro Hugo Award, a popular vote award given retroactively for a year where the standard Hugo Award was not given.

My Thoughts:

Farmer in the Sky is the story of a young Boy Scout heading out with his family to colonize a Jovian moon.  Since it was originally intended as a serialization for the Scouts’ Boy’s Life magazine, there’s a very strong presence of Scouting throughout the story.  I think it suits the story well, since Bill’s adventure is one of determination in the face of adversity, preparedness, and a frontier spirit.  Scouting was pretty popular when I was a kid (I have no idea if it is still as popular), so I found that aspect of the story pleasantly nostalgic. Bill is a model Scout, calm, clever and resourceful in the worst of times, and generally compassionate for others. He also had a bit of a self-important streak, and often felt compelled to teach disagreeable people a lesson.  I felt that this helped his character feel more like a flawed, realistic teenage boy.  The story moves quite quickly, so most of the other characters are pretty lightly drawn. There are quite enough to fill out Bill’s world, though, with his friends and enemies in the Scouts, helpful and unhelpful neighbors, and his family, which has its share of internal problems.

From the focus on science in the novel, it seems that the story was also intended to promote an interest in science for young readers. I enjoyed the focus on science and math, and thought that the story gave an exciting context for the drier discussions.  However, given how old the novel is, it’s inevitable that a fair amount of the scientific content is now known to be untrue.  Also, whenever a problem came up that required a great leap of technology, Heinlein kept the details a bit vague (like the ‘mass converter’ that was used to terraform Ganymede). On the other hand, this is the novel for which Heinlein is credited with predicting the microwave, so a few of the predictions are spot on. My e-book version also came with an essay by Dr. Jim Woosley about the science of the novel, which I think would be really useful for new young readers coming to the work today.

In addition to the Scouting and science promotion aspects, Farmer in the Sky is a very entertaining novel.  Space colonization stories are a classic staple of science fiction, and I enjoyed following Bill’s journey from the regulated, overpopulated Earth, through the months-long space journey, and into the farming colony of Ganymede.  Bill approached the journey as if it were going to be a grand adventure, and while I think it was that, it was also not exactly what he expected. Subsistence farming is not easy (I have never participated, but have subsistence-farming relatives), and there are deadly risks associated with establishing a colony on a world not naturally suited for human life. Bill grows up through the work and responsibility of homesteading, and the grief from the consequences of unavoidable disasters.  Despite the hardships Bill, his family, and his community endure, I think the ending is very optimistic and upbeat about facing what the future holds in store.      

My Rating: 3.5/5

Farmer in the Sky tells the exciting story of Bill and his family’s journey to become homesteaders in a colony on Ganymede.  The experience is more difficult than young Bill may have anticipated, but he rises to the occasion with intelligence and resourcefulness.  I enjoyed watching Bill grow up through his challenging and painful experiences in the new colony. Bill is also a Boy Scout, and the organization has a constant presence throughout the story.  Though the science is dated, I think that the story would still be able to inspire an interest in new young readers.  Though it was written over half a century ago, I think that the story of Farmer in the Sky is still one that new readers will be able to enjoy.

Review: Double Star by Robert A. Heinlein

Double Star by Robert A. Heinlein

Published: Astounding Science Fiction (Analog), 1956

Awards Won: Hugo Award

The Book:

“One minute, down and out actor Lorenzo Smythe was -- as usual -- in a bar, drinking away his troubles as he watched his career go down the tubes. Then a space pilot bought him a drink, and the next thing Smythe knew, he was shanghaied to Mars.

Suddenly he found himself agreeing to the most difficult role of his career: impersonating an important politician who had been kidnapped. Peace with the Martians was at stake -- failure to pull off the act could result in interplanetary war. And Smythe's own life was on the line -- for if he wasn't assassinated, there was always the possibility that he might be trapped in his new role forever!” ~WWend.com

I’ve read a fair amount of Heinlein (The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Starship Troopers, Stranger in a Strange Land, and various short stories), and I enjoyed Double Star. It seemed much lighter and action-focused than other Heinlein novels I’ve read so far.

My Thoughts:

Double Star is a pretty short, fast-paced novel, with a kind of light, not-too-terribly-serious tone that made it a lot of fun to read. I don’t think that Double Star really comedic sci-fi, but it just has an enthusiastic, good-natured attitude that really makes it easy to get caught up in the story.  The novel focuses on the actor ‘Lorenzo Smythe’, the highly skilled—and incredibly conceited—man who gets caught up in the great impersonation.  At first, I thought I would find his narration irritating, since he spends an awful lot of time thinking very highly of himself, or alluding to great works of theatre.  However, his whole character seems to be treated with a certain amount of humor.  Rather than making me roll my eyes, his pomposity seemed to invite laughter.  I also really enjoyed the way his character develops throughout the story.

While I thought Smythe was a surprisingly fun lead, not many of the other characters in the story are very thoroughly fleshed out.  One of the most memorable was the politician’s secretary, Penny.  Penny is the only female in the story, and she’s portrayed as emotional, childish, petulant, and almost entirely motivated by her crush on her employer.  Her colleagues treat her with a kind of friendly condescension, once even playfully threatening to spank her if she didn’t behave.  This was a little irritating to read, but it didn’t bother me as much as some other 1950’s portrayals of women.  For one thing, Penny’s work is actually valuable to her political team, and Smythe’s impersonation would have likely been doomed from the start without her help. For another thing, I have to admit that many of the characters in the story are shown to be more than a little ridiculous.  In this light, Penny seemed silly, as other characters were silly, rather than offensive.

The story was exciting and quickly paced, and I felt that it built tension well. There were some very tense occasions where a failure on Smythe’s part could have been disastrous or even fatal.  I appreciated that Heinlein did not derail the tension with lengthy political discussion, even though the story was about politicians. The politician Smythe impersonates, John Joseph Bonforte, has a strong presence in the story despite his physical absence, and it is through Smythe’s studies of his role that we are shown some of his views.  The main message one could take from this story would be against racism.  This being science fiction, Heinlein did use Martians and other aliens as the ‘other’, but racism is an issue involved both in Smythe’s personal life and in Bonforte’s politics.  Given its temporal proximity to the Civil Right’s Movement, it seems like Double Star must have been particularly relevant to the political environment of the time period in which it was written.

My Rating: 4/5

I think Double Star might be my favorite Heinlein novel to date.  It seems to lean more towards the juvenile end of the Heinlein spectrum, but it still engages with some political issues that were likely especially relevant at the time of its publication.  The story is ridiculous at times, but it is fast-paced and I found it very easy to get caught up in the excitement.  Some character portrayals, such as the childish secretary Penny, are a bit tiresome, but they never seem mean-spirited.  Like most novels, Double Star is a product of time period, but I think it still offers a fun experience for modern-day science fiction readers.

Review: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein

Published: G.P. Putnam’s Sons (1966)

Awards won: Hugo Award

Nominations: Nebula Award

The Book:

“[This] is a tale of revolution, of the rebellion of the former Lunar penal colony against the Lunar Authority that controls it from Earth. It is the tale of the disparate people—a computer technician, a vigorous young female agitator, and an elderly academic—who become the rebel movement's leaders. And it is the story of Mike, the supercomputer whose sentience is known only to this inner circle, and who for reasons of his own is committed to the revolution's ultimate success.” ~from barnesandnoble.com

I’m reading this as a part of the Alphabet Soup Challenge over at Calico Reaction.  I’ve read a few Heinlein novels and short stories, as I suspect most science fiction fans have, but I have never been particularly amazed by his work.  I respect the influence he’s had on the genre, though, and I typically find his stories entertaining.  The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is pretty representative of what I expect when I hear the words ‘Heinlein novel’.

My Thoughts:

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is an exciting story of the fight for independence of a Lunar penal colony.  The Lunar revolution can be traced back to four characters.  While there are a number of side characters, the bulk of the story is focused on this ‘inner circle’. The ‘computer technician’ mentioned in the blurb is actually the narrator of the story, an apolitical Luna-born man named Manuel Garcia O’Kelly, who has a prosthetic arm.  He has an interesting style of speech that seems designed to be a kind of future Russian accent. It’s a little hard to get used to, but it provides an interesting rhythm to the narration.

The ‘elderly academic’, rational anarchist Professor Bernardo de la Paz, is the group’s philosophical heart.  He gives many lectures on how to properly run a revolution and what an ideal post-revolutionary society ought to be like. The ‘vigorous young female agitator’, pretty Wyoming Knott, brings her passion to the group.  The fourth member of the group, and arguably the most significant character, is Mike, an endearingly naïve, near-omniscient and near-omnipotent sentient supercomputer.

The AI, Mike, was my favorite character.  His personality is an interesting mix of social incompetence and technical brilliance, and it was fun to watch him develop into more of a ‘person’ throughout the story.  Despite my interest in his personality, I found his functional role in the story a little irritating.  He joins the revolution out of loyalty to his best friend, Manuel, and he uses his superior knowledge to completely plan the entire struggle for independence. Whenever they run into a problem with their scheme, it seems like the solution is almost always ‘Have Mike Fix It’.  It seemed that the Lunar revolution would never have gotten off the ground without a genius supercomputer to make nearly all the plans and solve nearly all the problems. 

Partially as a result of the convenient existence of Mike, it seemed that the revolution went unrealistically smoothly. While they certainly hit a number of minor setbacks, there aren't really any major unexpected disasters. It seemed that the deck was stacked in favor of our heroes, and not only through having Mike as an ally.  For instance, most of the major revolutionaries are polite, intelligent, and possess infallible powers of logic.  On the other hand, their enemies tend to be incompetent and unintelligent.  For instance, some of their early subversive activity could be pretty clearly traced back to the main Lunar computer.  Even the heroes seemed surprised that their opponents never made this fairly simple connection. I would have found the revolution more interesting if the two sides were more evenly matched in cleverness, and the Lunar revolutionaries faced more unexpected responses from those in power.

As for the gender and societal structure of the penal colony, I found it both interesting and unrealistic. The society is sort of a matriarchy, which Heinlein describes as rising from a low ratio of females to males.  Since there is a very low supply of heterosexual sex for men, they treat women with a lot of deference.  They also developed various polygamous marriage structures, in order to maximize male access to females.  For instance, a marriage with two men and one woman is one of the most common structures.

This respectful and highly logical response to the situation seems somewhat unlikely to me.  Human beings en masse rarely tend to act in a peaceful and logical manner when they are all trying to obtain the same limited resource.  Given human history, I would have expected for Luna to go in the other direction, with men killing each other and hoarding as many women as possible.  I find it curious that Heinlein seems to think human beings are naturally rational and nonviolent.

I referred to their society as ‘sort of a matriarchy’, because all female power in this society seems to derive from their ability to provide men with sex.  While women are highly respected for their feminine charms, they don't seem to actually hold many positions of power.  Most women are either housewives or work at traditionally female support occupations.  A few women contribute to fighting in the revolution, but they do so in special women-only squadrons.  Wyoming has the least traditional female role in the story, but even she has a whole subplot tied up with how her (possible) inability to bear children affects her worth as a woman.  I feel like the Lunar society was intended to be an example of a society of empowered women, but it seems to me that it missed its mark.

My Rating: 3.5/5

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is an entertaining story of revolution that also provides many discussions about the art of revolution and the ideal structure of a society.  I may not have agreed with the views espoused, but I still found the discussions interesting. While it seemed that Heinlein was trying to create a Lunar society where women were empowered, he ended up creating a society where women derive power from their ability to provide sex to men. I was also a bit disappointed by the way the deck was stacked in favor of our heroes, through the near-unstoppable abilities of Mike and the incompetent opposition to the revolutionaries.   It’s certainly an exciting story, but I would have liked to see our heroes overcome a few more of the obstacles to freedom through their own human ingenuity.