Survey of Science Fiction Literature III, pp. Winner of the 1967 Hugo award for best novel.
Heinlein's last decent novel." - Pringle, The Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction, second edition (1995), p. Nevertheless, with its intelligent computer called Mycroft (after Sherlock Holmes's brother) and its by-now famous slogan "TANSTAAFL" (there ain't no such thing as a free lunch), it's entertaining enough. There is copious background detail and some interesting political and sociological speculation - but, as with all the author's later books, the text is full of talk. The hero narrates it all in a vigorous futuristic dialect. "This account of a revolution in a former lunar penal colony is essentially a retelling of the American War of Independence in SF terms. After all, I do like living in a Colorado Springs devoid of meteoric bombardment.Ī well-thought out sci-fi story decades ahead of its time, I give The Moon is a Harsh Mistress 4.0 stars out of 5.Heinlein, Robert A. At the very least, the main character was quite entertaining, if not hard to understand at times with his “accent.” If we do eventually colonize the moon, I can hope we do so peacefully and in a way that doesn’t lead to an uprising of its native inhabitants. If anything, AI is shown to be a powerful tool that can influence society in ways we can’t even begin to comprehend. The initial chapters made me hope the plot would center on the relationships between man and artificial intelligence (AI). Overall, the book wasn’t quite what I expected. I can only assume the "free love" culture of the 1960's shaped these opinions. That being said, his views on polygamy and polyamorous relationships are certainly on display again, with his previous work, Stranger in a Strange Land exploring these themes in greater detail.
His stance on taxes, revolutions, and independent governing bodies is a critical section of the plot in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, and I can certainly see the theoretical benefits he puts forth in this context.
Part of me is almost jealous at Heinlein’s ingenious use of Earth’s gravity well, and I know any attempt I might make to replicate the idea will merely seem derivative in comparison.Īs is the case with some of his other works, Heinlein makes many socio-political statements via his writing. Even today, most of these subjects are accurately depicted in the narrative, even if some of the technology has advanced past where it was thought to be in 1965. In The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Heinlein covers such topics as artificial intelligence, extraterrestrial colonization, and interplanetary warfare. Heinlein remains one of the definitive writers of the science fiction genre, even today. Certainly well ahead of his time, Robert A.
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