bol.de

In the distant future, man has not only started to settle on other planets and improved the transport system so that you can travel around the world (or to the moon) within hours. It has also become common to 'manufacture' human beings by chosing / manipulating genes that fit their intended purpose. You want the perfect soldier, agent, prostitute, broodmare? No problem at all, especially since those artificially created humans don't have human rights, so their owners can do with them as they please.
Friday is such a created woman. She's faster, stronger and more intelligent than normal people, which she needs for her job as a courier of secrets for a private company. While she spent the same abnormal childhood in a creche where she was treated as subhuman, she is now lucky because her boss and colleagues appreciate her and treat her like a person. She's extremely good at her job, too, and enjoys it despite - or maybe because of - its dangers. But then things start to go wrong badly: First she is caught and tortured by enemy agents, but can be saved. While on leave to recuperate, the family she married into finds out about her origins and drops her like a hot potato, and on her way back to headquarters she is suddenly cut off when a planet-wide series of terrorist attacks makes travel almost impossible and leads to aggression towards suspicious individuals such as her. In the end, she has to risk everything to save herself and the new friends she has found...
This is one of Heinlein's finest novels. It's full of suspense, adcenture, action and humour, while at the same developing a very convincing future world that can also give you quite a lot to think about. Add wonderfully well-developed and likeable characters, and this book is pure fun to read. I also find it amazing what a great female lead Heinlein put at the center of this book, a strong woman who is still womanly and very human. If you consider that this is a book written not only by a man but in the early 80s, that just shows how talented and original a writer Heinlein was. I'd say that if you don't already know Heinlein's books this is a very good place to start. It's also something that every SciFi-fan should enjoy.

In the not so distant future, earth has become so crowded that feeding the masses has become a serious problem. One of the consequences is food rationing to a very unpleasant degree. Pretty much the only way out is to emigrate to one of the planets that are in the process of being settled by man, but that's dangerous and you have to go through a very demanding screening process to be allowed to join this program.
Bill and his father George decide to take the risk, along with George's second wife and her young daughter. They emigrate to Ganimede, one of Jupiter's moons that is being terraformed to support human life and make it possible to farm the land, which consists of baren rock. The journey is tough with thousands of settlers in a spaceship that doesn't have nearly enough room for people to travel comfortably. And as it turns out, there aren't nearly enough machines on Ganimede to ease the workload and terraforming hasn't progressed to far yet, so Bill and his family not only have to work much harder than anyone expected, but also risk their life in the harsh climate and with air that's very different from that of earth. Will they quit or persevere, and if so, will they survive?

Early in his career, Robert Heinlein mostly wrote stories and novels for a young audience, so-called juveniles. Some of those are a lot of fun to read due to his sense of humour and the entertaining plots. That's not so much the case here. There is a series of adventures, the basic situation is very interesting and convincing, and I also felt the characters had a lot of potential. But mostly this novel concentrates on the how of terraforming and settling of a strange planet, with a few suspenseful moments and some character-scenes strewn in. It's well-written, but somehow it didn't grip me the way most of his other novels do. I would say it's very good for science fiction in general (far above average and a very interesting document of its time, the early 50s), but Heinlein has written better books. As a fan it's fine to have read it, but as a newbie I would start with something else, e. g. Friday for adults or Red Planet for young people.

Kip Russell is a teenage boy who would love to travel to the moon one day. But he's not from a rich family and he goes to a small-town school, which means that his chances of being admitted to the kind of college whose graduates get the top positions needed for space travel are pretty much zero. When a soap company starts a contest - 1st prize a trip to the moon - Kip gives his best to win, but he ends up winning an old space suit instead. He repairs it and makes it work again, and on a trip in it in the mountains of his hometown, he receives a transmission from a space ship. This leads to an adventurous journey which takess him to the moon and far beyond when he's kidnapped by aliens who want to conquer earth and other aliens who try to stop them. In the end, it's up to Kip to save mankind from an alien high court that feels that we just might be too aggressive and dangerous to go on existing.
This is another one of Heinlein's novels for a young audience, the so-called juveniles. It has lots of action and adventure, interesting aliens and planets, and well-developed characters. It's entertaining and generally a good novel. I felt it was somewhat episodic, which took away some of the suspense for me, but otherwise it's really good and worth reading both by the young people it was written for and older SciFi-fans, too.

Mars is in the process of being settled by humans, but they still face a lot of problems, in particular the cold and the lack of oxygene in the atmosphere. The local flora and fauna can also be dangerous, and the settlers don't really understand the Martians, though they have learned to be respectful and thus avoid problems with them.
One of the settlers is a teenage boy, Jim. A few months before the beginning of the story, he saved the life of one of the local animals, a ball-like creature that can extrude legs and eyes, and named it Willis. Willis has lived with Jim ever since and shows signs of a simply intelligence. He is more friend than pet to Jim. But when a new headmaster takes over the boarding school Jim and his friend Frank go to, the situation becomes increasingly tense until the man takes Willis away, planning to sell him to a zoo. As a result, Jim and Frank break into his office to free Willis - and find out about a plot by the company controlling Mars that would endanger their families and all the other settlers. So they take Willis and run from school and the company police that are after them, making a trip across Mars to return to their parents and warn them. On their way, they have to face many dangers and get to know more about the Martians and Willis than they would have dreamed of...

This is one of Heinlein's early work when he wrote so-called juveniles for a young audience. As such, the language and contents are simpler than later works, but the book is still a pleasure to read for adults and young people. It is intelligent, witty, funny in places, and has some great adventure and a well-developped alien world and culture. The background on the Martians and their culture was actually used again in one of Heinlein's most famous novels, 'Stranger in a strange land'. I found it very interesting to read both books in a row.
What might also be useful to know is that when Heinlein originally wrote the book in 1949, the publisher was so uptight that the novel was cut severely and changed / censored in other places. As a result, important passages were cut out completely, the whole tone was changed, and the book was basically violated. After his death, Heinlein's widow got back the rights and had the original version published. So be careful what you buy: Most version that were published are the cut version. At present, the only uncut version available has the ISBN 0345493184 and is by Del Rey.

John Stuart, a boy living in the American countryside with his mother after the death of his astronaut father, takes care of a 'pet' that has been in the family since another astronaut several generations back brought the little alien home from a trip. Since then, the small six-legged reptile with the little girl's voice has grown considerably and is now saurier-sized. Lummox, as it's called, is a friendly and peaceful creature, but its size and hunger cause problems when it leaves the Stuarts' garden and eats and stomps its way through town. It seems the only choices open to Stuart are giving it away to a scientific institute or watching as it's killed. But just then a dangerous alien race comes to earth and demands that a child of theirs that was kidnapped by humans be given back. It seems that Lummox is actually the future ruler of the aliens...

This is probably Heinlein's best novel for young readers (and just as enjoyable when you're older). It's full of humour, adventure, and also deeper issues (e. g. how can you recognize intelligence or the lack thereof in someone alien, the role of pet and pet owner, the role parents should play in their childrens' lives etc.). It's a lot of fun and adventure with some depth. A great book!

In the distant future, man has not only started to settle on other planets and improved the transport system so that you can travel around the world (or to the moon) within hours. It has also become common to 'manufacture' human beings by chosing / manipulating genes that fit their intended purpose. You want the perfect soldier, agent, prostitute, broodmare? No problem at all, especially since those artificially created humans don't have human rights, so their owners can do with them as they please.
Friday is such a created woman. She's faster, stronger and more intelligent than normal people, which she needs for her job as a courier of secrets for a private company. While she spent the same abnormal childhood in a creche where she was treated as subhuman, she is now lucky because her boss and colleagues appreciate her and treat her like a person. She's extremely good at her job, too, and enjoys it despite - or maybe because of - its dangers. But then things start to go wrong badly: First she is caught and tortured by enemy agents, but can be saved. While on leave to recuperate, the family she married into finds out about her origins and drops her like a hot potato, and on her way back to headquarters she is suddenly cut off when a planet-wide series of terrorist attacks makes travel almost impossible and leads to aggression towards suspicious individuals such as her. In the end, she has to risk everything to save herself and the new friends she has found...
This is one of Heinlein's finest novels. It's full of suspense, adcenture, action and humour, while at the same developing a very convincing future world that can also give you quite a lot to think about. Add wonderfully well-developed and likeable characters, and this book is pure fun to read. I also find it amazing what a great female lead Heinlein put at the center of this book, a strong woman who is still womanly and very human. If you consider that this is a book written not only by a man but in the early 80s, that just shows how talented and original a writer Heinlein was. I'd say that if you don't already know Heinlein's books this is a very good place to start. It's also something that every SciFi-fan should enjoy.

Mankind has developed gates that make it possible to travel between stars (or between different cities on earth) within seconds. That way distant planets can now be settled without long travel or expensive space ships. But such planets are dangerous because of their different wildlife, poisonous plants and other unknown dangers, so anyone who wants to leave earth some day, as a settler or a guide for settlers, needs to take courses in survival under such conditions.
Rod Walker is one of the youngest members in his survival class, but he knows that he wants to become the kind of pioneer that explores distant planets and starting early is his best chance. The final test is that the young people are sent to a planet without knowing which. They then have to survive for several days on their own with what they brought along (ropes, knives, guns, water etc.). During his first days, Rod faces dangerous animals, a harsh climate and - worse than all - aggressive fellow-pupils, some of whom are more than willing to commit murder to get the others' equipment. But after a while, it becomes obvious that something went wrong and the pick-up through a new gate hasn't taken place. Now the young people have to work together to survive, building a village and starting a colony with no help from home...

This is a novel full of suspense and adventure, but also with a lot of depth. What happens when a group of young people are cut off from civilisation? Will they be able to survive and remain civilised themselves? Or will they do anything to help themselves at the most primitive level without a care for others? What kind of society could they create and would it be able to survive the dangers and hardships involved in pioneer life? This novel takes a close look at human nature, politics and societies, while entertaining the reader at the same time. The characters are very different and absolutely convincing, the alien world fascinating, as is the future earth and its society. I'd say this is one of Heinlein's best novels, and with it's different layers it is just as enjoyable for young readers and older readers. It was also far ahead of its time and a lot of ideas were borrowed / stolen from it by others (Stargate, anyone?). A true classic worth reading again and again.

One of Heinlein's best, 20. Juli 2009
Von S. Fischer (Germany) - Alle meine Rezensionen ansehen




In the distant future, man has not only started to settle on other planets and improved the transport system so that you can travel around the world (or to the moon) within hours. It has also become common to 'manufacture' human beings by chosing / manipulating genes that fit their intended purpose. You want the perfect soldier, agent, prostitute, broodmare? No problem at all, especially since those artificially created humans don't have human rights, so their owners can do with them as they please.
Friday is such a created woman. She's faster, stronger and more intelligent than normal people, which she needs for her job as a courier of secrets for a private company. While she spent the same abnormal childhood in a creche where she was treated as subhuman, she is now lucky because her boss and colleagues appreciate her and treat her like a person. She's extremely good at her job, too, and enjoys it despite - or maybe because of - its dangers. But then things start to go wrong badly: First she is caught and tortured by enemy agents, but can be saved. While on leave to recuperate, the family she married into finds out about her origins and drops her like a hot potato, and on her way back to headquarters she is suddenly cut off when a planet-wide series of terrorist attacks makes travel almost impossible and leads to aggression towards suspicious individuals such as her. In the end, she has to risk everything to save herself and the new friends she has found...
This is one of Heinlein's finest novels. It's full of suspense, adcenture, action and humour, while at the same developing a very convincing future world that can also give you quite a lot to think about. Add wonderfully well-developed and likeable characters, and this book is pure fun to read. I also find it amazing what a great female lead Heinlein put at the center of this book, a strong woman who is still womanly and very human. If you consider that this is a book written not only by a man but in the early 80s, that just shows how talented and original a writer Heinlein was. I'd say that if you don't already know Heinlein's books this is a very good place to start. It's also something that every SciFi-fan should enjoy.

Maureen Johnson is a member of an organisation from Tertius planet several millenia in the future that controls and influences history in several time lines. On a mission things go wrong badly and Maureen ends up in bed with a corpse - not knowing how she got there or when / where she is. Since she's stuck in a religious dictatorship and is promptly sentenced to death, she's in serious trouble. While waiting in her prison cell, she dictates the story of her life into a hidden recorder. Born in the USA in the late 19th century and being a member of the Howard families, who breed for long life, she lives almost a hundred years, being a doctor's daughter, a wife and mother, later in life a university student and a businesswoman, until she finally ends up in the future and on a distant planet when her son Lazarus Long saves her from a fatal accident. Most of the book isn't the Science Fiction you'd expect from Robert Heinlein, but a beautiful insight into what life was like in the late 19th and the first half of the 20th century. Only from the 50s onward does the story get more closely connected to the Science Fiction of Heinlein's Future History-stories, in particular the rolling roads or Harriman's rocket to the moon. Towards the end we encounter the members of the Long-family a final time, but they don't play that great a role. Still, this book will be most enjoyable if you already the Future History, The lives of Lazarus Long, The number of the beast, The cat who walks through walls, and Stranger in a strange land. But aside from that, I feel that I understand the times and places described a lot better than before. What fascinated me the most (and will probably shock some readers) is how much the public image and the private (especially sexual) lives of people differ - and that was very true in real life as several studies have shown. Especially sexual morals, social pressure, the pretty bad medical situation, views on the world wars and religion and many more topics are dealt with very insightfully and honestly. I felt that Heinlein could draw on his own experiences while still writing convincingly from a female point of view. In this last novel he once again writes something unusual and of high quality. I was very moved and fascinated and would recommend this book not just to fans but also to anyone who would like to get an insight into the USA of that time. Beautiful and fascinating! It is also fortunate that the story is finished since he died the following year. There aren't any loose ends, although it would have been a pleasure to meet the characters again. As it is, this is a worthy final novel by a truly great author.

Richard Ames is just enjoying a nice evening out with the attractive Gwen Novak when a stranger approaches his table, uses a codeword that would oblige Richard to help the man, demands that he assassinate a politician, and is then shot dead at the restaurant table. Within 24 hours Richard is married, on the run from the law, hunted by assassins, crash lands on the moon, and is severely injured. The next few days lead him into the future, alternate universes and a plot to affect history by saving the sentient computer Mike that was damaged during the rebellion on Luna. He is also adopted by a kitten that walks through walls...
I think the description makes it quite clear that this is an action-packed novel. It's also full of humour and great characters (among them many whom regular Heinlein readers will already know, e. g. from 'Time enough for love', The rolling Stones', 'The moon is a harsh mistress', 'The number of the beast' and several others). As always there is quite a bit of depth and the world building is interesting. I first read it before I knew all the other novels it refers to and can say that it's possible to understand and enjoy it even then, but it has a lot more depth if you already know the novels mentioned above. It's a wonderful novel by a master storyteller and I can't recommend it highly enough.