Amazon.com info for 'Moon Is Harsh Mistres'

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Back to reviews and details of Moon Is Harsh Mistres

Amazon.com reviews:

Rating: 5 Summary: Hands down, Heinlen's best
Comment While most folks seem to love "Stranger" (I do) or the bug book, I prefer this book.

When it was written, very little was known about the actual conditions on the moon. Heinlen worked from theories and extrapolated quite well. The descriptions of the computer character reflect what was current in computers of the time. And for the younger crowd, there were no blue screens of death.

That said, Heinlen worked in plausible science with strong character development and something that he eventually embodied in Lazarus Long: his ideals of liberty and individualism.

The main gist of this novel is the rights of the individual and his associated liberty. Once you grasp that, you grasp how the entire scenario comes together. Heinlen weaves elements not seen in the United States since we had a frontier: independence. The desire to be treated fairly and left alone drives the characters to perform incredible actions.

Rating: 5 Summary: Remarkable
Comment A fascinating look at how to run a revolution. Delightfully insightful, on cultural and technical points. And despite being decades old, stands up quite well to modern technology.

Rating: 5 Summary: Once in a Generation
Comment Rarely -perhaps a for times in a generation - does a book come to be which explores the bedrock philosophy of economics & the nature of an economy, the arbitrary yet inevitable evolution of societal norms, the paths that humanity faces in our collective future, and so on... all in the format of a gripping and vastly creative novel.

Heinlein's now-famous concept "TANSTAAFL" -"there 'aint no such thing as a free lunch," (a word that has entered the english language and penetrated the American psyche) is particularly evident on the moon, where even air most be paid for. The truths of objectivism that were pioneered by Ayn Rand become very clear on Heinlein's moon - where death by suffocation is always only a few inches of steel away and every resource must be painstakingly worked for and no amount of self-pity or crying will help you stay alive. Hard work, action, creativity and thus creation are the most valuable ocommodities.

Please do yourself a favor and read this book. It will entertain you immensely and provide food for thought for a long time after you finish reading it.

Rating: 3 Summary: Deus ex machina at its core but still a worthy read
Comment The story of exiled people being able to wield power over those who sent them away is a common dream among the downtrodden in the real world. Heinlein takes this idea, adds a supercomputer named Mike and tells an entertaining tale. I found Mike to be a little too much "deus ex machina" for my tastes but that is likely because the "supercomputer" thing has been done to death in Sci-Fi that has come after this book.

The story of political revolt is predictable and not the most entertaining aspect of the book. I found the society and customs of the lunar residents to be an interesting twist that made an otherwise bland plot worth reading. The language in the book is written in the semi-broken english of a lunar resident which takes a bit to adapt to but overall is not terribly distracting.

I gave it a 3 out of 5 because it feels more dated than some of Heinlein's other work and the plot is nothing special. It is worth reading , without question, because it is a classic work of Sci-Fi but do not approach it with an unrealistic expectation of greatness that I found lacking.

Rating: 5 Summary: All Smiles
Comment Heinlein is notorious for his lack of character development, so I wasn't expecting Dostoyevskyan psychologies explored in great detail. The pronounless Russian tinged English was incredible to read (though that's because I've lived in Brooklyn my whole life), though I see how it could be annoying for some. It's a boat for ideas and a great story. I devoured this book, and it has taken its place near the very top of my heart's list.