Robert A. Heinlein was the most influential science fiction writer of his era, an influence so large that, as Samuel R. Delany notes, “modern critics attempting to wrestle with that influence find themselves dealing with an object rather like the sky or an ocean.” He won the Hugo Award for best novel four times, a record that still stands. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress was the last of these … Hugo-winning novels, and it is widely considered his finest work.
It 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.
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is one of the high points of modern science fiction, a novel bursting with politics, humanity, passion, innovative technical speculation, and a firm belief in the pursuit of human freedom.
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is the winner of the 1967 Hugo Award for Best Novel.
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A classic Heinlein read
If you like Science Fiction, you’ll like this book! Heinlein is a great author.
Proof of Heinlein’ genius. He did a first-person narrative by a descendant of exiled criminals, with a remarkable style of speech, very different, yet easily understood with loan words from Russian and Australian and others.
His world was drastically different from USA, with good reasons, and chronicled the conversion of an apolitical into a revolutionary. Throwing rocks at Earth as a form of warfare was remarkably original at the time.
One of my favorite stories.
One of the best SF authors out there.
This book is one of the icons of 20th century sci-fi. Though I needed to get my head into the main character’s “Sovunion” way of speaking, it was no impediment to the enjoyability of the book. As you can see, I highly recommend it.
This book has been one of my favorites since I was young. It was an early book involving a mixed-race amputee as the main (or at least major character). It considers philosophy of politics, marriage, and government in a supposedly young adult book. It is also a great story.
First read this in high school 50 years ago and still love it. Didn’t realize back then how true the saying “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch” would turn out to be.
I love Robert Heinlein. I’ve read many of his books. They are frequently whimsical in their outlook and always entertaining.
He predicted that the colonization of the moon and beyond would be done by private industry.
This my all-time favorite sci-fi of all time. I have read it so many times the characters are old friends. The political/ideological aspects are fascinating.
A classic David vs Goliath story of the struggle of individuals for freedom against authoritarian elites who ‘know what’s best for you’ and just end up doing suppression… Reminds me of the struggle against the thought virus of socialism today.
Our Founding Father’s of the USA would have identified with the characters in this book. I read this in Junior High along with George Orwell’s 1984 and Ann Rand’s Atlas Shrugged and began my search for better government and growth into a Conservative.
One of the top books of my life.
As fresh now as the day it was first published, and with advances in AI, even more believable.
A great classic from a great master. It doesn’t get much better than this.
This classic is one of my favorite Heinlein novels!
I first read this book when it was first published and it was years ahead of its time in describing computer technologies of the future. Reread it many times since, and it’s still a great book.
Heinlein once said, “anyone fully ignorant of mathematics is not fully human”. The same spirit of gleeful hyperbole pervades this book. But, to be honest, you don’t have to follow the calculations of the hero as the end of the world (or at least his world, Earth’s moon) speeds towards him.
I loved this book , I read it multiple times, but it’s been year’s since I read it. Highly recommend anything by this author if you can find it.
Possibly best Heinlein book
This is one of my favorite Heinlein books. I’ve owned multiple copies of it over the years, and was thrilled to be able to buy it again in digital format.
Robert Heinlein was a master of science fiction. As usual he was ahead of everyone in his ideas in the book.
One of the best classic hard science fiction books ever.