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Summary: Earth is a odd Mistress
Review: A great mixture of world history and social extrapolation set in a simple physics potential that will define the space race of the 21st century. The computer concept is more real now as the internet expands in complexity. Heinlein's push on social norms may be more relevant now than when it ws released. This is my favorite book. A <winner/> !!!!
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Summary: Well written if somewhat dated...
Review: Although originally written in the 60's, this book was still interesting to read even in 2004. Obviously, some of the technology seems a little out dated - but the book is mostly about politics, and politics never really change.
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Summary: Cast the first stone
Review: I am not much of a science fiction reader or film watcher but when my friend bought THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS for my birthday, it instantly became one of my favorite books. Not one of my favorite science fiction books, one of my favorite books period. And what makes it such is its sturdy character development and plot development. All the characters are believeable and likeable. This includes Mike the computer. His desire to understand humor and humans must have been revolutionary for the time the book was written.I have heard of Heinlein's political leanings and how they affected his writing. However, I did not sense that the novel was a veiled attempt at spewing a manifesto. The story is simply about humans wanting to be treated as such, and having to fight for that treatment. Mike's suggestion to "throw rocks" at the oppressors was absolutely brilliant. It made me think of the Biblical line: "Let he who is without sin throw the first stone". Maybe there's a link, maybe not. I'm sure there are dozens of master's theses out there on this subject. In any event, this is a brilliant work of fiction of any kind! Read it!
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Summary: A Tongue-in-Cheek Guide to Revolution
Review: I don't read very much fiction, but make an exception for this book which I reread every 5-10 years. On one level it's a delightful story of a revolt by the inmates of a penal colony on the moon. On another level, it's a rather tongue-in-cheek guide to planning and conducting a Libertarian revolution against the authority of the State, complete with a description of the many pitfalls one might encounter.
The story centers around four madcap characters who form the executive cell of the revolution: Mannie, the apolitical computer technician, Wyoming, the beautiful, blond, and sometimes illogical revolutionary, Professor de la Paz, the always logical Libertarian theorist and revolutionary, and Mike the self-aware master computer who controls the entire infrastructure of the lunar colony.
Heinlein develops a description of the lunar social mores that flow logically from the fictional origins and setting of the colony. For example, the vast majority of males among the convicts results in unconventional marriage patterns. Similarly, the lack of a formal justice system on the moon results in a self-administered ad hoc legal system for resolving disputes among residents. Heinlein writes in a self-invented form of Pidgin English (with strong influences from Russian and Australian-English) designed to reflect the multi-national origins of the lunar colony.
On a philosophical level, Heinlein develops the economic underpinnings of the lunar revolution based on international (Earth-Moon) trade, comparative advantage and finite resources. He also explores the contradictions inherent in a State that can commit acts that would be considered crimes if committed by an individual.
Heinlein also weaves into the plot some attributes common to many revolutions in actual history, both before and after his time. By destroying the old order, revolutions create a very brief period of instability in which many changes can be implemented. However, this window of opportunity for radical change closes very rapidly and a new order quickly assumes power which it immediately seeks to consolidate and perpetuate. For example, the initial 1917 Russian Revolution (in February) was hijacked in the "October" Revolution by the Bolsheviks who imposed a tyranny far worse than the Tsars. Boris Yeltsin's early liberal advisors (Gaidar, Chubias, Feodorov) were absolutely right to immediately free prices and privatize state assets after the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union; these changes probably could not have been made later.
In The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Heinlein stays focused on the plot and does not allow the philosophy to become ponderous and overbearing. In contrast, in several of his other books, he seems to forget part way through the book that there was a plot.
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Summary: Classic reading?
Review: I finally got around to reading this 'Classic', and what a let down. I love Science Fiction, and I don't let the fact that it talks about outdated technology turn me off a story, but when a story is simple and the characters shallow, I have trouble taking a liking to it.
Mannie gets involved in a revolution, a life changing decision, quite easily, no real intrinsic motivation there, just one meeting. The Professor seems to have all the answers and the Computer can handle everything. Really, is this the stuff of a good story?
Daniel Upton explains it better than I can, so I won't repeat his comments. It's just not a good story - how did it become a Hugo-Award winner?
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Summary: A Great Read Supplying Some Heavy Hits
Review: I have read three other Heinlein books, two of which are considered his masterpieces. Moon is a Harsh Mistress really outshines them all. Mike the intelligent computer is an interesting character, the godlike child who helps the libertarian revolution. Professor De La Paz is a radical with a heart of gold, typical Heinlein "old man with philosophies that no one in the bood ever truly understands." And Manuel O'Kelly makes a great unwilling narrator and participant. The book is about American ideas (attempting, of course, to debunk them), morality, love, friendship, and most importantly, what it is to be human. It is also about what it is that a just society has to be based on. Here are the Loonies, far away from home, starting something new, and in that new beginning they have a chance to truly find the basic needs and rights of a society. Heinlein, through the Prof, explores their options thoroughly, thought-provokingly, and humorously. He has a light touch when needed and is heavy when that is needed. Read this book and you will definitely be hit by the moonrocks!
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Summary: ...others have said it better.
Review: I read this book when I was 14 years old, in 1966. It forever hooked me on Heinlien, Science Fiction, and Libertarianism... although I didn't know it was called Libertarianism for another 20 years. Just one of the best SF novels of what I like to call the "classical" period in science fiction... mid 50's to mid 70'
s, when the science was factual, the situations fanciful, and the social commentary was urgently trenchant.
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Summary: An interesting, thought provoking and amusing tale
Review: I was very skeptical of this book after reading some of the reviews here. Overall, I feel I got my money's worth reading this book. Was it the best book I ever read? No, but it was amusing, worth the money I spent, and worth the time it took to read it. I found myself stopping and thinking about some of the points Heinlein made throughout the story. I found myself relating to Mannie time and again. As an idealistic libertarian who has grown cynical with age, this story seemed to take my ideas and beliefs, jump ahead 75 years and say "what if". The story is somewhat dated. We have already advanced technologically beyond parts of the story. Story includes Soviet Union. Nothing too distracting. Most of the controversy I have heard about this book is the "bizarre" marriages and sexual relationships in the story. Look, the author was trying to make a point about human nature and adaptation under extreme conditions. When men outnumber women 10 to 1, multiple husbands makes mathematical sense. As a Christian, yes, I find this view of marriage offensive, but hey, it is fiction. It was an interesting exploration of one possible future.
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Summary: Brilliant!
Review: I've read a fair number of Heinlein's books, and loved them all. Forced at gunpoint to pick a favorite, I'd go with The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. It is creative and extremely well-written, and I couldn't put it down. I won't give away the plot like the other reviewers, but I will give a couple reasons to read it. If you're the type of reader who likes what Heinlein has to say but don't like the way he says it (i.e. you think to yourself, "Starship Troopers has no plot" or "The Howards are just a bunch of redheads who want to have sex with each other") then read this book. It's got a fairly conventional plot line and four well-developed characters. Also, while it gets preachy in some places, it's no libertarian manifesto (and NOT Atlas Shrugged lite). There's no Col. Dubois or Juibal Harshaw telling you the way things are. You DO have to get used to lunaspeak; if you didn't like A Clockwork Orange or Huckleberry Finn because of the dialect, you might have trouble with this. However, I find that as long as you don't say to yourself every 10 minutes "the grammar sucks!", you should have no problem with it. If you've never read Heinlein be warned: most of his novels are "love it or hate it." While The Moon is a Harsh Mistress tends to get a less extreme response than most of his other stuff, there are still those who loathe it. That said, the majority don't loathe it. I'd recommend this book any any open-minded person, whether or not you like science fiction. If you're a fan of everything Heinlein and have not read it, I can only shake my head.... All in all, a good story about getting what you pay for and paying for what you get. TANSTAAFL!
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Summary: One of Heinlein's finest novels
Review: In this Hugo Award winning novel, the Moon is a penal colony in the 21st Century. Earth's castoffs, criminal and political, are given a one-way ticket to Luna. Due to the rapid physiologic changes their bodies have undergone, returning to Earth quickly becomes impossible. They, and their descendants, are governed by the harsh Lunar Authority. Even those people who are nominally free live lives of virtual slavery since the Warden controls all business on Luna. Controlling many of the systems necessary to maintain life on this colony (air, water, sewer, traffic, communications, accounting, etc., etc.) is a highly evolved computer system, nicknamed Mike by the computer technician contracted to provide maintenance. Manny has discovered that Mike has become self-aware and has developed a sense of humor. Unfortunately, Mike's sense of humor is not tempered by the understanding that comes from personal experience. To Mike, overpaying someone by ten million billion dollars would be equally as funny as turning off the air supply to the entire colony. Recognizing the potential danger in this scenario, Manny strikes a bargain with Mike and begins a project to explain and classify different types of humor to the curious computer. Manny also realizes that although highly intelligent, Mike is lonely. He has no one besides Manny to speak with, something Manny resolves to rectify.
At Mike's request, Manny attends a political meeting, actually a revolutionary rally, that takes a violent turn for the worst. Manny finds himself on the run with one of the meeting organizers, a woman named Wyoming Knotts. Forced to hide out, Manny contacts Mike for assistance. One thing leads to another and before he realizes it, Manny is involved with the revolution Wyoming is advocating. It quickly becomes apparent that having access to the main computer system on Luna will definitely be an advantage! With an aging Professor providing political experience and acting as the figurehead of the revolution, Manny, Wyoming and Mike form the nucleus of a group that will forever change the way Earth and the Authority deal with Luna.
Heinlein describes a society that has developed from very unsavory beginnings. Customs and mores are quite different from those we may be accustomed to but they've proven to work in Luna's society. Even the speech patterns and jargon are different, but it's not too difficult once you get a feel for it. Heinlein creates a colorful "language," blending together all the different elements representative of the conscripted people sent to Luna. The action is fast-paced and the political ideas Heinlein presents merit further thought. Heinlein's characters are quite human (even the computer!). They are not perfect, in fact their flaws are what make them human, but they are strong and likable individuals who continue to grow and evolve throughout the story.
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