The Man Who Sold the Moon

Rating:
Summary: Dated but still fun
Review: Althoug the moon was not first visited as a result of private enterprise, and the bases on the moon did not get built immedeately after the first visit, the story is still fun. Think Mars whereever it says moon, and accept the story for what it is - a story about people with a mission, to which they offer their whole lives, how they make choises that make an impact on their futures, and how easy it is for the idealist with a dream to loose the main target because of the choises made by the "serious investors". It is (as most of Heinleins books) a tribute to the american way of life, which he always described as the best there is, but even then it is worth reading for those of us "unlucky" enough to live elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: THE MAN WHO SOLD THE MOON
Review: AN INCREDIBLE COLLECTION OF STORIES ESPECIALLY LIFE-LINE, THE MAN WHO SOLD THE MOON, AND REQUIEM. THE REST OF THE STORIES HELP BUILD UPON THE TECHNOLOGY OF RAH FUTURE HISTORY STORYLINE. VERY ENTERTAINING AND IMAGINATIVE. IN THE END YOU WANT TO HAVE THE DRIVE THAT D.D. HARRIMAN HAS FOR THE MOON.

Rating:
Summary: Riveting Writing, But Somewhat Dated Material
Review: Considering this collection was written in the late 30's and early 40's, and was, in fact, the first volume of Heinlein's now-famous Future History, it has actually held up quite well throughout the ensuing years. However, some of the events in the stories have been inevitably dated. It is still well worth reading, though. Heinlein's quick-paced writing style and caustic wit, not to mention lovable characters, always make his stories worth reading, regardless of when they were released. Also, the stories here, for the most part, focus not on the scientific aspects of the technologies in question, but rather the sociological and political sides of them. This is what Heinlein brought to science fiction. He showed us that the key ingredient in good science fiction is story and characters, not the technology being showcased; and by focusing his stories on the characters within and their aspects, his stories are usually just as readable now as the day they were released, even if some of their inherent technology has been dated by subsequent advances in science. Aside from being the first volume in the Future History series, this book is also notable for containing Heinlein's first ever published story, Life-Line. I'm sure you all know the premise-a man invents a machine that shows when people will die-but it is an interesting read if you haven't, and an epoch in the sense of it being the starting point in the career of one of science fiction's greatest writers. Blowups Happen and The Roads Must Roll (does this story remind anyone else of H.G. Well's The Sleeper Awakes?) both focus on technologies that are now fundamentally debunk in the modern day world, but they both focus instead on the people running these technologies (atomic factories and rolling roads respectively), and are an interesting look into sociology and psychology in science fiction. Let There Be Light is a short, decent piece. The Man Who Sold The Moon novella is the title and longest piece in this collection. It is almost totally devoid of actual science, as it has a rather unique, in fact, plotline for science fiction; but has as it's protagonist a seemingly rather crooked, dishonest character who is not particularly of the usually lovable Heinlein kind. It's still an entertaining story, as the writing style is excellent and fast-paced, and the dialogue is exquisite. Requiem features the same main character, and shows a seemingly total different side of him. This story is quite a bit different from most Heinlein, as it is primarily and emotion-based bit, reminding me of something more along the lines of Arthur C. Clarke. Interesting. Although not his best stories, the ones contained in this collection are worth reading, and a must, eventually, for any Heinlein fan.

Rating:
Summary: About THE MAN WHO SOLD THE MOON
Review: Heinlein's monumental "Future History" series continues. Two scientists develop cheap solar power-and threaten the industrial status quo. The nation's cities are linked by a system of moving roads-and a strike can bring the entire country to a halt. Workers in an experimental atomic plant crack under the mental strain. And the space frontier is opened by an unlikely hero-D. D. Harriman, a billionaire with a dream: the dream of Space for All Mankind. The method? Anything that works. Maybe, in fact, Harriman goes too far. But he will give us the stars. . . .

Rating:
Summary: A good read, but Heinlein has done better
Review: I consider myself a Heinlein fan, and normally like his books, but this one just wasn't quite as gripping as some of his others. I'm not specifically referring to action, just the ability of his stories to hold on to you. It's still a good read, and I generally agree with the other reviewers when I say that Requiem is my favorite, and the one about the transportation engineers is also very good. There is a good amount of political and social commentary in this book(which, with Heinlein, can vary significantly from book to book), but I've just seen it presented better in some of his other works. Don't get me wrong, I still think this is a good book, just don't let it be your only introduction to Heinlein.

Rating:
Summary: A good read, but Heinlein has done better
Review: I consider myself a Heinlein fan, and normally like his books, but this one just wasn't quite as gripping as some of his others. I'm not specifically referring to action, just the ability of his stories to hold on to you. It's still a good read, and I generally agree with the other reviewers when I say that Requiem is my favorite, and the one about the transportation engineers is also very good. There is a good amount of political and social commentary in this book(which, with Heinlein, can vary significantly from book to book), but I've just seen it presented better in some of his other works. Don't get me wrong, I still think this is a good book, just don't let it be your only introduction to Heinlein.

Rating:
Summary: I'm usually a Heinlein fan, but....
Review: I love Heinlein. I think that he has a unique voice and perspective in the world of science fiction. I find that his plots and ideas are inventive. Even this story was inventive in many ways, like some of the business ideas in regards to the new source of energy in the first chapters. However, I found this book as a whole to be very boring. Much of this is due to the lack of fully fleshed characters. The "main" characters of each section of the book aren't fully realized at all. I wouldn't recommend this book unless you picked it up for free and were really, really bored.

Rating:
Summary: I'm usually a Heinlein fan, but....
Review: I love Heinlein. I think that he has a unique voice and perspective in the world of science fiction. I find that his plots and ideas are inventive. Even this story was inventive in many ways, like some of the business ideas in regards to the new source of energy in the first chapters. However, I found this book as a whole to be very boring. Much of this is due to the lack of fully fleshed characters. The "main" characters of each section of the book aren't fully realized at all. I wouldn't recommend this book unless you picked it up for free and were really, really bored.

Rating:
Summary: Heinlein: More than a Technocrat
Review: Robert A. Heinlein was in his thirties when he first took up writing. That relatively advanced age for a beginning science fiction writer may account for the power of his work, its feeling of authenticity. Unlike most of his contemporaries, Heinlein wasn't just interested in science and technology. He also had a knowledge and appreciation of how the worlds of business, law, and politics worked and how they intersected with the world of the lab.

The stories in this collection represent the beginnings of Heinlein's Future History series. Events since their publication in the 30s and 40s have dated them, but most still entertain.

"Life-Line" and '"Let There Be Light"' have dated the least, and both concern supression of new technologies. The former concerns a scientist who earns the murderous ire of insurance companies because he can predict the date of a person's death. The latter concerns development of a very efficient capture method for solar energy.

The extrapolation around the dated, but still enjoyable, "The Roads Must Roll" probably seemed quite reasonable at the time of its writing. America's increasing use of cars, resultant urban sprawl and expense, coupled with increased fuel cost and "super-highways", would lead to giant, high-speed conveyor belts carrying people and products between cities. Some of the engineers who tend the road decide to bring it to a stop unless their demands are met. Their political philosophy of "functionalism" sounds modern and plausible though it's really an old idea found in the Bible and Roman history.

"Blowups Happen" is one of those atomic power stories from the forties. Like "The Roads Must Roll", Heinlein is as interested in the men maintaining the machines as the machines themselves. Here the technicians who tend a giant nuclear pile in Arizona frequently crack under the stress of knowing what disaster a mistake could bring.

Heinlein the social animal is on full display in "The Man Who Sold the Moon". Less concerned with scientific and technical details than with political, legal, and business intrigues, it tells the story of how one Delos Harriman gets man to the moon. He's the first in a new line of robber barons and, perhaps, the founder of a new imperialism that will show up later in the Future History series. Harriman's real goal, though, is denied him. He isn't interested in putting just anyone on the moon. He wants to go there.

Heinlein's famous "Requiem" is both prequel and sequel to "The Man Who Sold the Moon". In it, we get the details of Harriman's lunar obsession and the realization of his dream. Unusual for Heinlein, it's a very emotional story full of poignancy Anyone interested in classic science fiction, the beginnings of Heinlein's influential career, or just how the future looked in the forties should enjoy this collection.

Rating:
Summary: Heinlein: More than a Technocrat
Review: Robert A. Heinlein was in his thirties when he first took up writing. That relatively advanced age for a beginning science fiction writer may account for the power of his work, its feeling of authenticity. Unlike most of his contemporaries, Heinlein wasn't just interested in science and technology. He also had a knowledge and appreciation of how the worlds of business, law, and politics worked and how they intersected with the world of the lab.

The stories in this collection represent the beginnings of Heinlein's Future History series. Events since their publication in the 30s and 40s have dated them, but most still entertain.

"Life-Line" and '"Let There Be Light"' have dated the least, and both concern supression of new technologies. The former concerns a scientist who earns the murderous ire of insurance companies because he can predict the date of a person's death. The latter concerns development of a very efficient capture method for solar energy.

The extrapolation around the dated, but still enjoyable, "The Roads Must Roll" probably seemed quite reasonable at the time of its writing. America's increasing use of cars, resultant urban sprawl and expense, coupled with increased fuel cost and "super-highways", would lead to giant, high-speed conveyor belts carrying people and products between cities. Some of the engineers who tend the road decide to bring it to a stop unless their demands are met. Their political philosophy of "functionalism" sounds modern and plausible though it's really an old idea found in the Bible and Roman history.

"Blowups Happen" is one of those atomic power stories from the forties. Like "The Roads Must Roll", Heinlein is as interested in the men maintaining the machines as the machines themselves. Here the technicians who tend a giant nuclear pile in Arizona frequently crack under the stress of knowing what disaster a mistake could bring.

Heinlein the social animal is on full display in "The Man Who Sold the Moon". Less concerned with scientific and technical details than with political, legal, and business intrigues, it tells the story of how one Delos Harriman gets man to the moon. He's the first in a new line of robber barons and, perhaps, the founder of a new imperialism that will show up later in the Future History series. Harriman's real goal, though, is denied him. He isn't interested in putting just anyone on the moon. He wants to go there.

Heinlein's famous "Requiem" is both prequel and sequel to "The Man Who Sold the Moon". In it, we get the details of Harriman's lunar obsession and the realization of his dream. Unusual for Heinlein, it's a very emotional story full of poignancy Anyone interested in classic science fiction, the beginnings of Heinlein's influential career, or just how the future looked in the forties should enjoy this collection.