Jumping Off The Planet

Rating:
Summary: ...
Review: ... He's not a musical genius, his dad wasn't an orchestra conductor, he's not a middle child, his parents were never divorced, he doesn't have a gay sibling, and he didn't come from a dysfunctional family. But he was a teenager once, if that counts. He also said that his only experience with custody issues was the adoption of his son, which he said was a lot of fun. (Read his book, The Martian Child.) Oh, and he said that the character of Howard the lawyer was based on a real lawyer who tried to hit him with a nuisance action, and made so many mistakes in his own preparation that eventually it became a joke. But I liked Jumping Off The Planet for two reasons. First, the people and their relationships seemed very real, so real that I can understand why some folks think the author had to be writing from experience. Second, I liked the courtroom scenes. When David Gerrold gets into a moral argument, it's always surprising. He gives me things to think about. In these books, the courtroom scenes are necessary as a way of demonstrating that teenagers are still under the control of adults, and that no matter what a kid does, right or wrong, eventually adults are going to decide what happens next. Yes, it would be nice if there were a nice neat ending where the good guys win and the bad guys get punished, but in real life, life goes on, and I think this is what Gerrold is trying to show, that each of these books is not a complete advenjture as much as it's one more step in the long journey of life.

Rating:
Summary: ...
Review: ... He's not a musical genius, his dad wasn't an orchestra conductor, he's not a middle child, his parents were never divorced, he doesn't have a gay sibling, and he didn't come from a dysfunctional family. But he was a teenager once, if that counts. He also said that his only experience with custody issues was the adoption of his son, which he said was a lot of fun. (Read his book, The Martian Child.) Oh, and he said that the character of Howard the lawyer was based on a real lawyer who tried to hit him with a nuisance action, and made so many mistakes in his own preparation that eventually it became a joke. But I liked Jumping Off The Planet for two reasons. First, the people and their relationships seemed very real, so real that I can understand why some folks think the author had to be writing from experience. Second, I liked the courtroom scenes. When David Gerrold gets into a moral argument, it's always surprising. He gives me things to think about. In these books, the courtroom scenes are necessary as a way of demonstrating that teenagers are still under the control of adults, and that no matter what a kid does, right or wrong, eventually adults are going to decide what happens next. Yes, it would be nice if there were a nice neat ending where the good guys win and the bad guys get punished, but in real life, life goes on, and I think this is what Gerrold is trying to show, that each of these books is not a complete advenjture as much as it's one more step in the long journey of life.

Rating:
Summary: One of Gerrold's best!
Review: An excellent tale! The reader is swept along by a compelling story, interesting characters, and Gerrold's wonderful writing style. Through the tale's twists and turns, the reader is eager to find out what happens next. Read it. You won't be disappointed!

Rating:
Summary: There's no Jack in this Beanstalk
Review: Back in the fifties Robert Heinlein pretty much perfected the science fiction 'juvenile' (which merely means that his protagonists were normally adolescents - not that the novels do not deal with difficult, complex, 'adult' themes and ideas). Few authors have had the temerity to write works that use the Heinlein model as their basis, but Gerrold has attempted it here.

As a starting point, Gerrold takes a very dysfunctional family consisting of three brothers, all of whom have various highly anti-social character traits, and their divorced parents, who are constantly squabbling over custody and visitation rights to their children. He places them in a reasonably near-term future, where the multi-national corporations have pretty much taken over, 17 billion people are voraciously consuming what little resources planet Earth still has, and the defining technological development is the 'beanstalk', a massive wire hung from geosynchronous orbit all the way down to the planet surface and extending upwards nearly as far for balance. The father, at the end of his wits and finances, decides to 'kidnap' his children and take them up the 'beanstalk' as the first part of a journey to the moon and beyond in an attempt to leave his troubles (and legal jurisdiction) behind.

The story is told from the viewpoint of the middle 13 year old brother, who feels 'left out', that his parents and brothers never really talk to him or deliver on their promises, leaving him cynical and withdrawn. As the story progresses, he begins to develop his own sense of responsibility for his actions and depend less on the 'that's not fair' type argument. Unfortunately, most of this development is somewhat hidden from the reader till near the very end of the book, where the statements he makes seem to almost come from nowhere, as too little of his underlying thinking has been previously shown. Starting as a complete techno-geek with few defining human characteristics, the eldest brother is only slowly developed, so that only at the end of the book does he come to the point where he seems like a real person worthy of your notice. The youngest brother starts as and remains a near cipher, a tool for showing the need for parental discipline and allowing brotherly responsibility to be exhibited.

Still, Gerrold is better in his characterizations than while trying to explain the technology of his world. While the ideas are good, sometimes exemplary, such as his concepts on the flow of various types of money, his exposition is too often dry, near academic in tone. Here he definitely suffers in comparison to Heinlein, who could write twenty page essays on the care and feeding of space suits and remain entertaining and continue to further his story line during the exposition. On the other hand, the courtroom scenes that Gerrold presents are just as good (and very similar in tone and action) as any of Heinlein's, and his societal ideas (such as being able to divorce your parents) are very much in the Heinlein tradition.

There are some items touched on here that Heinlein could never have gotten by the editors of his time, such as homosexuality (of both sexes) and certain bodily functions. While these items play a role in the story development, they are not gone into in any detail, though it might have made a better, deeper book if they had been. But with these items, it makes the book unsuitable for very young readers.

Even with these flaws, this is still a good, very readable book that brings the old Heinlein model into the world of today. Today's teens may find this book more relevant, more in tune with their world, than the older Heinlein works.

Rating:
Summary: Masterful Gerrold
Review: Ever since I read "The Man Who Folded Himself," I've been hooked on Gerrold. He's a fantastic sci-fi author who makes his proposed technological/futuristic ideas so incredibly real by superimposing the psychological effects of them onto real and profoundly deep characters. This allows the reader to believe that the events in his story have not only come to pass, but are in a constant state of flourishing growth -- be it Chtorran life forms or the great society of the Beanstalk as vividly described in this novel. He makes us *feel* science fiction.

Kudos to Gerrold for his wisdom, vision, and heart.

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Subtle
Review: For David Gerrold (whom I love, BTW) this book is unusually restrained. Usually his plots veer wildly, with many bizzare tangents. There were tangents in this book, but they were short and far between. Mostly this book focused on the emotions and relationships of the protagonist and his family. I found the depictions of the children to be particularly complex and believable- these are real kids with all the fights, trouble and smells that go with them. And for you Chtorr fans, there are plenty of little refences to the series to keep you satisfied. Gerrold is quickly maturing into a thoughtful and wise writer- fatherhood must agree with him.

Rating:
Summary: Great reading
Review: Great characters. So what if they constantly quarrel and seem to hate each other? What if Chigger, our viewpoint character, seems to cause much of the familie's discomfort? He's 13. That's what thirteen-year-olds are like, today, right? And to those who claim that the family is totally dysfunctional; there is love between the family members. Instead of showing us the typical very intelligent protagonist who is almost picture-perfect, only present to have someone to tell the story, we're given a moody teenager with an attitude. The great thing is that we're shown the world from his perspective, and because we have all been 13 at one point, we understand that his take on reality isn't exactly accurate. Beautifully done, I love him. The little brother who throws tantrums and the big brother who builds worlds, is a techno-geek, and gay, they're also great (the tree remind me of my own family...). And it's all set in an interesting near-future.

The only reason why this doesn't get five stars is the court scene in the end. It doesn't fit the rest of the story. Unfortunately, this seems to be a pattern; the sequel also has such a scene at the end. Both books break at this point, which is too bad. But up to that point, it's great reading.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable read
Review: I enjoyed this book, which created a vivid depiction of multiple facets of a future world. Gerrold was equally adept at portraying the dynamics of an intelligent adolescent caught in the middle between battling family members and creating a realistic future vision. I totally disagree with the reader who refused to buy this or any other book by Gerrold until he finishes his Chtorr series. If the author wants to write something new and different, more power to him. And I don't believe in rating books by reviewers who haven't read the book.

Rating:
Summary: Really glad I picked this up!
Review: I picked this off the library shelf yesterday because a reviewer was described it on the cover as having a protagonist similar to Heinlein's juveniles. Wow, I was not disappointed! Tor's got another hot one. Gerrold does a wonderful job of describing the tribulations of a kid in a dysfunctional family, and he does one of the best jobs I've seen of focusing on the kinds of things a kid would notice. Jumping Off the Planet is a delightful (but much more psychologically and sociologically complex) heir to classical SF with juvenile protagonists.

The plot of Jumping Off the Planet is fast-paced and exciting enough (harrowing at times!) to keep me reading last night until I finished it. Which sort of surprises me in retrospect, since the scale of the novel is not particularly huge: basically, it just gets the protagonist up a beanstalk and into space. But so much happens on this futuristic road trip/elevator ride on that I was quite satisfied with the novel. Well, maybe not totally satisfied - having finished the book, I want more. Right now! (I've got a feeling I'm going to enjoy this trilogy.)

Gerrold handles difficult subjects like race and sexuality deftly. His main characters are complex and interesting, and he develops them artfully throughout the book. I didn't want to stop reading because I couldn't wait to find out what happened to them next. The economics, politics, law and science in the novel's background seem plausible and are well thought-out.

The fairly-near-future world of Jumping Off the Planet is familiar enough to seem like home, and possible enough to be frightening. The characters are well done, and the plot is riveting. I'll be returning this book to the library and buying my own copy. And when the sequels come out, I'll have them pre-ordered here on Amazon. What an excellent book!

Rating:
Summary: Psycological depth?
Review: I'd actually give this book 2.5 stars, because it's divied right down the middle. But I can't give it the benefit of three... Why is it that today's authors, trying to recapture the spirit of yesterday's coming-of-age sf novels..... Let me start this again. I purchased this book because I think that coming-of-age novels are an important part of science fiction. Yes, I loved all the Heinlein juveniles (some more than others), plus many of the other great adventure tales of SF. Unfortunately, very few authors seem to "get it". Yes- make the storylines and behavior accesible to today's youth (and adults). Yes- mores and standards have changed over the years. Yes- many issues exist today in an adolescent's world that were undreamed of (or, more likely, unspoken) in the Golden Age. However- why do modern authors feel that starring a whining twit in their story and chocking it full of pop-psychology is anywhere the equivalent of "psychological depth"? The first time I read "Jumper" by Steven Gould, I was totally caught up in that "Sense of Wonder" we all know so well. The second time, I started to really see what a whiner the main character really was. Sure, he had a horrible life, but that's the author's fault, isn't it? Why include such? My guess is to add that good ol' "psychological depth" that we heard about in the reviews of "Jumper" and now, Gerrold's "Jumping Off the Planet". This is utter nonsense. There is no depth here, just the illusion of depth created by an artifice of circumstance, constucted in a mish-mash of popular issues and the basest, most shallow emotions. There is not an admirable person in this book- sure, some of the supporting characters behave in what seems to be an admirable fashion, but they are the least developed characters in the novel. All of the brothers are reprehensible- with the marginal exception of the oldest brother, merely because he steps up to the plate near the end, despite a complete lack of demonstrated character development throughout the course of the book (this lack of character development appies to the other members of the family, as well). The father's actions are random and undefined. I suppose all of this is supposed to hint at murky depths begging to be plumbed in the growing narrative. Well, they're not. Not plumbed. Not there. That's not depth- that's asking the reader to "take your word for it" that these people really ARE deep, they just don't show it. Gerrold has done a fine job of showing us a family that doesn't ever say anything to each other. Unfortunately, that's the only way we're ever going to know anything about them. Our narrator mainly spends his time telling us how unsure he is about how he feels. These people are "real"- but that doesn't make them good characters. Now, to the plot- fantastic. No, really- I loved all the Beanstalk detail and the progress of the journey, and the fact that the whole novel takes place on a relatively short trip. Neat stuff. The legal wrangling was more than mildly interesting- however, Gerrold dangles lots of possibilities out there that he never fully explains. Many of the legal maneuverings seem plucked out of the air, without any explanation whatsoever, and are often fruitless and abandoned/forgotten/glossed over as soon as the plot demands forward motion. However, the things that actually HAPPEN in this book are generally pretty entertaining, sometimes thrilling. Gerrold's socio-economic theories have the ring of profundity to them, as well-true or not, it doesn't matter. They provide an intricate and interesting background to the main story. Gerrold also knows when enough is enough in this area, as well- detailed without seeming like a manifesto. This novel is truly set in the future, perfectly consistent (within its own framework) and rich in detail. I should say SPOILER ALERT! .....but it's completely redundant with the authorized reviews and the paperback's OWN BACK COVER. Whomever authorized this should be completely ashamed of themselves. The back cover of my paperback copy "sets up" the plot by divulging that the boys divorce their parents and must decide what to do next. This is the climax of the book. They spend about one line on the last page "deciding what to do". Utterly shameful. I read an interview with the film director Robert Zemeckis lately, where he said that studio marketing studies show that people want to know everything that happens in a movie (in the trailer) before buying their ticket. It left me speechless- I guess this "McDonald's" philosophy has extended itself to speculative fiction, as well. It is a sad day. So, you see my dilemma- I'm on an exciting and fantastic journey with a group of people that do not inspire me by their actions, words, feelings, or even by their transformation as they "come of age"- that's how all the characters in this book feel about each other, and that's how they made me feel. If you're going to go for depth, I want depth. The characters in this novel go on a physical journey that takes them out of this world into an uncertain future full of possiblities. Their emotional journey has them milling around in the same spot for the entire book, only to suddenly and inexplicably materialize out of their world, looking into an uncertain future full of possibilites that the author will make up as he goes along. I wish I'd been in the next car on that elevator with another family.