"The hardest part about gaining any new idea is sweeping out the false idea occupying that niche.... But once the niche is emptied ... once you can honestly say, "I don't know", then it becomes possible to get at the truth."
- Robert A. Heinlein
I have been a science fiction fan for as long as I can remember.
As early as the second grade, I would comb the library shelves, looking for the books with the little rocket label on the jacket.
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
Image by James Vaughan and http://flickr.com
It was inevitable therefore,
that I would encounter the work of Robert Heinlein, “Dean of American Science Fiction Writers.” Although I have many and considerable differences from the man, I have devoured Heinlein's stories since childhood. My favorite among them all is "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress."
Robert Heinlein was a maverick. A graduate of Anapolis, his naval career was terminated after about nine years by tuberculosis.
After trying a variety of occupations, Heinlein discovered that he could make a living writing science fiction. He wrote quite a few stories aimed at juveniles, but "The Moon" is a very adult novel.
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
Photo courtesy of NASA and http://unsplash.com
“The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress” tells a tale of revolution.
In this story of the future, the Moon has been used as a penal colony, a dump for the dregs of society.
Much like Australia, however, years pass, and free children are born to the prison inmates. Luna becomes its own country, more or less, but remains under the tyrannical control of the "Lunar Authority, led by “The Warden.”
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
Photo courtesy of NASA and http://unsplash.com
Computer repairman Mannie is the hero of the piece.
The best computer tech there is on Luna, the Warden has no choice but to hire Manuel Garcia O'Kelly when Lunar Authority's computer breaks down.
Mannie discovers that the Warden's computer is sentient, and with the help of Professor Bernardo de la Paz and the lovely Wyoming Knott, before long a revolution is brewing. The interplay of the main characters, including an aware computer, and how it all works out in the end make for a fascinating story.
In my opinion, this novel represents the pinnacle of Heinlein's career. I have read my own dog-eared copy a dozen times, if once. The story is filled with adventure, heartache, family values, romance, and some good, hard, extrapolative science.
The underlying message of "The Moon" is a powerful one of peace, freedom, and prosperity. It becomes clear that such values are all optimized by a distributed, cooperative society that has no need for "rulers." This is a message that the world needs to hear now, more than ever.
FIN
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