The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (S.F. Masterworks, #7)

by Robert A. Heinlein

Luna is an open penal colony and the regime is a harsh one. Not surprisingly, revolution against the hated authority is planned. But the key figures in the revolt are an unlikely crew: Manuel Garcia O'Kelly, an engaging jack of all trades, the beautiful Wyoming Knott - and Mike, a lonely computer who likes to make up jokes...

• ISBN10: 0441536999
• ISBN13: 9780441536993
• Publish Date: 15 April 1987 (first published 1 January 1965)
• Publish Status: Temporarily Withdrawn
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Ace Books
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Language: English

Reviews

[viking2917]

Even though this is one of his later novels, it feels much earlier. The classic Heinlein themes are there: fierce individualism/libertarianism, free love, pluralistic marriages, interesting extrapolation of scientific discoveries (AI) and frontier exploration (moon colonization), and quirky characters, male and female. But it feels stilted, not like a book that was written AFTER Stranger in a Strange Land or Starship Troopers, and just before I Will Fear No Evil, and over-elaborated at times (e.g, a 4 page diversion on the best way of organization revolutionary cells so a minimal number of people can be betrayed could have been done in a paragraph or two).

I enjoyed it, but I think there are better, easier Heinlein reads.

[kerrydarkeyes]

A little heavy on the technical details (I can't easily translate description of machinery in my mind, but that's just the way my brain works!) but I liked the challenge presented in the politics. I'd probably have given it a 3.5 but I'll bump it up to a 4 for Heinlein giving my brain something to mull on. ;)

[Michael @ Knowledge Lost]

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is a political/sci-fi masterpiece. The book tells the story of Lunar (used to exile criminals and their families, once you adapt to life on the moon it was almost impossible to adjust back to the gravity of earth) and their struggle to become a free nation. Lunar while a place of criminals, political exiles or their descendants is like any other countries; yearning for liberty and to be free from the tyranny of their slaves. With the help of a supercomputer with a personality; Mycroft, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is a well-paced, action charged, science fiction must-read. Without giving much away this book has a strong political message but done in such a way that the story and climax is never effected.