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I'm about 1/4 of the way through it myself. I'm enjoying it so far. The group marriages are kinda weird and sometimes I have absolutely no idea what they're saying when they'll start tossing in Russian words or something. It's a world with a very unique dialogue, kinda like Firefly. (I wonder if Joss Whedon reads Heinlein?) Mike is awesome!
This is my first Heinlein novel. I hadn't intended to get into him but I came across a battered old PB printing of The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress from around 1970 and I thought that the description sounded interesting. I'm not sure where I'll go after this, if I'll buy some more Heinlein, try to get back into Neil Gaiman (after giving up halfway through Neverwhere), or finally take a stab at In the Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.
I'm about 1/4 of the way through it myself. I'm enjoying it so far. The group marriages are kinda weird and sometimes I have absolutely no idea what they're saying when they'll start tossing in Russian words or something. It's a world with a very unique dialogue, kinda like Firefly. (I wonder if Joss Whedon reads Heinlein?)
I don't know about Whedon, but Tim Minear is a huge Heinlein fan. In fact Minear wrote a feature film adaptation of The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress a few years ago, but, alas, it's stuck in development hell.
If you like this try Have Spacesuit, Will Travel - its another of the so-called "juveniles" Heinlein wrote and is quite entertaining. Actually, the Rolling Stones is even better, possibly his best "juvenile". His best work by far, though, outside of Stranger is the compilation of shorts called The Past Through Tomorrow. It's his Future History in one book and the most remarkable part about it is how fresh it still feels seventy years later.
Finished Citizen of The Galaxy and liked it a lot, though I was thrown off a little by how wildly it changed as the story progressed (which is still entirely appropriate for the type of book it is). My edition, though, was filled with typos, never part of an enjoyable reading experience.
I'm trying to decide what'll come next for me. Heinlein's Starman Jones, Clarke's Rendezvous With Rama, or the first book of the Star Trek: Terok Nor trilogy? Whatever I don't get to now there's time for later...
Finished Citizen of The Galaxy and liked it a lot, though I was thrown off a little by how wildly it changed as the story progressed (which is still entirely appropriate for the type of book it is). My edition, though, was filled with typos, never part of an enjoyable reading experience.
I'm trying to decide what'll come next for me. Heinlein's Starman Jones, Clarke's Rendezvous With Rama, or the first book of the Star Trek: Terok Nor trilogy? Whatever I don't get to now there's time for later...
Starman Jones was pretty obviously written around the same time as Citizen. Similar flavors, if you will. Rama is amazing, with each sequel failing to live up to the original, IMO. Terok Nor was ok. I'd go Rama then shift back to R.A.H. for a change of pace. And check out his The Rolling Stones-as good or better than Citizen. But I still hold out that The Past Through Tomorrow was some of his best. Interestingly, The Rolling Stones takes place in the same universe as The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, a point that is made clear by the re-appearance of Hazel Meade(remember her?) in Stones.
^No, I don't remember her; I still haven't read The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress (though you might not have specifically directed that at me :P). At first, I was going to do as you suggest and read Rama then Jones; I do have to fit in a couple books for school along the way as well. But now I'm thinking I might not be in the mood for a Clarke, maybe something a little more fantastical rather than hard s-f. <shrug>
ETA: Ah, never mind. I'm reading Rendezvous With Rama; it's short enough to be able to fit in before I have to start my next school novel.
Interestingly, The Rolling Stones takes place in the same universe as The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, a point that is made clear by the re-appearance of Hazel Meade(remember her?) in Stones.
The name sounds familiar but I'm not sure. Was she one of the fussy biddies trying to pass all kinds of asinine "morality" laws?
I just finished The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. I mostly really enjoyed it, particularly the relationship between Mannie & Mike.
I nearly cried at the end when Mike "died." I kinda didn't expect things to go that way. Actually, for a while, I expected it to be revealed that the revolution actually never had a chance in hell of succeeding; that it would all be Mike's idea of a practical joke, not realizing that something like that isn't even funny once. I also felt they left a thread hanging with regards to the vague, unconfirmed possibilities of another computer back on Earth that was even smarter than Mike.
Though there were other times where I thought the book came close to Ayn Rand territory where the narritive would stop dead in its tracks so that the author could go into a libertarian political rant. I agree with the ideas. I just think he doesn't deliver them with much subtlety, although he is more subtle than Rand. The other thing that bugged me just a little was the times when Mannie would make Rand references, such as equating Mike to John Galt. I just don't really see Mannie as being quite that literate.
Meanwhile, I'm continuing on with Heinlein, just starting the first few pages of Job: A Comedy of Justice. So far I'm getting kind of a Douglas Adams/Neil Gaiman flavor from it.
Interestingly, The Rolling Stones takes place in the same universe as The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, a point that is made clear by the re-appearance of Hazel Meade(remember her?) in Stones.
The name sounds familiar but I'm not sure. Was she one of the fussy biddies trying to pass all kinds of asinine "morality" laws?
I just finished The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. I mostly really enjoyed it, particularly the relationship between Mannie & Mike.
I nearly cried at the end when Mike "died." I kinda didn't expect things to go that way. Actually, for a while, I expected it to be revealed that the revolution actually never had a chance in hell of succeeding; that it would all be Mike's idea of a practical joke, not realizing that something like that isn't even funny once. I also felt they left a thread hanging with regards to the vague, unconfirmed possibilities of another computer back on Earth that was even smarter than Mike.
Though there were other times where I thought the book came close to Ayn Rand territory where the narritive would stop dead in its tracks so that the author could go into a libertarian political rant. I agree with the ideas. I just think he doesn't deliver them with much subtlety, although he is more subtle than Rand. The other thing that bugged me just a little was the times when Mannie would make Rand references, such as equating Mike to John Galt. I just don't really see Mannie as being quite that literate.
Meanwhile, I'm continuing on with Heinlein, just starting the first few pages of Job: A Comedy of Justice. So far I'm getting kind of a Douglas Adams/Neil Gaiman flavor from it.
Hazel is the orphan Mannie's family adopts, the one that organizes the younger children in the revolution. In The Rolling Stones, she's a grandmother.
Job could be a mistake-its a hell of a head trip from his later years, when he sneered at everyone and wrote what he wanted. Very heavy-handed and pedantic. Same goes for Number of the Beast, Friday and The Cat Who Walked Through Walls . Although I loved Friday. I think his work really turned with I Will Fear No Evil. Everything after that was self-serving and inward looking.
Finished The Dresden Files: Storm Front Vol. 1 graphic novel today.
Reading Amber Benson's Death's Daughter still, as well as The Men Who Stare At Goats... that's not sci-fi though.
I very much enjoyed Vanguard Open Secrets. I'm now halfway through Tom Rob Smith's second Leo Demidov book, The Secret Speech. Good, Cold War Russia yarn.
^ Not necessarily, the 1000 post rule isn't mandatory anymore since the switch to vBulletin. There is no technical reason to do so, and it's pretty much up to the mods these days if they want to close threads after more than 1000 posts for one reason or another.
