It's hard to overstate just how much this book ended up grabbing me in the end. I think most of it's because I agree with a lot of its politics - if I were leaning more towards authoritarianism, it would surely have left a far more sour taste in my mouth - and I've always hated, and (in fiction) loved to hate, flat-out idiots that never consider things past their own noses and are all too quick to demand bloodshed. Spice it up with good fleshed-out characters and their relations, some comedy, a non-malevolent artificial intelligence, and scientific visions of a credible and not-entirely-bleak future, and you've got a winner in my book.

Maybe a bit too much telling and not enough showing - a lot of time skips where potentially interesting plot events are described in just a paragraph or two - but it's not a deal breaker. Four and a half stars at least.

I tried to get through this book multiples times and just could not. I’m as libertarian as anyone but I just couldn’t get through the lunar dialect or the fact that it was basically all dialogue. I like a lot of dialogue but when it is page after page of people discussing revolution in a hotel room I get bored. I wanted this book to get to the point and I was left with a loss.

What do you want us to do? Throw rocks at them?

Nah, but we could have a tea party.

Wow. I'm still amazed at how good this Revolution novel has held up over the years. I had read it twice before this latest re-read, but it hasn't lost any of its charm.

Of course, I love Heinlein's heavy reliance on self-reliance, libertarianism, and TANSTAAFL. I'm lucky to have read him early so as to be fully indoctrinated in this gung-ho politicism of Rational Anarchy and I can laugh and whoop and grin foolishly all the while.

But I'm weird.

Still. When it comes to the story, the most amazing thing about this novel is not that it's set on the moon or that it has been populated with all of Earth's undesirables, or that they're economic slaves to the Earth. Nope. It's amazing that this book is actually a How-To-Guide on how to stage a successful revolution against a technologically and militarily superior foe, from initial planning, leverage, sleeper cells, and of course, political preparation, communication, diplomacy, and economics. And, of course, the resulting MASS DEATH of so many innocents. Can't forget that.

But I suppose the one thing that sticks in my mind most strongly is the planetary computer, Mycroft. What a guy/gal. He/she always gets me in the feels. That's leverage.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I keep on seeing tons of good revolution books or modern SF still stealing from this classic, either knowingly or unknowingly. Perhaps all AIs that show up in SF are a reply to Mycroft in one way or another. Who knows? This is the one that stands out supreme in my mind and perhaps always shall.

Call me a Lunatic. I dare you. ;)

This one won the Hugo in '66, but I also place it firmly in one of my top 100 novels of all time. :) Great stuff. :)

Çok güzel bir tanışma kitabı. Çok kompleks olmayan ve aslında bir açıdan da “devrim 101” hikayesiyle birlikte hem kendi dünya-siyasi görüşlerini hem de yazım tarzını okura sunuyor. Kadınlara dair görüşlerinde 60ların etkisi hissediliyor, o bir parça can sıkıcı. Bir de eğer bilim kurgunun yoğun olarak bilimle harmanlandığı halini seviyorsanız bu kitap çok hoşunuza gitmeyebilir. Siyasi ve sosyolojik öğeleri ağır basıyor zira.

As it says in Bible, God fights on side of heaviest artillery.

I probably should not be saying a lot about this one. It was nominated for the Hugo award twice (1966 and 1967) and it won the award the second time. Not sure how many novels have that odd distinction? Anyway, it is on everybody’s list of classic Science Fiction novels, and it has been analysed and reviewed so many times that my two cents really ain’t worth spit.

Nothing uses up alcohol faster than political argument.

Nevertheless, here we go.

It is a very political novel. In fact, it is basically a textbook dealing with the minutiae of starting a revolution, from organizing cells, to sowing dissent, to pushing the right buttons for the right responses, and so on and so forth. The best bit: a super computer that has become self-aware, and can calculate the probability vectors of every action and its consequences. Bit of a cheat code, really.

I found the first sequence of the book to be a slog (maybe because it takes time to get used to the writing style), but it does pick up in the second and third sequences (the book is split into three parts).

In the end, everything pretty much turns out as expected, even if the internal logic with regards to all the politics can occasionally be befuddling (possibly on purpose?).

There are some really good near future science-y bits; Heinlein had given much thought to his future society and takes a lot of detail into account which contemporaries might not have bothered with, such as the effect of long-term Lunar gravity on the human body (exile to Luna is “temporary”, but you can never really return to Earth). Also: the Loonies (as the colonists are called) don’t have access to weaponry, armament or ships like Earth troops do, so they must come up with some ingenious methods of, shall we say, persuasion.

“We citizens of Luna are jailbirds and descendants of jailbirds. But Luna herself is a stern schoolmistress: those who have lived through her harsh lessons have no cause to feel ashamed. In Luna City a man may leave purse unguarded or home unlocked and feel no fear...I am satisfied with what Mother Luna has taught me."

I should probably be thinking about it a bit more (it is that kind of book) – but for now I am giving it 3.5 rounded up.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars



This is a particularly difficult book to rate because Heinlein does not always age well. In fact, as I started describing the plot to my roommate, she rolled her eyes and said something like: "This is why I don't like science fiction written by men." And I had to pause for a moment because that had been my reaction when I started and first met Manuel and his wives (and husbands.) But somehow, he won me over by the end.

The first hurdle you'll have to get over reading this one is the grammar. I can't imagine how exhausting it must have been to write. It feels like the author just dropped random articles as he felt like it, though eventually you get used to it:

"My old man claimed we had even more distinguished line--ancestress hanged in Salem for witchcraft, a g'g'g'great-grandfather broken on wheel for piracy, another ancestress in first shipload to Botany Bay. Proud of my ancestry and while I did business with Warden, would never go on his payroll. Perhaps distinction seems trivial since I was Mike's valet from day he was unpacked. But mattered to me. I could put down tools and tell them go to hell."

Second, you're going to have to grow accustomed to technical talk, especially during the battles. My eyes frequently glazed over. But even when things are kicking off and relatively quiet, there is a great deal of political philosophy at play.

Third, there is the book's frequent sexism (despite being a fairly matriarchal society.)

But despite all this (and probably quite a bit more that isn't coming to mind off the top of my head), I have to give Heinlein credit for a character like Manuel. He was genuinely sweet and won me over. This was a fun tale of revolution and independence on the moon. The historical significance just adds to it.

This is an excellent novel, action-packed, exciting, and deftly-plotted, with fascinating, complex characters and some interesting science-fictional ideas. I also enjoyed reading about Luna's culture; I thought the marriage customs were particularly interesting.

One thing I noticed right off was the way the Loonies use language differently than people from earth do. In fact, it threw me at first -- I couldn't figure out what was going on or why the language was so rough and unpolished and choppy. Eventually, though, I found the rhythm of it and settled in just fine -- I didn't even notice it after a while. It makes sense; Luna started off as a penal colony and has since developed completely separate from Earth and relatively unmolested. Of course they would have their own dialect and speech patterns! To my mind, their language seems to be as efficient as possible. They trimmed away any unnecessary deadwood -- they don't use articles, for example, and very few personal pronouns, and they seem to prefer to use fragments to complete sentences. Only the essentials remain, much the same as the original colonists/prisoners had to start their lives over with only the bare essentials and sometimes not even that.

This book was written about forty years ago, and it has stood the test of time quite well, but there are some aspects of it that do seem rather dated. For example, the idea behind the character of Mike -- the computer that is connected to everything and has "woken up" or become alive -- is one that is very familiar to modern readers, one that we accept easily. Apparently, we accept it much more easily than Heinlen expected his readers in 1965 to accept it, because he spends more time explaining it than he really needs to. When Mannie, the narrator, tells Wyoh about Mike and introduces them via a telephone conversation, she is shocked that Mike already knows what she looks like. He looked up her medical records and found a picture of her immediately after being introduced to her. To modern readers familiar with the internet, this is an obvious step and hardly shocking; we expect it, and Wyoh's shock and apparent need to have every detail and implication of Mike's "life" spelled out for her makes her seem a little bit stupid to us. If we don't remember that Heinlen is using Wyoh to explain things to his 1965 audience that his 2005 audience intuitively understands, then we'll get a little frustrated with Wyoh's denseness.

All in all, though, this is a novel about politics -- a very complex, deep, intellectual and sophisticated look at politics, government, revolution and war. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress has a very definite world-view and political philosophy, some of which I agreed with, and some of which I really, really didn't. My agreement (or lack thereof) with the politics espoused in this book didn't seem to have much bearing on my enjoyment of it. This is a book that requires the reader to think. And that, I think, is why I loved it so much.

[Original review, May 2009]

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MULTIPLE HEINLEIN SPOILERS

Robert Heinlein was a good friend of AI legend Marvin Minsky (check out his people page! It's interesting!), and I've heard that they often used to chat about AI, science-fiction, and the connections between them. Here's a conversation I imagine them having some time between 1961, when Stranger in a Strange Land was published, and 1966, when The Moon is a Harsh Mistress appeared:

"Bob, this book's not so bad, but I felt it could have been so much better! OK, love the idea of the guy from Mars, who doesn't understand how people work and has to learn the most basic things about emotions, society, etc from first principles. You have some good stuff there. But I think you got a bit distracted with the super-powers and the sex. Sure, put in sex, all for it, but don't get Mike so involved in that part of the book. He should be more abstract I think. And I wasn't so thrilled by the fact that he never actually does anything much with his powers, except for start a minor cult and get martyred. Seems a bit negative. What does his martyrdom achieve, exactly?

Wait. I have an idea. Why don't you rewrite it so that he's an artificial intelligence? Really, that makes more sense. He's even more alien than a human raised by Martians. Oh, don't worry about that, I can help you with the technical details. Feel free to drop in at the AI Lab any time, we're all huge fans. People will be delighted. So, yes, as I was saying, he needs to do something. Maybe he's... the central computer in a future Lunar society? And he helps them start a revolution, and break free from Earth's tyranny? Even though what he's really most interested in is understanding how humor works? I don't think you need to change that much else. Call him Mike again by all means, so that people see the link. And you should absolutely martyr him at the end. Only, I think this time you should do it in a subtler and more ambiguous way. But sure, leave the door open about whether he's really dead."

"Hey, thanks Marvin! Terrific ideas! You know, sometimes I think you should be the science-fiction writer, and I should be the AI researcher. I'll definitely come by soon. With a draft, I feel inspired. Going to start as soon as I put the phone down. Take care!"
__________________
[Update, April 19 2023]

Perhaps the best pro-AI book ever. I hadn't read it since I was a teen, but it still delivers in the age of ChatGPT; the ending is even more moving now we know that beings like "Mike" aren't just science-fiction.

I had somehow forgotten the brass cannon. What a wonderful symbol!

Overall excellent.

So, we have our main guy, our main girl, a quirky and wise old man, and an innocent more-than-human character named Mike. Together they're fighting against corrupt authorities, looking to bring freedom and- wait, that's just Stranger in a Strange Land...

And now seriously: I liked it much better than Stranger in a Strange land, because A) this book explores political freedom instead of a specific, magically proven religion, B) It's a really funny book.

Mike from the moon >>> Mike from mars.

As for the funny part, I suppose that's very subjective. But the book is clearly silly on purpose, making it much easier to enjoy than if it tried to do the same things in all seriousness.

Some of the jokes, while not exactly sexist, are definitely "old-fashioned", so it'll depend on how offended you are by humor. It's clearly done in good spirits and with honest intentions, so I see no reason not to laugh along, even if it's not exactly to my taste.

There are far too many descriptions of group marriages and how amazing they are, and in usual Heinlein fashion there is next to no exploration of the downsides: If he likes and idea, such as group marriages, then every word in the book will be in its favor. No criticisms, and no real exploration of the idea.

Same is true for the political and ideological ideas in this book. The book clearly mirrors Heinlein's own anarchistic/libertarian ideas, and they aren't explored to any meaningful depth beyond simply being taken for granted. At one point, the new government of Luna asks Prof. how the hell he expects them to make a government work without taxes, and his response is basically: "Don't know lol, maybe with donations or something? you figure it out, it's not that hard".

But again, the book isn't too serious. It's humorous, often to the point of being ridiculous, and most of the jokes are really funny. It's the classic story of a guy who just wants to be left alone but somehow keeps getting deeper and deeper into conspiracy and revolution, ending up as leader against his will -- which is a funny premise on its own, but Heinlein makes it work even better.

I'm sure many of the ideas in this book are familiar to me simply because it inspired many later sci-fi writers: I strongly suspect Le Guin's The Dispossessed was inspired by it (anarchist lunar colony, guy who goes down to the planet and discusses his people and their way of life, revolution, guy being smuggled away from planet authorities, taking part in gunfights as part of a revolution, and more), and many aspects of Lunar society and revolution are similar to those in The Expanse (struggle for government in an anarchist society, group marriages, throwing rocks, being seeing as subhuman by people on earth, etc.). And I'm sure there are many other examples.

Excellent book, and excellent example for one of the best approaches to the sci-fi genre.

My favorite book by Robert Heinlein, and he wrote some good ones. Like all Heinlein, this one is a page-turner with lots of engrossing action. Though we do get the standard Heinlein irascible opinionated character along with much political and social commentary, it's all integrated so seamlessly with the story, and is so clever and well-written that we hardly notice we're being preached at. =) The ideas and the technology are really fun. I love the lineal marriages. I totally want one. =)

3 1/2 stars is about right for me. I liked it, but found my mind wandering more often than it should, and since this was an audiobook, that's not desirable. I had some trouble keeping up with the characters and it's not easy to look back. But the narrator did a good job, I think, with the accents which may have been a little difficult with reading it myself. But still, it dragged a bit too often for my tastes. A bit too much political and military descriptions which were interesting ideas but just too much detail, I think.

I’ve read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress twice in twenty years. Two decades between readings and it still holds up surprisingly well. Heinlein’s Lunar Revolution, his benevolent AI, Mycroft (aka Mike), and Professor de la Paz’s ideas for government were all exactly how I remembered them. Yet I found that my favourite part of the rereading experience was the tale it told about me.

When I read this book the first time, I was an idealistic youth who believed that change was possible and worth fighting for, maybe even worth dying for. I disdained inequality, injustice, tyranny, blah, blah, blah, and I wanted to do something to fix the problems I saw. I went on to do many things about those problems over the next twenty years. It didn’t do a damn bit of good.

So now I am a cynical man who desires change as greatly as I ever did but knows it is impossible, and that the fight is increasingly futile. I still disdain inequality, injustice, tyranny, along with capitalism, consumerism, imperialism, yada, yada yada, and I’ve given up trying to fix the problems. Now I just do the little things for myself and those I love, mostly to make myself feel good, and the rest of the world can be damned. Not doing anything should do as much good as all the things I did for twenty years (I say this, but then our plan is to do aid work somewhere in the next couple years; don't take my cynicism too seriously).

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is the same book it was twenty years ago, but back then I saw it as a call to arms. Now I see it as a flight of fancy, a pure act of wishful thinking, a revolution the way I wish it could be but know it never will. Still, there’s nothing wrong with an act of pure imagination now and then, even if the hopefulness is play and only serves to underline my deep hopelessness.