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The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 · rating details · 41,048 ratings · 1,286 reviews

It is the year 2076, and the Moon is the dumping ground for the rebellious and the unwanted of the Earth. Faced with little choice, these exiles have banded together in order to live and survive in their harsh and unforgiving environment, creating new social conventions and beliefs. Confronting them is the Luna Authority, the heavy-handed Earth administration, that seeks t...more

Hardcover, SF Masterworks #72, 384 pages

Published December 2008 by Gollancz (first published 1966)

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Jul 25, 2007 She-Who-Reads rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, politics, thoughtprovoking

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....more 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.(less)

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Sep 26, 2008 Ron rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

HAL before HAL. One of Heinlein's best.

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Jan 18, 2012 mark monday rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: futuristik-classik

do you play games where you know the outcome of the game itself is without question... where any fun to be had is not so much in the winning - that's predetermined - but in figuring out how exactly you will win, what moves you will make, how you will overcome all those minor hurdles along the way? that's sometimes how i feel when playing chess with some folks. for me, it's not the most exciting thing in the world; it's a little eye-rolling. i think others may have more excitement when playing a...more do you play games where you know the outcome of the game itself is without question... where any fun to be had is not so much in the winning - that's predetermined - but in figuring out how exactly you will win, what moves you will make, how you will overcome all those minor hurdles along the way? that's sometimes how i feel when playing chess with some folks. for me, it's not the most exciting thing in the world; it's a little eye-rolling. i think others may have more excitement when playing a game they know they'll win. my little nephews seem to have a really enjoyable time kicking my ass at their various new-fangled video games. personally i don't get it, but they seem to love illustrating how easy and exciting it is, the thrill of watching all their strategies and skills coming to predictable fruition. even when there is no real competition. their eventual win is obvious. and that's the impression that i'm left with after reading the enjoyable Moon Is a Harsh Mistress.

the novel is about a revolution on Luna by its oppressed permanent labor force. far in the future, the moon is the newest Prison Island... once you are transported there, you can't come back. and there you work, mainly to export grain, and live a life of economic exploitation by The Lunar Authority. you will alway live in this proletariat society. overall, it is actually not a horrible existence. the "Loonies" are an enjoyable lot, unpretentious and down to earth, concerned mainly with beer, gambling, and the ladies. Heinlein creates an odd and i suppose semi-utopic world, with a pleasing lack of laws (a kind of libertarian anarchy of sorts) and a highly liberated view on women (basically, they are the social/family/romantic Boss of It All... not truly a matriarchal society per se, but rather one built around the need to make sure women are completely empowered. apparently due to the 2-to-1 status of men to women on the moon, and the need for women to be 'available' to much more than monogamy... fascinating!)

still, despite the basic lack of horror in this odd world (and personally, i'd be horrified if i had to live in a world completely without nature for the rest of my life. my God! no fresh air... ever!)... it's no fun to be exploited by bureaucratic overseers. and so must come REVOLUTION! we have our friendly & no-nonsense Everyman, we have our bewitching & passionate Lady in Hiding, we have our amusing & highly intellectual Idealistic Professor. and of course we have our sentient computer Mike, who likes to play games. and revolution is just another kind of game, right?

the writing is breezy, casual, and in a sort of pidgen english (a kind of cross between baby talk and our very own text messaging style) that should be annoying but actually isn't. much like with HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey, we have a fascinating computer who provides all of the genuinely emotional and resonant moments in the narrative. and - perhaps because of the time period in which the novel was written, but certainly topical today - we have a step-by-step account of How To Make A Revolution Work. Heinlein's passions come across mainly in the world-building of this almost-utopia and in the very detailed expression of how exactly to overthrow the chains of oppression through revolution (and i suppose a bit of terrorism, at times).

so back to my original point. i liked this novel, but i would never consider reading it a second time. it was fun. but the outcome was never in question. Heinlein loads the dice by making sure that everything happens as projected, each step of the way. no tension... and a tension-free revolution is a curiously child-like enterprise. mind you, not childish. there is a sweet naïveté to it all. Heinlein jerry-built this revolution to be won and so i never felt any kind of nervousness, i never worried. the only stakes that were meaningful to me were the (rather slight) emotional stakes around Mike the computer: his past loneliness, his concern about whether he is actually sentient, and his need to have friends, to talk to people who are 'not-stupid'. awww... that's adorable! Mike, i'm not super-smart or anything, but i'll be your friend! cute little revolutionary computer minds are very appealing to me.(less)

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Dec 02, 2008 Kelly McCubbin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is quite possibly Heinlein's most politically charged book. People speak of Stranger in a Strange Land as being socially revolutionary, but this book is both that (polygamous marriage to form extended families, murder generally allowed, but insults to women punishable by death) and politically charged (Libertarian, Libertarian, Libertarian, though not exactly that kind of loopy American Libertarian Party kind, but a kind based more strictly on a dismantling of governmental power).
It is a co...more

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Aug 13, 2007 S.A. Parham rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

A rare Heinlein that I enjoyed immensely, I will buying a copy of this to join my long-beloved Stranger in a Strange Land. I can only admire the skill it takes to come up with a believable slang and "voice" for the narrating character and to stick with it evenly throughout the novel. While on the surface, the story seems to follow a rather boring formula (a professor, a pretty blonde, and a jack-of-all-trades join with a master computer for a revolution), Heinlein spins enough creativity into th...more

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Aug 13, 2007 Tatiana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sciencefiction

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. =)

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Oct 15, 2008 David rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A brilliant science fiction adventure based on a libertarian theme. Although I like Heinlein, this is one of the few of his books that I've managed to finish. The reason I usually give up is because they tend to be episodic and one story ends before the next one has begun.

In this case there is a unitary theme about people in a colony (the Moon) who are being short-changed by their colonial masters and who realize that their only long-term hope is to "dissolve the political bonds which have conne...more

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May 23, 2010 Rob rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: 2010, science-fiction, artificial-intelligence, important, 100-paperbacks

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 31, 2011 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Michael by: Kim

Shelves: hugo-award, science-fiction, political, to-reread, 1960s

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 pe...more

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Jul 29, 2009 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Quaintly libertarian. I'd forgotten how much Heinlein likes his characters to talk... and talk... But you gotta give the guy credit, he came up with some interesting ideas about how societies might evolve. The pacing on this was kind of slow for me - it's told like a diary or historical recounting, so there isn't much immediate action going on. Also, the narrator uses a kind of shorthand, so it's a little like having the entire book read to you by Rorschach (except without, you know, all the ran...more

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Jul 16, 2007 Dan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: speculations

My favorite Heinlein novel - a great revolution story, a great AI story, and a great Hard Sci-Fi, if the science in question is political.

What I learned from this book:
1. History bends and melts over time.
2. The first AI we meet might not be intentional.
3. Throwing rocks can get serious over interplanetary distances.
4. There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

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Jan 21, 2009 Joe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I couldn't help but compare Heinlein's fictional description of life in a Lunar Penal Colony to the way life was for these United States of America struggling for independence from England.

It is written from the perspective of a citizen of Luna (the penal colony on the Moon) who was born there, so it takes a chapter or two to get used to the dialect he uses. It's really just abbreviated English with some Russian words and words from a few other languages.

I was immediately drawn in by Heinlein's...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Steve Buja rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It seems fitting that I should finish this book on election day, considering it is Heinlein's damning, cynical and yet, celebratory, look at modern governance as seen through the not-too-distant future eyes of Lunar natives. Heinlein has always been fiercely, unapologetically political in his works; the best part is that he'll writcate about any political or philosophical position with a keeness for the foibles and humanity that can be present in either. And with TMiaHM, he puts revolutionary th...more

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Feb 15, 2012 The Fza rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, fiction, speculative-fiction

Pay your debts. Collect what is owed to you. Maintain your reputation and that of your family... In 2075, on the underground penal colonies scattered across Earth's Moon, that is what life amounts to.

I've been a Heinlein fan since I read Have Space Suit—Will Travel as a young man. After which point I made an effort to read Heinlein as often as possible. What I found in his work was not only adventure and inventive situations but characters imbued with a sort of moral 'Rational Anarchy' that made...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Jordan rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: speculative-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I have a real problem with Heinlein. He seems to have spent his entire life jumping from one kooky political philosophy to another. Could that just mean that he had an open mind and was willing to change his position in the face of new evidence? Maybe. It seems more likely, however, that he was over-eager to move from one ideological bandwagon to the next and write a Rand-esque fictionalized essay in favor of each as he went.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress was a difficult read for a few reasons. Nu...more

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Dec 15, 2008 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ah, Heinlein: SF's great paradox artist. I am fairly certain that I have personally held every possible wrong viewpoint on the man. Namely, that he was:

1) A radically forward-thinking visionary of libertarianism
2) A raging fascist, homophobe, and misogynist
3) Any point on the sociopolitical spectrum in between.

It's not my fault. Over the course of his career, Heinlein seemed to espouse every possible viewpoint on religion, government, and gender relations (obviously, he liked to stick to small t...more

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May 23, 2009 Manny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, older-men-younger-women, older-women-younger-men

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, wh...more 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!"
(less)

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Nov 27, 2010 Brad rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: faves, sci-fi, the-best, to-read-again, political, revolution

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 fightin...more

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Jan 31, 2008 _inbetween_ rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

2 stars, but I didn't like it. Can you answer my QUESTION in the end?

As I mentioned with Asimov, I had been so (stupidly) looking forward to this book, planing to get more of Henlein. I'm not sure how I got the idea he was on ok guy - maybe I confused him with what I'd read by Aldiss, maybe it was still "The Door into Summer" (which I always confuse with Willis "TSNOTD" because I can't remember anything but the ingenius first chapter for which I bought Henlein's novel after years of searching -...more

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Calvin This review misses the point so badly, I can barely believe the person read the book.

First, the whole reason for the revolution is that without it, th...more This review misses the point so badly, I can barely believe the person read the book.

First, the whole reason for the revolution is that without it, the population of Luna starves to death.

The computer repairman Manuel was politically apathetic -- he only went to the meeting where he met Wyoming Knott because the sentient computer, Mike, wanted a recording. Wyoming was a political firebrand motivated by personal tragedies that she blamed (correctly) on the criminal indifference of the Lunar Authority. Professor De La Paz was a political dissident who regarded revolution as an art form -- as a "rational anarchist" he was prepared to live within any government his fellow citizens wanted and to ignore any rules he didn't agree with. Mycroft (aka Mike, Michelle and Adam Selence) was lonely, Manuel was the only person to recognize that he had "woke" up and Manuel, Wyoming and Prof De La Paz were his only friends.

The Professor was also the first to recognize that in growing millions of tons of grain and shipping it to Earth, Luna was rapidly depleting the easily accessible supplies of water and nitrates. It was when Mike confirmed this theory and predicted food riots in seven years (cannabilism in nine) and then computed a reasonable chance of success (1 in 7, good odds for a gambling addicted Loonie, particularly given the alternative) that the revolutionary cabal was formed.

All of the cabal's subsequent actions were based on the knowledge that failure equals mass starvation and that nobody would believe the prediction because not believing was easier than acting on it.

P.S. The reason Heinlein gave for the lack of rape on Luna was that over a couple generations of living in a very dangerous environment with a high male-to-female ratio, the custom had developed that even being rude to a woman was likely to get you assaulted by any nearby men. Assaulting a woman, much less raping one, would get someone a quick trip out the airlock. This practice had been in place long enough at the time of the story that it rarely needed to be enforced -- slow learners didn't last long.(less)
updated Feb 24, 2009 10:09pm

Stven You've raised a lot of good points for discussion in your review. I find Heinlein's inherently sexist ideas interesting particularly because he is try...more
Mar 07, 2009 12:15pm

Apr 20, 2013 Jim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

This is a classic SF story of the moon fighting for its independence from Earth, with a lot of parallels to the American Revolution. Heinlein has a political conversation with himself here, definitely coming down on the side of Libertarianism, but also acknowledges & points out the holes in his arguments himself. I've read some rants about Heinlein pushing his politics & I disagree with them. I think he's doing more questioning than pushing & that leads to some fun with the character...more This is a classic SF story of the moon fighting for its independence from Earth, with a lot of parallels to the American Revolution. Heinlein has a political conversation with himself here, definitely coming down on the side of Libertarianism, but also acknowledges & points out the holes in his arguments himself. I've read some rants about Heinlein pushing his politics & I disagree with them. I think he's doing more questioning than pushing & that leads to some fun with the characters, especially Prof.

Prof is the Heinlein wise elder character while Manny is the middle aged incarnation. Hazel (who shows up as the grandmother in The Rolling Stones) is the youthful, female version. Yes, Heinlein only has 1 main character, he just changes age & sex to suit the situation. I don't consider this a horrible flaw in his books, though. They're more situational, so a steady character actually helps them out.

Prof has a wonderful political philosophy. He's a Rational Anarchist. Actually, that seems to pretty much be his take on life & I dare say it's more honest than most. He'll accept any laws you think you need & obey those he can, when he can, otherwise ignore them, but will pay up if caught. (Come to think of it, that's pretty much how I go through life.) His remarks to the new Lunar Congress on how to pay for government & what laws to make are well worth thinking about & certainly does point out the perennial problem they all have. One suggestion was they start by making laws of what the government could never do. Another was a house devoted to repealing poor laws.

Stu's observations on governing were more amusing. He wants to name Prof king because that would protect people from their biggest enemy, themselves. How true! The woman with the list of proscribed items in the early Congress is a perfect example. Anyone with half a brain can't help but make the comparisons to our own society & the creeping repressiveness as we democratically vote away our rights.

Heinlein points out another fallacy in government, one that he never explicitly states: What works for a small group often won't for a large one & that needs change over time. He makes this argument as a thread throughout the book: Manny's reflections from the future when Luna is much more populated & his other comments on its early days. The justice system of Terra versus that of Luna of Manny's time. It's important to note that Heinlein offers up no concrete answers, just a lot of questions, & he is pointing them out through a first person narrator. Manny is fairly reliable, but he's human & thus comfortable in the society he knows. There are multiple examples of how poorly this fits others - many of whom wind up paying the ultimate penalty.

The language of the book is notable. Sentences are clipped with a lot of polyglot slang & - possibly most important - he popularized the word tanstaafl : "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch". The link is to the Wikipedia article on it. I wish people would use & think of it more.

Racial, religious, & national slang names are commonly used & are now considered politically incorrect, but they are used in such a way that no prejudice can possibly be attached. The moon is such a mix that such designations are merely descriptive. Marriage is another institution that receives a thorough cleansing of preconceptions & homosexuality is also briefly addressed. IOW, Heinlein has a lot of fun with Civil Rights. Since this book was originally published in 1966, that's not surprising, especially given his views on the matter, but this book was well before he almost died & he hasn't gone overboard yet.

The story is quite dated as far as technology goes, but that didn't hurt it much. There are tape recorders, wall phones, & computer punch cards, but the overall experience of the moon is well done. Mike, the self-aware computer is fun, too. Not particularly realistic, but enjoyable & played his part well.

All in all, it's a must-read for anyone exploring SF. It is a classic & is a hell of a lot of fun, but gives plenty of food for thought, too.
Wikipedia has a so-so write up on it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moon...(less)

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Jan 16, 2013 Ivis Davis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In his futuristic political thriller 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress', Robert Heinlein reveals many insightful political and social truths. Used as a future 'Botony Bay', the moon is a one-way trip for political and criminal elements unwanted by Earth's society. Forever stranded in the moon colonies, the lunar population is forced into economic slavery to produce food for the people of Earth.

When a rogue political prisoner and acedemic proves that the moon's resources are drying up and the populat...more

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Sep 27, 2011 Johnny Virgil rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: scifi geeks

I really enjoyed this book. It deals with the ever-popular "sentient computer" and the question of whether or not a computer can achieve self-awareness and if it does, whether it is truly "alive." The computer becomes one of the main characters in the story, which is a tale of a moon colony and its eventual independence from earth. I am not a scientist, so I don't have any idea whether the science in this story is plausible or not, but the characters and the study of future societies and how the...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Francesco Galdieri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantascienza, romanzo

Uno dei romanzi lunghi di Heinlein (quasi 500 pagine), finalmente non pi� costretto alle classiche 200 pagine circa dell'epoca in cui non era ancora famoso e non poteva permettersi di dettar legge agli editori. In questo romanzo la Luna � una colonia in terrestre in cui vengono inviati i delinquenti a lavorare, per sfruttare le risorse lunari. Dopo diverse generazioni dal primo invio, nasce una coscienza "nazionale", che spinge la popolazione a chiedere la libert� dal giogo terrestre. Ma le semp...more

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Dec 28, 2008 Corinne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Humans have colonized the moon. At first the moon was a penal colony - criminals were sent there instead of being executed. As time went by and as children were born - a lunar culture evolved as life became more sustainable, yet life on the moon was always under the thumb of the "Lunar Authority," which was headquartered on earth.

Enter Mannie, the one armed computer programmer, Prof, the aged but savvy professor and Wyoh, a political activist. These three, with the help of "Mike", a super-comput...more Humans have colonized the moon. At first the moon was a penal colony - criminals were sent there instead of being executed. As time went by and as children were born - a lunar culture evolved as life became more sustainable, yet life on the moon was always under the thumb of the "Lunar Authority," which was headquartered on earth.

Enter Mannie, the one armed computer programmer, Prof, the aged but savvy professor and Wyoh, a political activist. These three, with the help of "Mike", a super-computer who has managed to "wake up," decide that the time is right for the moon and the people on it to become a free nation. And thus begins the revolution that is at the crux of this novel, a fight against Earth's authoritarian rule and for the ability to govern themselves in their own way.

The book is very political. Really, if I wanted to start a grass roots revolution right now, this book is practically a starter manual. All the ideas are told in dialogue so it reads smoothly and is incredibly interesting. I'm not sure I've ever read a book that had me thinking so much about the consequences of political actions. It's also a very technical book, more so than other science fiction I've read. The battles involve massive amounts of computing and technical jargon that I finally just began skipping over because I knew I'd at least understand the outcome.

I believed it. I honestly did, though I had a harder time being sucked in than I thought I would. It wasn't until I got about a third of the way through that I knew I wanted to finish it. Heinlein has created an amazingly evocative and complex culture on the moon, with its own marriage customs and taboos, a multinational history and language. It took me a while to get used to Manny's version of the English language - it's more like the English of someone who spoke Russian first and learned English second, but once I did, it didn't phase me. The characters had heart and "Mike," the super-computer/human, was especially an interesting character. By the end of the book I was completely on the "loonie's" side, anxious to find out whether their plans would come to fruition.

I'd like to publicly thank my younger brother, Christopher, for urging me to try this one. I never in a hundred years would've picked it up on my own, but I found it to be an intelligent and thought-provoking read. (less)

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Dec 19, 2008 melydia rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My first taste of Heinlein was Stranger in a Strange Land a few years back. It was, in a word, bad. So I gave up on Heinlein all together, figuring if his most famous and critically acclaimed book was no good, what chance did the others have? This conviction was met with protests from Heinlein fans, saying I need to read some "good" Heinlein before making the call. So I did, though it took me an unusually long time to finish. I just couldn't get into it. The characters were two-dimensional and s...more

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May 22, 2013 Carter Shilts rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am definitely not the world’s biggest fan of science fiction novels and radical ideas like ‘robots taking over the world’ and ‘being forced off of planet earth’. But I must say, The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress is a page-turner. I had some major trouble putting this book down. The book was through the point of view of a multiethnic lunar citizen that you could actually relate to and it just made it so interesting and cool to read. It took a few pages to figure out that it was from the point of vie...more I am definitely not the world’s biggest fan of science fiction novels and radical ideas like ‘robots taking over the world’ and ‘being forced off of planet earth’. But I must say, The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress is a page-turner. I had some major trouble putting this book down. The book was through the point of view of a multiethnic lunar citizen that you could actually relate to and it just made it so interesting and cool to read. It took a few pages to figure out that it was from the point of view of a multiethnic lunar guy however. Right away when I opened the book on page one I read “I see also is to be mass meeting tonight to organize “Sons of Revolution” talk-talk.” Immediately I just thought “... What the heck? Does this writer have trouble with English or something? But I figured it out after a chapter or two and then the book started to get really interesting. There is definitely a lot of action in this book. Heinlein does an amazing job of making this book easily visualizable. I’ll be the first one to tell you, I am not a huge fan of reading. But reading The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress was like watching a movie in your head. One paragraph that seriously shocked me and just about made me cringe was on page 35 when the police invade the anti-authority meeting and Shorty attempts to fight off the police so that Wyoh and Mannie can escape from the meeting alive; “I left, chasing Wyoming (Wyoh). Shorty needed no help, nor ever would again--nor could I waste his last effort. For I did see that, while killing those guards, he was standing on one leg. other was gone at hip.” This is just an exciting book that I honestly could not find anything bad about. I literally looked and looked through the book over and over again trying to find something wrong with the book. But I just couldn't find anything. This is an amazing book and deserves a 5 star rating. No disrespect to Ray Bradbury, but in my opinion, Robert Heinlein leaves Fahrenheit 451 in the dust in the category of 1950’s and 1960’s future prediction books.
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Apr 03, 2013 Ryan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fic-speculative

Though I have my issues with Heinlein’s views, I found this book to be a classic example of science fiction's potential to explore political ideas, to challenge readers' assumptions about the how world should work. While showing its age in places, this 1966 novel deals with a lot of themes that still remain as fresh as ever: machine consciousness as an unplanned phenomena, how to overthrow an unjust system, what kind of laws and rights a society should provide, family and living arrangements tha...more Though I have my issues with Heinlein’s views, I found this book to be a classic example of science fiction's potential to explore political ideas, to challenge readers' assumptions about the how world should work. While showing its age in places, this 1966 novel deals with a lot of themes that still remain as fresh as ever: machine consciousness as an unplanned phenomena, how to overthrow an unjust system, what kind of laws and rights a society should provide, family and living arrangements that fit a society's needs, and how to find the weak spots of a much more powerful but clumsier opponent. And, of course, there's Heinlein's ability to create a polyglot culture, and his signature wit, taking the form of memorable catch-phrases and quips.

The story imagines the moon as a 2075 penal colony, a dumping ground for Earth's undesirables. Inhabitants live a tough life, growing crops to export to Earth at artificially low prices, but have evolved their own informal customs for managing their affairs, including polyamorous marriage arrangements to deal with the 2-1 male-female ratio. Enter Mannie, a lowly engineer who maintains the Lunar Authority's main computer, named Mike. Somehow, Mike has achieved self-awareness without anyone but Mannie noticing. Heinlein has a lot of fun developing Mike as a character, including his naive efforts to understand humor, his existential loneliness, and his ability to adopt different personas, some of which come to influence his own behavior.

Meanwhile, discontent on Luna begins to boil, and Mannie finds himself drawn into a revolutionary independence movement. With him, naturally, comes Mike, whose ability to disguise communications and perform complex calculations give the movement chances it wouldn’t have had otherwise. But can Mike be trusted? Can a war of independence succeed against the far better-armed nations of Earth? It was fun to watch the plotting unfold.

Heinlein, of course, is a controversial author and I didn’t love everything about this novel. For one thing, I there are his attitudes towards women. While I admire that he wrote capable, independent heroines before it was in vogue, he doesn't entirely break away from traditional ideas about gender and has male characters mansplaining things to female ones.

However, my main issue with this book is that Heinlein seems so intent on demonstrating the merits of his libertarian-anarchist ideals that he does a lot to stack the deck in favor of his heroes, which I find a weakness of both the story and his argument. Between Mike's unique ability to wreak Anonymous-like mischief, engineer new weapons, and make long-term predictions, and the Professor's brilliance as a tactician and political strategist, there's never much doubt what the outcome of the revolution will be. In addition, he makes the opposing side so abusive, distant, corrupt, and incompetent that no one seriously defends its merits. Also, I found Heinlein's apparent approval of murder, as deemed necessary by the enlightened, a little repugnant. (Where, oh where have we seen problems with THAT sort of thinking before?)

Yet, in the last chapters, Heinlein seems to step back and recognize that ideals and pragmatism can reconcile only so much, when the benevolent dictatorship that ran the revolution sees that it can't hold the reigns forever. And therein lies the inherent contradiction of libertarianism: that giving people perfect freedom to choose will inevitably lead to more laws and government. This is what makes the book's signature phrase, "there ain't no such thing as a free lunch", so wonderful -- in the end, the multiple meanings becoming clear. I also enjoyed how beautifully the bittersweet conclusion to Mike's story fit in, though I won't spoil it.

In sum, definitely a book worth adding to a tour of sci-fi history. The audiobook narration is decent, but I really liked the producers' decision to give Mannie a Russian accent. It just works. Mike also has a nice "machine" personality, but not an overly mechanical one.(less)

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Mar 06, 2013 Jason rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

At the end of the day, I wanted to like this book more than I actually could. It felt like it took more than halfway to really get going. The author's style was interesting, but ultimately I felt like it detracted from the story...I know that authors make stylistic choices for science fiction in order to help the reader get a better feel for what's happening, but at the end of the day, I still prefer the crisp and stunning writing of H.G. Wells, George Orwell, or Ray Bradbury rather than the cho...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Danielle Lanier rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dnf

Okay, so I picked up this book both because the cover looked appealing and because I'd heard good things about it. But it was a DNF for me at about 70 pages in. Here's why...

While I thought the whole living on the moon thing was interesting (especially considering it was a formal penal colony) as was their mode of marriage (line marriage among others), nothing much happened.

That first 70 pages took place almost entirely inside a hotel room, and by the time I put the book down for good, they were...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Eneya Vorodecky rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: meh, science-fiction-and-fantasy

It is one of these books that has so many great things... but the ending is not one of them.
I hate, hate, HATE when the author kills of conveniently the Deus Ex Machina, because it could write hi into a corner and could create further frictions.

It is just lazy and stupid and even more, completely ruins the positive impression the book has created so far.

Heinlein is no stranger (pardon my pun) to strange writing and characters and interpretations. He likes himself some social engineering all righ...more

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What do you think of Prof's governmental views?	7	52	Apr 11, 2013 11:41am
Sci-Fi Fantasy Bo...: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress	8	59	Apr 07, 2012 08:37am
Sci Fi Aficionados: * January Themed Read: The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress	21	50	Jan 17, 2012 08:27pm
Goodreads Librari...: ISBN 042503013X	2	25	Oct 27, 2011 12:45am
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About Robert A. Heinlein

Robert Anson Heinlein was an American novelist and science fiction writer. Often called "the dean of science fiction writers", he is one of the most popular, influential, and controversial authors of "hard science fiction".

He set a high standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of literary quality. He was the first SF writer to break into mainstre...more

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