The Black Pits of Luna

Future History or "Heinlein Timeline" #11

by Robert A. Heinlein

About a Boy Scout on a trip to the Moon and his novel way of finding his lost brother. Included as part of his Future History, it originally appeared in The Saturday Evening Post, January 10, 1948,[1] and was collected in The Green Hills of Earth (and subsequently The Past Through Tomorrow).

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction

First published January 10, 1948

About the author

Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accuracy in his fiction, and was thus a pioneer of the subgenre of hard science fiction. His published works, both fiction and non-fiction, express admiration for competence and emphasize the value of critical thinking. His plots often posed provocative situations which challenged conventional social mores. His work continues to have an influence on the science-fiction genre, and on modern culture more generally.
Heinlein became one of the first American science-fiction writers to break into mainstream magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post in the late 1940s. He was one of the best-selling science-fiction novelists for many decades, and he, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke are often considered the "Big Three" of English-language science fiction authors. Notable Heinlein works include Stranger in a Strange Land, Starship Troopers (which helped mold the space marine and mecha archetypes) and The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. His work sometimes had controversial aspects, such as plural marriage in The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, militarism in Starship Troopers and technologically competent women characters who were formidable, yet often stereotypically feminine—such as Friday.
Heinlein used his science fiction as a way to explore provocative social and political ideas and to speculate how progress in science and engineering might shape the future of politics, race, religion, and sex. Within the framework of his science-fiction stories, Heinlein repeatedly addressed certain social themes: the importance of individual liberty and self-reliance, the nature of sexual relationships, the obligation individuals owe to their societies, the influence of organized religion on culture and government, and the tendency of society to repress nonconformist thought. He also speculated on the influence of space travel on human cultural practices.
Heinlein was named the first Science Fiction Writers Grand Master in 1974. Four of his novels won Hugo Awards. In addition, fifty years after publication, seven of his works were awarded "Retro Hugos"—awards given retrospectively for works that were published before the Hugo Awards came into existence. In his fiction, Heinlein coined terms that have become part of the English language, including grok, waldo and speculative fiction, as well as popularizing existing terms like "TANSTAAFL", "pay it forward", and "space marine". He also anticipated mechanical computer-aided design with "Drafting Dan" and described a modern version of a waterbed in his novel Beyond This Horizon.
Also wrote under Pen names: Anson McDonald, Lyle Monroe, Caleb Saunders, John Riverside and Simon York.

Reviews

[Glen Engel-Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent story from the point of view of a young boy on a trip to the moon where his little brother gets lost while on a surface tour. What made this story good at the time was how Heinlein could portray the elements of the science (trips around the moon, the weightlessness, etc.) and combine them with the mundane (kid brothers, mother and father unable to handle their children, etc.). It’s kind of like how Stephen King can ground you in the details of his everyday characters before hitting you with the otherworldly. That said, I’m not sure this story has much more than that going for it now.

[Read Ng · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a boy being what all boys in this time period were expected to do, get themselves lost. Again, just a glimpse of what society in this time period expected of each other, only taking place on the moon.

Have a GoodReads.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple but good.

[Conner Newbold · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bratty characters, bland sci fi elements. Meh.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young boys and family go to the moon briefly, predictable events happen, resolved. Not a very deep story, but well written for what it was.

[Forked Radish · Rating 4 out of 5]

An obnoxious brat of a short story.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

#9/Los negros fosos de la luna (1948)

Periodo en que está basada: el 2000, posterior a Réquiem

Richard y su familia viajan a la luna, concretamente a Rutherford, para hablar de negocios con el encargado de la Fundación Harriman. Durante su estancia, además, visitarán los laboratorios de la zona y el exterior, con las atracciones turísticas de ‘ El cementerio del diablo’ (unas formaciones picudas de enorme tamaño, de ahí su nombre, como un cementerio sagrado) y ‘el gran hoyo’, debido la explosión del primer laboratorio de investigación implantado allí, en 1984 .
Lo que a priori ha de ser una divertida excursión, se convierte en un rescate a la desesperada por salvar la vida del pequeño de ésa familia.
Aquí ya nos situamos bajo el legado que dejó Harriman con la creación de su fundación en ‘Réquiem’, para la investigación y desarrollo del espacio. Se nos explica la explosión del primer laboratorio de tratamiento de energía atómica en la luna, así como la mejora de esta energía y su nivel de seguridad.

Narrada desde el punto de vista de Dickie, el hermano mayor del desaparecido, y su visión fascinante a la vez que práctica y lógica, nos encontramos con un relato de líos y entuertos familiares, mezclado con una segunda parte noir, en la cual el chico se convertirá ( por auto petición) en el rastreador de la zona e ‘ improvisado detective’ para rescatar a su hermano ( poniéndose en la piel del pequeño y haciendo lo que él habría hecho). Heinlein consigue una buena resolución en ambos géneros y la atmósfera que crea durante la búsqueda del niño, aunque breve, es perfecta.

Avances y/ o predicciones tecnológicas:
·Coches presurizados
·Radio detector direccional (una especie de GPS)
·Línea de relevos ópticos

Avances y/ o predicciones sociales:
·Funcionamiento de Trust Harriman y desarrollo científico

[Austin Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book #11 out of #21 for Heinlein's "Future History". This is just a standard story, explaining the busineses and risks of Moon tourism. The story originally appeared in The Saturday Evening Post, January 10, 1948.

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Black PIts of Luna by Robert A. Heinlein is a bit of a strange experience. It is part of the Future History series of stories Heinlein wrote, but it feels like it was aimed for children, rather than the previous stories. There’s the word “squirt”, “Mother” and “Father” used throughout. The main character kind of sees his brother as a nuisance.

I’m not sure if there are anachronisms due to the decade it was written in or just an actual effort for the story to reach the younger readers, but it does weaken the story in my mind. There’s also the fact the main characters who are children play Mumblety-peg, which kind of threw me, as I know what it is, and is quite a culture shock.

Much of the story is about exploration of the moon by the main character and what happens when someone is lost. To say the story didn’t hook me, would be mild. The story worked gripped me for half, but for the most part was quite juvenile for my taste.

Overall though it’s a exciting story of what could exist, but ultimately, nothing special to write about in the lineage of Future History.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heinlein created a universe where the moon was colonized and ultimately fought for its independence. In this short story, a family is on the Moon for the father's business trip. In taking a walk on the surface, to visit a graveyard, a bratty younger brother gets himself lost and the older brother helps to find him. Both parents were useless, in the situation.

[Zany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, Heinlein, always Heinlein! Sieg Heinlein! I loved your informative descriptions of the extreme differences in temperature between the lighted surface of the moon and the shadowed areas... the differences being so drastic as to be life-threatening. It tickles my brain. Tickles it, I say! TICKLES!! Thanks guy!

[Jeff Yoak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably the least substantial story of Heinlein's I've read. During a family vacation to Luna, a little girl gets lost touring the surface. A few pages later, her brothers finds her. Really, that's about it.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet little story I found. Being about the important of what it means to be the older brother. I still think what happened to the child should not of happened in the first place. Children should not be encouraged to chuck tantrums.