Farnham’s Freehold was conceived in part as a response to Campbell’s opinions on slavery, while his libertarian views, combined with the gravity gauge from Hubbard’s “Fortress in the Sky,” resulted in The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, which introduced a catchphrase into the wider culture: “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” It was an exciting story, but Campbell felt that it was too long for a serial, and in his last known letter to Heinlein, he reluctantly rejected it. The novel won a record fourth Hugo, cementing its author’s status as the most acclaimed science fiction writer alive.
