The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

· Sold by Penguin
4.6
102 reviews
Ebook
400
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

For fans of Artemis—the visionary tour de force from “one of the grand masters of science fiction” (The Wall Street Journal).

Widely acknowledged as one of Robert A. Heinlein's greatest works, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress rose from the golden age of science fiction to become an undisputed classic—and a touchstone for the philosophy of personal responsibility and political freedom. A revolution on a lunar penal colony—aided by a self-aware supercomputer—provides the framework for a story of a diverse group of men and women grappling with the ever-changing definitions of humanity, technology, and free will—themes that resonate just as strongly today as they did when the novel was first published.

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress gives readers an extraordinary, thought-provoking glimpse into the mind of Robert A. Heinlein, who, even now, “shows us where the future is” (Tom Clancy).

Ratings and reviews

4.6
102 reviews
Jean Kutzer
January 20, 2024
Great book and preview of our future as we continue to evolve, mature as a culture and leave our adolescence behind. Government was a qauint concept but so repressive and wasteful dont you think? I dont think about it at all. Idiots like them are not worth my time. Someday.... Too bad it couldn't be made into a movie but it would take a couple of hours just to explain the social constructs.
3 people found this review helpful
Did you find this helpful?
James Case
July 23, 2023
One of the few Heinlein books I haven't read. I must say that it is just as good as any of the other books he wrote and am looking forward to finishing it and adding it to my collection.
Did you find this helpful?
David Kirk
May 12, 2021
As a science fiction book and a commentary on societal constructs, revolutions, and outcomes this book is a fun ride. It's hard to believe it was written in 1966, I would have thought it was a recent release. It has certainly held up well! The dialogue is witty and the story is engaging and thought-provoking.
2 people found this review helpful
Did you find this helpful?

About the author

Robert Anson Heinlein was born in Missouri in 1907, and was raised there. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1929, but was forced by illness to retire from the Navy in 1934. He settled in California and over the next five years held a variety of jobs while doing post-graduate work in mathematics and physics at the University of California. In 1939 he sold his first science fiction story to Astounding magazine and soon devoted himself to the genre.

He was a four-time winner of the Hugo Award for his novels Stranger in a Strange Land (1961), Starship Troopers (1959), Double Star (1956), and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1966). His Future History series, incorporating both short stories and novels, was first mapped out in 1941. The series charts the social, political, and technological changes shaping human society from the present through several centuries into the future.

Robert A. Heinlein’s books were among the first works of science fiction to reach bestseller status in both hardcover and paperback. he continued to work into his eighties, and his work never ceased to amaze, to entertain, and to generate controversy. By the time he died, in 1988, it was evident that he was one of the formative talents of science fiction: a writer whose unique vision, unflagging energy, and persistence, over the course of five decades, made a great impact on the American mind.

Rate this ebook

Tell us what you think.

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.