The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
Published April 27, 2003
Properly, the works of Robert Heinlein are always in season. This one, however, seems to jump out at me as especially timely. It's probably his best book in general, and it has a lot of strong perspective on the price of freedom. Famously, in this novel Heinlein published the basic philosophical acronym TANSTAAFL. "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch."
You might also take it as something of an answer to Rick Santorum's remarks about supposedly deviant behavior, since the backbone of this freedom movement is a polygamous family with numerous husbands and wives in a big group marriage.
The story concerns essentially a slave revolt on the moon, which has been populated originally as a penal colony. "Loonies" determined to win freedom for their society stage a revolt consciously modeled on the American revolution.
If you haven't read this book, then your education is lacking. Read it now.
- The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
- Published: April 27, 2003
- Type:
- Section: Books
- Filed Under: Books: Literature and Fiction, Books: Philosophy, Books: SF, Books: Spirituality
- Writer: Al Barger
- Al Barger's BC Writer page
- Al Barger's personal site
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Al -- I didn't know it was a book. I always thought it was a Linda Ronstadt song.