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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
Read full review here: http://escapingrealitybookreviews.wordpress.com/2013/02/25/space-cadet-by-robert-a-heinlein/
I’ve read a couple of Heinlein’s books that I loved, so I had very high expectations for this book, which is probably why I only gave it a 3 star. I liked it, don’t get me wrong, but it just didn’t have quite the same effect as the others…
The first half of the book focuses mainly on Matt and his friends’ training and education, which I found sadly lacking. I love the in-depth studies of special training schools, and Space Cadet just skimmed over it. The second half of the book, however, was much better. It added more adventure and excitement to the story.
I really did like this book, it just wasn’t quite as thought-provoking and action-packed as the others. It was a nice fun read, for when you’re bored and don’t want a book that makes you think too much. The last 3 chapters were probably my favorites, exciting, suspenseful, and fascinating!
I'm 15, and I recommend this book.
I’ve read a couple of Heinlein’s books that I loved, so I had very high expectations for this book, which is probably why I only gave it a 3 star. I liked it, don’t get me wrong, but it just didn’t have quite the same effect as the others…
The first half of the book focuses mainly on Matt and his friends’ training and education, which I found sadly lacking. I love the in-depth studies of special training schools, and Space Cadet just skimmed over it. The second half of the book, however, was much better. It added more adventure and excitement to the story.
I really did like this book, it just wasn’t quite as thought-provoking and action-packed as the others. It was a nice fun read, for when you’re bored and don’t want a book that makes you think too much. The last 3 chapters were probably my favorites, exciting, suspenseful, and fascinating!
I'm 15, and I recommend this book.
3.5 but I don't really feel like rounding up to 4 Heinleins.
Mini-Review:
A more concise & polished book. It had a nice balance of young recruit training and gaining actual experience on the training grounds. Without pushing the matter too hard, the differences between those who grew up in space, live on Earth and the life of a space patrolman are shown throughout the story. Overall tone made me think of the old Star Trek shows and themes. A fun book that was made more enjoyable by great narration.
A more concise & polished book. It had a nice balance of young recruit training and gaining actual experience on the training grounds. Without pushing the matter too hard, the differences between those who grew up in space, live on Earth and the life of a space patrolman are shown throughout the story. Overall tone made me think of the old Star Trek shows and themes. A fun book that was made more enjoyable by great narration.
Reading Heinlein's juveniles, his books written for boys, I can see why he is such a foundational, and highly influential writer in the sf field. If Heinlein got to you young (which he did for me reading him first in the 80s as a young teen) he got into your head and for good and ill shaped you. The good is that he's a pretty subversive and subtle writer. I especially like the end of the novel where main character Matt isn't the hero and the main lesson he learns is that he is going to have to earn respect and his place in the space patrol. Heinlein is so suited to this early form of YA because he is genuinely interested in the education and formation of his young male characters. This enthusiasm is contagious.
The bad is the usual complaint this is an all male world, perhaps to keep sex out of a story targeted at young boys, though when Heinlein does get into sex in his later adult books you might wish he'd stay sexless - we are into free love and the freak is on. Now it is interesting that the alien race the boys end up in is one where the male is hidden and all that is seen is the female of the species. Is this H's comment on the patriarchy of the 40s and 50s in the U.S? I'm not sure. People try and pin Heinlein down on his politics, both personal and political - in his works he seems to like to play with it all. It is what keeps his works fresh.
Oh the book also suffers from another dumb ass Heinlein villain. "That's the last we'll see of him," says one of the boys - I laughed at that. Heinlein is great at explaining and having his characters puzzle out a problem, but is incapable of giving his villains even one-tenth of the intellect of his hero. Evil is stupidity to Heinlein, which maybe true - if you think everyone who doesn't agree with you is dumb, but it is a measure of Heinlein's other strengths that this doesn't sink his books.
The bad is the usual complaint this is an all male world, perhaps to keep sex out of a story targeted at young boys, though when Heinlein does get into sex in his later adult books you might wish he'd stay sexless - we are into free love and the freak is on. Now it is interesting that the alien race the boys end up in is one where the male is hidden and all that is seen is the female of the species. Is this H's comment on the patriarchy of the 40s and 50s in the U.S? I'm not sure. People try and pin Heinlein down on his politics, both personal and political - in his works he seems to like to play with it all. It is what keeps his works fresh.
Oh the book also suffers from another dumb ass Heinlein villain. "That's the last we'll see of him," says one of the boys - I laughed at that. Heinlein is great at explaining and having his characters puzzle out a problem, but is incapable of giving his villains even one-tenth of the intellect of his hero. Evil is stupidity to Heinlein, which maybe true - if you think everyone who doesn't agree with you is dumb, but it is a measure of Heinlein's other strengths that this doesn't sink his books.
I've promised to read more classical scifi authors this year and Heinlein is one of them. This is the second juvenile story of his and the third of his books overall for me. And it was ... OK, I guess.
The MC, Matt Dodson, is enlisting to become a Space Cadet at the Space Academy. Space Cadets are contestants to become members of the famous Solar Patrol. This organization (apparently non-military) is an elite guard tasked with preserving humanity throughout the Solar System. Only the best and brightest, the strongest and most courageous ever become space cadets and only the best and brightest, the strongest and most courageous amongst those ever become officers. Basically, they take boys and make them become men. And yes, I know how that sounds. *lol*
Yes, there are one hell of a lot of parallels to Heinlein's later novel, Starship Troopers but the edges are filed off to make it more suitable to the younger audience.
Keeping in mind that this was indeed for young readers, I guess I still have a slight problem with the simplicity. The characters are bland cardboard cut-outs, the competition is always challenging but friendly, the Solar Patrol is this wonderful organization consisting only of good guys that embody every virtue humanity can come up with while having none of the dark sides.
Maybe life really was simpler back then (for young boys) but I don't know. There are other stories for young readers that go deeper, have more complex characters and conflicts. Not so here. It's fun enough as a simple adventure in space and I liked that the author used the story to convey some scientific facts (always good, especially for young readers), but other than that ...
The MC, Matt Dodson, is enlisting to become a Space Cadet at the Space Academy. Space Cadets are contestants to become members of the famous Solar Patrol. This organization (apparently non-military) is an elite guard tasked with preserving humanity throughout the Solar System. Only the best and brightest, the strongest and most courageous ever become space cadets and only the best and brightest, the strongest and most courageous amongst those ever become officers. Basically, they take boys and make them become men. And yes, I know how that sounds. *lol*
Yes, there are one hell of a lot of parallels to Heinlein's later novel, Starship Troopers but the edges are filed off to make it more suitable to the younger audience.
Keeping in mind that this was indeed for young readers, I guess I still have a slight problem with the simplicity. The characters are bland cardboard cut-outs, the competition is always challenging but friendly, the Solar Patrol is this wonderful organization consisting only of good guys that embody every virtue humanity can come up with while having none of the dark sides.
Maybe life really was simpler back then (for young boys) but I don't know. There are other stories for young readers that go deeper, have more complex characters and conflicts. Not so here. It's fun enough as a simple adventure in space and I liked that the author used the story to convey some scientific facts (always good, especially for young readers), but other than that ...
Heinlein, Robert A. Space Cadet. 1948. Tor, 2005.
Robert Heinlein’s Space Cadet is where the subgenre of an academy for spacefarers begins. You can draw a direct line of influence from Heinlein’s Matt Dodson to Star Trek’s Wesley Crusher. Heinlein was optimistic about the development of nuclear-powered single-stage rockets and artificial gravity. His navigators and pilots fly their ships by hand, without the benefit of a computerized autopilot. No one at the time predicted the laptop. We have less than 60 years to make a permanent presence in space on Heinlein’s schedule. Interestingly, his is an academy of peacekeepers, not warriors. His academy graduates are all officers and have a monopoly on nuclear weapons, ready to devastate any nation that breaks a worldwide peace. Modeled on a coast guard, they search for lost ships and police interplanetary trade. There are aliens on a tropical Venus and pirates in the asteroid belt, both of which are credible given the world he has built and the science of the time. Character drama is simple. Heinlein’s highly competitive teenage cadets must learn to subordinate their egos to a higher cause and work together as a team. Space Cadet is still enjoyable after all these years.
Robert Heinlein’s Space Cadet is where the subgenre of an academy for spacefarers begins. You can draw a direct line of influence from Heinlein’s Matt Dodson to Star Trek’s Wesley Crusher. Heinlein was optimistic about the development of nuclear-powered single-stage rockets and artificial gravity. His navigators and pilots fly their ships by hand, without the benefit of a computerized autopilot. No one at the time predicted the laptop. We have less than 60 years to make a permanent presence in space on Heinlein’s schedule. Interestingly, his is an academy of peacekeepers, not warriors. His academy graduates are all officers and have a monopoly on nuclear weapons, ready to devastate any nation that breaks a worldwide peace. Modeled on a coast guard, they search for lost ships and police interplanetary trade. There are aliens on a tropical Venus and pirates in the asteroid belt, both of which are credible given the world he has built and the science of the time. Character drama is simple. Heinlein’s highly competitive teenage cadets must learn to subordinate their egos to a higher cause and work together as a team. Space Cadet is still enjoyable after all these years.
I soooo wanted to be a Space Cadet.
More teenage escapist fantasy with a little exploration of the impact of science on culture (or maybe the other way around?)
The inevitable Heinlein lesson? "With great power comes great responsibility."
More teenage escapist fantasy with a little exploration of the impact of science on culture (or maybe the other way around?)
The inevitable Heinlein lesson? "With great power comes great responsibility."
Neat, I liked the way they have alien tech, it's neat. Neat book.
I enjoyed this old book. I loved just how easy the plot was to follow and the interesting the race that the main characters met and how it explored the early idea of a matriarchy yet not shying away the problems of it either.
The question of "what did Heinlein really think?" is open to debate. Is he a free love hippie, a la Stranger in a Strange Land? The ur-fascist militarist of Starship Troopers? The staunch survivalist of Time Enough for Love? The creepy racist and incest fan of books which shall not be mentioned?
I think that the 'real Heinlein' is on display here, in Space Cadet. Sure, it's one of his juveniles, but it deal with big issues, like what kind of people and institutions can be trusted to police a solar system and control forces which could wipe out all of humanity. The main characters are appealingly competent, well-meaning problem-solvers who through ingenuity, endurance, and diplomacy overcome the hazards of Space Patrol training, the asteroid belt, and the swamps of Venus. The book is solidly hard sci-fi, some hand-waving aside (waste products from nuclear rockets, the short range of radios, swamps on Venus), both in technology and sociology.
Now, the only open question I have is, is this a better book than Have Spacesuit, Will Travel?
I think that the 'real Heinlein' is on display here, in Space Cadet. Sure, it's one of his juveniles, but it deal with big issues, like what kind of people and institutions can be trusted to police a solar system and control forces which could wipe out all of humanity. The main characters are appealingly competent, well-meaning problem-solvers who through ingenuity, endurance, and diplomacy overcome the hazards of Space Patrol training, the asteroid belt, and the swamps of Venus. The book is solidly hard sci-fi, some hand-waving aside (waste products from nuclear rockets, the short range of radios, swamps on Venus), both in technology and sociology.
Now, the only open question I have is, is this a better book than Have Spacesuit, Will Travel?