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A review by bickleyhouse
The Green Hills of Earth by Robert A. Heinlein
5.0
Robert Heinlein, the first Grand Master of Science Fiction, most definitely earned his title, especially when it comes to short stories. He was certainly a master of the genre. The Green Hills of Earth is a wonderful collection of stories, all Science Fiction in the truest sense of the phrase.
Each of the stories involves space travel of some kind, and many of them are connected, not by main characters, but by, for example, a common city or corporation. "Supra New York City" appears in several stories, as does Luna City. The name Harrigan shows up several times, as a corporation/entity.
Ahead of his time in many ways, Heinlein also addressed issues that we still seem to be struggling with in the 21st century. The first story, "Delilah and the Space Rigger," deals with the awkwardness of sexism in the work place, and has a somewhat humorous conclusion.
"Space Jockey" has an element of identity crisis, coupled with issues within a marriage, as a pilot struggles with trying to land a permanent ship route, or possible quitting altogether, so he can stay in one place with his wife.
"The Long Watch" was a favorite story, as a lone man takes on a military commander who would sacrifice innocent settlements for his cause.
"Gentlemen, Be Seated" features Heinlein's sense of humor, wherein a group of men trapped in a tunnel on the moon, seal a leak and save themselves by, well, sitting down.
In "The Black Pits of Luna," an adolescent boy makes a daring decision to save his younger brother who has wondered away from the group on the surface of the moon.
"It's Great to be Back" deals with the idea that "home" is where you are most comfortable, and is not always the place whence you came. A couple, after living "in" the moon (Luna City is underground) for a while, decides to go "home," only to discover that New York seems much different now. Only it isn't different . . . it is their perspective that has changed.
"'--We Also Walk Dogs'" is another somewhat tongue in cheek story about a specialty corporation that can pull off just about anything you want done. And yes, they also walk dogs. In this case, "walking the dog" turns out to be a euphemism, as they are challenged to accomplish something previously thought impossible.
"Ordeal in Space" was slightly confusing to me, in terms of what was actually happening, but below the surface, it deals with overcoming phobias.
In "The Green Hills of Earth," Heinlein gives us a charming biography of a travelling spaceman, known for his folk-songs, many of which are reportedly too vulgar to feature in the "article." Another favorite of mine.
And in "Logic of Empire," Heinlein deals with the issue of corporate slavery, of a legal nature. A man and his friend, after a drunken binge, decide to sign up for a stint on Venus, in a labor corporation. Only one of them doesn't remember doing so, so he suffers quite a shock when he awakes on the ship from Earth to Venus. This story also addresses the topic of corporate greed, with which Western society struggles more than ever, in 2021. Also a favorite story in the bunch.
Again, as a lover of the short story genre, I appreciate Heinlein's work so very much. His writing style and humor have always appealed to me, and the characters seem real, almost like I know them personally. And I half-expect one of them to bump into a character from one of the other stories. This book also features a time line chart, at the front, showing the time line of the stories, characters, technological, and sociological developments.
And while each story deals with some aspect of space travel or life on places other than earth, there are other elements of life that are addressed, below the surface of each one. Heinlein was way ahead of his time, both scientifically and sociologically.
Each of the stories involves space travel of some kind, and many of them are connected, not by main characters, but by, for example, a common city or corporation. "Supra New York City" appears in several stories, as does Luna City. The name Harrigan shows up several times, as a corporation/entity.
Ahead of his time in many ways, Heinlein also addressed issues that we still seem to be struggling with in the 21st century. The first story, "Delilah and the Space Rigger," deals with the awkwardness of sexism in the work place, and has a somewhat humorous conclusion.
"Space Jockey" has an element of identity crisis, coupled with issues within a marriage, as a pilot struggles with trying to land a permanent ship route, or possible quitting altogether, so he can stay in one place with his wife.
"The Long Watch" was a favorite story, as a lone man takes on a military commander who would sacrifice innocent settlements for his cause.
"Gentlemen, Be Seated" features Heinlein's sense of humor, wherein a group of men trapped in a tunnel on the moon, seal a leak and save themselves by, well, sitting down.
In "The Black Pits of Luna," an adolescent boy makes a daring decision to save his younger brother who has wondered away from the group on the surface of the moon.
"It's Great to be Back" deals with the idea that "home" is where you are most comfortable, and is not always the place whence you came. A couple, after living "in" the moon (Luna City is underground) for a while, decides to go "home," only to discover that New York seems much different now. Only it isn't different . . . it is their perspective that has changed.
"'--We Also Walk Dogs'" is another somewhat tongue in cheek story about a specialty corporation that can pull off just about anything you want done. And yes, they also walk dogs. In this case, "walking the dog" turns out to be a euphemism, as they are challenged to accomplish something previously thought impossible.
"Ordeal in Space" was slightly confusing to me, in terms of what was actually happening, but below the surface, it deals with overcoming phobias.
In "The Green Hills of Earth," Heinlein gives us a charming biography of a travelling spaceman, known for his folk-songs, many of which are reportedly too vulgar to feature in the "article." Another favorite of mine.
And in "Logic of Empire," Heinlein deals with the issue of corporate slavery, of a legal nature. A man and his friend, after a drunken binge, decide to sign up for a stint on Venus, in a labor corporation. Only one of them doesn't remember doing so, so he suffers quite a shock when he awakes on the ship from Earth to Venus. This story also addresses the topic of corporate greed, with which Western society struggles more than ever, in 2021. Also a favorite story in the bunch.
Again, as a lover of the short story genre, I appreciate Heinlein's work so very much. His writing style and humor have always appealed to me, and the characters seem real, almost like I know them personally. And I half-expect one of them to bump into a character from one of the other stories. This book also features a time line chart, at the front, showing the time line of the stories, characters, technological, and sociological developments.
And while each story deals with some aspect of space travel or life on places other than earth, there are other elements of life that are addressed, below the surface of each one. Heinlein was way ahead of his time, both scientifically and sociologically.