The+Moon+Is+a+Harsh+Mistress

=The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress Comments=



Comments:
It seems that I might be the only person here who did not have a great expierience with this book. Although I did find it compelling and thought provoking, I had a very difficult time of really getting into this book. I found the writing style extremely hard to read and I felt like half of the time I was trying to understand the language more than I was trying to understand the plot. I would have to say however, that of all the wiki books I have read, this one was the most deserving of being on the list. It was definitely a step up from past years wikis, and despite the fact I didn't enjoy it very much, I'm still glad I picked it because it was a very tough read for me, and it was nice to challenge myself for a change.
 * David Salley:**

//__Will Paroli:__// I thought this book had a pretty good plot and liked the thought they put into how things would be on the moon.

I also like the thought of super computers and that when you were on Luna long enough you were then forced to stay there. The one thing i did not like in the least was the grammar as Benjamin said. i think it also made me more thankful for the things we have on earth that are hard to get on Luna. This was not one of my favorite books of all time but it did keep me wanting to read more.

I enjoyed this book immensely, which is more than I can say for the wiki options of previous years. In the well developed and fascinating setting of a lunar penal colony, Robert Heinlein conjures up a completely unique take on how human social structure would develop when the population is comprised mainly of violent and short-tempered men. Using this background as the foundation of his story, Heinlein spins a page-turning novel about a revolution that's result will determine the life or death of the colony. Underneath the main storyline are subtle differences between lunar life and the reader's life. Things that we Terrans have always taken for granted--air to breathe and water to drink--must be paid for by every lunar inhabitant or they don't get any. Laws don't exist on the moon, however, Terrans who visit the colony are awed and shocked at the politeness and civility of these penal colonists, making the reader doubt the necessity and even wisdom of the laws they had always assumed were the only thing between them and the evils of humanity. Another interesting element of this novel is Mike, the self-aware supercomputer. This idea has been entertained by many throughout the history of artificial intelligence. Many fear such a development (producing stories like "The Terminator" and "The Matrix") while others hope for a benign and helpful being. While Mike is certainly no terminator, he's not exactly benign either. He is a unique entity with the mischief and humor of a human child, yet the reasoning capacity of a machine. Or, as Manuel put it, "Mike is a baby with a long string of degrees". Whether or not you enjoy this book, you can't but help being affected by it in one way or another. At the very least, you walk away from it questioning some part of the universe that you had never thought to question before. You may have been most struck by the lawless civility, the reactions of self-assured Terrans when suddenly out of their depth, the human psyche as it developed in a different setting, or any number of other things. However, with all these deep questions that could have been on my mind as I put down this book, the question that I found myself revisiting above all others was brought up in the very beginning, when Manuel was called in to repair the computer "malfunction". If our machines became sentient, would we know?
 * Sarah Fair:**

The plot's apex reminded me of this video game called //Red Faction: Guerrilla// because both involve a revolution on an extraterrestrial neighbor of Earth. They both involve the citizens rebelling against the Earth controlled government.
 * Clay Woodfield:**

As contemporary today as when it was first published in 1966, during the time of the Vietnam War and The Great Society programs of The Johnson administration, //The moon is a harsh mistress// is a social novel about rebellion and revolution, reflecting libertarian views which advocate individual liberty and limited government. As Sarah Fair and Clay Woodfield point out, both the artificial intelligence question and the theme of citizen rebellion against government have retained their saliency over the years.
 * Alice Helin :**

This author was on of the most contemporary of his time, many liked him because of his libertarian views just as many despised him for the same reasons. What was then thinking outside the box is now considered dull and overused, however many of the plot's conflicts are still used today, rebellion however is still a constantly used topic, and the moon still seems to be a land of unknowns. The early on description of the differences betweem the two planets is a astonishing, on the moon you must pay to recieve air, in other words you must PAY to not suffocate. Manuel was the wheel that started the cogs spinning, and the cogs caused a revolution. Manuel befriended Mike and for better or for worse Mike became a sentient being. Overall i have mixed feelings about the book, while the plot was good the way it was written wasn't. Im not crazy about the constant change of narrorators, and the constant absence of words that we use and crave in our more modern lanuguage.
 * Wassim Dhaouahira:**

Personally, I think that Heinlein's use of an outlandish dialect and what were outlandish concepts in '66 such as AI, Lunar colonies, a unified Earth, giant catapults, etc, forced readers to open their minds to accept what could be possible. His incorporation of Manuel's rough and unpolitical background inti the middle of a revolution allowed him to summarize and simplify many of the slower and more dull aspects of running a government. While not exactly glossing over the politics, Heinlien did manage to maintain a certain level of interest and suspense throughout the plot, while lecturing about political morality and justice in government. The story, in my opinion, captured the nature of true patriotism and all the benefits and consequences associated. For example, Manuel's own patriotism led him down a path he never expected, eventually showing him the brutality of war, and forcing him to make terrible decisions, while simultaneously allowing him the excitement and thrill of victory and triumph. Finally, I think that the final chapter's questions about what exactly constitutes life and whether sentient machines are also "Bog's" creations is a thoughtful way to conclude the story. Considering that this story did win the Hugo Award, I don't believe I'd be the only one to recommend this book given a chance.
 * Michael Orcutt:**

I read this book two summers ago, fell in love with it, and have been pushing it around ever since. Everything I was planning to say about politics, natures of rebellions, the question of sentient artificial intelligence, and alternative societal structures has already been covered by the people above me! //I'm really looking forward to leading a salon on this book//, and am glad everyone who read it enjoyed it as much as I did (and knowing that the committee made the right choice for the sci-fi book on the reading list).
 * Dirk Gadsden:**

** Tyler Billings: ** __The Moon is a Harsh Mistress__ really takes into account the way that exiled prisoners (like the ones from the United Kingdom to Australia) really feel when their sentence is completed and they realize that they cannot go back to England (or in this case, Earth) and are stuck with what their families have built for them. However, someone (like Manuel, Prof, Wyoh or something- Mike?) comes along and tells them that they can have a better life. The four mail characters in this book want to do what’s right for the people of the moon. They make huge sacrifices to ensure that their people are treated fairly. First, Prof. encourages them to create an organized rebellion. After that, they overthrow the Warden. Then, when they have control of the whole moon, they go to Earth and stir up sympathy there. When they come back, they fight the Earthen invaders who land on the moon and throw rocks at Earth. Finally, on the third day of bombing, Great China breaks down and promises to negotiate, with India and the rest of the world trying to follow. This story twists in unexpected directions throughout the book, eventually leading to a tall tale about exile, hate, love, and the determination of the human spirit. However, it also forms another opinion about the futuristic sentient computers that everyone is expecting the leading scientists to build. It believes, and I have even found myself believing, that the computers will be lonely and sad. They will only be loyal to their close "friends" and dictators will either have to befriend them or do without them because they will not know "right vs. wrong". Therefore, they can become cruel and have no affection for any human except one, or they can be peacekeepers and love everyone. All in all, I thought it was a great book and I would recommend it to anyone over 13.

Benjamin Simons:
While the poor grammar of this book didn't appeal to me, the plot was good. I think that Heinlein made some very interesting predictions for the future. While his prediction for society could be plausible, I dont think that the family structure that he predicted will ever happen. Also, something like a sentient computer doesn't seem like it could ever be created. While reading the book, I realized how much I take for granted. Things like air and ice that are very easy to obtain, are lifelines for the residents of Luna. Overall, the book was pretty good, and I enjoyed reading it. I am terribly embarassed to admit that my husband has been trying to get me to read Heinlein for YEARS. Since I prefer fantasy to sci-fi, I have quietly resisted, turning the pages of the other books I hold near and dear. Needless to say, I am glad that this book was added to the reading list! While, like Benjamin and Wassim, the grammar threw me at first, it actually became one of the parts of the books I enjoyed. I didn't see it as "poor" grammar, as much as the dialect that evolved due to the physical separation of the different groups of people in the book. It was intersting to see both the evolution of Mike, from a childish prankster of an AI to the forward thinking "defender of Lunar-kind," shall we say, and the evolution of the ideas of the Lunar "colonisits." Needless to say, I think my husband is pleased that I selected this books as well. He has already directed me to the REST of his Heinlein books on the bookshelf, and will likely be quizzing me on another one in a week or so!
 * Mrs. Fox**:

I found that this book had a plot quite similar to the American Revolution which kind of surprised me that no one else has posted about. This is the kind of book that I would usually read and it really was enjoyable. There where some spots that I got kind of bored at in the middle which almost made me switch to a different book but i stuck with it and i ended up enjoying it immensely much. It was quite interesting how much he played off of the American Revolution including July 4th, and even the type of government he used. If I were asked i would probably recommend this book to a friend, but I would make sure to include that it gets kind of boring in the middle.
 * Michael Rieder:**

As a person who traditionally sticks with Non-Fiction books, this was a step in a new direction for me. I felt that this book was a very fitting introduction to the world of science fiction for a few reasons. For one, the plot is something that has a somewhat historical background…at least in terms of revolution and fighting for freedom. The second is the timeline. It is not thousands of years in the future, or the past, but rather at a tangible distance from the present. Another concept that I found interesting was how much the book seems to have impacted the media, specifically the film industry since it was published. It is hard to determine, especially at this time what prompted the formation of the AI and space war genre (2001, star wars, star trek, etc.) but is my guess that this book is fairly early in the lineup. It is interesting to be able to look back and see how many films have been made on these subjects since the book was written. Overall, I thought the book was a very interesting and enjoyable introduction to the world of science fiction novels.
 * Brian Hopkins (11):**


 * Garland Blanchard:**

This book is one of the best books I have ever read. I liked it so much, that I also so got //Stranger in a Strange Land// and //Starship Troopers// which are both sci-fi novels written by Heinlein. //The Moon is a Harsh Mistress// was based around the lunar revolution and is filled with political theories and political struggles. //Stranger in a Strange Land// is based around military strategies and theories.


 * George Phillips:**

While I usually do not read Science Fiction books, as Mr. Moore gave a description __The Moon is a Harsh Mistress__ I could not resist reading the book, and I would confidently say that it filled my expectations. I would agree with Benjamin and Wassim that the book was a little difficult to work through with the difficult grammar, but over time I was able to cope with it. The plot however, made up for it. It was a very interesting idea in sort of a futaristic sense with the in depth creation of Luna. Heinlein brought us into a world where many violent men rule society. Luna definitly became a trap for the inhabitants though as they could not move and were forced to stay after living there for a period of 6 months. I feel like Brian brought up an interesting point that I would totally agree with that the book introduced many new ideas to the movie industry. Overall, I thought it was an interesting book worth reading with a few important twists that keep things exciting.

I really enjoyed how this book was written. The way the dialog was written gives some of the characters an almost 'Australian' way of speaking, which is ironic because Australia was also once a penal colony just like Luna. the book was a fairly easy read and the characters were well developed. I really enjoyed this book.
 * Sam Furr:**

This book was a very different branch from what I traditionally read, albeit fiction. It had a very different plot, despite the seemingly cliche direction. One thing that I found gave the book a lot of character was the use of broken grammar by the main character, who narrated the book as well, giving it a sense of medium/low working class standard, which I enjoyed for a few reasons, but the main being that it got to the point. Of course, the author gave detail when needed but was not unnecessarily flashy with his wording, which was very nice when the plot got confusing in a few places, especially when the time point jumped between describing a few days or hours, to generalizing six months to a year at a time. As a conclusion, I found this book very intriguing, although it was a bit difficult to get the momentum going to keep reading. But as the book revved down, I genuinely found interest in the text. It had a lot of easy to understand concepts, historical connections and instances, intricate and complicated points, interwoven character plots, and new ideas and thoughts about futuristic society, and how some of humanities darkest convictions, if left unsaid, will arise.
 * David Hendrix:**

__The Moon is a Harsh Mistress__ is a great book of science fiction that includes lunar colonies, self thinking computers, and many other futuristic characteristics. I enjoyed this book due to the whole idea which leads the story and its characters through a revolution between lunar colonies and the authority from earth that takes advantage over those in the colonies. The characters are defined well througbout the whole book which undoubtedly adds to the plot. Another part that drew me into the book was the fact that a computer had a mind of its own that could have emotions and even tell jokes. Overall I believe that this book is fantastic in many ways. A great book to read.
 * Ben Worsham:**