Book Review: "Rocket Ship Galileo" by Robert A Heinlein

Title: Rocket Ship Galileo
Author: Robert Heinlein
Pages: 211
Publisher: Ace Books (New York)

Review:

By 1947, Robert Heinlein had changed tactics in getting his views across. He had authored tons of science fiction short stories by this time and at last he got his first full length novel published. He did it by changing over to the popular 'pulp' type stories of his day and toning down the moral stuff to engage a work of juvenile fiction to reach the teen/young adult audience of his time. Rocket Ship Galileo is a basic adventure story of the time but with Robert Heinlein as the author, the science part of the science fiction is high quality and as accurate as the times could make it.

The story is about and man who enlists his nephew and his teenage friends to help him convert a rocket transport into a moon ship with an atomic drive. At the time, atomic power and application was wide open and the story would have had a very realistic appeal with the 'could be' of atomic power at the time. They group of four has many adventures just getting their ship into the air and then the moon trip ends with a discovery, humans are already on the moon secretly. The Nazi's have a secret rocket base on the moon already and the four are forced to take action.

The message is clear, we need to get to the moon because if we don't we could be in danger and who knows what we will find. It is a message Heinlein will repeat. The story is set in his near future, the early 1950s, so he is also pointing out that with a few scientific advances it could be done. Heinlein was pressing for Mankind to reach for the stars for the advancement of man and that it need not be far in the future to do so.

In the story Heinlein still possesses some of his political naivete, showing the United Nations as a world unifying force. But we also see his conservative and libertarian side by showing the benefits of both a capitalist and free society. Young people are valued in the story and it is designed to inspire a young generation to do great things. It is a great tactical change for Heinlein, as in the coming years his fan base will grow up and be ready for the rest of his message.

Rating: Four stars. This is a great adventure story as well as being informative from a science point of view of what people thought was possible in 1947. Heinlein captures the imagination with this one and it is a great science fiction story as well as being a good Heinlein novel.