Red Planet by Robert Heinlein - Book Review

Title: Red Planet
Author: Robert A. Heinlein
Pages: 229
Publisher Ballantine Books (New York: 1949)

Review:

When it was first published in 1949, Heinlein's editor tore large chunks out of it to make it able to fit on a public middle school library shelf. In so doing, the book was stripped of much of its Heinlein charm. In 1992, after Heinlein's death the book was re-published with the edits restored. I have read both versions and let me tell you I like the one that is restored much better. The third of Heinlein's juvenile books, it remains a classic.

When Heinlein wrote this book in 1949, Mars was an very much unknown place. It had canals and the possibility of life much like our own. It remained a science fiction paradise and playground for many years and in many ways still does. In Heinlein's Mars, there is life, Martians, canals and water. It has an almost fantasy quality.

The central plot of Red Planet centers around two teenage boys who discover a plot against the colonists of Mars by the company government. Through their actions with a little help from the Martians (in particular, a Martian bouncer 'pet' named Willis) they are able to help save the day. It is a solid adventure story and has some interesting twists and turns.

The romance of being a human colonist on another planet is the driving force of this book. The colonists are free people with a great deal of liberty and aim to stay that way. Heinlein explores the nature of some of the difficulties of colonizing another world both from a technological point of view and from a diplomatic point of view. The most charming part of this book is of course the Martians. They are truly different from humans and it is this large difference that makes the struggle even more interesting.

The style (once the edits are put back in) is very Robert Heinlein. Fierce loyalty to individual liberty, an understanding of the science of colonization and realistic characters are distinctive Heinlein traits in this book.

Rating: 4 stars. While not my favorite of Robert's juvenile books, it is extremely well done and merits a read. Just make sure you get a copy published after 1992; it is much better.