Double Star - 3rd Hugo Award Winner (1956)
History
3rd Hugo Award winner (1956)
1st of 4 Hugo Awards won by Heinlein
First serialized in “Astounding Science Fiction”
A more “Juvenile” novel by Heinlein.
StarshipTroopers (1959) marked an end to Heinlein writing “Juvenile” novel’s
“Take sides! Always take sides! You will sometimes be wrong - but the man who refuses to take sides must always be wrong.””
Overview
John Bonforte’s disappearance threatens the peace between Humans and Martians on Mars.
An actor named Lorenzo Smythe is hired to impersonate Bonforte to keep the peace.
Smythe reluctantly agrees to the job & soon becomes deeply entangled in rival factions, interplanetary relations, & his own biases/prejudices.
Pros
Lorenzo Smythe is a likable character and has character development
The book had some progressive ideas. Martians and humans should be treated equally. All races are equal.
Has aged well for a Heinlein novel. Gender dynamics are fine.
It’s an entertaining light novel. You want to see how the novel plays out.
Cons
It was a very safe novel. It coasts from start to finish.
Novel kept on hinting at some potential future action or drama & the payout was anticlimactic
Nameless antagonists don’t really do anything.
Should you read it?
Yes. It’s a great pallet cleanser of a novel. It was a light entertaining read.
My Rating
243 pages, Paperback