A very solid book, and definitely worthwhile, but there is something within me that wants more from my science fiction. When I teach something like this, I always use the framework that science fiction is a way of tricking the reader into thinking about something they might not have otherwise. Every work of science fiction is, at its heart, an allegory, and the strength of that work is tied to the strength of the allegory at its core. Its quality is inextricably tied to the idea at its center, that which it is trying to get the reader to think about.
The craftsmanship in this particular book is just stunning. Perfectly paced and structured, vivid and engaging, set in a world that feels simultaneously fantastic and possible. Every detail of the world Heinlein has created is carefully chosen, even if only mentioned in passing. I wouldn't say that the characters were particularly memorable, or that they felt alive to the reader, and I wonder if that is a weakness or a choice on the author's part.
Nevertheless, I would be hard pressed to say what the book was about, what the idea at the center of it was. Perhaps something about the nature of humanity, or the danger of technology? Very unclear. I am left with the impression that Heinlein knew what he wanted to write without being entirely clear why he wanted to write it. I enjoyed the book, but enjoyment is fleeting. What I really look for in science fiction is to become obsessed, and even altered in some way by the reading, as I am when reading Vonnegut or Dick. This book felt, like so many, enjoyable, but ultimately hollow: a world without a soul. I'm glad I read it, but I am in no hurry to purchase another.
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