The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein

Hello, Stranger.

Let's talk about Robert Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.

The Short of It

Plot: The Moon is ready for a revolution, and only a supercomputer with a sense of humor is smart enough to lead it.

Page Count: 380

Award: 1967 Hugo

Worth a read: Yes
Primary Driver: (Plot, World, or Character)
Bechdel Test: Pass
Technobabble: Moderate
Review: Mike may be a computer, but he is one of Heinlein's most human characters. Snappy dialogue and good characters keep you rooting for Luna every step of the way. Upbeat and fun.

The Medium of It

Spoiler Free!

“Jokes?” he asked.
“Let’s hear one.”
“Why is a laser beam like a goldfish?”
Mike knew about lasers but where would he have seen goldfish? Oh, he had undoubtedly seen flicks of them and, were I foolish enough to ask, could spew forth thousands of words. “I give up.”
His lights rippled. “Because neither one can whistle.”

Alright, so maybe Mike's sense of humor is not perfect. Let us be clear; Mannie O'Kelly-Davis may be the narrator but Mike is the main character of this whole affair. Mike is a HOLMES IV ("High-Optional, Logical, Multi-Evaluating Supervisor, Mark IV") supercomputer, and Mannie is his Watson. (Before anyone grabs the torches and pitchforks, yes, Mike goes by Mycroft, Sherlock's brother, so Watson does not quite make sense as a companion. I maintain the parallel.)

Mike was upgraded countless times to bring him (inadvertently) to the point of sentience. His sense of humor is part of what makes him human, and there are some excellent scenes of Mannie, Mike, and others working through jokes to explain why they are or are not funny.

Plot is a pretty standard revolution story - colonies are oppressed, David and Goliath, that whole song and dance. It's well done but nothing too groundbreaking. There are some nice twists on the formula given Mike's abilities as a supercomputer, and charismatic characters keep you cheering the revolutionaries on. The start is a bit on the slow side and there are a few parts that drag but for the most part pacing is good.

Mike has significantly more personality than anyone else. There are plenty of likable characters, but they tend to be Heinlein's 2D cutouts of humans - no real depth. 

There is some interesting world building here as well. Heinlein explores what it means to live on the Moon, air and water, laws, and so on. Also, if you thought that he was going to pass up a chance to advocate for polyamory, you have not read enough Heinlein.

This is all to say that plot and world are solid, but the reason to read this book is Mike. And for that alone this book is worth a read.

If you're inclined to give this a spin, please use the link below! It'll help free Luna and give me a few cents, at no cost to you!

This link is not a joke!

The Long of It

Spoilers Ahead!

By far the dullest parts of this book are the matters of actual diplomacy and revolution. Characters explain their perspectives via monologue, a recurring issue in these books. Much of the Earth portion of the book gets bogged down in nearly-identical scenes of meetings, press conferences, or negotiations, with diminishing returns on progressing the story. More importantly, this is the section of the book where we do not have Mike around, as he is running things back up on Luna.

Easily the most engaging part of the book was when Mike was simultaneously Adam Selene, head of the Revolution, Simon Jester, poet, and Mike, Mannie's friend. Mike's presence was enough to liven up any scene; there is a constant undercurrent of comedy whenever Mike is pretending to be a human that kept everything light.

I feel an obligation to discuss polyamory. I don't want to yuck anyone's yum, so please do not take this the wrong way. But somehow the answer to any question asked in any of the numerous worlds Heinlein has dreamed up is polyamory. We get it, Robert. It's your thing. And it makes way more sense in this book than it did in Stranger in a Strange Land. It's just a lot, and frequently awkwardly shoehorned in.  Mannie either muses on things he already knows, tells people who should know how it works already, or is asked questions that allow a monologue to explain Luna's line and clan marriages. The book stutters each time this comes up.

Mannie's odd diction is an effective way of conveying personality, but does not always flow well. Wanted one sentence to flow into next. Not always so choppy. Unclear what accent was supposed to sound like. Not sure what takeaway is. As an example, one of my favorite jokes in the book, which comes up when they are trying to figure out how to give Adam Selene a body when he's just a computer:

We talked about finding an actor to play it. Were no professional actors in Luna then but were good amateurs in Luna Civic Players and in Novy Bolshoi Teatr Associates.

“No,” said Prof, “aside from finding an actor of requisite character—one who would not decide to be Napoleon—we can’t wait. Adam must start handling things not later than tomorrow morning.”

Get it? It's the plot of Double Star, Heinlein's 1956 Hugo Winner!

The ending was an ambush; the death of Mike is both sudden and final. Poor Mike. He just wanted to tell jokes.

It is an imperfect book but has aged shockingly well. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and Mike's death was in the top three saddest demises I've read in these award winners. 

The... Extra of It

Spoilers for The Cat Who Walked Through Walls ahead!

I'll write up a full review of this at some point. It is in some ways a sequel to The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, with many familiar characters making appearances. The most important revelation is that Mike is definitely still around and kicking. The book itself is pretty underwhelming, but it was nice to see Mike again, if only the physical parts of the computer.

What's your favorite joke, Stranger?

And don't forget to read a book!