Heinlein is one of the classic science fiction authors that gets the most praise and I firmly believe this is his best work (among his novels I have read at the very least).  The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is so close to being a special book (among the all-time best). I greatly enjoyed Mike and his relationship with the narrator. I liked the idea of the Lunar Colony rebelling against Earth by “throwing rocks.” The unique social constructs in the Lunar Colony as a result of their own issues were well thought out and logical (the emergence of polygamist families made sense and was treated in such a way as to make the reader believe this was the best way for these people to live).  

Yet, Heinlein’s great fault in this book was his need to be very preachy about his views on the uselessness of government and its inherently oppressive nature. The professor, in fact, is a not very subtle mouthpiece for these viewpoints and it’s distracting amid an otherwise great novel. It’s perfectly reasonable for political/religious viewpoints to come out in fiction, but Heinlein does it in a distracting way that takes away from the story. It’s this fault that holds this novel back, but the rest is so good that it is still worth your time and secures a good spot in my top 100. 

(Felan’s Rescue Available in all formats August 19, 2022. E-book Preorders Available now)