Space Cadet (original 1948; edition 1987)

This is one of Heinlein's "juveniles"--that is, what we now call young adult. I tend to prefer quite a few of those to his adult novels such as Stranger in a Strange Land. I wouldn't count this among his best in that category though--of which my favorite is Citizen of the Galaxy. I'd say it's only about average for Heinlein--which still means it's very good indeed. This one centers on the "Space Patrol" (think Starfleet) which polices the solar system. I've seen this called a space opera version of The Three Musketeers and I think that captures it pretty succinctly. But beyond Heinlein telling a good yarn like most of his science fiction there are some thoughtful, and though-provoking aspects. Yes, some aspects are dated--as has been pointed out more than once in reviews that's especially true of how he deals with gender. This is very much a man's world--or solar system in this case. But hey, this is the fifties, and I'm willing to make allowances for that in order to enjoy this. ( )

This book is one of Heinlein's juvenile books written for adolescent boys. I didn't much care for this book because it moves kinda slowly, but it's not awful. If you're a Heinlein fan it's worth checking out. I wouldn't buy it, but it's definitely worth a trip to the library if you are a hard core Heinlein fan. But this one goes near the bottom of my Heinlein list. ( )

Reading this book today, I find it pleasurable because it reflects an optimistic worldview of the 1950s (although there is the underlying, overtly stated threat of nuclear annihilation). The main character is an intelligent young man who is patriotic and respects authority figures, as he is a member of a military organization, the patrol. Because of the cultural distance, I tend to experience the main character somewhat awkwardly because he marginalizes a lot of perspectives-that of women, in particular. After a few of his juveniles, you come to expect this kind of man-centered vision from Heinlein (like many of the hard-line SF writers--Asimov, Clarke, Campbell), but for some reason I'm not offended by it. Heinlein's other novels, Stranger in a Strange Land, particularly, remind me that Heinlein was a forward thinker. Despite his representation of the main's character's mother (she's portrayed as a non-scientific fool), it's an inspiring story with some stimulating hard science in it. I guess I can place his work in their time and enjoy them. The cohesion of his worldview in this novel calms my very literal mind. ( )

http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.com/2009/06/space-cadet-robert-heinlein.html ( )

http://www.sfreader.com/read_review.asp?book=1208 ( )