Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Macmillan
Description
Fiction. Science Fiction & Fantasy. HTML: Upon his death in 1988, Robert A. Heinlein left a legacy of novels and short stories that almost single-handedly defined modern science fiction. But one of Heinlein's masterpieces was never finished. In 1955, he began work on Variable Star, a powerful and passionate tale of two young lovers driven apart by pride, power, and the vastness of interstellar time and space. Then he set it aside to focus on other novellas. The detailed outline and notes he created for this project lay forgotten for decades, only to be rediscovered almost a half-century later. Now the Heinlein estate has authorized award-winning author Spider Robinson to expand that outline into a full-length novel. The result is vintage Heinlein, faithful in style and spirit to the Grand Master's original vision. When Joel Johnston first met Jinny Hamilton, it seemed like a dream come true. And when she finally agreed to marry him, he felt like the luckiest man in the universe. There was just one small problem�??he was broke. His only goal in life was to become a composer, and he knew it would take years before he was earning enough to support a family. But Jinny wasn't willing to wait, and when Joel asked her what they were going to do for money, she gave him a most unexpected answer. She told him that her name wasn't really Jinny Hamilton�??it was Jinny Conrad, and she was the granddaughter of Richard Conrad, the wealthiest man in the solar system. Now that she was sure Joel loved her for more than just her wealth, she revealed her family's plans for him: he would be groomed for a place in the vast Conrad empire and sire a dynasty to carry on the family business. Most men would have jumped at the opportunity. But Joel Johnston wasn't most men. To Jinny's surprise, and even his own, he turned down her generous offer and then set off on the mother of all benders�??and woke up on a colony ship heading out into space. There he found himself torn between regret over his rash decision and his determination to forget Jinny and make a life for himself among the stars. He was on his way to succeeding when his plans�??and the plans of billions of others�??were shattered by a cosmic cataclysm so devastating it would take all of humanity's strength and ingenuity just t… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member StormRaven
Several years after Robert A. Heinlein died, and a couple years after Ginny Heinlein had also passed away, a detailed but unfinished outline that he had written during his years producing juvenile novels was uncovered. Spider Robinson was asked to create a novel based upon this partial outline. The
The story itself is pretty straightforward. Our intrepid protagonist is madly in love with a red-headed woman who turns out to be the stupendously wealthy heiress to a vast mercantile empire. After being more or less connived into proposing marriage, he learns that he is expected to fulfill a collection of obligations to take his place in the family business. He balks, and ends up on a ship bound for the stars, whereupon he has a collection of adventures typical of the hero in a Heinlein novel. He eventually finds his place in the world, his true love, and more or less lives happily ever after. Along the way, there's some drugs, some sex, and a lot of inside references to other Heinlein works.
The first thing any person who has read any amount of Heinlein will notice is that the book is something of an homage. The very opening scene is reminiscent of the opening scene of Number of the Beast, although things progress quite differently in this story. The central character of the book, Joel Johnston, is something of a hick from the farming colony of Ganymede, a clear reference to the book Farmer in the Sky. His love interest is a strong-willed redhead named Jinny, a reference to Heinlein's red-headed wife Virginia. References are made to Neimiah Scudder, the telepathic twins of Time for the Stars, loonies and group marriages from The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress and Friday, and so on and so forth. To certain extent, the novel, published so long after Heinlein's death, is a walk through memory lane for his fans. In addition, Robinson sprinkled several more contemporary references to other science fiction authors (the most obvious being the name of the starship central to the story, the Charles Sheffield), and even a reference to Smethers from The Simpsons.
This is not to say that the book is merely a giant pile of references to please those with insider knowledge. In his afterword, Spider notes that he was instructed not to write a novel in a style imitating Heinelein's, but to use the outline to write the best novel he could. Despite this, in the early pages of the novel, Robinson does a pretty good job at making a Heinlein juvenile, although it diverges from this sensibility more and more as one progresses through the book. With the entire library of Heinlein works to draw upon, Robinson adds in many elements that would have never shown up in a Heinlein juvenile, exploring how Joel deals with losing the woman he thought would be the love of his life as he descends into experimentation with excessive drug and alcohol use, leading to an interesting exchange that calls into question Joel's relaibility as a narrator before he sets about transforming himself into a more productive member of the ship's crew. The book also deals with Joel's sexual experiences in a straightforward manner that would have been entirely out of place in a juvenile, but thankfully avoids elements such as incest that crop up in some of the later Heinlein titles.
As he notes in his afterword, the outline he was handed was incomplete, and contained no indication at all as to what the ending should have been and thus he was forced to come up with one that would be suitable. Left on his own, Robinson demonstrates that he is more than up to the task (and more than willing to discard elements of Heinlein's Future History to suit his story) as he takes Heinlein's beginning, and crafts a suitably satisfying conclusion. In many ways, Variable Star is a novel written with the quality of a Heinlein juvenile aimed at a more adult audience without delving into Heinlein's personal sexual preferences. A fan of Heinlein who is looking for something that will remind them of works like Citizen of the Galaxy or The Door into Summer or any number of other Heinlein titles will enjoy this book. Any fan of Spider Robinson will also probably find this book to their liking. In short, anyone who is looking for some space adventure coupled with a little nostalgia and a bunch of contemporary references will probably be happy if they pick up Variable Star.
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novel Variable Star, an odd amalgamation of some of the sensibilities of a Heinlein juvenile, the sex and drugs in later Heinlein works, and Spider's own style, was the result. Happily, this combination turns out to be a pretty good story.The story itself is pretty straightforward. Our intrepid protagonist is madly in love with a red-headed woman who turns out to be the stupendously wealthy heiress to a vast mercantile empire. After being more or less connived into proposing marriage, he learns that he is expected to fulfill a collection of obligations to take his place in the family business. He balks, and ends up on a ship bound for the stars, whereupon he has a collection of adventures typical of the hero in a Heinlein novel. He eventually finds his place in the world, his true love, and more or less lives happily ever after. Along the way, there's some drugs, some sex, and a lot of inside references to other Heinlein works.
The first thing any person who has read any amount of Heinlein will notice is that the book is something of an homage. The very opening scene is reminiscent of the opening scene of Number of the Beast, although things progress quite differently in this story. The central character of the book, Joel Johnston, is something of a hick from the farming colony of Ganymede, a clear reference to the book Farmer in the Sky. His love interest is a strong-willed redhead named Jinny, a reference to Heinlein's red-headed wife Virginia. References are made to Neimiah Scudder, the telepathic twins of Time for the Stars, loonies and group marriages from The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress and Friday, and so on and so forth. To certain extent, the novel, published so long after Heinlein's death, is a walk through memory lane for his fans. In addition, Robinson sprinkled several more contemporary references to other science fiction authors (the most obvious being the name of the starship central to the story, the Charles Sheffield), and even a reference to Smethers from The Simpsons.
This is not to say that the book is merely a giant pile of references to please those with insider knowledge. In his afterword, Spider notes that he was instructed not to write a novel in a style imitating Heinelein's, but to use the outline to write the best novel he could. Despite this, in the early pages of the novel, Robinson does a pretty good job at making a Heinlein juvenile, although it diverges from this sensibility more and more as one progresses through the book. With the entire library of Heinlein works to draw upon, Robinson adds in many elements that would have never shown up in a Heinlein juvenile, exploring how Joel deals with losing the woman he thought would be the love of his life as he descends into experimentation with excessive drug and alcohol use, leading to an interesting exchange that calls into question Joel's relaibility as a narrator before he sets about transforming himself into a more productive member of the ship's crew. The book also deals with Joel's sexual experiences in a straightforward manner that would have been entirely out of place in a juvenile, but thankfully avoids elements such as incest that crop up in some of the later Heinlein titles.
As he notes in his afterword, the outline he was handed was incomplete, and contained no indication at all as to what the ending should have been and thus he was forced to come up with one that would be suitable. Left on his own, Robinson demonstrates that he is more than up to the task (and more than willing to discard elements of Heinlein's Future History to suit his story) as he takes Heinlein's beginning, and crafts a suitably satisfying conclusion. In many ways, Variable Star is a novel written with the quality of a Heinlein juvenile aimed at a more adult audience without delving into Heinlein's personal sexual preferences. A fan of Heinlein who is looking for something that will remind them of works like Citizen of the Galaxy or The Door into Summer or any number of other Heinlein titles will enjoy this book. Any fan of Spider Robinson will also probably find this book to their liking. In short, anyone who is looking for some space adventure coupled with a little nostalgia and a bunch of contemporary references will probably be happy if they pick up Variable Star.
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LibraryThing member kotwf
My God! It was great to read a NEW Heinlein book. A decidedly Heinlein plot (written from 8 pages of RAH's own notes), with decidedly Heinlein characters, having Heinlein conversations, in which they discuss Heinlein ideals. Were it not for a few decidedly "Post-Heinlein" references (specifically
For any true Heinlein fan, this is a must have addition to their collection. While this book has its shortcomings, the shear joy of being able to read a new, modern Heinlein classic adventure story more than overcomes them all.
I've never read a Spider Robinson book, but he claims ( in the afterword ) that this is the best book he has ever written. If his other books are near what this one is, I will soon be a Robinson fan as well.
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references to September 11 and "googling"), I could have been convinced that it was written by the Grand Master himself.For any true Heinlein fan, this is a must have addition to their collection. While this book has its shortcomings, the shear joy of being able to read a new, modern Heinlein classic adventure story more than overcomes them all.
I've never read a Spider Robinson book, but he claims ( in the afterword ) that this is the best book he has ever written. If his other books are near what this one is, I will soon be a Robinson fan as well.
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LibraryThing member hjjugovic
Heinlein is my all time favorite author, and I fell in love with him by reading old copies of his books from used book stores - copies that lacked an author biography in a time before the Internet. So when I finally got a new copy of a book I couldn't find used, I turned to the back cover hoping to
So when I say I'm a Heinlein fan and didn't know how to feel about someone else writing a Heinlein novel long after his death, you know what I mean. I hoped so much for new, living Heinlein, but was afraid I'd find a dead thing.
I was very wrong! Spider Robinson brings the spirit of Heinlein back to life using an outline Heinlein left behind. Reading Variable Star, I felt like the kid I was when I first read all of Heinlein's other novels years ago. If you're a Heinlein fan too, that's all you need to know. Read it!
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find a way to write a thank you letter to my beloved R.A.H....and instead discovered he had died before I had even begun reading his books. Heartbroken.So when I say I'm a Heinlein fan and didn't know how to feel about someone else writing a Heinlein novel long after his death, you know what I mean. I hoped so much for new, living Heinlein, but was afraid I'd find a dead thing.
I was very wrong! Spider Robinson brings the spirit of Heinlein back to life using an outline Heinlein left behind. Reading Variable Star, I felt like the kid I was when I first read all of Heinlein's other novels years ago. If you're a Heinlein fan too, that's all you need to know. Read it!
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LibraryThing member satyridae
I've been avoiding this book since it came out. I was afraid to read it. I needn't have worried. It's a Heinlein-flavored Robinson book. A good story full of wordplay and telepathy and noble little humans. Better than I expected by a long shot, and I had reasonably high expectations hidden within
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the avoidance. Show Less
LibraryThing member Meggo
The last book Heinlein never wrote. Spider Robinson wrote this book in the master's style, based on 8 pages of notes written by Heinlein himself. This book definitely had the Heinlein feel to it, and I didn't notice a dramatic difference in writing style.
As for the book itself, overall it was an
As for the book itself, overall it was an
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enjoyable and addictive read, more so once the protagonist leaves Earth and the whole "love interest" thing fades into the background. Neither Robinson nor Heinlein writes romance well, and this book is no exception. The true story, however, was a real page turner. Show Less
LibraryThing member morydd_library
A great read. While it felt like it was Heinlein influenced, I don't feel that it was a "Heinlein" book. The book was well written and entertaining still.
However, there was a small section in which Robinson decided to add some highly biased commentary on current US politics that was very poorly
However, there was a small section in which Robinson decided to add some highly biased commentary on current US politics that was very poorly
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integrated into the story. That I found very upsetting. Show Less
LibraryThing member JoshEnglish
This book started slow, but picked up speed to be one of the best last six chapters I have read in a long time. The small lectures on science, math, and buddhism were at first annoying, but it helped tie this book into the classic science fiction form. Some action, some explanation, some more
Heinlein always seems to have a message in his books. Starship Troopers says that the only effective punishment is cruel and unusual. This story illustrates that stopping war on a global scale won't really help unless we can get rid of greed first.
Amen.
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action. I read science fiction partially because of my love of science, so a little education padding out the narrative is fine.Heinlein always seems to have a message in his books. Starship Troopers says that the only effective punishment is cruel and unusual. This story illustrates that stopping war on a global scale won't really help unless we can get rid of greed first.
Amen.
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LibraryThing member ErasmusRob
This is *it.* The last Heinlein novel there will ever be.
OK, that place probably goes to "For Us, The Living." This is actually a novel *outlined* by the late master and actually penned by the still-living genius Spider Robinson. He did not try to make it a pastiche, but rather took what Heinlein
I won't say only RAH could have conceived this, but only RAH and Robinson could have made this book. There are places where it's undeniably Spider (references to 9/11 and the sociopolitical fallout therefrom, for example), but it still *feels* like a Heinlein novel in so many ways.
If you enjoy Heinlein, read it.
If you enjoy Robinson, read it.
If you don't know one or the other of these authors (and pity you if you know neither), then read it and discover new worlds of delight. I have several other books "in the works," and I stopped reading all of them to read this one.
Oh, the plot? Well, it follows Joel Johnston as he discovers that his girlfriend Jinny is not an impoverished orphan and student like himself, but in fact heir to the largest fortune ever accumulated. He tries to make the most of this, until it is made clear to him by the patriarch of the clan (a thoroughly unlikeable fellow who reminds me of the owner of the space habitat in Robinson's "Stardance") that he is expected to drop all his plans and be groomed to take over the family's commercial empire.
Deciding he's not interested, Joel severs relations with Jinny (a tribute to Virginia Heinlein, perchance?) in the most drastic way possible: he signs onto an outbound interstellar colony ship.
It's from there that things start to get complex, and I won't spoil it for you save to say that the scope of disaster envisioned is one that few authors have dared touch on; even authors like Larry Niven who postulate an explosion at the core of our galaxy, or David Gerrold, whose "Cities in Flight" end with the end of the entire universe don't quite get the same feeling as Robinson does here.
There's one item that might seem a deus ex machina, but the story could have been crafted equally well without it, so I'm going to conclude that it was intentional and not a way to get himself out of a corner into which he'd written himself (I can't imagine either Robinson or RAH doing that).
The end of the book has a character addressing us, the reader, which is pleasantly reminiscent of both authors, and makes it uniquely theirs.
OK, that place probably goes to "For Us, The Living." This is actually a novel *outlined* by the late master and actually penned by the still-living genius Spider Robinson. He did not try to make it a pastiche, but rather took what Heinlein
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(I always want to call him "Dr." Heinlein, for some reason) outlined and turned it into a full-length novel. I won't say only RAH could have conceived this, but only RAH and Robinson could have made this book. There are places where it's undeniably Spider (references to 9/11 and the sociopolitical fallout therefrom, for example), but it still *feels* like a Heinlein novel in so many ways.
If you enjoy Heinlein, read it.
If you enjoy Robinson, read it.
If you don't know one or the other of these authors (and pity you if you know neither), then read it and discover new worlds of delight. I have several other books "in the works," and I stopped reading all of them to read this one.
Oh, the plot? Well, it follows Joel Johnston as he discovers that his girlfriend Jinny is not an impoverished orphan and student like himself, but in fact heir to the largest fortune ever accumulated. He tries to make the most of this, until it is made clear to him by the patriarch of the clan (a thoroughly unlikeable fellow who reminds me of the owner of the space habitat in Robinson's "Stardance") that he is expected to drop all his plans and be groomed to take over the family's commercial empire.
Deciding he's not interested, Joel severs relations with Jinny (a tribute to Virginia Heinlein, perchance?) in the most drastic way possible: he signs onto an outbound interstellar colony ship.
It's from there that things start to get complex, and I won't spoil it for you save to say that the scope of disaster envisioned is one that few authors have dared touch on; even authors like Larry Niven who postulate an explosion at the core of our galaxy, or David Gerrold, whose "Cities in Flight" end with the end of the entire universe don't quite get the same feeling as Robinson does here.
There's one item that might seem a deus ex machina, but the story could have been crafted equally well without it, so I'm going to conclude that it was intentional and not a way to get himself out of a corner into which he'd written himself (I can't imagine either Robinson or RAH doing that).
The end of the book has a character addressing us, the reader, which is pleasantly reminiscent of both authors, and makes it uniquely theirs.
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LibraryThing member robertweaver
I have to give Spider Robinson a lot of credit for capturing the feeling of Heinlein's work. This was a good story and it had a bit of nostalgia to it as an uncompleted Heinlein work.
LibraryThing member burningtodd
I am so glad to have a read a new Heinlein book. Yes I know that it is not strictly a work by the Grandmaster, however, the characters and the story are his as well as much of the dialogue and ideas. Bless Spider Robinson for picking up the torch. I am interested in more.
LibraryThing member PortiaLong
As a die-hard Heinlein fan, I was braced for "terrible" and pleasantly surprised by "actually pretty good." I really enjoyed the Buddhism passages and was not terribly put-off by the "War on Terror" weave-in (though it was a bit long). One current pop-culture reference put me off a bit (Heinlein's
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tended to be references to "old" SF - Burroughs, "Doc" Smith, etc) and one technical error. Perfectly entertaining and readable and an up-tick on the rating for a difficult job well-done. I will have to pick up some more works by Spider Robinson and see if I like him when he is NOT channelling the Grand Master. (Not that I wouldn't like to pick up some more RAH as well - unfortunately, I HAVE them all...) Show Less
LibraryThing member thomasJamo
This book was incomplete at the time of Heinlein's death and was finished by Spider Robinson. Those are some huge shoes to fill for Spider Robinson, but I think he stepped up to the plate nicely. It's pretty good and Spider did a great job of maintaining that Heinlein feel. Good work.
LibraryThing member vita
Great job by Spider Robinson in finishing this novel. Except for references to matters which happened after Heinlein's death, I couldn't very well distinuish one writer from the other.
Heinlein fans definitely will want to read this one; make you miss him. Some familiar themes here that seem to
A fun book for younger readers that might tempt those who haven't tried Heinlein or scifi yet.
Heinlein fans definitely will want to read this one; make you miss him. Some familiar themes here that seem to
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have fallen out of sci-fi in recent years, especially the "can do" colonists.A fun book for younger readers that might tempt those who haven't tried Heinlein or scifi yet.
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LibraryThing member Cataloger623
Fun read. I'd like to see more from this author. This story combines good science speculation and an intriguing plot.
LibraryThing member szarka
Spider Robinson has given devoted Heinlein fans a rare gift with this novel. It doesn't measure up to Heinlein's own best work; but it's better than his worst. It's a pastiche, certainly; but it's never a parody. It may be flawed; but, with perhaps one exception, its flaws are true to the spirit of
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Heinlein's work. [2006-09-17] Show Less
LibraryThing member Gregorio_Roth
At times the story stalls, but the humor is quit hilarious.
LibraryThing member FarmerNick
It was a fun and quick read with a good twist towards the end. I enjoyed it a lot but I'm afraid it didn't stand up to Heinlein's finished novels.
LibraryThing member DLMorrese
Don’t believe the cover. This is not a Heinlein novel. It’s a Spider Robinson novel based on an incomplete outline and some notes Heinlein prepared in 1955. It makes for an odd collaboration, but I enjoyed the story. It’s mostly Robinson, though, with a characteristically crude and flawed
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main character, fond of drink and socially awkward. It includes clichés, snarky asides, and has a first person conversational style that constantly reminds you that this is just a story. Don’t take it seriously. Much of the plot, though, is classic Heinlein. It’s pure science fiction in the original, positive, sense of the term with scientists and spaceships and a spotlight on the importance of free choice and individual human achievement. Somehow, the combination works. It’s not the silly, unsophisticated humor of Robinson, and it’s not the serious comment on humanity of Heinlein, but it succeeds in showing mankind progressing despite mistakes and setbacks, which is what I enjoy most in science fiction and which was the predominant theme of the classic stories from the 1950’s. Show Less
LibraryThing member clmerle
Blowing up the Solar System was totally unnecessary. And then the Conrad in the box at the end was unexpected but not surprising. If Jinny had not come back into the picture, she would have been a 100 page McGuffin. I gave the book 2 stars because parts of it were good and enjoyable, but most of it
As I said in previous comments, it's not good Heinlein or good Robinson. I'm somewhat surprised time travel wasn't used, but clearly this needs a sequel.
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was not. I'm surprised at the other high ratings.As I said in previous comments, it's not good Heinlein or good Robinson. I'm somewhat surprised time travel wasn't used, but clearly this needs a sequel.
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LibraryThing member majackson
Variable Star by Robert A. Heinlein & Spider Robinson (2006)
Spider did a superb job of channeling Heinlein and producing a story that "tastes" like a Heinlein story. In the first chapter I found myself remembering "Have Space Suit, Will Travel". There's tension and danger and humor and
And yes, you can guess what needs to happen to produce a happy ending (I don't ever remember a Heinlein story ending on a negative note); and yes, there is a bit of 'deus ex machina' to the ending, and yes, it does end a bit too quickly. And yes, this story does beg for a sequel—Douglas Adams notwithstanding, you don't blow up the Earth in a Heinlein story and just leave it there.
All in all, I much prefer the earlier Heinlein to the later-all-too-progressive Heinlein. For the most part, this is in that earlier style—modified with some moderate modern touches (and not so hidden references to other personalities—Perry Jernel?) so that I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The review by rustyoldboat summarizes anything else I might say quite adequately.
Spider did a superb job of channeling Heinlein and producing a story that "tastes" like a Heinlein story. In the first chapter I found myself remembering "Have Space Suit, Will Travel". There's tension and danger and humor and
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excitement…but the emphasis is on the human interactions, not the technology. Like "The Roads Must Roll" the science is the background for the hero's learning about himself and his surroundings. Yes, there's a lot of intense millisecond psychoanalysis, and that's what I miss about Heinlein's works—as a teenager I relished the analysis of the thoughts and feelings of the young characters (and later the older characters) as they struggled to understand what was happening to them, forcing them to change and grow.And yes, you can guess what needs to happen to produce a happy ending (I don't ever remember a Heinlein story ending on a negative note); and yes, there is a bit of 'deus ex machina' to the ending, and yes, it does end a bit too quickly. And yes, this story does beg for a sequel—Douglas Adams notwithstanding, you don't blow up the Earth in a Heinlein story and just leave it there.
All in all, I much prefer the earlier Heinlein to the later-all-too-progressive Heinlein. For the most part, this is in that earlier style—modified with some moderate modern touches (and not so hidden references to other personalities—Perry Jernel?) so that I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The review by rustyoldboat summarizes anything else I might say quite adequately.
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LibraryThing member antao
"What is marriage for?"
The car told her she was heading the wrong way; she reversed direction and came back past me toward its voice and pulsing beacon. "Babies, obviously."
I followed her. "Bingo. Marriage is for making jolly babies, raising them up into successful predators, and then admiring them
In “Variable Star” by Robert A. Heinlein, Spider Robinson
Ghastly, isn’t it?
There is an urban myth about a police sergeant who is assigned to scouring confiscated hard drives for pornographic content. After frequent exposure to lewd acts that are best left unsaid he becomes an addict, and descends into the grubby world of vice he is supposed to be policing. It is a slippery slope downwards to SF addiction. I have never taken heroin, thank God, because I am sure I am an addictive personality and would never get off it, but “Variable Star” is like the Harry Harrison Rat books. It is shit. But just because it is shit, doesn't mean I don't love it. It's like that scene from Stalker by the Strugatsky brothers where the tortured and religious guide takes a cynical journalist and an academic into "the zone" to find a fabled room where all wishes come true. They are scared to enter, because Tarkovsky, like Poe, knows that if we got what we really wanted we might not like what that said about us. So, I love Dune and I love the movies of Dune (I even have the version of Dune with John Hurt that was never released) but I hate myself for liking it. It's a sweetie chocolate book of messianic fantasy. If you understand what I’m talking about here, then you are my brother, my sister.
I don't feel guilty for having read “Variable Star”! Or am I protesting too much? I'm sure you can imagine a well-paced, sharply directed and whatever adjectives one uses for Hollywood films that remain fairly superficial. So, it is with this book. Heinlein and Robinson’s are pros, and full of interesting ideas, but on this showing they don't really do deep dark teatime of the soul, nor anything that would make me want to return to the book.
What I enjoy in SF is the way it changes the rules of the world and explores the consequences of these changes. I recently read Richard Morgan's brilliant Altered Carbon, which was superb in the way it used its central "rule change" (that people's personalities get stored in a chip implanted into the cortex, which can then be transferred into other bodies) to drive the plot and then use that plot to show the effects of this technology on people and society. There’s nothing like that in “Variable Star”. Like so many classic SF writers who are dismissed so easily by the ignorant, Heinlein had real gifts. One thing I particularly appreciated was his ability to--just in passing--mention some wild, cool idea that was part of the society he'd invented, an idea that wasn't a significant part of the story but that was just a way to further build his world. The best SF writers have that ability--it captures the reader's imagination and embeds him/her further into that world. It makes the reader stop for a moment and further imagine this invented world, adding more layers of reality to it. Unfortunately, we don’t have any of that in “Variable Star”.
SF = Speculative Fiction.
The car told her she was heading the wrong way; she reversed direction and came back past me toward its voice and pulsing beacon. "Babies, obviously."
I followed her. "Bingo. Marriage is for making jolly babies, raising them up into successful predators, and then admiring them
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until they're old enough to reward you with grandchildren to spoil."In “Variable Star” by Robert A. Heinlein, Spider Robinson
Ghastly, isn’t it?
There is an urban myth about a police sergeant who is assigned to scouring confiscated hard drives for pornographic content. After frequent exposure to lewd acts that are best left unsaid he becomes an addict, and descends into the grubby world of vice he is supposed to be policing. It is a slippery slope downwards to SF addiction. I have never taken heroin, thank God, because I am sure I am an addictive personality and would never get off it, but “Variable Star” is like the Harry Harrison Rat books. It is shit. But just because it is shit, doesn't mean I don't love it. It's like that scene from Stalker by the Strugatsky brothers where the tortured and religious guide takes a cynical journalist and an academic into "the zone" to find a fabled room where all wishes come true. They are scared to enter, because Tarkovsky, like Poe, knows that if we got what we really wanted we might not like what that said about us. So, I love Dune and I love the movies of Dune (I even have the version of Dune with John Hurt that was never released) but I hate myself for liking it. It's a sweetie chocolate book of messianic fantasy. If you understand what I’m talking about here, then you are my brother, my sister.
I don't feel guilty for having read “Variable Star”! Or am I protesting too much? I'm sure you can imagine a well-paced, sharply directed and whatever adjectives one uses for Hollywood films that remain fairly superficial. So, it is with this book. Heinlein and Robinson’s are pros, and full of interesting ideas, but on this showing they don't really do deep dark teatime of the soul, nor anything that would make me want to return to the book.
What I enjoy in SF is the way it changes the rules of the world and explores the consequences of these changes. I recently read Richard Morgan's brilliant Altered Carbon, which was superb in the way it used its central "rule change" (that people's personalities get stored in a chip implanted into the cortex, which can then be transferred into other bodies) to drive the plot and then use that plot to show the effects of this technology on people and society. There’s nothing like that in “Variable Star”. Like so many classic SF writers who are dismissed so easily by the ignorant, Heinlein had real gifts. One thing I particularly appreciated was his ability to--just in passing--mention some wild, cool idea that was part of the society he'd invented, an idea that wasn't a significant part of the story but that was just a way to further build his world. The best SF writers have that ability--it captures the reader's imagination and embeds him/her further into that world. It makes the reader stop for a moment and further imagine this invented world, adding more layers of reality to it. Unfortunately, we don’t have any of that in “Variable Star”.
SF = Speculative Fiction.
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LibraryThing member tjl
This is the second time I've gone through the audio book version. There's a lot I love about it, but also there's a lot that annoys me. First, Spider Robinson is in love with his bits of music he's included so one has to deal with the reader (who is actually Spider) singing (not particularly well)
Overall, it's a pretty wonderful book, and while I hated the beginning, I loved the ending and it truly does have the overall style/structure of a Heinlein juvenile. I recommend that others stick to a different format (either e-book or paper) rather than the audio version so it's easier to skip past the parts that might annoy you.
Heinlein fans might want to read this for completion, but for others I'd recommend looking at many other excellent Heinlein books (e.g., The Moon is a Harsh Mistress) or a Heinlein juvenile such as Starman Jones (which is similar to Variable Star, just with a younger protagonist).
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lyrics written for the novel. That segment goes on far too long near the beginning of the book and then portions re-appear later in the book. Second, Spider gets overly cute in his word choice/description at times so I cringed at portions where the main character is drunk (and a few other places). Overall, it's a pretty wonderful book, and while I hated the beginning, I loved the ending and it truly does have the overall style/structure of a Heinlein juvenile. I recommend that others stick to a different format (either e-book or paper) rather than the audio version so it's easier to skip past the parts that might annoy you.
Heinlein fans might want to read this for completion, but for others I'd recommend looking at many other excellent Heinlein books (e.g., The Moon is a Harsh Mistress) or a Heinlein juvenile such as Starman Jones (which is similar to Variable Star, just with a younger protagonist).
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LibraryThing member jenbooks
The Grand Master (both of them!) at his best. Spider Robinson did a fantastic job fleshing out RAH's outline - Variable Star has the spirit and flavor of the best of Heinlein's work.
I was a little worried at the first couple of chapters; they were good sci-fi, but the contemporary references were a
If you're a hardcore Heinlein fan, it's a wonderfully rich story that will remind you of the Master throughout. If you just love real sci-fi, it fulfills that desire just as well.
I was a little worried at the first couple of chapters; they were good sci-fi, but the contemporary references were a
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bit jarring. But soon enough I was totally immersed in a true Heinlein universe. The book was quite deftly inserted into Heinlein's Future History timeline, with a chilling reference to current events bringing about the election of Nehemiah Scudder.If you're a hardcore Heinlein fan, it's a wonderfully rich story that will remind you of the Master throughout. If you just love real sci-fi, it fulfills that desire just as well.
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LibraryThing member CharityBradford
So far it is ok. I keep getting bogged down in the science and wish it was lighter, but I want to know how it ends, so I keep reading.
It just ended. Problem kind of solved in one chapter and its over?
It just ended. Problem kind of solved in one chapter and its over?
LibraryThing member Andy_DiMartino
Good job on Spider's part. Really comes across as a Heinlein novel from the early years. Really enjoyed it!!!
Awards
Prometheus Award (Nominee — Novel — 2007)
Original publication date
2006
ISBN
9780765351685
DDC/MDS
| Fic SF Heinlein |