Farmer in the Sky, by Robert Heinlein

[rachelmanija]

A Heinlein juvenile about a family that joins a colony terraforming Ganymede. I read it as a kid, but didn’t remember much. Continuing my theme of surprise!grimdark, I thought it would be a charming tale of explorer spirit and space farming, and it turned out to be awesomely depressing despite a pasted on yay semi-upbeat conclusion. That is not

Comments

[helen_keeble]

Still sounds less depressing than the magical vets books!

[rachelmanija]

Everything is less depressing than magical vets!

Except pre-1990s Newbery winners.

[helen_keeble]

I am morbidly curious as to how long this streak of SURPRISE! GRIMDARK! in your reading will continue!

[rachelmanija]

Well, I'm definitely not going to pick up any random YA novels. Or anything with a cute pet.

[nancylebov]

When I was a kid, I didn't mind Farmer on Ganymede, but I didn't like Time for the Stars for reasons that weren't obvious to me. When I reread it as an adult, I found that the main character was really passive. He didn't even want to go into space.

I was in favor of Rocket Ship Galileo (Nazis in moon tunnels which were abandoned by aliens-- what could be better?), but I only read it once. When I reread it as an adult, I found a lot of post WW2 grimness.

As a general thing, I've found that post-Golden Age sf makes the suffering of characters a *lot* more explicit.

[rachelmanija]

Time For the Stars is also pretty dark, come to think of it. I liked it a lot more when I read it as an adult than as a kid. Pat is very passive but the reason for it is really interesting.

I should reread Rocket Ship Galileo. I don't think I've read it since I was twelve. I think moon Nazis hit my suspension of disbelief.

[helen_keeble]

I remember enjoying Tunnel in the Sky (kids get stranded on distant planet, form new colony, are not pleased to be "rescued") as a kid, though being mildly disgruntled that all the girl characters mysteriously disappeared from the plot once the "colony" was properly formed.

If I re-read it now, I am fairly certain that I would discover that this was because they were all off-screen cranking out babies, after the all-male leadership decided that it was essential to populate the planet. AAAAAAAAIIEEE.

[rachelmanija]

Yes and no. One is running things off-screen as vice-mayor or some such. The other one is cranking out babies. :(

[stickmaker]

Those interested in the background for Heinlein's juvenile novels should check out the sizeable book _Heinlein's Children_ by Joseph T. Major. Among other complications was a horrible editor who kept demanding significant changes of Heinlein.

Disclaimer: Joe is a friend of mine.

[ethelmay]

There are varying opinions about Alice Dalgliesh's work on the Heinlein novels. James Nicoll, for instance, wrote "I suspect part of the problem is that is not just modern would-be Heinleins are embracing a misguided nostalgia but also that they lack an Alice Dalgliesh to apply the steel-toed boot of editorial guidance to the adam's apple of authorial ambition. While Dalgliesh had her own issues, she seems to have been just the right editor for Heinlein. I base this on the fact that Heinlein wrote two more juveniles after he and Scribner's parted ways and they don't stand up to the Scribner's books at all."

[rachelmanija]

Weeell, it is also an adventure with a kickass heroine. IIRC, nearly everything he wrote after it was completely unreadable, and not because of sexism.

[la_marquise_de_]

I have only read that one once, long ago and don't remember it very well. My perpetual favourite of the Heinlein juvenile's is Starman Jones simply because it was the first proper sf I ever read.