Customer Reviews

Beyond This Horizon

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Beyond This Horizon (1948) is a "post-utopian" novel. After the problem of world hunger, and all other issues of wealth distribution, have been solved, what problems will remain? If everybody is rich and healthy, what more could a rational person desire?

In this novel, Hamilton Felix visits his friend, Monroe-Alpha Clifford, to show off his new pistol, a .45 caliber automatic, and then invites him out for dinner. As they dine on the balcony, Monroe-Alpha fumbles a crab leg, which slips from his fingers and lands in a drink on a table below, splashing purple liquid onto a woman's lap. Monroe-Alpha is called to task for the accident and apologizes, admitting his fault. However, another man chides him for his clumsiness and Hamilton does the honors, but only wounds the man in the shoulder.

Unknown to Felix and his friend, the wounded man is an assassin for a group that believes that utopia lacks only one thing: a ruling class. The story goes on to detail the uncovering of this irrational plot and the eventual actions taken, including a shootout in the Genetics Clinic.

The author draws upon the old saying, "man cannot live by bread alone", to point out that a material utopia will not settle all human issues. Such problems include not only the ambitions and aggressions passed on through our genes, but our higher aspirations for ourselves, for our families, and for the whole human race.

This story is the author's first adult novel published in book form. He had been writing shorter works for the magazines for some time and two previous juvenile novels, but this was his masterwork, his proof that he could sell in the adult book market. There is very little that is dated in this story (one editorial review commented on the dialogue as dated, but maybe retro was in again). In fact, his depiction of the eugenics program has the look and feel of modern genetic engineering; of course, the author doesn't dwell on the details, but the ways and means seem very contemporary.

This novel has never been acclaimed as much as others, such as Stranger In a Strange Land, that attracted the attention of a wider, but less knowledgeable, audience. Maybe it came before its time, for the topics discussed herein are more apropos today than 60 years ago. One of the possibilities of the post-ColdWar era is the development of a worldwide material utopia. Would that solve all our current problems? Are you certain?

This reprint has a 2001: A Space Odyssey starchild on the cover. Some people don't know a Heinlein from a Clarke! And probably not even a hawk from a handsaw!

Highly recommended to Heinlein fans and anyone who enjoys the serious contemplation of the unthinkable in a SF setting.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Heinlein started his publishing career with quite a bang, with three novels, a couple of novellas, and numerous short stories all published in a short two-and-a-half-year time span. Due to this copious output, he frequently had more than one story in a single issue of Astounding magazine, necessitating his use of several pen names. This story, as it did not fall into his 'Future History' chart, was first published as by Anson MacDonald, though its style and subject material, being so different from most of what was being published at that time, pretty clearly marked who the author really was.

This is a book of many and various ideas, both social and scientific, some of which may seem a little ludicrous, others of which are very valid and of great import to today's society. One of the most confounding ideas presented here is the idea that government should not be taxing people, but rather should be distributing money to all citizens so as to provide as much new money in circulation as there has been in new production of products. Next up is an idea that an openly armed citizen will command respect and demand polite behavior, while those who choose to go unarmed are to some degree second class citizens - an idea that probably was not very well thought out for all of its implications, unusual for Heinlein. But most prevalent is the idea of managing the human genome to produce a 'better' human, better in this case being defined as 'entity most able to survive under changing conditions'. The converse of this is also shown, of what happens when genetics are manipulated to produce particular types of supermen (or monsters, depending on your point of view). This, written at the height of Hitlerian rhetoric, is remarkable for is perspicacity and its ultimate relevance to today's debate about the ethics of all forms of genetic engineering from cloning to stem-cell research. Not satisfied with just these ideas, the latter half of the novel tackles the age-old questions of life-after-death, reincarnation, and when a fetus becomes a human.

So this book is loaded with interesting ideas, but it is also very definitely an early effort, with numerous indicators that Heinlein had not fully learned the craft of writing. As it is, there is some evidence that at least parts of this novel were a re-write of his first never-published (and since destroyed) novel, For Us The Living, apparently written somewhere around 1937. That date may be significant, for as we start this book, we find a utopia where there is no hunger, no poverty, no need to work to earn a living, though many do. It is also around the time frame of 1937-1938 that Heinlein was heavily involved with the social program EPIC (End Poverty in California) that was championed by Upton Sinclair, and it is apparent that at least some of the ideals from that program provided some of the impetus for the society Heinlein presents in this book. As is typical for first novels, though, there is a tendency to include sub-plots and incidents that don't further the ultimate aim of the novel. The entire first half, with its emphasis on the actions of a misguided revolutionary group, has almost zero relevance to the second half of the novel - it's almost as if there were really two separate books here that have been forcibly mated, to the detriment of both halves. Coincidence plays far more of a role than it should. Characterization is very spotty, with Felix, the protagonist, reasonably well portrayed, but most of the other characters, and especially the women, are very two-dimensional. Dialogue is dated with forties slang, and there is too much telling, rather than showing, of much of the more scientific detail.

But even with all these flaws, this is still a fascinating book, with its multiple ideas and opinions to keep your head engaged, with the action fast enough to hide most of the problems. Not the best, nor even the second best of his works, but still very recognizably a Heinlein novel.

--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

To be sure, this is far from being one of Robert A. Heinlein's best novels, but it is a good book, and nowhere near as bad as it is often made out to be - I found it to be an engrossing read. The book was written in the early 40's, but it tackles a subject that has only much more recently been seriously looked into on more than a mere esoteric level (due to books like Jurassic Park and such): genetic engineering. If you knew nothing of genetics, this book could teach you some (although certain "facts" in the book - 48 chromosomes - have been outmolded by subequent science, which Heinlein wisely decided to leave well enough alone), and it's speculation can be enlightening. This book explores the issue pretty thoroughly, almost on a remarkable level for the time, and it really should get more credit for that. This is surely one of the very earliest science fiction books to deal with the subject on such terms - perhaps not too surpisingly, as Heinlein is generally credited with introducing the social sciences into science fiction, and genetic engineering is a logical tangent from that springboard. Perhaps the reason it hasn't received such credit is the ease with which certain subjects are dispensed. Aside from the occasional absurd coincidences in the story (Phyllis showing up at Hamilton's house and Marion meeting Cliff at the park are never explained) which can be overlooked with a knowing wink towards artistic license, this book makes an issue of bringing up most of the major philosophical points in existence (including, but certainly not limited to, "What is the meaning of life?" itself), but never really attempting to answer them (Heinliein has done the same thing in subsequent writings, too - Gulf, for instance.) Of course, on the byline, such questions cannot be answered. Kudos to the book for at least dealing with them (also, the realization that Felix comes to about the meaning of life, though scientifically unsatisfying, is at least moreally reassuring.) Still, aside from all this, this is an entertaining book, and you will have fun reading it. It hooked me. It's fun, interesting, more than a little thought-provoking (as all good SF, and Heinlein, should be), and somewhat underrated in Heinlein's oeuvre, as it is often unnecessarily derided.

Perphaps, as to emphasize the point that this book is better than is generally ackwnoledged (or maybe just looking to make a quick buck on the theory of "anything with Heinlein's name on it will sell"), this book has been recently re-published. I'm glad to see it back in publication. It's a worthy part of the Heinlein canon, and deserves to be read. Unfortunately, it is adorned with a horrendous cover, unshamedly derivative of 2001 - somebody's horrible lapse in judgment - that may give this already undeservedly notorious book an even worse reputation. At least it's back in print. Perhaps a better edition lies somewhere "beyond this horizon." Alas.

Weak on plot, characters with so little substance they're hard to tell apart, subplots that just evaporate without contributing anything, and lots of lecturing on science that everyone in the story already understands. ("Well, Bill, I know you and I both understand this, but let me launch into a three page digression about it.") It's very dated. Everyone acts like they were living in 1940s New York. Despite references to outlandish clothes, men wearing nail polish, and hovercars, you can't help but picture it being filmed in black and white with costumes borrowed from a Humphrey Bogart movie. The book tries to be hard science fiction, with justification for everything that happens, but times change, and intelligent life on Mars and telepathy just don't cut it anymore.

What saves the book from being unreadable is that it's just so interesting. If you enjoy Heinlein's social commentary, and his "what if"s, you'll enjoy the book. The genetic engineering aspect is presented plausibly, and ties in (vaguely) to the fact that most people carry weapons wherever they go. It's the same sort of thing Heinlein did in Starship Troopers and in The Moon is a Harsh Misteress, but the plot that guides you through his hypothetical society isn't nearly as good as in either of those books.

Elsewhere I had heard this rated as one of science-fiction's classics of the forties, and so, upon seeing it in the store, I figured "what the heck" and decided to go for it. As usual, Heinlein never fails to disappoint, and this book is crammed with so many ideas that you lose count after a while.

Heinlein made a neat twist by making the world perfect and everybody happy, and still managing to get a passable plot out of all that. Beyond This Horizon is a nice middle ground between those who find his "kiddie" books like Have Spacesuit, Will Travel too simple and his more adult books like Stranger in A Strange Land and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress a little too radical.

One thing I find interesting, as a little aside, is that when publishers right copy for the summary's on the back of his novels, they often neglect the best parts of the book. On Have Spacesuit, Will Travel, it makes great mention of the pirates, but nothing at all of the trial of Earth that came later and took up a good portion of the book. It's the same case here, with all the focus on the revolt of the Survivor's Club, which is resolved about the middle of the book, and nothing on the issues that are discussed later. The point is here, when looking at a Heinlein book, or any book, don't always go by what the back cover says.

Just another public service announcement. But, seriously, this was a great book. Read it

Though many of the other comments on this book have been critical: that it goes way too fast, has little plot,is one of Heinlein's weaker books, I can assure potential readers that this is one of the best Science Fiction novels ever written.

Heinlein manages to write a novel that not only has charming characters, but also manages to be bursting with really cool ideas (especially considering that this novel was written in the 40's). He takes on subjects which we just today are starting to discuss seriously, the most obvious one being genetic engineering, and gives his view of how society adapts to it.

He also provides (as with all Heinlein books) some interesting social commentary (in this novel he seems to endorse a republic where the citizens police themselves).

And though, as critics are quick to point out, this novel has many different plot lines (some of which do not begin until around half way through the book). Any experienced reader who has surpassed the Piers Anthony level should be able to follow what is going on as long as they take the time to read the book properly.

In this short Heinlein work, the possibilities of, and consequences in, a society that evolves around genetic engineering are explored in a much more interesting, and I believe more realistic, manner than Huxley's Brave New World. The book is especially vital in today's atmosphere of cloning and rigorous work with the human genome. It is all the more amazing considering that the book was written in 1942. If and when this book becomes available, I highly recommend it.

Robert Heinlein is one of the acknowledged masters of thegenre. His juveniles are fun, exciting romps, and his adult novelsare imaginative and deeply thought provoking. On the down side, tight plotting is generally not his forte, and his characters, while exceptionally fresh and human by the standards of mid-twentieth century science fiction, may seem stiff and contrived today. These facets of his work are usually glossed over, however, because it was Heinlein who put the social sciences into science fiction. When most of the genre was interested in physics and astronomy, Heinlein was speculating about politics and sociology. When the typical science fiction hero was solely interested in advancing human knowledge, Heinlein's heroes were trying to make money, or impress the ladies. Heinlein's characters ate, drank, slept, went to the bathroom, and worked at their jobs, just as many of us do in the real world. Over time, other writers grasped that this kind of social realism made their characters easier to identify with, and gave their work a level of verisimilitude that had been lacking in science fiction from its beginnings. All this notwithstanding, it must be admitted that Beyond this Horizon is a very poor book - quite possibly the worst novel Heinlein ever wrote. The hero, Hamilton Felix, is a very common character in Heinlein's adult novels. Tough-minded, super-capable, wisecracking, irreverent, and ostensibly likable, these characters sometimes seem a little too perfect to care about. Here, Heinlein is not so much trying to describe a believable person as to show us his vision of the man of the future. Not all of us are impressed. In matters of science, Heinlein's explanations of the fundamentals of genetic inheritance are neither particularly interesting nor particularly enlightening. Most people learned this material in high school, and for that matter, the details aren't really that critical to the story anyway. The latter third of the book takes a stab at solving the basic philosophical questions facing humanity, and the ease with which Heinlein knocks them off is nothing short of silly. The most interesting idea the novel presents us with is the vision of an armed populace casually walking the streets with guns at their side, ready to use deadly force to redress anything from a punch in the nose to an invasion of privacy. Heinlein suggests that a more polite and respectful society would result, but later hedges his bet by questioning the practice. Absurd coincidences abound in this poorly plotted novel, many of them downright laughable. The characters are not only unsympathetic; they are flat almost to transparency. But the single most astonishing thing about this book is that it has so much in common with Heinlein's masterful Stranger in a Strange Land and yet still manages to be merely pathetic. Students who are studying Heinlein's fiction may wish to compare this novel with his more successful works in order to see what went wrong, but I would not recommend it to anyone.

People who knock on this work as "the worst of Heinlein" obviously haven't taken time to understand it. This is a masterpiece. But it is a subtle masterpiece. If you buy this copy, I'd suggest you also check out the essay in the beginning of the "Gregg Press science fiction series" version. It explains some important details that the average reader may miss. Most prominently, it calls the readers attention to a particular transition that occurs on a particular page in the second half of the novel. Simply put, if you don't understand the transition, you haven't understood the book at all.

I recommend you read it, and hang on for a great ride. But read it with care!

I have to admit, despite being a fan of RAH for 45 years, I have not gotten around to reading his lesser stuff. Part of this is a reluctance on my part to sully my admiration for his work by reading something I might not like. Well, more than just a part.

But, being bored one day, I picked up Beyond This Horizon, which is a 1942 first attempt to break into novels by this dean of the SF world. It's a good read to see the germs of various themes that really never ever vary in the rest of Heinlein's work, and his stock cast of characters are all there, sprung out of the book like Minerva from the skull of Zeus; the insouciant young, disaffected and modest but brilliant hero, the spunky tomboy girlfriend, the Wise Old Man Mentor, and so on. They're all there. The themes are mostly there, too; an armed society is a polite society (dueling is back! I demand satisfaction, you ignominius cur! How dare you cut me off on the freeway, take my parking space, cut in line at Walmart's checkout!) Also, the decline of civilization due to rampant stupidity (hell, this was almost 70 years ago! Whoah! He thought it was bad THEN?), insurrection, and toying with the idea that genetic selection for excellent human traits will be in our future.The other themes RAH is famous for (lots of casual nudity and even more casual sex) are not here. I guess he was worried about getting published.

This book seemed to me to be a stapling together of maybe three books, maybe a kind of Franken-novel. We start with the disaffected hero and a strange incident in a restaurant that provokes a near-fatal incident, followed by trying to get the hero to reproduce his admirable genetics (he's not buying), followed by a plot to overthrow the government and a really wonderfully-written battle scene, followed by the birth of Theobald, the glorious heir to human eugenics, a really rotten brat who reads minds and worse yet, they're incubating his possibly-worse brat sister.

I have to agree with other reviewers that said that the last part of the book bored them. It bored me to bits. But it's worth reading this book (a) for a peek into the writer Heinlein would become, and (b) the revolution-battle part of the book, which is as well-written as anything he ever did.