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Have Space Suit, Will Travel [Paperback]

Robert A. Heinlein
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (162 customer reviews)

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Book Description

February 8, 2005
A classic novel from the mind of the storyteller who captures the imagination of readers from around the world, and across two generations

First prize in the Skyway Soap slogan contest was an all-expenses-paid trip to the Moon. The consolation prize was an authentic space suit, and when scientifically minded high school senior Kip Russell won it, he knew for certain he would use it one day to make a sojourn of his own to the stars. But "one day" comes sooner than he thinks when he tries on the suit in his backyard -- and finds himself worlds away, a prisoner aboard a space pirate's ship, and heading straight for what could be his final destination....


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Have Space Suit, Will Travel + The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress + Starship Troopers
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up-Robert Heinlein's 1958 story comes to life and is still timely almost half a century after it was published.. Teenager Kip Russell, infatuated with the idea of traveling to the Moon, enters a contest to win such an opportunity. However, his dream becomes a nightmareâ€"and a space soap operaâ€"when he comes upon a race of space creatures who have kidnapped a little girl from Earth's Moon Station. Rescuing Pee Wee lands Kip with a traveling companion who is very smart but much in need of protection. Fortunately, or so the kids believe at first, another alien being, whom they call the "Mother Thing," is available as both advisor and space guide. Their travels take them to Pluto, where they escape the clutches of Bronx-gangster humans, and then out to galaxies beyond our own. Eventually, Kip and Pee Wee stand trial in the stead of all humanity, a race charged with its rampant disregard for peace and environmental justice. Bruce Coville's young audiobook company treats this tale handily, with each character well acted by an age-appropriate reader. Pee Wee's childish voice sometimes requires adjustment to the volume level, but she and Kip carry the major portion of the tale between them, with interesting and appropriate musical effects added during chapter breaks and to the voice of the Mother Thing. Heinlein's writing stands the test of time, and contemporary youth will be inspired by the visions of space travel their own grandparents might have had at their age.-Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Here is superior science fiction."

-- The New York Times


Product Details

  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Gallery Books; Reprint edition (February 8, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1416505490
  • ISBN-13: 978-1416505495
  • Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (162 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #145,535 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

It's a great introduction to Science Fiction and Heinlein's works. JulieS  |  31 reviewers made a similar statement
I read this book in my school library thirty years ago and finally bought it this year. A. Balcer  |  20 reviewers made a similar statement
Great story, interesting characters, interesting aliens, they were very 'alien.' C. Hayes  |  16 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
55 of 56 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars great book March 28, 1999
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This was the first science fiction book I ever read, I found it in the public library when I was 12 years old, was intrigued by the title and took it home to read. I enjoyed it immensely and went on to devour Heinlein's other kid's classic, "Podkayne of Mars" which I thought was equally wonderful.

Thirty-five years later, Kip, Peewee and the Mother Thing have lost none of their charm. What I found most interesting about this book, however, was how very much things have changed since this it was first published: the story begins with Kip's attempting to win first prize in a soap slogan contest (he sends in 5,000+ entries) the grand prize for which is a trip to the moon. He doesn't win the trip but he does win Oscar-the-Traveling-Spacesuit, which turns out to be the best prize after all. Back to the contest: Kip can send in the actual contest form included with each bar of soap or he can send in a "reasonable facsimile." He entertains the idea of photographing the form 5,000 times before deciding that's impractical, so he settles instead for collecting the forms from the people who have bought the soap. I kept thinking, so why doesn't he just use the photocopier when it occured to me there weren't any photocopiers when this book was written. There weren't any intergrated circuits either, never mind microprocessors, which would have been necessary to achieve colonization of the moon in the first place....

I did like the fact that the other main character in this book is a girl -- it was good of Heinlein to provide his readers such an intelligent and resourceful role model. Read more ›

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42 of 45 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A showcase of Heinlein's storytelling prowess February 13, 2002
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Have Space Suit--Will Travel represents Heinlein at his storytelling best. Free of the esoteric themes that would appear in his later writings, this book is pure science fiction seemingly written solely for the enjoyment of the reader. Originally published in 1958, the story stands up well even today and will surely be read and enjoyed by untold generations to come. I am sure that many a young person read this book and yearned to reach the moon in the decade before the Eagle finally landed.

This is generally classified as one of Heinlein's juvenile books, but Heinlein's writing is for all ages. I am sure the book appeals to many young people because its protagonists are themselves young people: Kip is a high school senior, and Peewee is a girl of about twelve. Kip develops an overpowering urge to go to the moon, and he is lucky enough to win a real space suit in a contest. Heinlein's description of the many different features of the suit is fascinating. Resigning himself to selling the suit for college tuition money, Kip goes for one last walk; somewhat playfully calling out on the radio, he is surprised to hear an answer to his call. He is amazed when a space ship soon lands in his backyard and a decidedly alien creature comes out and collapses. A second ship lands, an entity gets out and conks Kip on the head, and the next thing Kip knows he is trapped inside a space ship on his way to the moon, suddenly in the company of a little girl. His captors are "Wormfaces," a species of alien that has been in hiding on the moon, looking at the earth with evil intentions....

There are juvenile elements here, such as Kip's tendency to hold back-and-forth conversations with his space suit (whom he dubs "Oscar"), but Robert Heinlein does throw in several sections full of mathematical formulas, high-level theorizing, and advanced scientific concepts. I dare say that these areas of tecnospeak will turn off some young readers and may well stymie a good number of adults. Aside from the mathematics of the thing, Heinlein can make any kind of scientific notion sound feasible and believable, and that is part of his magic and effectiveness. Most of all, though, Heinlein presents vividly real characters doing exceedingly interesting, heroic things. Heinlein's couple of technical forays may be literary speedbumps, but young readers will revel in and be inspired by this book. Adults who have not yet lost all of their imagination will also relate to the main characters well and delight in a good story line which takes the reader from the earth to the moon to Pluto to another galaxy and back again. Read more ›

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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Be Fooled By The Intended Age... October 21, 2000
Format:School & Library Binding
This book is good reading for anyone. I reccommend it especially to young science fiction fans, or younger readers who want a good first taste of sci-fi. However, this book is excellent no matter who you are. I am an experienced science fiction reader, and I put this book right up there with anything else by Heinlein. Sure, it doesn't have the free love bits and controversial stuff of RAH's later works, but that's not why you started reading Heinlein in the first place anyway, is it?

This book is a science fiction classic, period.

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic young-adult book good enough for adults! January 17, 1997
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
When I was in 4th grade the librarian noticed that when our class made it's weekly visit to the library I absolutely refused to check out a fiction book. One day she took me to a section I'd never noticed before, where little spaceships with a stylized atom orbit were on the spine of each book. She pulled one down and said "I think you might like this." That book was "Have SpaceSuit -- Will Travel" and to this day I wish I could thank her for what she did.
HSWT was the first fiction I had ever seen (at the advanced age of 9) which was not of the "see Spot run" variety. The hero, Kip, is a normal kid a few years older than I was at the time, who has willingly learned latin and french, can do math, has read history, and desperately wants to go to space. He's not a genius, just a normal, smart kid.
While walking in his back yard one night pretending to be on the moon he accidentally contacts (via radio) a spacecraft in earth orbit. The spacecraft (to his utter surprise) then lands almost on top of him. Kip meets Pee-Wee, a 9 year old girl smarter than him, the Mother-Thing, and Wormface. He gets to travel to Luna and the Magellanic Cloud and save the earth. This book has everything young people should be exposed to: action, intelligence, a non-condescending authorial voice and, MOST importantly, STRONG moral values, such as loyalty, bravery, and the importance of education.
In one scene, Heinlein teaches the reader a mnemonic for memorizing some important facts about our solar system and demonstrates how to solve a problem involving the speed of light mathematically.
Importantly, Heinlein was generations ahead of his time when he made the girls and women in his books as smart and brave as the males.
... Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Retro Sci-fi
I haven't read this book since 1969. I enjoyed going back in time when sci-fi was simple; Venus was covered with breathable air, and Mars had canals also Martians. Read more
Published 9 hours ago by Paula Cornelison
5.0 out of 5 stars a quick read and a rollicking good time - with lots of science to boot
First published in 1958, Have Space Suit - Will Travel is a classic work of science fiction. Written before man walked on the moon, it is set in a not-too-distant future when trips... Read more
Published 21 hours ago by Jane Easterly
3.0 out of 5 stars A little weird
One thing for sure is that Heinlein is a creative thinker. I found it just a bit hooky but the best part is the technology view from the 50's compared to today.
Published 8 days ago by Bruce Lee
5.0 out of 5 stars I love it!
I read this as a teenager. Bought it for my grandson and read it again. Still love it! A book for all ages.
Published 10 days ago by tammyd
4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Heinlein Juvenile
I gave Starship Troopers a 4-Star rating, so I really can't give this 5 Stars. But I also liked this story too much to drop it to a 3-Star rating. Read more
Published 17 days ago by Robbie Jay
4.0 out of 5 stars Passing it to the next generation
I read this when I was a boy and now I am reading it to my son. An oldie but a goodie.
Published 18 days ago by Glyndwr Bartlett
5.0 out of 5 stars My First One
I read this in 6th grade and this, among other Heinlein Juvies, have been with me ever since. I bought these for my kids in the hopes that the ideals expressed in these novels rub... Read more
Published 28 days ago by Joy
4.0 out of 5 stars How is a hero made?
A good example of Heinlein's way of making a typical boy struggle and reach greatness by being self reliant, brave and sumewhat bullheaded. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Charlotte Souders
4.0 out of 5 stars Old book - a great read.
A great action adventure for any age, but really appropriate for pre-teens and teens.
The story moves along and is detailed with a the writer thinking through the technical... Read more
Published 2 months ago by murcus
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Got halfway through the book, and vaguely remembered reading it about 20 years ago. It was still a great story.
Published 2 months ago by Shooter
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