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Revolt in 2100

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Revolt in 2100 is the third volume in Heinlein's Future History series (preceded by The Man Who Sold the Moon and The Green Hills of Earth). The bulk of the book consists of the famous novella "If This Goes On--" and is rounded out with the short stories "Coventry" and "Misfit." America is a much different place in the year 2100. What was a thriving, democratic country reaching for the planets and beyond at the end of the second volume of the series is now a theocracy typified by brutal repression and backward-thinking. Heinlein provides some information about the three unwritten tales that would describe the rise to power of evangelist Nehemiah Scudder, the First Prophet who tore asunder the Constitution and set up a regime as repressive and backwards-thinking as anything from the Middle Ages. In 2100, Scudder is gone, but a First Prophet reigns in his name. There are virgins to "serve" the First Prophet, and there are "Angels of the Lord" (such as protagonist John Lyle) charged to protect his safety. Pariahs are frequently attacked and repressed by the government to further its dictatorial control, and history has been essentially deleted and replaced by a new version of America's story drilled into the heads of all youngsters. For those who dare resist, a modern Inquisition exists to punish and torture them-there is no bigger fear than of being subjected to The Question. Still, there are revolutionaries, even among the palace guard, and John Lyle finds himself joining their ranks after having fallen for a deaconess serving under the Prophet. The account of Lyle's soul-searching conversion from loyal soldier to doubting pariah is well told, as is the story of his admission to the cabal and attempt to escape the service of the Prophet. Once outside of the palace grounds, the narrative takes on a science fiction feel built around the plans of the cabal to overthrow the corrupt theocracy. The transformation of Lyle is fascinating; as he discovers the unknown history of a free America and reads the words of men such as Thomas Paine for the first time, he has little choice but to accept the fact that the world of his youth was based on falsehood and corruption.

I didn't really care for the other two stories. "Coventry" seemed to have potential early on but never seemed to deliver. Coventry is the name of a region bordering America and serves as a destination for exiled citizens. The protagonist's expectations and hopes concerning life in the mysterious land are quickly proven wrong as the Jeffersonian society he hoped to find there does not exist. Finally, "Misfit" seems rather weak indeed. It concerns a mission to bring an asteroid into earth orbit to serve as a de facto space station. Protagonists and others like him find out that they can succeed and make a name for themselves in space, whereas at home on the ground they were misfits of no importance at all. I really learned nothing at all from this tale.

"If This Goes On--" is one of Heinlein's most significant works, certainly among the Future History stories, and should not be missed by science fiction fans. Its surreal setting seems fantastic to anyone whose spoken or unspoken belief is that "it can't happen here," yet it provides an ever-timely warning against the dangers of extreme religious fanaticism gaining control over government. It is ironic, though, that the story that truly dominates the subject matter of this book is a story that was not actually written-the rise to power of Nehemiah Scudder. Heinlein's postscript about "stories never written" is actually more interesting than the shorter two stories included here.

This compilation of three of Heinlein's early Future History stories was originally published in 1953, but the stories actually date from much earlier.

"If This Goes On--" was first published as a 33,000 word novella in the Feb - Mar 1940 issues of Astounding, and was rewritten for this publication, where it weighs in a 57,000 words, thereby making it into the class of `short novel'. Heinlein's original working title for this work was "Vine and Fig Tree", which was a reference to George Washington's parting address to the nation: "he shall sit under his own vine and fig tree, and none shall make him afraid." The story's main plot and theme, of revolt against an oppressive theocracy in order to make men free to determine their own beliefs, ties well with his main character's development from a naïve young soldier in the service of the Prophet Incarnate to a fully-realized man, who knows at least some of what he wants in terms of profession, marriage, and religious beliefs. The basic background scenario, that of a United States that elected Nehemiah Scudder as President, and then acceded to changes in laws and Constitution that made the government that of an all-powerful theocracy, might seem a little far-fetched (especially so at the time of publication). But there has always been a strong strain of militant religiosity running through the fabric of American society, and at times it has taken some control over the law making process (such as Prohibition). Given this strain, and the modern media allowing for instant disbursement of an idea or allowing a charismatic individual to capture the hearts and imaginations of a great portion of the populace in a short time, the idea is not as far fetched as it might appear.

As one of Heinlein's early works, it does not have quite the polish and sophistication of his later works. But it reads as a strong adventure, with a lot of very plausible character growth, while the philosophical musings are more muted here than in much of his later work. But one very significant point is raised in these pages:

"Secrecy is the keystone of all tyranny. Not force, but secrecy ... censorship. When any government, or any church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, 'This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know,' the end result is tyranny and oppression, no matter how holy the motives. Mighty little force is needed to control a man whose mind has been hoodwinked; contrariwise, no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything --you can't conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him."

"Coventry", the second story here, is almost a direct sequel to "If This Goes On ---". Here we see America after the revolution of the first story, where the new government is one based on allowing individuals to do anything except those actions that physically or economically injure another person. The story is about one man who does just that - breaks the nose of another person because he doesn't like the label that person tagged him with - and is then banished to Coventry, an area set aside for such individuals who won't allow themselves to be psychologically treated for their `illness'. Once more, the story is more about the maturation of its main character from someone who thinks the world isn't fair to one who accepts responsibility for his actions and sees the benefits of working for the good of the entire society. Part of the story is a little too melodramatic for my taste, and the ending is a little too pat, but it still makes for a good adventure read with some real meat buried within its story line.

"Misfit" sees the introduction of the mathematical genuis Andrew Jackson Libby, who will figure prominently in Methusalah's Children and as a minor character in several late period Heinlein books. Here his talents are called upon to give proper firing instructions to explosive charges used to warp an asteroid into a proper orbit between Earth and Mars. This may be the most dated of the stories, as the shown computer usage is positively ancient, on par with those used by WWII submarines for computing torpedo tracks. But it provides an interesting background to Libby, and shows just how some talents just don't become apparent unless they are placed in the right environment.

Heinlein's afterword, "On Stories Never Written", is probably of interest only to die-hard Heinlein fans, as it details his thoughts on the period leading up to the scenario of "If This Goes On ---", about which he had planned to write three separate stories (whose titles are still listed on the two-page Future History chart at the beginning of the book). Seeing the ideas, I just wish he had written those stories.

---Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

Revolt in 2100 (1963) is the third collection in the Future History series, following The Green Hills of Earth. It contains three stories, an Introduction and a Postscript.

- The Innocent Eye: An Introduction by Henry Kuttner gives a writer's view of Heinlein's works.

- "If This Goes On" (Astounding, 1940) tells of the adventures of John Lyle during the revolt against the Prophet Incarnate.

- Coventry (Astounding, 1940) describes the changes in David MacKinnon after being remanded to Coventry.

- Misfit (Astounding, 1939) describes the discovery of an intuitive mathematician in the Cosmic Construction Corps.

- Concerning Stories Never Written: Postscript explains the reasons that the author did not write "The Sound of His Wings", "Eclipse" and "The Stone Pillow".

These stories are classics, yet "Coventry" is often overlooked. While the author is often declared a libertarian, he also believed in proper conduct and politeness. If he disagreed with anybody, Heinlein was much more likely to chew him out in plain English than use profanity. OTOH, he did believe that a man should fight against tyranny.

This collection covers the development of the Solar System. The next volume in the Future History series -- Methuselah's Children -- will see the start of starflight. Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Heinlein fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of religious coups, social engineering, and odd young men. For those who want more tales by Heinlein, these and many other stories are also included in The Past Through Tomorrow.

-Arthur W. Jordin

The first story depicts some important decisions in the life of one particular member of the phropets own bodyguard the Angles of the Lord. It follows him through his recruitment by the underground organization until the eventual liberation of the United States of America.

The story, the first in the collection is great it is a pretty powerful testament to what is happening today in America to a certain existent. It is also practically unique in the works of Robert H. because it features (almost) no incest of any kind.

The second story is more odd. It starts off strong and continues quite briskly until the end where it sort of contradicts itself. I've noticed that this is a pattern in some Heinlein stories. See "Citizen of the Galaxy" for a good example.

The third story gets even stranger the basic plot goes something like this: A ship of workers/exiles set up shop on an asteroid then they figure out that they brought there own prejudices with them from earth. I'm sure they did something but I put the story down after 20 pages or so because it wasn't making an sense.

Overall-Even with the slow plodding parts of it the first 2 stories are worth reading. Check them out.

This was Robert Heinlein's very first published novel (actually a novella... but hey) and it still stands up well in the wake of all that he has published since. It has a somewhat cliched beginning, but it quickly gets past that and into a well-written story. Like a lot of early RAH, it is told in first-person, and it serves this story well. It's a pretty gripping book, and it'll keep you reading. Reccommended.

The second American Revolution, showing how the individual is empowered to change things for the better. A complete demonstration of the affects and effects of Religon and Politics on each other Society in general and People in particular. This gripping novel will keep you on the edge of your seat to its ironic ending.

A collection of excellent novella! If you enjoy the thrills of secrecy, mixed with "What if..." scenarios, this book is for you. It gripped me with the strength of a lion

Forget about "It was the best of times it was the worst of times" Heinlein's "It all started the day we hung the lawyers" gets this story going and it doesn't quit. This is not ray gun and rocket sci-fi, this is real people in plausable situations that just haven't happened yet.

Imagine a Televangelist America. Graft in a bit of Hitler and the Spanish Inquisition. Now you have the setting for this story. America has become a theocracy controlled by Nehemiah Scudder, a corrupt & hypocritical "prophet." This book showcases Heinlein's commitment to individual liberties. Writing during the shame of the McCarthy era Communist hunts, Heinlein wrote a story that damned the political repression of his own era and continues to inspire freedom loving people even now.

It's a simple story line. Naive boy meets forbidden girl. Boy contracts near fatal case of puppy love. Boy & girl must escape intolerable situation. Boy & girl join the underground (literally) resistance. Each matures & moves on. A revolution ensues. During this physical journey into manhood, John Lyle (the hero) must also take a spiritual journey, one in which he disentangles himself from mental slavery and becomes a free and free-thinking man.

Five stars for ideology & political courage. Five stars for managing to avoid being preachy about this ideology. Five stars for a good-old Heinlein read. A great present for that 13 year-old you don't want to buy yet-another-video-game.

With a court selected "President" and his appointed Attorney General who stated "America has no King but Jesus," (and who annoints himself with Crisco) can Nehemiah Scudder be far off? I'll see you all in the F.U.S.A.

(If you'd like to respond to this review, click on the "about me" link, above, to get my email address. Thanks!)

Another part of Heinlein's archetypal 'Future History' covering takeover of government by hardcore religious orders, and that sort of thing, along with moving out into solary system engineering projects.

A little more sophisticated, perhaps.

Revolt in 2100 : If This Goes On - Robert A. Heinlein
Revolt in 2100 : Coventry - Robert A. Heinlein
Revolt in 2100 : Misfit - Robert A. Heinlein

Of Official Virgins, Cabals and assault runs.

3.5 out of 5

You lot here are no fun any more anyway.

3 out of 5

Space Marine bad boy builders.

3.5 out of 5

3.5 out of 5