Customer Reviews

Space Cadet

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

_I have heard this book dismissed as "just another space cadet story." Check the date of publication (1948), this is THE first space cadet story. It started the genre. I've also heard it dismissed as a "kid's book." A "kid's book" would not have stuck in my memory for four decades now and provided me with inspiration and a model when I most needed it. A "kid's book" wouldn't have inspired me to stick out high school and college physics and mathematics instead of just throwing in the towel. It was remembering the example of this book, and _Starman Jones_, that got me through Calculus. I just wish the rest of the world would have lived up to the high ideals expressed in these books....

_I recently reread this tale after many years. I was amazed at how "nondated" it was. Heinlein has a perfect description of cell phones and cell towers. Something else finally hit me too- this is where Gene Roddenbury got most of his ideas for Star Trek. Heinlein actuallly uses the term "the Federation." His Interplanetary Patrol is obviously the inspiration for Star Fleet with it's noble ideals, multi-cultural make-up (in 1948), it's commitment to keeping the peace, and it's 100 year record of keeping the peace (a phrase right out of Trek.) The importance of the Academy and its naval style of organization came from Heinlein, the Annapolis graduate. The way that the organization is entirely composed of officers and officers in training- that's also pure Star Trek. Heinlein wrote of all this almost 20 years before the television show aired....

_It used to bother me that the Heinlein that wrote this book and the Heinlein that wrote _Stranger in a Strange Land_ and all that came afterward seemed like two different men. I now think that I understand that too.

In 1948, Heinlein wrote a book based on his (limited) military experience that pinpointed underlying cultural issues in the U.S. military that are still plaguing the Dept. of Defense after sixty years (despite the current lack of space-based Marines). No spoilers, but I'm refering to the discussion of the Space Patrol Academy's curriculum.

If a writer can identify an underlying issue that cannot be fixed even after 60 years, and offer visionary (still) solutions, I have to think he's earned the title "master".

"Space Cadet" offers inspiration and an element of hope while acknowledging that human nature is innately flawed. It speaks to the interrelationship between technology and humans, making it clear that technology should serve people, not people serving technology. It sketches out what looks like a viable organizational structure for an arm of the military that the U.S. will eventually need (and despite their claims to the contrary, the Air Force's belief that their culture can be adapted to extended spaceflight with crews of more than 4-5 people lacks plausibility). The emphasis on the need for cultural studies and language skills in his fiction rings true as the U.S. services realize that these are at least as important as vehicles and weapons.

In all, brilliant. Only four stars because it is not Heinlein's best work (though superior to 95% or more of the fiction in any bookstore today), and it was written for the adolescent market, when these concepts and the story line could have supported twice as much book as we have here.

Still, I'll probably read it again, and I would recommend it to any youngling who was considering the military (along with Starship Troopers).

E.M. Van Court

Follow young Matt Dodson as he enters the academy in hopes of becoming a Space Cadet. Matt makes friends with Tex, who always has amusing tales about his Uncle Bodie, and a few others, as lessons are learned ... usually the hard way.

Space Cadets are the elite guard of the solar system. They accept missions others fear, take risks no others dare, and uphold the peace of the solar system for the benefit of all. (Much like the Jedi Order!) This novel will take you from Earth, to Mars, to Venus, and beyond. Matt and his friends are tested in the most severe and extraordinary ways that will change them forever, but still not prepare them for the alien treacheries that await.

**** If you have never read a novel by Robert A. Heinlein, then please keep in mind that this was written in the year 1948. The author renewed the copyright in 1975. I stress this because even though the story begins in July 2075, there are a few references to events that supposably happened in OUR past, such as the notation of the person who created the Patrol's Tradition who lived 1969 - 1996.

The fact that Robert A. Heinlein's novels are still being published today clearly expresses how outstanding readers find his science fiction novels. Once you read this, or any other novel by Heinlein, you will have no doubt as to how the man came about being crowned "The Master of Science Fiction". ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

My title does not have the ring that "Tom Corbett: Space Cadet" had, which was based on this Robert A. Heinlein book, but it is more accurate. Matthew Dodson sounds like a plain, ordinary person, and that was Heinlein's intent. Heinlein's belief always was that the backbone of America was the everyday person doing their job.

Matt Dodson has joined the elite Solar Patrol. Before Matt and his friends can be officers in the Patrol they must endure rigorous, multi-part training. They begin their training on Earth in a process that eliminates many would-be Space Patrol candidates. As their training continues, Matt and his friends become members of a small group of students that have passed one test after another. Finally, the remaining students leave Earth to continue their training on a school ship. The training on the school ship starts with the mundane and ends with the complexities of calculus and nuclear physics. At long last the students move on to an operational ship where their training will help them to overcome the challenges of an actual mission on Venus, where death awaits their first wrong step!

Many people call Heinlein preachy in his books. While there is probably some truth in that comment, if you think Heinlein's viewpoints had merit, you probably like the supposed preachiness. Regardless of which side you fall on, this book has little of Heinlein's explanations of the woes of the world is focuses primarily on the story.

The story in this book is excellent. There is practical science in this book, but Heinlein blended the science into the story so naturally that I hardly noticed it. Those who have been through basic training and technical school in the military will recognize features of both in this book. Robert A. Heinlein was a member of the U.S. Navy for a time, which I think must have helped him to create an extremely believable story regarding the training of the members of the Space Patrol.

It has been many years since I first read "Space Cadet." I wondered whether I would enjoy the story as much now as I did decades ago. The answer is yes. I must admit that some of my enjoyment is nostalgia, but part of my enjoyment was how much Heinlein got right. There are cell phone equivalents, flat screen monitors and more. The only thing Heinlein failed to predict was the increasing lack of enthusiasm for space exploration.

Heinlein wrote many good books. This one is one of his best. I recommend this book for every person who thinks of themselves as a fan of science fiction. This book is a winner from an author who won four Hugo awards during his life and the first Nebula Grand Master Award.

Enjoy!

I have often been asked on what would be a good science fiction novel to introduce new readers to the genre, and "Space Cadet" is usually one of my top picks. Although it was written in 1948, it still holds up as one of Heinlein's best. It is was one the original "Heinlein juvenile" classics that became the 1950's TV show, "Tom Crobett, Space Cadet," and seems to have never gone out of print.

Many other authors, especially Orson Scott Card in "Enders Game" and practically all writers of 'military sci-fi,' have obviously used this book as a touchstone and starting point for their own writing. Fans of the novel or movie "Starship Troopers" will also find the basics of their training here. (A mild pun)

Highly recommended. A timeless classic for all readers of the genre.

Follow young Matt Dodson as he enters the academy in hopes of becoming a Space Cadet. Matt makes friends with Tex, who always has amusing tales about his Uncle Bodie, and a few others, as lessons are learned ... usually the hard way.

Space Cadets are the elite guard of the solar system. They accept missions others fear, take risks no others dare, and uphold the peace of the solar system for the benefit of all. (Much like the Jedi Order!) This novel will take you from Earth, to Mars, to Venus, and beyond. Matt and his friends are tested in the most severe and extraordinary ways that will change them forever, but still not prepare them for the alien treacheries that await.

**** If you have never read a novel by Robert A. Heinlein, then please keep in mind that this was written in the year 1948. The author renewed the copyright in 1975. I stress this because even though the story begins in July 2075, there are a few references to events that supposably happened in OUR past, such as the notation of the person who created the Patrol's Tradition who lived 1969 - 1996.

The fact that Robert A. Heinlein's novels are still being published today clearly expresses how outstanding readers find his science fiction novels. Once you read this, or any other novel by Heinlein, you will have no doubt as to how the man came about being crowned "The Master of Science Fiction". ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

"Space Cadet" is Robert Heinlein's best Juvenile SF novel. It was quite a while ago when I first read it and enjoyed it. I am willing to bet serious money that 'Space Cadets' of 100 to 200 years from now will have an environment somewhat like the one Heinlein depicts. While Heinlein's ideas of an inhabited Venus may seem incredible and outdated today, they certainly weren't incredible when this novel was written. Perhaps today's technically more sophisticated juvenile would do better to imagine Heinlein's colony on an intersteller planet rather than on our sun's Venus, but Heinlein was very "sophisticated" in his SF writing. He wrote about radio telephones and computers at a time when they were considered nearly impossible and was, probably, the first S-F author who could actually calculate the various free-fall courses from earth orbit to Venus or Mars. As for 'monatomic hydrogen', it is still considered impossible. However, as a retired chemist, I think that catalysts still may make this dream rocket fuel possible. I live in a very rural area where twelve year olds drive and repair monster agricultural tractors (some farms look more like big road construction projects than the cute and cuddly "McDonald's farm" of yesteryear) and make the drama on Venus seem very plausable and possible, if not a probablity. Finally, it is a fun book to read!

Buy this book! Read this book! Tell your librarian to buy this book!

Fair warning, if you are not old enough to vote, please ask your nice librarian person which Robert Heinlein books are appropriate for your age and do not get into 'adult' reading before you are an adult.

I'm always glad to see the Heinlein's re-issued, particularly in nice hardcover editions, suitable as permanent additions to your home bookcase. There's one weakness of this (and other) re-issues: the wonderful Clifford Geary illustrations found in the original Scribner edition have been left out. For those who remember reading library copies of the Heinlein juveniles, you'll probably miss their absence.

The story itself, while not my top favorite, is still wonderful and a must for anyone who enjoys vintage Heinlein.

Ah, yes. We have plenty of stories about the Space _Patrol_... but not so many stories that focus on the Space _Academy_. Space Patrol stories are concerned with action and adventure. Space Academy stories focus on education and character. They are much harder to write. The author must imagine the Academy in detail. What will its curriculum be? How will it be taught? Where will it be located? Who-- or what-- will the instructors be like? How will discipline be meted out? How will students be guided and tutored? And the students must also be clearly envisioned. What are they like before entering the Academy? How will they resist instruction? (And make no mistake. There will _always_ be some resistance to instruction.) What sort of people will they be after leaving the Academy?

Eric Frank Russell's "Minor Ingredient" (_Astounding_, 1956) is a warm, sentimental account of how a cadet is guided to manhood and maturity by a kindly manservant. On the other hand, Jack Vance's "Sail 25" (_Amazing_, 1962) places several cadets in the hands of the delightfully sardonic and unpredictable Captain Henry Belt. Hal Clement's _Still River_ (1987) portrays an Academy of the far future in which students (both human and nonhuman) work as a team to solve advanced scientific problems on alien planets.

But if I had to pick the archtypical Space Academy novel, it would be Robert A. Heinlein's _Space Cadet_ (1948). Heinlein took a simple idea-- take modern day Annapolis and imagine how it might be in the future-- and ran away with it. He has its museums, past heroes, uniforms, traditions, entrance exams, classrooms (on Earth and in space), food, table manners (which turn out to be a lot more important than some of the cadets first believe), math and science problems, language instruction, philosophy classes on Doubt (which are actually like classes taught at Annapolis over the years), and dozens of other details all worked out.

In one respect, the Patrol is not like Annapolis. When the young hero asks for a transfer to the Space Marines, his superior officer refuses to grant it. The Marines are military, he says. The Patrol is not. The Marines are intended to deal with emergencies after they occur. The Patrol is intended to prevent the emergencies from occurring. In terms of intelligence and personality, Matt is suited for the Patrol-- not the Marines.

When Matt tells the officer that it is his priveledge to turn him down, he is told: "Damn it, Dodson, it is not my priviledge; it's my duty" (119). This piece of mild profanity was something almost unheard of in a juvenile novel back in 1948. And that brings us to another characteristic of Heinlein's juveniles. Heinlein was always fond of dropping a mild "shocker" into his juvenile novels to elicit a bit of thought and to make his background seem a bit more colorful and realistic. Usually, it worked fairly well. That one scene alone would stick in a young reader's memory.

_Space Cadet_ was Heinlein's second juvenile, but it was already clearly more original and better written than his first, _Rocket Ship Galileo_ (1947). It would be imitated by such series of stories as the Tom Corbett, Space Cadet stories by "Carey Rockwood." The later stories carried on some of the conventions, but they were pale copies of the original.

Heinlein practically invented the sf juvenile novel (deliberately "juvenile," that is), and they still read pretty well. Of course, after sixty years, there's a bit of a culture shock -- "Mom, what's a slide rule?" -- but you can ignore all that. The principles of physics haven't changed, though, and you'll pick up quite a bit, which is never a bad thing. Matt and Tex and their two off-world friends, after several days of grueling tests, are newly inducted cadets of the Solar Patrol, enforcement arm of the Solar Federation and this is the story of their first couple of years of education and training, and of the nature of friendship and morality. Sure, the notion of a "space cadet" is a tired old trope -- but Heinlein invented it. Actually, it's not even a four-year academy, nor is there a standardized curriculum, beyond the most obvious math and engineering courses. They're more guardians than military. Heinlein's social ideas can sometimes be intrusive, but not this time, nor are the lessons he wants the reader to learn. In fact, there are a lot of interesting and thoughtful takes on what space-based training could be. Still a fun read.