Customer Reviews

Starman Jones

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Starman Jones isn't one that I'd recommend for the sci-fi primer; if you're new to the genre there are just too many good books to read, and a lot of them are other Heinlein novels. But for a person who's past that point and is just looking for more good books, this one's worth it.

I guess I'd call Starman Jones a "formula" Heinlein novel. Its main character is a boy who dreams of becoming an astrogator, who gets his chance the hard way. It's full of a lot of the same types of characters, including father/mentor types like the ship's captain, and has those same hard life lessons and idealism that exemplify his other books. Still like every book Heinlein wrote, there is a uniqueness to the story of this one that makes it worth reading.

Like other Heinleins, there are a few dated elements. In Starman Jones, his habit of consistently writing computers as big, clunky things incapable of more than simple calculations pops up in force because it becomes an important element of the story. Still that dating gives it some charm and adds a little sense of what-if to the tale. As a Heinlein fan I find it easy to forgive his few misses at foresight and squint past the rougher spots to read the story for what it is. But that's why I say this shouldn't be a first Heinlein for anyone; it's not a good introduction to his work and won't be as fully appreciated by someone who hasn't read and enjoyed his more classic books.

This book will satisfy younger readers (and older ones) well, but I'd still recommend "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress", "Have Space Suit--Will Travel", "The Rolling Stones", and "Tunnel In The Sky" (all by Heinlein) before this one to anyone who hasn't read them yet. People who have read and appreciate those books will find this one more enjoyable for it.

Young Jones is a farmer, who hates being a farmer and can think of nothing better than to head out into space. His uncle was an astrogator, and left his books to Jones when he died. After an upheval of his home life(which he wasn't really attached to anyway) he decides it's time to head out on his own, hopefully to become an astrogator.

Being young and nieve, he makes some bad calls in charachters of someone he meets on the way, and finds out the hard way that you can't trust everyone who seems nice. I'd write more, but don't want to give away the storyline. Being one of heinlein's early 'juvies' this book isn't as involved as his later and better known works, and at times I felt it was too predictable. But, Heinlein was a master of portraying people, thier dreams and desires and fears.

This is a fun young adult book about growing up.

Max Jones is blessed with an eidetic memory and dreams of becoming an "astrogator" (Heinlein's neologism for "starship navigator"). Every evening he watches the ballistic train streak by his property, bound for Earthport, the launching facility for the big ships, and wishes that he could go there. But Max is committed to supporting his father's widow by working their Ozark farm, and the requirements for getting into the Astrogators' Guild are strict; most slots are inherited from previous guild members. One evening, Max's stepmother comes home with a new husband, a shiftless, drunken lout who announces that he has sold the farm and threatens to beat Max up when he protests. Max has no recourse but to gather up his reference books on astrogation (left to him by his deceased uncle Chet, an astrogator), and flee for Earthport. But when he presents himself at the Astrogators' Guild hall, he is told that his uncle Chet never nominated Max to the guild before he died, and the reference books are confiscated to "protect trade secrets." Max is in a pickle.

Written in 1953, Starman Jones is a solid work of craftsmanship, of interest both to adults and children. It outlines a crowded Earth in which satisfying, interesting work is truly scarce, locked into a strict system of guilds. Faced with that barrier, what is an ambitious, talented boy like Max to do? The book deals in large part with the ethical dilemmas created by this situation, and by Max's subsequent forgery of documents enabling him to land a position aboard the starship Asgard. In the mysterious, wily old starship crewman, Sam, Heinlein creates a memorable, complex character, much in keeping with the Swope Park hobo/hero Heinlein mentions several times in speeches and writing (A good account of this story can be found in Expanded Universe). All in all, Starman Jones is a fast-moving, yet weighty read.

The typical hero of Heinlein's "juveniles" is a decent, modest--yet heroic--lad who overcomes challenges as he comes of age. Starman Jones, along with Space Cadet and Starship Toopers, is one of the best of these novels. Readers dismayed at Heinlein's at-times lecherous novels for adults should overcome their fears and buy this book for a youngster. Those dismayed to find Heinlein writings stories that *aren't* lecherous should read it anyway. ;)

Heinlein's series of juveniles has never been matched by any other series writer for teenagers, with the possible exception of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, which has much the same narrative drive and interest for both young people and adults. "Starman Jones" grabs the reader by the neck on the first page, and never lets you go. Although the science has become badly dated (NO science fiction writer predicted what computers would be like by the end of the twentieth century), the situations and surprises still ring true. Max Jones is a great Heinlein character, full of the grit and intelligence that so often marked his protagonists. Yet the character's humility and innocence also come through to the reader. I read this in high school, and loved it; I just reread it, and felt even stronger about this book. A great read.

It is to be regretted that some of the other reviewers on Amazon.com gave away spoilers. It is also unfortunate that Heinlein has received a lot of press for some of the worst things he wrote for an adult audience, such as _Stranger_in_a_Strange_Land_. His genius was in his "juvenile novels" -- the stories he wrote for serialization in boy scout magazines, later published as books.

Max Jones dropped out of high school to support his lazy irresponsible stepmother by working on their farm, which has few amenities that would not have been commonplace in 1850. But he dreams of becoming an astrogator aboard a starship like his late Uncle Chet who instructed him in that profession. When his stepmother marries a man who is uneducated and cannot appreciate his ambition, Max leaves. The world being badly mismanaged, he must hitchhike to the city of Earthport to find out whether he has been appointed his uncle's professional heir.

What happens over the ensuing chapters I will not divulge. Heinlein was a graduate of the Naval Academy, where he learned some of the laws in force aboard ships. While Max is serving aboard a ship that has become lost and set down on an unknown planet, with no realistic hope of finding its way home, the First Officer explains to the passengers and crew certain legal rights and obligations that apply in such an emergency. A passenger objects: "There are no laws HERE." The First Officer corrects him, saying the law goes where the ship goes. That sets the context for a climax several chapters later, involving legal, moral, political, and psychological aspects of leadership in an emergency.

The book dramatizes the role of intelligent purposefulness in human life. A scene occupying about the first four pages of the second chapter is a beautiful example: Max is alone facing difficulties and using his head.

The book has various readily identifiable flaws, which it would be easy for me to list. Those don't matter at all.

I happened upon this book quite by accident, and it brought back to life a memory from over 40 years ago of experiencing the distant future first-hand by reading Heinlein's "Tunnel in the Sky." As a thirteen year-old, I lost myself in the futuristic yet believable world he created in that book. The same is true of "Starman." Heinlein is at the top of his craft when he can weave snapshots of incredible technological developments into a personalized storyline that could occur to anyone in any age. Almost as incredible is the offhand way he causes the reader to contemplate a 'reality' that could be just beyond our current understanding of physics - like "Starman's" routine use of discontinuities in space-time to enable travel to distant parts of the galaxy with cruise-ship efficiency. I now view Heinlein's work through the filter of age and way too much education, but I can truly say that getting lost in one of his fictional worlds still holds a certain fascination that lingers long after you finish the book. His work leaves a feeling that the world of tomorrow will be exciting, new and challenging, but ultimately it can be understood and even conquered by ordinary people. This book still seems fresh and plausible, even after all these years. I highly recommend "Starman Jones."

Many people still maintain - even today - that the legendary Robert A. Heinlein's best works remain his "juvies" - the books he wrote for teenagers during the 1950's. And they definitely do have a point. The books may have been written with that demographic in mind, but they can be enjoyed by anybody. They're universal. Although there is nothing ground-breaking in this novel - and it is even, for Heinlein, arguably formulatic - it is still a fun read. Heinlein's writing style is such that anything - and I mean ANYTHING - he writes is worth reading, and furthermore, will be entertaining. His dialogue is always top-notch - some of the cleverest writing since the heyday of Oscar Wilde - and it makes all of his books breezy and fun to read through. This is no exception. Although I would not say that this is one of his best juvies, it is still quite a good one. I think it IS a good book for a young science fiction fan to start out on, too, especially; it portrays a normal, everyday kid - indeed, a hillbilly - who fulfills his dream of going out into space. It has a good moral, and there's a heart - a solid foundation - to the book. Coupled with Heinlein's always engaging dialogue and sheer narrative drive, this book is a wonderful read for all ages.

This enchanting novel is one of the first books I ever read. It was given to me by my brother when I was only twelve years old and our parents were going through their divorce. Through the miracle of Heinlein's writing I was able to escape the nasty stuff at home. Eventually I earned a degree in English because I learned to read from Heinlein. If you have a little brother who is a "dreamer," and you want to make sure he learns how to read rather than do drugs, this is the book for you

This story really could not be improved upon. Bound to have a great impact on anyone near the "golden age of science fiction" (around 13), but enjoyable for anyone