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Robert Heinlein
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Farmer in the Sky Paperback – February 12, 1985

by Robert A. Heinlein (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 518 ratings
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Bill knew his destiny lay in the stars, but how was he to get there?
George Lerner was shipping out for Ganymede to join the fledgling colony, and Bill wanted to go along. But his father would not hear of it -- far too dangerous a mission!
Bill finally talked his way aboard the colony ship Mayflower -- and discovered his father was right!
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  1. Print length
    224 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Del Rey
  4. Publication date
    February 12, 1985
  5. Dimensions
    4.25 x 0.5 x 6.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0345324382
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0345324382
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Like many people, I go way, way back with Heinlein. My very favorite book (and one that stands out in my mind--and with much affection--to this day) is Tunnel in the Sky. I really, really wanted to go off to explore new worlds with a covered wagon and horses, like the hero does at the very end of the book. But one of the nice things about Robert Heinlein is that he's got something for everyone. One of my best friends has a different favorite: Podkayne of Mars. Go figure.
--Shelly Shapiro, Executive Editor

From the Inside Flap

Bill knew his destiny lay in the stars, but how was he to get there?
George Lerner was shipping out for Ganymede to join the fledgling colony, and Bill wanted to go along. But his father would not hear of it -- far too dangerous a mission!
Bill finally talked his way aboard the colony ship Mayflower -- and discovered his father was right!

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Del Rey; paperback / softback edition (February 12, 1985)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0345324382
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0345324382
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.25 x 0.5 x 6.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 518 ratings

About the author

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Robert Heinlein

Robert Heinlein

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Robert Heinlein was an American novelist and the grand master of science fiction in the twentieth century. Often called 'the dean of science fiction writers', he is one of the most popular, influential and controversial authors of 'hard science fiction'.

Over the course of his long career he won numerous awards and wrote 32 novels, 59 short stories and 16 collections, many of which have cemented their place in history as science fiction classics, including STARSHIP TROOPERS, THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS and the beloved STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
518 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book entertaining and enjoyable. They describe the story as satisfying, classic, and timeless. Readers also say it's worth reading and the author is terrific and masterful. They appreciate the writing style as well-written and easy to read. Additionally, they mention the science and concepts are interesting and thought-provoking.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
EnjoymentStory qualityReadabilityAuthorWriting styleEducational valueErasure
27 customers mention "Enjoyment"27 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining, enjoyable, and interesting to read. They say it's a great read for young teens and a good science fiction novel. Readers also mention the dramatization is fun.

"...Likewise, the teen strife among the boys was amusing; bullies are bullies, whether on Earth or in space...." Read more

"...and “Tom Corbett Space Cadet: A Radio Dramatization,” which is a fun short story...." Read more

"...and outdated stories,it is still an interesting and enjoyable read for adults." Read more

"...If you remove that enduring subplot, this is a pretty good Heinlein juvenile novel about a young man homesteading on Ganymede...." Read more

20 customers mention "Story quality"20 positive0 negative

Customers find the story good, satisfying, and timeless. They say it's a great science fiction story of colonizing a distant planet. Readers also mention the book is down-to-earth, realistic, and forward-looking.

"...of a sloppy assumption even when this book was written, but the plot is interesting anyway...." Read more

"This is a great story. I had read this in the past and recently re-read it as an ebook...." Read more

"...The plot was satisfying, the writing was succinct and the emphasis on personal responsibility is as helpful to an adult as to a teenager...." Read more

"...They all have that great sense of awe, adventure, and excitement about space that existed back in the fifties and sixties...." Read more

18 customers mention "Readability"14 positive4 negative

Customers find the book to be worth reading, good, and enjoyable.

"...one of Heinlein's "juvenile" works, I still enjoyed it a great deal as an adult reader...." Read more

"...Well worth the time to read every word...." Read more

"Even with my bias being a Heinlein fan,this book is a must read!! There is only one way to find out!!" Read more

"...and maybe suited to younger SF readers even today, but it's not Heinlein's best work...." Read more

9 customers mention "Author"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the author terrific and a master. They also say the book is better than many written for adults.

"Just excellent as always. Heinlein never gets old. No matter how old I get! Even the juveniles still resonant well." Read more

"...Heinlein was terrific. I am hoping my grandson enjoys the book half as much now as I did then." Read more

"...Enjoy it for what it is: an exciting concept from a brilliant author." Read more

"Heinlein is a wonderful author. He was my introduction to science fiction in the fifth grade a long time ago." Read more

8 customers mention "Writing style"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing style well-written, easy to read, and entertaining. They also appreciate the informative and understandable essay at the end of the book. Readers mention the book is written for boys and better than many books written for adults.

"...this one is interesting and maybe suited to younger SF readers even today, but it's not Heinlein's best work...." Read more

"...It was simply nice to read a well-written book about an ordinary young person who creates something through sheer dint of personal effort rather..." Read more

"...sky from the surface of Ganymede are some of the best parts of this well written and engaging stories...." Read more

"...written from the perspective of a teenager and is what I consider an easy read...." Read more

7 customers mention "Educational value"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting, informative, and thought-provoking. They also appreciate the science and concepts.

"...juvenile I reviewed recently ("The Rolling Stones") this one is interesting and maybe suited to younger SF readers even today, but it's not..." Read more

"...Also, kudos to Baen for including a very informative and understandable essay at the end of the book explaining the science involved." Read more

"...one of Heinleins juvenile and outdated stories,it is still an interesting and enjoyable read for adults." Read more

"...Enjoyable and still thought provoking. Heinlein never talks down at the reader, just expects him/her to be still in a learning mode (or 8th grade.)..." Read more

3 customers mention "Erasure"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the book not timeless. They mention the science, technology, and slang are dated.

"...The science is dated, but charmingly so. The adventure of space colonization nicely parallels the main character's coming of age...." Read more

"...Yes, the technology is dated, Yes, the book reflects the period in which it was written. Don't get me started on the scientific inaccuracies...." Read more

"...The slang is dated but my youthful listener doesn't seem to notice or care...." Read more

A sci-fi adventure story that will appeal to young and old alike
5 out of 5 stars
A sci-fi adventure story that will appeal to young and old alike
This was a book previously read by my husband and one he wanted to revisit. Per Tim's comments: "The book is written from the perspective of a teenager and is what I consider an easy read. I found the characters very believable and enjoyed the storyliine." The story follows the hardships and joys of colonists who are terraforming one of the moons of Jupiter. It is an adventure story that can be enjoyed by young and old alike.
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Top reviews from the United States

Tedrick
5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of math and science.
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2024
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Mr. Heinlein is one of the reasons why I became hooked on science fiction at such a young age. I also love his work because he wrote “Hard Science Fiction “
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Comicfan
4.0 out of 5 stars A couple of hours well wasted . . .
Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2023
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I hadn't read this book in at least 60 years, but I slipped back into the sheer joy of reading a Heinlein story like a pair of comfortable bedroom slippers. Naturally, I bought another book (Farnham's Freehold) immediately, and will devour it in the next two hours or so as soon as I finish this review.

You will enjoy this book.
2 people found this helpful
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Ronald Hrubetz
5.0 out of 5 stars As good as the first time I read it 55 yrs ago
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2024
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Just excellent as always. Heinlein never gets old. No matter how old I get! Even the juveniles still resonant well.
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Eric Peterson
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrible E-Book Formatting Job
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2024
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This is a great story. I had read this in the past and recently re-read it as an ebook. I have to say though it needs to be edited to make it a better read. I'd be glad to edit it for the publisher for a small fee if they would be interested. Strangely, none of the other Heinlein novels I am currently re-reading have this problem> It looks like a bad OCR job of a printed text and not much editing after the OCR work was done.
2 people found this helpful
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Joanna D.
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Heinlein "second-tier" juveniles and quite ok
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2019
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Farmer in the Sky is definitely in the "juvenile" category; the hero is William Lermer, a young man who emigrates to Ganymede, one of Jupiter's moons. It's being terraformed as new colonial land for a crowded Earth. He travels there with his father, his father's new wife and his step-sister. The father's remarriage and decision to emigrate is handled very deftly, showing the tumult of feelings a teenaged boy who's lost his mother very likely might experience. That was almost unusual for Heinlein; very much more emotion and "angst" than he usually writes. Likewise, the teen strife among the boys was amusing; bullies are bullies, whether on Earth or in space.

The description of how the terraforming happens (making an atmosphere) and the brightness or dimness of sunlight when you are half a billion miles from Earth was interesting. At one point in the novel, I could picture the new farmland, flat as Illinois but no trees, and felt as if I were there, which is good writing with an economy of words.

I wish the book were longer. Later, Heinlein wrote some stellar juveniles: Tunnel n the Sky and Citizen of the Galaxy are the best imho and rounded out with Starship Trooper which is in a sense a "juvenile" but is really more of a Bildungsroman where a young man graduating high school comes to maturity in wartime. But Farmer in the Sky is an excellent novel though not as deep, and completely suitable for young teens.
5 people found this helpful
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John M. Ford
4.0 out of 5 stars Satellite Scout
Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2013
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Teenager Bill Lermer travels to Ganymede with his father, and his new step-mother and step-sister. Readers get a Bill's-eye view of a future resource-depleted Earth; life on board an interplanetary colony ship; dirt-level terraforming of Ganymede; and the challenges of adolescence. The latter include adjusting to his blended family, conflicts with others his age, and finding the right distance to maintain from girls.

This novel originally appeared as a serial in Boy's Life magazine. There is a strong Boy Scout influence in the story which blends well with the frontier setting and skills needed to survive in it. This is classic Robert Heinlein science fiction from the 1950s. The science is dated, but charmingly so. The adventure of space colonization nicely parallels the main character's coming of age.

One disappointed observation--the story could have gone on longer or easily supported a sequel. It's odd that a prolific writer like Heinlein did not follow up with one. Perhaps some detail of the licensing arrangement with Boy's Life explains this.
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars it was a brae bright moonlicht nicht
Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2024
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So the great Scottish poet said, more or less. And nights on Ganymede are definitely moon lit. Humbling story about what’s really involved in pioneering.
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Oh My Gosh!
5.0 out of 5 stars Heinlein at his best.
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2018
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I enjoyed this story on audiobook more than “Methuselah’s Children” and “The Martian Chronicles” on audiobook, which I gave 3 stars. It’s also better than “The Door Into Summer” and “Rocket Ship Galileo” on audiobook, which I gave 4 stars.

“Farmer In The Sky” is a great 5 star sci-fi audiobook in a class with “Have Space Suit Will Travel” (both are Heinlein at his best), and “Tom Corbett Space Cadet: A Radio Dramatization,” which is a fun short story. They all have that great sense of awe, adventure, and excitement about space that existed back in the fifties and sixties.

If you want to immerse yourself in the fifties and sixties space race I recommend reading “Space” (1982) by James A. Michener, then watch the movie “The Right Stuff” (1983), and the TV shows “From the Earth to the Moon” (1998) and “The Astronaut Wives Club” (2015). Fun stuff.

And if you haven’t read “Starship Troopers” by Robert A. Heinlein I recommend it. It’s not like the movie. It’s the story that motivated me to read everything I could get my hands on by Heinlein when I was in Junior High School. About Heinlein, I love the stories he wrote in the fifties and sixties, but after that his stories didn’t entertain me.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Jane Maddin
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic science fiction at its best!
Reviewed in Canada on December 24, 2023
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I love this book and was so pleased to find it available for Kindle. Wonderful!
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T. T. Rogers
5.0 out of 5 stars Adventure On Ganymede
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 29, 2017
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Adventurous teenager, Bill Lermer, an Eagle Scout and pilot no less, finds out that his father would like to settle on Ganymede, one of the terraformed moons of Jupiter. Eventually Bill ends up going along too and various adventures ensue, both aboard the ship on the way there, and on the planet itself. One question the novel raised for me is the extent to which a terraformed extra-terrestrial society of humans can exist truly independently and self-sufficiently. Certainly, many of the characters in the story - especially Bill - have the idea in their heads that they are rugged individualists living and working out on a frontier, yet it is apparent that they remain wholly and completely dependent on terrestrial support and technology. The Ganymede colonists' administration seeks to move towards a condition of planetary self-sufficiency - a major theme in the novel - but even if this is achieved, the colonists and settlers will still be dependent on centralised technology to maintain life on the planet itself. Unlike on Earth, it is difficult to see how a Ganymedean settler can become truly 'independent'.

I enjoyed Farmer In The Sky, but it's written for the juvenile market, so the prose isn't up to the standard of the major Heinleins like Strange In A Strange Land or even Starship Troopers, and the plot doesn't really challenge the reader much. I was expecting a genuine homesteading adventure with our plucky hero fighting against the odds for survival, instead the story is rather tame and, if I'm frank, something of a let-down. I think this is one of those occasions when the author could and should have written a much longer novel, maybe double the size, and the result would have been a better, fuller story. As I read it, I had that 'moment', that other readers will maybe recognise from their own experiences, when I thought to myself: "I could write something better than this". And I could, but I know I won't, so I'll bow to the author's imagination. He has at least taken me this far and given me a chance to dream. But there is room here for a sequel, which somebody should probably write in Heinlein's honour.

This is an innocent, easy, enjoyable read, and recommended for youngsters, especially those interested in sci-fiction, astronomy, space exploration, planets, Scouting and similar. That's why I am giving it five stars. It would be unfair on the author to rate the novel formally on any other basis, as Heinlein wasn't writing this for the discerning adult. Although written for juveniles, as the introduction explains there is quite a great deal of technical material in the novel and the story is informed by sophisticated ideas about evolutionary theory and extra-terrestrial terraforming. There is also an informative Afterword section at the back (I'm reading the 2008 Baen edition), written by a Dr. Jim Woosley, which discusses and analyses the economic and technological aspects of the book. Despite this, older readers might want to give Farmer In The Sky a miss, unless, like me, you are a Heinlein fan looking to read it for completeness. Most adults will find this a frustrating read as the plot is weak and unexciting and does not exemplify Heinlein at his best.
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CMS
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 2, 2016
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Good
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Ryan Glubis
5.0 out of 5 stars classic and always a good
Reviewed in Canada on January 6, 2018
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Heinlein , classic and always a good read
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John O'sullivan
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic scifi at its best
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 8, 2017
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Classic scifi from a genre master, dated and really a product of its time, heinlein weaves a story that could be as easily based in the pioneer days of the Wild West.
Overcrowded earth and a chance to farmstead on Ganymede prompts a family emigration. The hard luck and survival tale that follows is supreme heinlein.
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