Note for the confused: 'Tis true that no Hugos were awarded in 1951. However, fifty years later, the con-runners at The Millennium Philcon decided to hold a retroactive ceremony at which this Heinlein serial took the top prize.
Overall: 8.8
If you know a young Boy Scout* who's even remotely interested in tales of the fantastic, you should hand him this book.
Plot Synopsis:
"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!" - from the old Ballantine edition on Dad's bookshelf.
"The Earth is crowded and food is rationed, but a colony on Ganymede, one of the moons of Jupiter, offers an escape for teenager Bill Lermer and his family. Back on Earth, the move sounded like a grand adventure, but Bill soon realizes that life on the frontier is dangerous, and in an alien world with no safety nets, nature is cruelly unforgiving of even small mistakes. Bill’s new home is a world of unearthly wonders—and heartbreaking tragedy. He will face hardships, survive dangers, and grow up fast, meeting the challenge of opening up a new world for humanity and finding strengths within himself that he had never suspected existed." - from the Baen reprint
The Skinny:
This is another one of Heinlein's juveniles; as a matter of fact, it was originally published in Boys' Life, "the official youth magazine of the Boy Scouts of America." Therefore, the prose is extremely accessible, and the characterization is pretty simple. Is Farmer in the Sky Literature with a Capital L? No, but it's a damn good read. As a matter of fact, whenever I complain about the books that are marketed to pre-teen and teenaged girls, I always say, "Someone should write a girl's version of Farmer in the Sky: an adventure story starring a teenaged female main character who worries more about conquering the elements than about her first period -- or the dreamy guy who traveled with her aboard the colony ship."
Like all novels written in the Golden Age, Farmer in the Sky is, generally speaking, more concerned with the externals. Any conflict that arises between Bill and his father - and such conflict does happen occasionally - is handled in a perfunctory manner, as Heinlein wishes to devote more time to developing the "gee whiz, they're farming in space!" dimension of his story. And I don't think there's anything wrong with that, actually. As I've remarked often enough in my reviews here, modern literary science fiction has, with a few exceptions, lost touch with that child-like sense of wonder.
And it's not as if Heinlein's tale of a homesteader's struggles on Ganymede is entirely lacking in drama or human interest. No -- in point of fact, one of Heinlein's clear purposes in penning this novel is to mirror the experiences of those English colonists who headed to the Americas in the sixteenth century -- or the pioneers who headed west in the nineteenth. As those of us who've received decent instruction in American history all know, the colonists at Jamestown and Plymouth both suffered massive die-offs in the first few years due to disease, lack of food, and the unforgiving climate. In similar fashion, Heinlein's homesteaders face a disaster comparable to a "starving time" when a massive earthquake damages their basic weather control grid. And just as the western pioneers came together as a community for barn raisings and quilting bees (among other events), Bill's neighbors help him build his house once he has "proved" his land.
This novel is as American as apple pie, I think. The emphasis is on community-level cooperation and self-reliance. There are characters in the novel who refuse to take responsibility for their own happiness - characters who demand a hand up from the distant Earth government - but Heinlein treats them with a refreshing contempt. "If any would not work, neither should he eat" is definitely Ganymede's first law. This is also a novel that preaches a certain humility. As Dad puts it, "Just because you're hot s*** on Earth doesn't mean you're going to be at the top of the heap on Ganymede." In this new (and dangerous) environment, Bill has to earn the respect of his fellow colonists; the fact that he was an accomplished Eagle Scout on Earth means nothing. In a nutshell: on Heinlein's Ganymede, the entitlement culture is anathema. And thank goodness for that!
Characterization: 7.5
As I suggested, the characterization, though solid, can't really be described as awe-inspiring.
Plot/Pacing: 9.0
There is the occasional info-dump, but such bits of exposition rarely detract from the overall story.
Concepts/Themes: 10.0
Let's see: This novel is pro-Boy Scout. It's pro-personal responsibility. And it never loses sight of the fact that farming in space - while perilous - is also pretty awesome. A+!
*I say Boy Scout here, but don't let that stop you from giving this book to a girl who might be interested. Dad did that for me, after all.
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