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Pages : 208
Overall Mark : 9/10
One minute, down-and-out actor Lorenzo Smythe was in a bar, drinking away his troubles, then a space pilot bought him a drink and the next thing he knew, he was shanghaied to Mars. Suddenly Smythe found himself agreeing to the most difficult role of his career: impersonating a kidnapped politician. With peace with the Martians at stake, failure to pull off the act could result in interplanetary ware – but success could see him trapped in his new role forever!
ROBERT A. HEINLEIN (1907-1988)
Robert A. Heinlein was educated at the University of Missouri and the US Naval Academy, Annapolis. He served as a naval officer for five years but retired in 1934 due to ill health. His first published SF was ‘Lifeline’ for Astounding Science Fiction in 1939. Among his many novels are The Door into Summer, Double Star, Starship Troopers, Stranger in a Strange Land and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
VERDICT
This is one of those rare science fiction novels that could quite easily work as a standard political espionage novel. The story advances quickly and has very little sci-fi elements other than the setting and the presence of Martians and other alien beings. Those familiar with the work of Heinlein will surely attest this is amongst his best works, and for those not familiar with him this is a great starting point.
