What's it about?

The first person story of a future revolution on the moon as instigated by a cabal of masculine men and feminine women. In Heinlein's imagined future, the moon is colonized as a penal colony by Earth's (transnational) governments and used as a supply of (essentially) free grain. The revolution is managed by an ornery computer engineer, an anarchist professor (see my username), a beautiful agitator, and a sentient computer with a sense of humor. Heinlein provides us with a detailed and reasonably realistic imagined future in terms of both technology and (proto red pilll) social dynamics.

Who's it for? (and not for?)

Heinlein pens hard science fiction while incorporating strong and memorable characters. A fair number of scifi fans will likely have read at least some of his work. TMIAHM is often called one of the "great libertarian novels" so, if you've come to the red pill from the left, this book may not be your favorite. I'd argue that it's frank and masculine presentation of the future make it a worthy read for even the Phil Oaks types who've swallowed the pill.

PROS:

  • Heinlein is absolutely uncompromising in his description of women, yet he doesn't diminish the importance of his female characters. Examples:

Women are amazing creatures-sweet, soft, gentle, and far more savage than we are.

I don't think it matters where a man eats lunch as long as he comes home for dinner.

Thing that got me was not her list of things she hated, since she was obviously crazy as a Cyborg, but fact that always somebody agreed with her prohibitions. Must be a yearning deep in human heart to stop other people from doing as they please.

  • The lunar society presented embraces personal responsibility completely. Three particular quotes:

...it is impossible to shift blame, share blame, distribute blame. . . as blame, guilt, responsibility are matters taking place inside human beings singly and nowhere else.

I will accept any rules that you feel necessary to your freedom. I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.

In terms of morals there is no such thing as ‘state.’ Just men. Individuals. Each responsible for his own acts.

  • Interpersonal relations and life in general on the moon are rough and tumble. Residents of the moon, called "loonies" after "luna," scoff at hypersensitivity and the regimented customs of those who live and reign planet-side.

CONS:

  • Heinlein's invention of a lunar dialect of English resulting from the mixing of all the Earth's exiled prisoners is arguably realistic, but can make reading a slow as the reader gets used to linguistic conventions.
  • Red pillers absent nuance may think of Heinlein's male character's a pedestaling women on occasion. In reality, these characters often comment on a woman's capacity for viciousness while acknowledging the positive complementary nature of feminine qualities.
  • Elements of the book present plainly (which is good) may be off putting to those who haven't swallowed the pill and aren't quite ready to.

Final Thoughts

Put this post here because TMIAHM is my favorite work of fiction, and the inspiration for my username. It's also a great example of a hypothesized future society which is extremely red pill. If you don't like Heinlein's politics as they present here the red pill aspects of the book are worth stepping past them.

Where to Buy