Tried this after enjoying Starship Troopers. Where that grabbed me immediately, this did not. I had troubles following/concentrating and was not able to finish, which is a shame as the plot sounded great.

There’s no way to describe this book. The plot is convoluted, there’s a mix of people and robots and it’s really confusing. But it’s totally brilliant. This audio version has an English narrator and for me, that works really well. Heinlein was an American sci fi author and I’m not familiar with his work. I don’t read much sci fi, but occasionally a title appeals and this book hits the spot.

Basically, there’s a lunar penal colony inhabited by Loonies who are convicts. It’s controlled by a computer, HOLMES and one of the loonies with an injured arm befriends the computer. They start chatting, the way you do in 2075, and it becomes clear that HOLMES is sentient. He’s making suggestions way outside his programming and he has a sense of humour. Instead of reporting the issue, he exploits the situation with thoughts of insurrection.

I went into this title with no idea what to expect and soon found I’d fallen into the rhythm of this strange new world. There are clear social and political subtexts which will require second reading to explore fully. For the first time, I’ve just gone with the flow and picked up on the humour and clear signalling of unrest among the people. I understand this title was the origin of ‘there’s no such thing as a free lunch’. Very different from my usual reading, but a refreshing and highly enjoyable change.