Farmer in the Sky

By: Robert A. Heinlein

Narrated by: Nick Podehl

Farmer In The Sky is a 1953 science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein about a teenage boy who emigrates with his family to Jupiter's moon Ganymede, which is in the process of being terraformed. A condensed version of the novel was published in serial form in 1950 in Boys' Life magazine (August, September, October, November), under the title "Satellite Scout".

©1955 Robert A. Heinlein (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

one of Heinlein's best juveniles

Great visuals a good story and exciting events-- the tale of Bill and his family who emigrate to Ganymede and prove a farm and become true pioneers. the descriptions of the Moon Ganymede and The Moon rises over Jupiter, the speculative science on how Ganymede was terraformed are excellent. it's amazing how much visual information Heinlein was able to impart with economic writing style.

classic old Sci-Fi for teenagers

Another good old fashion Heinlein Sci-Fi.
It's make you want to be there, to be one of them, to put your life on the whole pack.
A little bit dated, but who cares!

the reader must be new. looses the story

Would you try another book from Robert A. Heinlein and/or Nick Podehl?

Heinlein, Yes! Nick Podehl, NO!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Farmer in the Sky?

the aftermath of the line up of the planets

Would you be willing to try another one of Nick Podehl’s performances?

No. not until he has more training

Do you think Farmer in the Sky needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No. Heinlein is gon.

Any additional comments?

Scott Brick performed this book outstandinly. He is one of the best. I have to be more careful about verifying readers from one foremat to another.

An interesting story about a new world

I likes the character development and it had a Hemingway - esque emphasis on self reliance and survival on one's own merit

Absorbing, if dated and well-written, creative

A very interesting and absorbing book as my first dipping into Heinlein either ever, or not since I was a teen. I did enjoy it. It is easy to say what I wanted more of or what didn't work as well as it may have in 1950, but it was enjoyable and well-written, plus very creative in its own way. The attitude toward women is extremely dated, and the scouting emphasis wasn't very appealing to me, but both understandable. The ending...while I was happy with the final choice, I would have enjoyed more farming and tree planting instead of what the author gave us. There is an entire two shelves of Heinlein in my home, so I may try another soon.

A New Hope.

Great coming of age story about a city boy moving to a new colony and becoming a man by learning pioneering living in a farm.

Classic

This is a wonderful little book about pioneering. Definitely worth the price and a reread.

Details. It’s all about the details.

The overall story is a great listen. As with all Heinlein books, he makes the sci fi seem obvious. It isn’t far fetched and over the top.

Good story, and great performance!

If you could sum up Farmer in the Sky in three words, what would they be?

It's a typical Heinlein Juvenille work.

What other book might you compare Farmer in the Sky to and why?

Space Cadet also by Heinlein

What does Nick Podehl bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Nick is a master of accents and voices. At one point, I was asking myself---is that the same guy?

The worst of Heinlein's "juveniles" is still A+

Would you consider the audio edition of Farmer in the Sky to be better than the print version?

Well no, I would not; it is equal to the print version but has the bonus of a great voice reading it to you.

What did you like best about this story?

The protagonist's adherence to TANSTAAFL and working himself to his limits to make something for and of himself.

What does Nick Podehl bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His voice makes you want to listen to every word and not skip the "boring" parts....which are rare in this book anyhow.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no, but decidedly kept me entertained going across the Atlantic by air (ATL-CDG & return) for when I was not asleep.

Any additional comments?

This is, imho, the worst of RAH's "juveniles", but is still a fantastic read that should not be missed as it is better than 90% of the other sci-fi out there today. Also, this is probably the only format you will be able to "read" this book in for awhile unless you stumble across a copy in a used bookstore or want to pay a wad of cash on-line for a print edition.