Have Space Suit - Will Travel

By: Robert A. Heinlein

Narrated by: Mark Turetsky

Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

From the mind of the storyteller who has captured the imagination of readers from around the worldand across generations comes this classic work of science fiction.

First prize in the Skyway Soap slogan contest was an all-expenses-paid trip to the moon. The consolation prize was an authenticspace suit, and when scientifically minded high school senior Kip Russell wonit, he knew for certain he would use it one day to make a sojourn of his own tothe stars. But "one day" comes sooner than he thinks when he tries the suit on in his backyard - and finds himself worlds away, a prisoner aboard a space pirate's ship. The whole thing seems like a bad dream until he discovers he's not theonly prisoner on board. Kip - along with the daughter of a world-renownedscientist and a beautiful creature from another planet - has been kidnapped by amonstrous extraterrestrial, and they are heading straight for what could be Kip's final destination.

©2005 Robert A. Heinlein (P)2014 Blackstone Audio

Blast from the past

I read this book in Grade 9 and loved it! Now about 40 years later listened to it. It is amazing how perceptive Robert Heinlein was given that this was written in ( I think) about 1960. Good story, fun book, reminds us of the good things that make us human.

A good one!

The narration here was very good and enhanced the overall experience! Lots of emotion came through. The guy did a fine job! Plus it was a good story with likeable characters.

Dated attitudes, decent story, OK narration

The story was reasonably good "hard" SF with good explanations of things from a 1958 perspective. The paternalistic attitude of the main character and Heinlein got grating after a while, but that's to be expected from the author. The narration was fine - enough variation between the main characters to be clear, but other characters were just minor changes from the main ones, and a few stumbles in the reading. The narrator wasn't bad, but definitely not great.

Overall, I'm glad I listened to the book. I learned some things and will eventually have my kids read it since it definitely makes a good argument for the value of an education and taking learning into your own hands.

Fun reader, interesting science, cute story.

The reader did voices for each character, not always something a reader does, and this was a good book from my school days. A fun, short science book with a cute story mixed in about going to the moon.

great book

yeah the technology is dated. but the real knowledge and the story are still strong.

Of courese it great! It's Robert A. Heinlein!

One of Heinlein's "young adventure" juvenal novels. I have read all of Heinlien's books and I value these books written for young readers just as much as his "adult" novels!

My childhood favorite.

Heinlein wrote about ten of these so called juvenile scifi novels. In the year 1968, I found "Have Space Suit, Will Travel" on the shelf of my elementary school library. I sped through it more than once. It is the book that most expanded my world.

Young adults learn science through fiction

Any additional comments?

I didn't realize this was truly young adult science fiction. The story is creative and takes time to explain some of the science our young hero and heroine need to work with. The characters are likeable and the story is warm and heartfelt, but in the end I really wish books were more honestly labeled as targeted to a less mature audience. The narrators voice is rather high pitched and not subtle about nuanced character representation. I would still recommend this book to the younger than 18 crowd.

Juvenile science fiction

Robert Heinlein's Have Space Suit - Will Travel is among his best offerings from his juvenile series which consists of futuristic settings with teenagers having an unexpected adventure. A teenage boy from a small town dreams of going to the moon and enters a contest to win a free trip. He settles for a consolation prize of a real, slightly used space suit. While playing with it one evening he is kidnapped by space pirates during an aborted escape attempt by other prisoners. He reaches the moon and almost escapes, but ends up on Pluto where the aliens are establishing a base to invade Earth. He is saved by another, more powerful alien race and must stand in as a representative of Earth to plead for sparing humanity from annihilation. After returning he is believed by scientists and finally gets accepted to MIT, but keeps his story to just a few individuals.

While Heinlein offers a smorgasbord of 50's era sci-fi, he pays particular attention to details that the teenager works out for himself. There are plenty of scenes with potentially fatal results that he manages to MacGyver his way through, all the while continually upping the ante of adventure and excitement. This tale primed the reception for both the Apollo and Star Trek. The title is a play on a popular western - have gun, will travel.

The narration is quite well done with good character distinction and fast pacing.

Vintage Heinlein. Ahhhh, the Good Old Days!

Good clean fun. What sic-fi was in the early days, in no way to be confused with the genre as it is today. Let go of your grip on reality, and journey back to the future as envisioned back in the day. Unrealistic, kind of sappy, but what a great ride!

Plot: Kip gets a space suit, goes into space, meets up with a girl and some aliens, has lots of adventures, escapes life-threatening situations, lives happily ever after. Okay, maybe not EVER after, but at least for his near-and-somewhat-foreseeable future.

About the narrator: okay so he sounds like a nerdy kid. Duh!!!! Most of Heinlein's early works were about kids, exceptionally smart if not entirely nerdy. That's what they sound like -- or at least how we thought they sounded in the 1950s.

Pleasant, unchallenging escapism. Fulfills my all-time favorite t-shirt slogan: "I have abandoned my search for truth and am now looking for a good fantasy." Cup of coffee, cosy fire, and I'll look for truth and realism some other day.