The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

By: Robert A. Heinlein

Narrated by: Lloyd James

Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

In what is considered one of Heinlein's most hair-raising, thought-provoking, and outrageous adventures, the master of modern science fiction tells the strange story of an even stranger world. It is 21st-century Luna, a harsh penal colony where a revolt is plotted between a bashful computer and a ragtag collection of maverick humans, a revolt that goes beautifully until the inevitable happens. But that's the problem with the inevitable: it always happens.

Winner of the 1967 Hugo award, this novel marked Heinlein's partial return to his best form. He draws many historical parallels with the War of Independence, and clearly shows his own libertarian political views.

©1965 Robert A. Heinlein (P)1999 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

• Hugo Award, 1967

"Adrenalizing, mind-stretching, conviction-testing...unmatched by any contemporary!" (Theodore Sturgeon)

No fairies and magic here ...

I love Heinlein's attention to detail about every working thing and physics. The characters are well developed. His world is unique, but not without realism of what it could be like.

HELP it's too good.

everytime I finish a book I relisten to this just because it's that good of a book/performance.

A True Classic

Amazing after 50 years the story holds both social and technical relevance. Read this !

The Master of Science Fiction!

This is one of my favorite Heinlein stories. The characters and action are amazing and the narration is perfect for this story. If you have never read any Robert Heinlein books, this one is a can't miss. I would recommend anything he has written without question. We don't have authors like him any longer.

So many things to enjoy about this audiobook

Would you consider the audio edition of The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version of this book but the fabulous performance of the narrator, covering as he does numerous and diverse characters, both male and female, kept me glued the whole way. The principle character does not speak in "standard English" but rather in "Luna". The fact that it is narrated really highlights how interesting and cool this is.

What did you like best about this story?

It is amazing to think that this book was written in 1966. But for the references to the phones, which are still in this futuristic setting, fixed to landlines, it is easy to believe that it could have been written this century. The language is wonderful, the characters entertaining and complex and the story brings eveything from great drama to great humour. The self-aware supercomputer reminded me of a cross between Hal 9000 and Marvin the Paranoid Android.

Read it for the 5th time, but this time heard it

This is a SciFi classic. It contains a comprehensive vision of life on the moon, futures of computing and the balance between population and ecology.

An amazing book with a top notch performance!

Would you listen to The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress again? Why?

I have and I will! The narrator is amazing, giving each character their own feel and personality. He does accents, inflections, and tones of voice all very well. Seriously an amazing audio book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mike, for sure.

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

Amazing story telling, great voices, and his accents are all amazing.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The ending, moved me to tears. If you don't cry a little then you aren't human.

Any additional comments?

The best audio book out there, bar none. If you only choose one book to listen to, this should be it. Don't let the SF label put you off, great read with a good message.

Classic Sci-Fi.

Not a book for children. There is violence, adult issues and talk of sex.
I really recommend this book for adults. I would really like for people of voting age to read it and pay special attention to the discussions about forms of government. There are some interesting options put forth, and that should give you something to think about.
This book is also part of our literary heritage, and the more of those classics you read the more you will understand the society you live in.

Classic Heinlein

One of my favorite Heinlein books. If you're a fan of Heinlein then you'll understand. There was a review that said that the hero was a male schovenist pig and didn't enjoy the story because of it. My theory is that the story is to show the strength of the heroine.

dated, but thought provoking

I enjoyed it, but much of the material is dated. remember the book was written in 65 before going in