a425couple
2018-03-25 01:50:58 UTC
"Methuselah's Children" by Robert A. Heinlein,
Written in 1941, expanded in 1958, a pretty decent story,
and gave me a couple thoughts I found worth a lot of
contemplation (I'll probably do it in a followup.).
Goodreads gives it a fair rating, good at 3.99.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/175319.Methuselah_s_Children
It gives a pretty fair thumbnail/set-up
"the United States of America at last fulfills the promise inherent
in its first Revolution: for the first time in human history there
is a nation with Liberty and Justice for All.
No one may seize or harm the person or property of another, or
invade his privacy, or force him to do his bidding. Americans
are fiercely proud of their re-won liberties and the blood it
cost them: nothing could make them forswear those truths they
hold self-evident. Nothing except the promise of immortality."
Lyn (frequent reviewer) states it well:
"Scaled down, lean and aggressive, bereft of the heavy,
introspective reticence that weighed down Time Enough for Love,
this is simply a good SF adventure with Heinlein's signature
technical attention to detail.
The origin of Lazarus Long and the adventure referenced in Time
Enough For Love, including Andy Libby and the beginning of
interstellar exploration.
A must read for Heinlein fans."
I also appreciated when Jim said, "Unlike his later books,
this one is a short, fun read. The basic premise is an
oppressed minority fleeing before the public & government
can get their greedy hands on them."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methuselah%27s_Children
"Methuselah's Children is a science fiction novel by American
writer Robert A. Heinlein, originally serialized in Astounding
Science Fiction in the July, August, and September 1941 issues.
It was expanded into a full-length novel in 1958.
The novel is usually considered to be part of Heinlein's Future
History series of stories. It introduces the Howard Families, a
fictional group of people who achieved long lifespans through
selective breeding. The space ship in this novel, the New Frontiers,
is described in the Future History timeline as a second generation
ship, following the Vanguard, the vehicle for Heinlein's paired
novellas "Universe" and "Common Sense". ----
Plot summary
--- Ira Howard became rich --- but died of old age at 48 or 49
years old. The trustees of his will carried out his wishes to
prolong human life, by financially encouraging those with long-
lived grandparents to marry each other and have children. By the
22nd century the "Howard families" have a life expectancy exceeding
150 years and keep their existence secret with the "Masquerade"--,
also, interesting to see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masquerade_(trope)
This site,
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006MITAWI/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
show you can get it delivered to your door reasonably.
And it also has a pretty good thumb nail description:
"Lazarus Long, member of a select group bred for generations to live far
beyond normal human lifespans, helps his kind escape persecution after
word leaks out and angry crowds accuse them of withholding the “secret”
of longevity. Lazarus and his companions set out on an interstellar
journey and face many trials and strange cultures, like a futuristic
Odysseus and his crew, before returning to Earth. This classic novel,
set in Robert A. Heinlein’s Future History universe, introduces the
author’s most beloved and widely quoted character (see THE NOTEBOOKS OF
LAZARUS LONG).
And here, you can listen to it read to you:
Methuselah's Children - Robert A. Heinlein
6 hours 13 minutes.
Written in 1941, expanded in 1958, a pretty decent story,
and gave me a couple thoughts I found worth a lot of
contemplation (I'll probably do it in a followup.).
Goodreads gives it a fair rating, good at 3.99.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/175319.Methuselah_s_Children
It gives a pretty fair thumbnail/set-up
"the United States of America at last fulfills the promise inherent
in its first Revolution: for the first time in human history there
is a nation with Liberty and Justice for All.
No one may seize or harm the person or property of another, or
invade his privacy, or force him to do his bidding. Americans
are fiercely proud of their re-won liberties and the blood it
cost them: nothing could make them forswear those truths they
hold self-evident. Nothing except the promise of immortality."
Lyn (frequent reviewer) states it well:
"Scaled down, lean and aggressive, bereft of the heavy,
introspective reticence that weighed down Time Enough for Love,
this is simply a good SF adventure with Heinlein's signature
technical attention to detail.
The origin of Lazarus Long and the adventure referenced in Time
Enough For Love, including Andy Libby and the beginning of
interstellar exploration.
A must read for Heinlein fans."
I also appreciated when Jim said, "Unlike his later books,
this one is a short, fun read. The basic premise is an
oppressed minority fleeing before the public & government
can get their greedy hands on them."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methuselah%27s_Children
"Methuselah's Children is a science fiction novel by American
writer Robert A. Heinlein, originally serialized in Astounding
Science Fiction in the July, August, and September 1941 issues.
It was expanded into a full-length novel in 1958.
The novel is usually considered to be part of Heinlein's Future
History series of stories. It introduces the Howard Families, a
fictional group of people who achieved long lifespans through
selective breeding. The space ship in this novel, the New Frontiers,
is described in the Future History timeline as a second generation
ship, following the Vanguard, the vehicle for Heinlein's paired
novellas "Universe" and "Common Sense". ----
Plot summary
--- Ira Howard became rich --- but died of old age at 48 or 49
years old. The trustees of his will carried out his wishes to
prolong human life, by financially encouraging those with long-
lived grandparents to marry each other and have children. By the
22nd century the "Howard families" have a life expectancy exceeding
150 years and keep their existence secret with the "Masquerade"--,
also, interesting to see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masquerade_(trope)
This site,
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006MITAWI/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
show you can get it delivered to your door reasonably.
And it also has a pretty good thumb nail description:
"Lazarus Long, member of a select group bred for generations to live far
beyond normal human lifespans, helps his kind escape persecution after
word leaks out and angry crowds accuse them of withholding the “secret”
of longevity. Lazarus and his companions set out on an interstellar
journey and face many trials and strange cultures, like a futuristic
Odysseus and his crew, before returning to Earth. This classic novel,
set in Robert A. Heinlein’s Future History universe, introduces the
author’s most beloved and widely quoted character (see THE NOTEBOOKS OF
LAZARUS LONG).
And here, you can listen to it read to you:
Methuselah's Children - Robert A. Heinlein
6 hours 13 minutes.