Robert Heinlein (1907-1988) was one of the most popular and also one of the most controversial of science fiction writers. Although he consistently challenged social mores and questioned the repressive nature of society, he was by no means a one-note author. His novel Starship Troopers, for example, received great criticism for glamorizing the militarism and, according to some, promoting fascism (an unfounded, but politically loaded charge). Conversely, Stranger in a Strange Land foresaw many aspects of the free love movement and late 1960s counterculture, leading to accusations that Heinlein undermined traditional moral values and led young readers into dissolute lifestyles.
Despite the frequent misreadings of Starship Troopers, the overarching themes of Heinlein's writing include the freedom of the individual, the necessity of taking responsibility for one's actions, and the difficulty of finding a social structure that maximizes freedom while also maintaining community. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1966) in many ways epitomizes Heinlein's views on the ideal society--and its inevitable decline.
The Plot of The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
The novel is narrated by Manual Garcia O'Kelly-Davis (Mannie) a computer technician living on the moon. In the year 2075, the moon has become a penal colony to which all manner of criminals and political dissidents are exiled. Because of the physiological effects of low gravity, even after they finish their sentences the "Loonies" cannot return to Earth. Instead, they make their living as subterranean farmers and ice miners, essentially free, but always under the shadow of "The Authority," which runs the prison system.
At the beginning of the novel, Mannie discovers that the primary computer that runs almost everything for the Lunar Authority has become sentient. He establishes a friendship with the computer and names it "Mike," short for Mycroft (Sherlock Holmes older, smarter brother). At Mike's request, Mannie sneaks a recorder into an anti-Authority meeting at which Mannie's former teacher, Professor Bernardo de la Paz, is speaking. When the authorities raid the meeting, Mannie escapes in the company of a lovely and intelligent political organizer, Wyoming "Wyoh" Knott. In hiding after the meeting, the four new friends (Mannie, Wyoh, Mike, and the Prof) conclude that a Lunar revolt is necessary. The Prof estimates that under the current system, Lunar resources will soon run out, leading to food riots in seven years and cannibalism in nine. Although Mannie is apolitical, he joins the cause when Mike calculates the odds of success at seven to one--too great a temptation for the gambling-prone typical Lunar citizen.
The Prof is the primary political strategist of the incipient revolution. In frequent expository passages, he explains the tenets of "Rational Anarchism" and designs the most secure cell structure for a subversive organization. Having Mike's assistance, they are able to design an entirely secure means of communication and even infiltrate the private files of the Warden (the Authority's representative on Luna). MIke creates the fictional persona of "Adam Selene" to lead the resistance.
Once the revolt actually begins (as a result of the rape and murder of a Loonie girl by occupying troops), Mannie and the Prof travel to Earth to negotiate terms for continued grain shipments from Luna and to establish Luna as a free state, not a colony. The negotiations fail (as the Prof intended) and Mannie is even arrested for bigamy after he shows a picture of his multi-ethnic (and multi-member) marriage. Mannie and the Prof eventually escape with the help of their Earth-based coconspirator Stuart LaJoie and return to Luna where they learn that Mannie, Prof, and Wyoh have all been elected to Congress in their absence.
The revolution begins to lose momentum, but eventually the Earth-based Lunar Authority sends ships to attack the Lunar cities. The masses rise up against the invaders and Mike begins a series of "bombings" of unpopulated areas of Earth--sending grain shipment containers loaded with rocks into the ground at terminal velocity. Earth makes a final attempt to destroy the revolt, but ultimately fails, leading to the recognition of Luna as an independent state. The Prof dies while making his victory speech and Mike stops talking, although it is unclear if this is the result of damage he sustained in the attacks or in reaction to the horrors of war. Mannie and Wyoh become less involved in the government once the revolution is over and Mannie notes that, as the Prof predicted, the new government is already beginning to fall into the same habits as the old one.
For further information and analysis, please see The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and Anarchism: Analysis of Lunar Society and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and Authoritarianism: Analysis of the Lunar Authority.
Heinlein, Robert. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. New York: Orb, 1997. ISBN: 978-0312863555
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