Space Cadet by Robert A. Heinlein
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is '48 Heinlein at his most usual for the time-period. I can't say I love it, but I can appreciate what it IS.

It's YA, folks. Moral, ethical, scientifically accurate adventure for BOYS. First, into what seems to be the military for space, our intrepid idiots, (I mean, promising young men,) get in over their heads after a prolonged training period and head to Venus. Where they get inveigled in cultural misunderstandings and get out by the skin of their teeth.

This is 40's youth claptrap, folks. It has a sell-by-date on the cover. It's not even courageous enough to let loose with Heinlein's real opinions, complex reductions, or moral ambiguities. Let's face it. He wrote this for a very particular kind of paycheck. One with real money, playing off all his connections with the Boy's Life serials.

I can, however, still praise the biggest contribution he made to SF at the time.

Science. Real science, even ACCURATE science. And very decent writing.

I can't really blame him for being dull in this particular novel. It was written to spec. lol

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