The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

Robert A. Heinlein

May 2000 · Blackstone Audio Inc. · Narrated by Lloyd James

About this audiobook

Revolution is brewing on twenty-first-century Luna, a moon-based penal colony where oppressed “Loonies” are being exploited by a harsh Authority that controls it from Earth. Against all odds, a ragtag collection of dissidents has banded together in revolt, including a young female radical, an elderly academic, a one-armed computer jock, and a nearly omnipotent supercomputer named Mike, whose sentience is known only to this inner circle and who is committed to the revolution for reasons of his own.

Drawing many historical parallels with the War of Independence, Heinlein’s fourth Hugo Award–winning novel is a gripping tale bursting with politics, humanity, passion, innovative technical speculation, and a firm belief in the pursuit of human freedom.

Robert A. Heinlein was the most influential science fiction writer of his era, winning the Hugo Award for best novel a record four times. The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress was the last of these Hugo-winning novels and is widely considered his finest work.

Ratings and reviews

A true sci-fi classic. The story of the lunar revolution is made fascinating by the presence of a computer that gains sentience & the protagonist's unique personality. There's a lot of philosophizing (as in most Heinlein novels) that can bog the story down at times, but the core story is so well thought out that it's worth dealing with the extraneous bits. The reader does a fantastic job of recreating accents, though he speeds through chapter breaks & emotional bits too much, but oh well.

phenomenal story that has lasted through the ages. Wish Heinlein was alive today to discuss his thoughts on how this has aged. Also the voice actor was hands down the best I've ever heard in an audio book. I use the word Actor because he was far more than a narrator. I'm going to look for other books he's done simply because of his capabilities.

If you can get through the first few chapters, and get use to the way the main character speaks, this book is well worth it. I found the first few chapters to be a little slow and bland, but I was absolutely in love with The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress soon after. Absolutely worth buying and reading/listening to.

About the author

Robert Anson Heinlein (1907–1988) took a variety of jobs before beginning to write science fiction in 1939. He became the dominant science fiction writer of the modern era, a writer whose influence on the field was immense. He won science fiction’s Hugo Award for best novel seven times, and several of his books were New York Times bestsellers. In 1975 he received the first Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement.

Lloyd James has been narrating since 1996, has recorded over six hundred books in almost every genre, has earned six AudioFile Earphones Awards, and is a two-time nominee for the prestigious Audie Award. His bestselling and most critically acclaimed performances include Elvis in the Morning by William F. Buckley, Jr., Ben Hur by Lew Wallace, Searching for Bobby Fischer by Fred Waitskin, and Mystic Warrior by Tracy and Laura Hickman. Lloyd's background as a performer includes extensive work in classical theater and folk music. He lives in Maryland with his wife and children.