Podkayne of Mars (Ace Science Fiction)

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 224 pages
• Published by: Ace June 28, 2005
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0441012981
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0441012985
• Book Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Weighs: 4.8 ounces

Book Description
From the author of Rocket Ship Galileo comes this classic tale featuring the Grand Master of Science Fiction's most remarkable heroine.

Reader Reviews
Robert Heinlein never could get over the charge that he was a misogynist - because he espoused the "different but equal" theory of gender relations, rather than the "exactly the same as each other" interpretation. With this book, on the cusp between Heinlein's mainly juvenile stories and his much deeper adult fiction, we see one of the most obvious examples of Heinlein's "different but equal" characters in the titular Podkayne. Obviously it's a stretch for a middle-aged man to write a 1st-person account as a 15-year-old (in Earth years!) girl. Podkayne's goal in life is to become an explorer pilot, even though it's a male-dominated profession, even though she will not be educated in the top schools, and even though she is of questionable anscestry (born on the former penal colony of Mars). She gets the chance to see first-hand what space travel is like when her uncle (a senator for the Martian Republic, and ex-transported convict) agrees to take her to Venus and then Earth. A 3-planet conference is taking place on the Moon that he will attend. Unknown to Podkayne at the time of departure: radical elements do not want the Senator to make it to the conference, and others want to use him to push their own agendas contrary to the Senator's beliefs. If this sounds complex for a "juvenile novel," I think it is. The reason it's classified as such is that the main characters are young (Podkayne and her even younger brother), and the dialogue is relatively simple, even when the ideas are complex. In comparison to, say, Between Planets or Rocket Ship Galileo, the plot is much darker and more subtle. Unfortunately, the plot doesn't really sustain itself - Podkayne is too much of a Pollyanna to really understand her situation, and it's difficult for the reader to take her seriously, especially in the closing 1/3 of the book when her brother takes control. However, I think an adult reader will still find a lot here worth reading, especially the Heinlein fan. Besides the obvious gender observations that are still relevant today (e.g. that most men cannot bear to date a smarter woman), he adds some class and race undertones that became more important as Heinlein matured as a writer. Finally, the violence of the last part of the book may put off some readers, although if the child has watched a few episodes of "24" or "ER" on TV, they'll have seen worse. Comment | | (Report this)