The Moon Is a Harsh MistressThe Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
Score Classic
What it's about
In 2075 the Moon is a penal colony, run by a governor from Earth and forced to ship its grain home while its own water and soil run out. Mannie, a one-armed computer technician, discovers that the colony's master computer has quietly become self-aware, with a sense of humor. Together with a fiery activist and an old professor, Mannie and the computer, whom he names Mike, plot a revolution.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Hugo Award and is one of Heinlein's most admired novels. It's a clever revolution story with one of science fiction's most lovable computers.
You'll love it if you liked
The Left Hand of Darkness
Dune
Starship TroopersGood to know
Mannie narrates in a clipped Lunar dialect that drops many articles; it takes a few pages to get used to. The book's libertarian politics and 1960s attitudes to women date it in places.
By the numbers
- Readers71 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics56 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller32 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #56 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #196 of the 762 classics we rank
- #615 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Dark, Thought-provoking
More by Robert A. Heinlein
Starship Troopers
Stranger in a Strange Land
Double Star
FridayIf you like this, read next
Ender's Game
The Lord of the Rings
Hyperion
The Dispossessed
Foundation
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Quick answers
Is The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress worth reading?
Yes. It won the Hugo Award and is one of Heinlein's most admired novels. It ranks #615 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress about?
In 2075 the Moon is a penal colony, run by a governor from Earth and forced to ship its grain home while its own water and soil run out. Mannie, a one-armed computer technician, discovers that the colony's master computer has quietly become self-aware, with a sense of humor. Together with a fiery activist and an old professor, Mannie and the computer, whom he names Mike, plot a revolution.
How long does it take to read The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress?
About 7 hours (288 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress won?
Hugo Award winner (1967).
What should I read after The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress?
If you liked it, try The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin, Dune by Frank Herbert or Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein.