Space Cadet Paperback – October 31, 2006

Heinlein's love of his time at the Naval Academy shows in this story of a young man who becomes a cadet at the Space Academy. Many of the lessons Heinlein learned about adulthood and leadership come through these pages. He is not preachy, but still conveys strong moral lessons and insight into what Duty and Honor actually mean. It has a strong science fiction story line about missions unique to space travel, but there is a common theme of taking risks and doing the right thing, even if it is not the easy thing. I highly recommend it for all.

If you can ignore the scientific errors (humans really thought Venus a tropical paradise in the 1950s), this is a really good novel. Some "coming of age" elements. I was amused that Heinlein thought we would have a manned mission to Venus in 1971. Why not? So much had been learned about space and technology in the 1940s and '50s... and at that time, we didnt know that the surface temperature of Venus was hot enough to melt lead.

It's a great read, and I remember it fondly from my childhood. Matt is a boy who wants to join the space patrol. He and hos New friend, Tex, have a series of adventures at the space academy, and then out and about in the solar system. The solar system reflects science and hopes of the era, so Venus and Mars both have breathable atmosphere and intelligent natives. The asteroid belt probably got there when the natives of the fifth planet blew themselves up. All of that stuff is unimportant. The story telling is fun, and scenery internally consistent.

I first read this as a teenager - more years ago than I want to admit. I reread it as a prelude to introducing a whole bunch of Heinlein to my grandson. I found it still stands up to scrutiny after all these years - shouldn't be surprised. Now I need to go back and read all the rest.

RAH, the author, is referred to by those who know his work as “the master” because he was to sci-fi as Bach was to, well, just about anyone. Just ask any accomplished rock or jazz musician. In Heinlein’s case anyone who has written for a living. Read it, you’ll enjoy it.

I first read this when I was in Heinlein's target youth audience, before Sputnik, before calculators, when all engineers used slide rules (as I later did in college and as an engineer), and the future it proposed seemed reasonable to a youth. I still enjoy Heinlein's writing, and can place myself in his "possible future" alternate reality, where mid-20th century moral values didn't morph into the morass of today. Thank you for the reminder of those times.

If you haven’t read any of the “Heinlein juveniles” (now known as YA novels), I’d say start with a different one. Starman Jones, The Star Beast, Citizen of the Galaxy, there are others. But if you know these awesome books, this one will be a warm blanket on a chilly evening. The first half reads like a less edgy version of the boot camp chapters of Starship Troopers. The second half (circumstances force the cadets to fend for themselves) reminded me of Tunnel in the Sky.It took me a long time before I reread Space Cadet, but I’m glad I did. Enjoy.

Robert Heinlein is considered by many to be the most important and influential author of science fictions golden age. I first read his books as a teenager many years ago and he remains my go to for a nice afternoon. His young adult fiction was ahead of it's time and he was astounding in his ability to predict technical innovation. Perhaps the only mistake he made was in thinking we would be further along in space by now. Space Cadet is a great story with interesting characters. It is easy to see the influence that Heinlein's time at the Naval Academy had on the training portion of the book. All in all a timeless piece of fiction as relevant today as when it was written.

RAH doesn't disappoint in this selection from his juvenile - reader series. A testimony of why he is considered among the greats.

Heinlein was one of the most prolific science fiction authors of all time, and it isn't just the sheer quantity of the work that he produced, but the consistent quality, that made him such a terrific author when I was a youngster, starting out with the genre.Written in 1949 and perhaps over-shadowed with the author's musings on the on-set of what became the "Cold War", this is an enthralling tale of a young man undergoing the unique and transformative experience of preparation for a life in space - and the development from adolescent to adult in the process. The vintage is such that the author includes aspects [such as exploring a lushly tropical Venus] that more modern, scientific work has rendered tellingly obsolete, but, for all that, loses nothing in impact - especially the way that he describes the Cadets of the story adjusting to cultures completely alien to the one they know. In that, Heinlein was oddly prescient - the tale feels very close to the present distinction between what we today call Western and Eastern views.This tale is perfect for any youngster who would enjoy a riveting "space yarn", or, for that matter, any nostalgic parent or grand-parent who would like a reminder of why they love classic, traditional science fiction stories.Here is a tale from one of the all time greats in science fiction, from a writer who inspired the likes of Peter Hamilton, Iain Banks and all those who were to follow. This is simply perfect bed-time story material, written in a way that has the potential to instill a sense of adventure and a love of reading that will last a life-time.

In 1955, at the age of 14, I was "trapped" on my back for nearly 12 months recovering from a severe bout of sciatica which affected both legs. It was the first manifestation of back pain (suspected of being poliomyelitis) which resulted from my being knocked over by a car in 1945, and is something I continue to suffer from. During that period, in New Zealand, unable to attend an ordinary school, I was enrolled in the NZ Correspondence School, an excellent institution which operates to this day (but now with modern communication technology). Every couple of weeks, in addition to my correspondence lessons, I received a bright green canvas bag which contained a couple of library books, which I was expected to read. Reading was not an imposition: my family were avid readers and my siblings and I had large bookcases packed with a variety of literature from non-fiction to fiction. To that date I had read no, or very little, science fiction, with the exception, perhaps of H.G. Wells, John Wyndam and C.S. Lewis. One such bag contained a novel for younger readers by Robert Heinlein––"Space Cadet" and I was hooked! For life! Being unable to move around, Heinlein presented me with a world I could dream about with no physical limitations: indeed the thought of floating weightlessly without pain was enticingly poignant. I immediately pestered my mother, who worked in our local village library, and in short order had available several others of Heinlein's novels for junior readers. None, however, made quite the impact on me that Space Cadet did with Heinlein's endeavours to introduce philosophical concepts that, at 14, I had not yet really begun to explore. I suppose at that age I had not yet thought to question the beliefs of my parents in the way that Matthew Dodson had to, and then decide to keep his peace because his father did not, perhaps could not, understand. Notwithstanding my later disagreements with Heinlein's political philosophy, none-the-less he introduced to me moral concepts, precepts and considerations which gave me the wherewithal to question his beliefs and help me draw my own conclusions. I have since read most of his books, and many of his other writings and essays, and I introduced my children to his work when they reached an appropriate age. He gave to me a love of good science fiction and I often re-read his novels for enjoyable reacquaintance and relaxation. His works led me to Asimov, Campbell, Clarke and Card. I have owned several copies of Space Cadet, each literally falling apart from family use. This Kindle copy now makes it available to me in a form which will not fall apart and I cannot but recommend it to anyone who would wish to interest their younger ones in science fiction, and, indeed, wish for some enjoyment themselves.

Heinlein fan for years. The story is a bit dated now but still a good read.

This was Heinlein's third published novel and the second of his 'juvenile' books, and as far as I can remember it was the first book by Heinlein I ever read. Perhaps for that reason more than any other it is still one of my favourite Golden Age sci-fi novels.First published in 1948, Space Cadet follows the adventures of Matt Dodson as he works his way through the training necessary to become a member of the prestigious Space Patrol. Along the way Heinlein explores a number of themes, including racism (the Patrol is made up of members from pretty much every nation and ethnicity imaginable) and national pride (cadets are expected to abandon their loyalty to their homelands and instead focus on loyalty to humanity), as well as providing a surprisingly accurate depiction of space travel over a decade before Yuri Gagarin made his first orbit of the Earth.Despite the book's age it still manages to present us with a good story, and along the way shows off Heinlein's ability to educate as well as entertain; much of the science and technology presented in Space Cadet was cutting edge back in the late forties. There's even a throwaway line regarding the protagonist's mobile phone, a device we take for granted nowadays but which would have seemed almost miraculous to contemporary readers.I really do think this is one of Heinlein's better books, and would heartily recommend it to anyone wanting to get a feel for what he was capable of, especially in the early years of his career. It presents us with an optimistic and somewhat rose-tinted view of the future, but doesn't suffer any because of that.