"Astronaut Jones" ( eng. Starman Jones ) is a science fiction novel by American science fiction writer Robert Heinlein , written by him as part of a series of novels for the young. It was first published in 1953 by Charles Scribner's Sons.
| Astronaut jones | |
|---|---|
| Genre | science fiction novel |
| Author | Robert Heinlein |
| Original language | English |
| Date of first publication | 1953 |
| Publisher | |
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| Previous | and |
| Following | |
Content
Story
Maximilian Jones grew up and worked on the farm with his stepmother, but he dreamed of stars and space travel, while possessing unique mathematical skills and some knowledge from the books of his uncle Chet, who had been an astronaut before his death. He would have remained a farmer if he had not fled to the city in a passing car, by deception and with the help of a friend, Sam Anderson, had received fake steward documents and an assignment to the Asgard spaceship.
On the very first flight, his abilities in astronavigation paid attention and raised his status to an intern, having taught the basics of the profession. This came in handy when the senior astronavigator died suddenly, and under the control of the captain and former astronautigator assistant, the spacecraft after another interstellar jump accidentally fell into an unknown area of the galaxy . They were near a star with a habitable planet, but this planet was inhabited by hostile centaur-like inhabitants who captured Jones. While he was at the centaurs, the captain, who had broken down from responsibility, had died, and the astronavigator's assistant was killed when he tried to seize power on the ship. Sam Anderson dies, freeing Jones, who remained the only astronavigator, thanks to which he is appointed temporary captain of "Asgard."
Only thanks to the phenomenal memory of Jones is it possible to make a return interstellar jump and normally complete the journey. In the end, Jones still officially becomes a member of the astronavigators' guild.
Reception of critics
Groff Conklin found in the novel "a completely peculiar and carefully thought-out narrative" [1] . Boucher and McComas praised him for “good character development, an inspiring description of adventures and the brilliant creation of several forms of extraterrestrial life ” [2] . New York Times reviewer Vilje Gerson called the novel “excellent science fiction [...] carefully crafted, lucidly and beautifully written” [3] .
Reviewing Heinlein's novels for the young, Jack Williamson defined this book "as a classic example of a novel of education " and noted that "its strong symbolism makes the book universally attractive." Despite the "coincidence and occasional theatricality" in the plot, Williamson concluded that "the novel is perfect for a minor audience, reflecting known hopes and fears" [4] .
Notes
- ↑ Galaxy's 5 Star Shelf. - Galaxy Science Fiction , 1954. - Vol. May - p . 131 .
- ↑ Recommended Reading. - F & SF , 1954. - Vol. january - p . 94-95 .
- ↑ "A Boy in Space", The New York Times , November 15, 1953
- ↑ Jack Williamson. "Youth Against Space" (eng.) . - Algol 17, 1977. - P. 12 .
Links
- "Astronaut Jones" on the site " Laboratory Science Fiction "
- List of publications of the book "Astronaut Jones" in ISFDB (English)