Robert A. Heinlein - Double Star

Double Star by Robert A. Heinlein

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This story is the very definition of the word "romp". Set in a universe of interstellar capers, it's a great fun space opera, largely devoid of subtext and brimful of derring-do.

The premise is one seldom approached by SF: the Prince-and-Pauper trope. The universe's greatest character actor is embroiled in a scheme to impersonate a top-ranking politician and save the galaxy, which he achieves with a mixture of futuristic disguise and old-fashioned acting prowess. Lorenzo is one of Heinlein's more fleshed-out protagonists, written with great charm and humour. Heinlein writes as confidently and sparingly as usual and this short novel whips along with pace and vim, but without the repetition of his other thrillers (e.g. The Puppet Masters).

It's an old book now and so it comes off as somewhat cheesy, but this is pulp SF at its best and well worth the small investment of time it takes to read.



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Resolutions

Not quite New Year resolutions but... New Me plans. I have always been very fond of not only writing out plans, but making them step-by-step, tangible goals. I want to achieve A and I will do this by BCD, kind of thing. Following on from yesterday's post, the main thing I need to do is get back into work.

I am signed off through the rest of August, to be reassessed the last week. If my GP gives me the OK to return to work, I will contact my manager and arrange a meeting with him and our HR person. I will be proposing a phased return to work, starting with part time hours 3 days a week and see how we go from there. Obviously this is something that would need to be reviewed as I get back into the swing of things, and of course is dependent on them agreeing to the proposal.

Once I'm back in work, the next step would be building up my financial reserves to have a deposit to put down on either a flat or a house of my own. I suspect initially renting, rather than buying. Ideally a two bedroom place, near to work and my son's school.

Only then will I be in a stable position to counter the custody situation and petition for joint custody, rather than just seeing him at weekends.

There's smaller goals I'd like to achieve as well.
I've started and plan on finishing watching the whole Star Trek verse as per the Star Trek Chronology Project - hey, I'm a geek, remember?
Read 25 books
Get to grips with blogging and social media
Be open to trying new things