Variable Star: A Novel

Robert A. Heinlein · Spider Robinson

Dec 2010 · Macmillan + ORM

About this eBook

The unfinished sci-fi masterpiece by the author of Stranger in a Strange Land—completed by the Hugo Award–winning author of The Stardance Trilogy.

Joel Johnston has found the love of his life in Jinny Hamilton. Life would be perfect if only he earned enough money to support a family. But now that Jinny knows his love is true, she reveals an incredible secret: she is really Jinny Conrad, granddaughter of Richard Conrad, the wealthiest man in the solar system. And now that Joel proven his love for Jinny, her family has a plan for him.

Joel is to be groomed for a place in the vast Conrad empire and sire a dynasty to carry on the family business. Most men would jump at the opportunity. But to Jinny’s surprise, and even his own, Joel turns down her generous offer and sets off on the mother of all benders.

When he wakes up on a colony ship heading into space, he decides it’s time to forget Jinny and make a life among the stars. But his plans—and the plans of billions of others—are shattered by a cosmic cataclysm so devastating it will take all of humanity’s strength and ingenuity just to survive.

When an outline for Variable Star was found among Robert A. Heinlein’s papers, Spider Robinson was commissioned to complete the novel. The result is a thrilling new work of science fiction from two of the genre’s greatest minds.

Ratings and reviews

I decided to read this to see what 'ole Heinlein left us with. Having read a number of his other books, I am familiar with his style. I couldn't call this one outstanding, however. The main character could have used more development. It seemed to read like a youth book. Judgments about people were drawn too quickly. The "happy ending female relationship" came too easy. Here's a tech thing that really bothered me: When the earth got blown up, the energy wave radiated outward. They were running from this wave acting as if the wave would kill them. There is NO WAY that the concentration of energy would stay the same light years away. It would diminish more and more the farther away from the source point you traveled.

Well worth the read. Spider Robinson upholds the Heinlein style with this story about some of Heinlein's usual themes - various types of love, dictators getting into things they shouldn't, and thoughts on a better life for humanity in general, wrapped in a nice melding of space age tech and down home common sense. Mr. Robinson does branch into the mystical a bit more than I personally would like, but telling you where he goes with that would spoil some parts of the story. If you enjoy Heinlein's other works, you'll most likely enjoy this.

Spider did a great job writing. I am sad to say though that it's not classic Heinlein. And I know a cover band writing originals sounds bad. Despite that comment, I did enjoy this book. In a few places it got too wordy. It's probably true to the outline, but I feel it focused too much on the back story. And then it ended a bit too abruptly. Still, like I said, a good read. I'd recommend it to any sci-fi fan, not just Heinlein fans.

About the author

Robert A. Heinlein (1907-1988) won four Hugo Awards for Best Novels and three of his novels were given Retrospective Hugos fifty years after publication. He won Science Fiction Writers of America's first Grand Master Award. His many influential novels include Starship Troopers, Stranger in a Strange Land, and The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress.

Spider Robinson, winner of three Hugos and a Nebula, worked as a folksinger and journalist before publishing his first story in Analog in 1973. Eleven of his 31 books are set in Callahan's Place, a fabulous tavern founded by a time traveler, where puns flow as freely as beer, and smell far worse.