Between Planets
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| Between Planets | |
 First Edition cover for Between Planets |
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| Author | Robert A. Heinlein |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Clifford Geary |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | Charles Scribner's Sons |
| Publication date | 1951 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 222 pp |
| ISBN | NA |
| Preceded by | Farmer in the Sky |
| Followed by | The Rolling Stones |
Between Planets is a 1951 science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, originally serialised in Blue Book magazine (September, October 1951). It was published in hardcover that year by Scribner's as part of the Heinlein juveniles.
[edit] Plot summary
A young man named Don Harvey leaves high school on Earth to rendezvous with his scientist parents on Mars. An old family friend asks him to deliver a ring to his father, but they are both arrested by security forces. Harvey is released and given his ring back, after it has been examined; he is told that his friend has died of "heart failure." It is only later that he realizes that all deaths can be described that way.
Harvey boards a shuttle to a space station orbiting the Earth. The station doubles as a transshipment terminus and a military base, armed with missiles to keep various restive nations in check. On the trip, he befriends one of his fellow passengers, a Venusian "dragon" named Sir Isaac Newton. Sir Isaac is a highly intelligent, sentient being who can speak English using a portable device. It is later revealed that Sir Isaac is a renowned physicist collaborating with Harvey's parents.
Harvey gets caught up in the Venusian war of independence when the station is captured by the colonials in a surprise raid. Most of the other travellers are sent back to Earth, while a few join the freedom fighters. Then there is Harvey. The spaceship to Mars is confiscated, but he remains determined to get there, by way of Venus if necessary. Because he was born in space, with one parent from Venus and the other from Earth, he might be able to claim Venusian citizenship by derivation; also, Sir Isaac vouches for him. So he is allowed to tag along, which turns out to be very fortunate for Harvey. The station is blown up to stir up trouble for the Earth government. When the shuttle returns to Earth with its radios disabled, it is fired upon by a jumpy military and destroyed, killing all aboard.
On his arrival on Venus, Harvey finds that his Earth-backed money is now worthless. He gets a job washing dishes for Charlie, a Chinese immigrant who runs a small restaurant. He befriends a young woman, Isobel, when he tries to send a message to his parents. However, interplanetary communications have been shut down due to the hostilities. Harvey settles in to wait out the war, when the war comes to him.
Earth sends a military force to put down the rebellion. The conventional rebel forces are quickly routed. Charlie is killed resisting the occupying soldiers. Harvey is captured and questioned by a senior security officer, who is eager to get his hands on Harvey's ring. Luckily, Harvey had given it to Isobel for safekeeping and he doesn't know where she is. Before he can be returned to Earth for further interrogation, he escapes and joins the Venusian guerrilla forces.
Harvey becomes an effective soldier. In time, he is tracked down by the leaders of the resistance who also want the ring. It turns out that Isobel's father is an important member of the rebellion and she is in the very camp where Harvey has been taken.
The ring turns out to hold secret scientific research. With Sir Isaac's assistance, it is used to build an advanced spaceship that is much faster than any other vessel in existence. New weapons are also developed to arm the ship, christened Little David. As a combat veteran, Harvey joins the crew on its maiden voyage, manning the dead man's switch, with orders to blow up the ship if it is in danger of being captured. Little David intercepts and defeats a flotilla sent to Mars to put down the revolt there. Harvey is finally reunited with his parents.
[edit] Other Media
Between Planets was serialized in Boys' Life magazine in 1978 as a monthly cartoon series. The story took some liberties — for instance, the "Dragons" of Venus were portrayed as humanoids and the planets' names were changed — but the spirit of the story was relatively faithful.
[edit] External links
- Between Planets publication history at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
