Citizen Of The Galaxy
Ratings13
Average rating3.6
From helpless slave to beloved son to aspiring merchant to prodigal heir, Citizen of the Galaxy shows the inner and outer growth of a young man in a far-flung Galactic culture. From the moment he is bought and freed by the beggar Baslim (who is far more than he seems), young Toby learns the values of family, self-reliance, discipline, and self-knowledge. Galactic in its scope and personal in its depth, Citizen of the Galaxy is a well-crafted coming of age story set against a galaxy of contrasts.
In a distant galaxy, the atrocity of slavery was alive and well, and young Thorby was just another orphaned boy sold at auction. But his new owner, Baslim, is not the disabled beggar he appears to be: adopting Thorby as his son, he fights relentlessly as an abolitionist spy. When the authorities close in on Baslim, Thorby must ride with the Free Traders -- a league of merchant princes -- throughout the many worlds of a hostile galaxy, finding the courage to live by his wits and fight his way from society's lowest rung. But Thorby's destiny will be forever changed when he discovers the truth about his own identity. - Back cover.
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4.5 stars
Robert A. Heinlein???s best books are those he wrote for kids, and Citizen of the Galaxy is one of the best of those. Originally serialized in Astounding Science Fiction in 1957, this is an anthropological adventure story with strong libertarian and anti-slavery themes.
We first meet Thorby, a young belligerent orphaned slave boy, as he has just landed on an unfamiliar planet and is on the auction block. Nobody wants him ??? he???s too feisty ??? but he is eventually sold for a pittance to Baslim, a man who appears to be a crippled beggar. Despite Baslim???s kind treatment, it takes a while for Thorby to warm up, but once he does he discovers that Baslim is more than he seems. Under Baslim???s tutorage, Thorby becomes an accomplished and very well educated beggar.
Eventually Thorby must leave his new home, but the knowledge and connections he received from Baslim ... Read More at Fantasy Literature: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/reviews/citizen-of-the-galaxy/
Part of me wants to give this one less star for its unsatisfying ending – and also the fact that the more interesting parts of the story are hardly explored.
Heinlein is high on my list of favorite authors, but this is not high on my list of favorite books. Way too much time is spent explaining complicated family and social structures, complex corporate finance and a little interstellar politics. So go read The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress or Stranger In A Strange Land
