Double Star
Book description
One minute, down-and-out actor Lorenzo Smythe was - as usual - in a bar, drinking away his troubles as he watched his career go down the tubes. Then a space pilot bought him a drink, and the next thing Smythe knew, he was shanghaied to Mars.
Suddenly he found himself…
Why read it?
3 authors picked Double Star as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
A timeless classic. I’ve always loved science fiction—it takes me to other worlds and provides a welcome escape from everyday life. Double Star by Robert A. Heinlein was no exception. The story of Lorenzo Smythe, an actor tasked with impersonating a famous politician, felt so original and fresh. Having spent time around actors in my youth, I found Heinlein’s witty and funny portrayal of their egos spot on—it had me laughing out loud more than once. But the book isn’t just humor; it explores deeper themes like identity, responsibility, and what it truly means to lead, all set in a…
From the first page, I loved the self-centered, egotistic main character full of himself. When his deluded sense of self-worth got him into inevitable trouble, I smiled, thinking he walked into it with eyes open. It came as a pleasant surprise to see the character evolve beyond himself and slowly encompass a wider reality that would benefit Earth and Mars… with considerable risk to himself.
A dash of romance, this powerful story, regrettably short, blew me away. I don’t care that the book is old, but I feel the theme stands the test of time as very enjoyable entertainment. A…
From Stefan's list on hard science fiction by old masters.
Double Star was particularly interesting to me due to the human aspect of prejudice and egotism, something we see every day by our fellow man.
It explores the barrier of one man’s constant pushback of what he believes is below him, or disgusting to him; aliens and political ideologies. I believe there is a fundamental goodness in all of us, and if the dust and grim of our unsavory human traits can be scrapped away, that goodness can bleed through.
The main character in Double Star must presume the identity of a man he has nothing in common with, both…
From Robbie's list on sci-fi from the 1950s.
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