"Rocket Ship Galileo" by Robert A. Heinlein (1907-1988)

Publisher: Ballantine / Del Rey
Year: 1947

An Brief Introduction to the Heinlein Juveniles

The thirteen books in the Juveniles series (although some say there are only twelve, as the first twelve were published by Scribners, but they rejected the thirteenth) take the reader on a journey to the stars as they are chronologically laid out, over a fairly long time span. The first deals with the first moon landing. The next five concentrate on interplanetary travel, the following four look at the early stages of interstellar travel, in number eleven interstellar travel is easy, the twelfth has humans venturing outside the galaxy to the Lesser Magellanic Cloud, and the thirteenth looks at interstellar war.

No characters are shared between the novels due to the great time spans involved. However, some of Heinlein's other later books do reference events that take place in this series and well as in his Future History short stories.

Rocket Ship Galileo

Rocket Ship Galileo is the first book in "The Heinlein Juveniles". It was written in 1947, and as such the fact that World War II had just ended influences the plot, but more about that in a few minutes.

The world as we know it from history is quite different from the one portrayed in this book, and the influence of World War II can definitely be seen, especially the success of the use of rockets. In the novel's world rockets are now used for the delivery of the mail, and other cargo. They are being built by a Detroit company, and commercially available. In addition these rockets are able to accomplish such things as take-offs and landings from pretty much anywhere, something that we are now just achieving.

The story revolves around three boys who are recent high-school graduates, that are also into rocketry, and are in the process of building their own rocket motors (they are also quite accomplished at electronics, flying, etc). When the story opens their latest experiment had just ended, in failure but not without producing very promising results. They are then recruited by one boy's uncle, a physicist, who had previously worked on the Manhattan Project. The uncle Dr. Cargraves, proposes that they refit a surplus mail rocket with atomic engines and make the first trip to the moon. The boys agree and work begins in a military range that previously been used to test nuclear bombs. Their efforts however are disrupted by what they determine as prowlers, but who turn out to be unknown agents.

The story progresses, and when they reach the moon they establish a base by constructing a quonset-hut like shelter, and covering it with regolith to protect it. When they set up their communications equipment to attempt to contact Earth, they pick up a transmission which they determine is local, and who proceeds to bomb their ship "The Galileo". After investigating further the crew of the former rocket ship Galileo determine that their is a Nazi base on the moon, and they are planning on taking revenge for the loss of the war.

When you consider when this book was written, what the world had just accomplished (end of WWII), and the promise that nuclear power brought to the future it is conceivable from a late 1940's viewpoint that things such as this might be possible. While the plot of this story is somewhat fantastic, as it doesn't take into account all the tremendous number of details (time, money, expertise, etc.) that would be required to send a credit to the moon it is still a good read, and should entertain anyone who reads it.