This is a very old classic science fiction book, written by a very old and still popular science fiction writter ("I Robot" anyone).
I first read this book somewhere between my first walk to the movie house alone, and high-school. It was daring, a whole new world - people didn't talk like that, sex? (lessons learned much later). Fortunately my parents would never consider reading it because it was "SCIENCE FICTION". So they didn't stop me.
Now 50 years later, when I reread the same book, the dialog is stilted, not the least bit risque (by today's standards), and the plot rolls along if fits and starts - very unevenly.
A very quick synopsis is: this is a story of a human brought up in a Martian colony. He was brought to earth. This person was the last human on Mars, born and raised on Mars, and therefore instilled with Martian values. The contrast of the Martian values and Earthling values, while striking, serves more to illustrate some of the entrenched problems of earthly society.
Another view of the same book is as an observation of any alien, visitor, or outcast in contrast to the society of the majority.
The book seems to be written through the several cycles of a bipolar roller-coaster.
Someone newly interested in science fiction would probably benefit from leaving this book until a later time. A science fiction fanatic has already read the book, probably more than once.
I first read this book somewhere between my first walk to the movie house alone, and high-school. It was daring, a whole new world - people didn't talk like that, sex? (lessons learned much later). Fortunately my parents would never consider reading it because it was "SCIENCE FICTION". So they didn't stop me.
Now 50 years later, when I reread the same book, the dialog is stilted, not the least bit risque (by today's standards), and the plot rolls along if fits and starts - very unevenly.
A very quick synopsis is: this is a story of a human brought up in a Martian colony. He was brought to earth. This person was the last human on Mars, born and raised on Mars, and therefore instilled with Martian values. The contrast of the Martian values and Earthling values, while striking, serves more to illustrate some of the entrenched problems of earthly society.
Another view of the same book is as an observation of any alien, visitor, or outcast in contrast to the society of the majority.
The book seems to be written through the several cycles of a bipolar roller-coaster.
Someone newly interested in science fiction would probably benefit from leaving this book until a later time. A science fiction fanatic has already read the book, probably more than once.
