What do you think?
Rate this book
Dingilliad / Starsiders #1
Jumping Off the Planet
A trip to the Moon? Sounds like the perfect family vacation. Only for 13-year-old Charles "Chigger" Dingillian his family is anything but perfect. His parents fight so much they put the 'dis' into dysfunctional. So when he and his brothers find themselves halfway to the Moon Chigger hits on a if his parents can't find a way to work things out, why not just divorce them? Sound crazy? Until it works.
Charles and his brothers are on their own. But their bid for freedom hits a roadblock when Chigger suspects they are targets of an interstellar manhunt. What do these Big Corporations want? And why?
Their only hope is to jump off the planet...
Charles and his brothers are on their own. But their bid for freedom hits a roadblock when Chigger suspects they are targets of an interstellar manhunt. What do these Big Corporations want? And why?
Their only hope is to jump off the planet...
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
6 people are currently reading
235 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
January 4, 2012
Another, of what seems to be becoming a genre of its own, Heinlein juvenile. This one's about a family of three boys whose parents recently divorced. The parents have been continuing their animosities through a custody battle for the three kids. The story is told through the middle boy, Charles a.k.a. "Chigger" who is 13 and much smarter than he, or anyone else gives him credit for. The boys are with their father for an unusual extended vacation. They're going on a surprise trip to the "beanstalk" (an elevator that goes up to a space station in geosynchronous orbit). While they are on their trip, the planet Earth is collapsing under the weight of 17 billion people. Humanity has established several settlements in the solar system: Luna, Mars, the asteroid belt, a few of Jupiter's moons and even a few extrasolar planets. The family's vacation turns into the father's planned emigration to one of the settlements. In order to fund their emigration he has agreed to smuggle "something" off the earth. So they are being chased by the kids mother, a raft of other people trying to get at whatever Dad is smuggling while all of Earth's infrastructure is dying and everyone is trying to get off planet.
I thought the family dynamics were more realistic than Heinlein, but still had his flavor. Everyone is flawed and yet I found myself rooting for Charles and his brothers to find some way to be a family. Lots of references to Heinlein and his work. Think; "Have Space Suit Will Travel", "Podkayne of Mars" and "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress". Fun!
I thought the family dynamics were more realistic than Heinlein, but still had his flavor. Everyone is flawed and yet I found myself rooting for Charles and his brothers to find some way to be a family. Lots of references to Heinlein and his work. Think; "Have Space Suit Will Travel", "Podkayne of Mars" and "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress". Fun!
March 5, 2020
I am constantly confounded by the cover for every edition of this book featuring white people. Because all the main characters are very explicitly not.
April 3, 2022
One thing I really enjoy is a tale told in the style of classic science fiction, which is why the writing of David Gerrold appeals to me in a big way. Jumping off the Planet is a great, character driven story with descriptions of settings to whet the reader's imagination. It contains science that is not with us yet, but it is so well researched that one cannot argue with its plausibility.
The funny thing is, as I started reading this book, I realized it was very familiar for some strange reason, and then it hit me, this story was also included in a collection I bought several years ago directly from the author when he visited the town of Beatrice, Nebraska for a celebration of the life of Gene L. Coon. The collection, which includes four stories, is entitled A Promise of Stars: Stories from Beyond the Sky.
Jumping off the Planet is a sci-fi story that focuses on a dysfunctional family in the not-too-distant future where one can travel into space on a space elevator, and even catch a ride to the moon. Unfortunately, resources on Earth are scarce and availability is an ever-increasing problem, so the more affluent members of the human race live and work on stations along the length of the elevator. There is a lot of sadness and in this story, but it is balanced with some triumph for the principal character, a young man often referred to as "Chigger," a nickname given to him by his grandfather.
Charles "Chigger" Dingillian along with his two brothers and mother live in a Texas shanty town where they try to carve out a decent lifestyle. One day, Chigger's dad shows up with a seemingly fantastic offer. During his time with the boys, he is allowed by a custody agreement, he proposes to the boys they go on a vacation to the moon. The boys are skeptical, believing their dad to be making yet another promise he cannot, or will not, keep.
In effect, Max Dingillian kidnaps his three sons and races off on a cross-country adventure to Ecuador, where he plans to take his sons off the planet and away from their mother.
It isn't long after they depart the planet that Max's plan is discovered, and the chase is on to stop him.
Chigger has had enough of the situation between his estranged parents and thinks about a solution to end his torment and hopefully give him and his brothers a chance at a better life. He has two choices: either go back to what it has been or divorce his parents.
Charles finds joy in almost nothing. All he wants out of life is to be left to himself and be allowed to listen to his music, the only thing that gives him solace. He really seems to hate his family, but it isn't true. It's not the people in his family he hates, but the situation they had put him in, particularly his mother and father, who are more interested in their own agendas than what is best for their kids.
What I appreciated most about young Charles is his thoughtfulness about everything. Jumping off the Planet revolves around the inner workings of a kid who is brilliant in many ways. He takes note of his surroundings and comments on them, sometimes negatively, but he doesn't miss a thing. It is tragic knowing what he could be if only had the proper nurturing from adults who could provide an example of what it is to be adults.
One of my favorite things about this story is how Charles finds refuge in music, particularly in the music of John Coltrane. This is not surprising to me when one thinks about his style of jazz he dubbed "sheets of sound." As the sideman for the great Miles Davis, Coltrane invented his technique by the playing of rapid passages of notes that wove themselves together in a curtain of sound. That Charles latched on to them shows an advanced appreciation for music.
This advanced appreciation is, of course, an extension of the David Gerrold's own appreciation for music of all kinds. One of the most profound statements offered in the book is a nearly perfect description of what the style of jazz music is about:
"Jazz isn't music. Jazz is what happens when the music disappears and all that is left is the sound and the emotion connected to it. Jazz is a scream or a rant or a sigh. Or whatever else is inside, trying to get out."
Gerrold, David. Jumping Off the Planet (p. 73). BenBella Books. Kindle Edition.
As a musician myself, I find this quote not only profound but also poetic and spot on!
My takeaway from Jumping off the Planet is the tragedy of what happens when parents fall out of love with each other and proceed to use their children as weapons against each other. This is idea is clearly illustrated in the text of this tale and hangs like a pall over the entire story.
No one is born knowing how to be a parent. There are no manuals or coaches to teach one how to be a parent. This story has a message to those that would be parents. When a man or a woman begin to feel sorry for themselves enough to put themselves in the center of their universe, they must remember that the small life they brought into the world is, and should be, the center of their universe. A child never asks to be born and in no case do they owe their parents anything, but their parents do owe their children everything.
I recommend Jumping off the Planet as an outstanding work of sci-fi that is also a deep character study of a family in turmoil that has gotten to a point unbearable for the children involved. It is often a disturbing tale with moments of laugh-out-loud irony and an ending that is not only triumphant, but leaves the question of what's next for these youngsters? Fortunately, there are two more books in this series, and I look forward to the continued saga of what will happen to the Dingillian clan and how the characters, particularly Charles, will grow.
The funny thing is, as I started reading this book, I realized it was very familiar for some strange reason, and then it hit me, this story was also included in a collection I bought several years ago directly from the author when he visited the town of Beatrice, Nebraska for a celebration of the life of Gene L. Coon. The collection, which includes four stories, is entitled A Promise of Stars: Stories from Beyond the Sky.
Jumping off the Planet is a sci-fi story that focuses on a dysfunctional family in the not-too-distant future where one can travel into space on a space elevator, and even catch a ride to the moon. Unfortunately, resources on Earth are scarce and availability is an ever-increasing problem, so the more affluent members of the human race live and work on stations along the length of the elevator. There is a lot of sadness and in this story, but it is balanced with some triumph for the principal character, a young man often referred to as "Chigger," a nickname given to him by his grandfather.
Charles "Chigger" Dingillian along with his two brothers and mother live in a Texas shanty town where they try to carve out a decent lifestyle. One day, Chigger's dad shows up with a seemingly fantastic offer. During his time with the boys, he is allowed by a custody agreement, he proposes to the boys they go on a vacation to the moon. The boys are skeptical, believing their dad to be making yet another promise he cannot, or will not, keep.
In effect, Max Dingillian kidnaps his three sons and races off on a cross-country adventure to Ecuador, where he plans to take his sons off the planet and away from their mother.
It isn't long after they depart the planet that Max's plan is discovered, and the chase is on to stop him.
Chigger has had enough of the situation between his estranged parents and thinks about a solution to end his torment and hopefully give him and his brothers a chance at a better life. He has two choices: either go back to what it has been or divorce his parents.
Charles finds joy in almost nothing. All he wants out of life is to be left to himself and be allowed to listen to his music, the only thing that gives him solace. He really seems to hate his family, but it isn't true. It's not the people in his family he hates, but the situation they had put him in, particularly his mother and father, who are more interested in their own agendas than what is best for their kids.
What I appreciated most about young Charles is his thoughtfulness about everything. Jumping off the Planet revolves around the inner workings of a kid who is brilliant in many ways. He takes note of his surroundings and comments on them, sometimes negatively, but he doesn't miss a thing. It is tragic knowing what he could be if only had the proper nurturing from adults who could provide an example of what it is to be adults.
One of my favorite things about this story is how Charles finds refuge in music, particularly in the music of John Coltrane. This is not surprising to me when one thinks about his style of jazz he dubbed "sheets of sound." As the sideman for the great Miles Davis, Coltrane invented his technique by the playing of rapid passages of notes that wove themselves together in a curtain of sound. That Charles latched on to them shows an advanced appreciation for music.
This advanced appreciation is, of course, an extension of the David Gerrold's own appreciation for music of all kinds. One of the most profound statements offered in the book is a nearly perfect description of what the style of jazz music is about:
"Jazz isn't music. Jazz is what happens when the music disappears and all that is left is the sound and the emotion connected to it. Jazz is a scream or a rant or a sigh. Or whatever else is inside, trying to get out."
Gerrold, David. Jumping Off the Planet (p. 73). BenBella Books. Kindle Edition.
As a musician myself, I find this quote not only profound but also poetic and spot on!
My takeaway from Jumping off the Planet is the tragedy of what happens when parents fall out of love with each other and proceed to use their children as weapons against each other. This is idea is clearly illustrated in the text of this tale and hangs like a pall over the entire story.
No one is born knowing how to be a parent. There are no manuals or coaches to teach one how to be a parent. This story has a message to those that would be parents. When a man or a woman begin to feel sorry for themselves enough to put themselves in the center of their universe, they must remember that the small life they brought into the world is, and should be, the center of their universe. A child never asks to be born and in no case do they owe their parents anything, but their parents do owe their children everything.
I recommend Jumping off the Planet as an outstanding work of sci-fi that is also a deep character study of a family in turmoil that has gotten to a point unbearable for the children involved. It is often a disturbing tale with moments of laugh-out-loud irony and an ending that is not only triumphant, but leaves the question of what's next for these youngsters? Fortunately, there are two more books in this series, and I look forward to the continued saga of what will happen to the Dingillian clan and how the characters, particularly Charles, will grow.
June 19, 2009
I picked this book up at an airport minutes before a flight. It was a total panic buy. I grabbed the nearest fiction I could find so I'd have some company in flight. As I sat down in my squished middle seat I glanced over the back cover to see what the book was about.
"Sci-fi, rebelling against parents, elevator to the moon, check."
Then I tore into it. The writing wasn't anything special. It seemed that many parts of the plot were just excuses for the author to explain more about his ingenious moon elevator idea. Around halfway through the book I paused to re-read the back cover. Then I started wondering how long it was going to take before the book caught up with the synopsis.
Let me make a quick comment here about book jackets. When you read the back of a paperback or the inside jacket of a hardcover novel, you are expecting certain things as a reader. This short blurb will give you the overview of how the book is going to start and a vague idea of how it might proceed, or perhaps a lingering tension that will be paramount later in the story. These are teasers, like a movie trailer, meant to get you interested and started. They are not to be, at any time, a complete summary of everything you are about to read. After all, if that were the case, what's the point in reading the story?
So I continued the read and managed to finish it before I reached my destination. And there it was, on the very last page, that the story finally fulfilled the back cover text. Not a single surprise. Not a single new development. The book was its own spoiler.
I was pretty pissed off. Not only was the book bad, but it was ruined before I read it. Perhaps it was the middle seat on the plane, but I found absolutely nothing about this reading experience enjoyable.
In hindsight, I suppose it is a good omen for any budding authors out there. Apparently TOR doesn't set its bar very high.
"Sci-fi, rebelling against parents, elevator to the moon, check."
Then I tore into it. The writing wasn't anything special. It seemed that many parts of the plot were just excuses for the author to explain more about his ingenious moon elevator idea. Around halfway through the book I paused to re-read the back cover. Then I started wondering how long it was going to take before the book caught up with the synopsis.
Let me make a quick comment here about book jackets. When you read the back of a paperback or the inside jacket of a hardcover novel, you are expecting certain things as a reader. This short blurb will give you the overview of how the book is going to start and a vague idea of how it might proceed, or perhaps a lingering tension that will be paramount later in the story. These are teasers, like a movie trailer, meant to get you interested and started. They are not to be, at any time, a complete summary of everything you are about to read. After all, if that were the case, what's the point in reading the story?
So I continued the read and managed to finish it before I reached my destination. And there it was, on the very last page, that the story finally fulfilled the back cover text. Not a single surprise. Not a single new development. The book was its own spoiler.
I was pretty pissed off. Not only was the book bad, but it was ruined before I read it. Perhaps it was the middle seat on the plane, but I found absolutely nothing about this reading experience enjoyable.
In hindsight, I suppose it is a good omen for any budding authors out there. Apparently TOR doesn't set its bar very high.
October 9, 2008
I actually didn't read it. Since I read the 2nd book first I really wanted to see what was going to happen next and not go back. Each of the next books has enough recap that it wasn't necessary to even read this one.
November 8, 2018
One of my favorite series, and the best description of a space elevator I've seen in anything so far.
July 28, 2018
It's fairly easy to find gay novels suitable for teens these days. There are actually whole ranges dedicated to teen gay fiction, or "young adult gay fiction." For example, without hesitation I could recommend The Swordsman for sixteens -- but what about books for a kid who's growing up gay and is maybe 14? 13? Now you're treading in ticklish territory, because you're really, thoroughly, in PG country. It's gets tougher to make the recommendation. But if the kid you need to buy a gift for was an SF fan (which kid isn't?) you could consider Jumping off the Planet, by David Gerrold.
It's a book that can be read by anyone, anywhere, and unless the reader is hopelessly prejudiced, so homophobic, they belong in scripture class, it couldn't possibly give offense. It's also a book that will be appreciated on six different levels depending on the age of the reader. An intelligent 12 could read this: it's an easy easy with a clear writing style that benefits younger readers ... and a story that's deceptively complex. It sets out in simple style, gradually becoming more and more intricate until it's a real Gordian knot by the end -- and even old Aunt Maud ought to enjoy it.
The "gay content" also sneaks up on you, and is written so "naturally" it's part of the landscape, part of the ambiance of the story. Also very touching now and then.
The story concerns a father and his three sons making a journey to the ultimate elevator ... the elevator to space. Amazing tech surrounds the characters, and Gerrold is a master at depicting this kind of thing. (He cut his professional teeth on Trek, eons ago, if you recall the episode about the fuzzy little life forms that can eat a civilization into extinction in an afternoon.) The story focuses in tight on the middle son, Charles (his nickname is "Chigger"). He has a little brother, Bobby, whom he calls "Stinky," and a big brother, Douglas.
Charles is just pre-teen, and "the middle kid," always the difficult case. Stinky is just a little one, definitely his Dad's responsibility ... and Douglas is seventeen, absolutely on the brink of adulthood. And gay.
Jumping presents the world through Charles's eyes. He's exasperated with his kid brother and all he can do is watch from the sidelines as Douglas struggles to grow up. The world these kids are growing up in is wrecked. They come from a rat-hole called Bunker City in El Paso, TX, in an environment that's well and truly busted. Mankind is heading off-planet, trying our luck elsewhere -- hence the "elevator to space."
So this dysfunctional family is headed for the space elevator, and the kids have more than their fair share of problems. First stop is Geostationary, the platform at an altitude of several miles, which is also the departure point for the Moon and planets. The kids are excited about the trip; and Dad? He's hiding secrets. Nothing is what it seems to be. Charles is a bright kid, up to the challenge of guessing something, somewhere is wrong. Stinky is just along for the ride ... but Douglas -- seventeen, highly intelligent, gay, caught in an unenviable situation -- is about to grow up in a hell of a hurry.
The book is marvelous. Unless you're looking for gay content on every page (very few dedicated gay books offer this), or steamy sex (there isn't any), you can't not like this book at least a little. (Well, not unless you really hate SF, I suppose, and/or take exception to the descriptions of tech, in which Gerrold delights. Some readers have an allergy to such passages, it's true.)
Highly recommended. Would give this as a gift to a young gay teen without a qualm. AG's rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
It's a book that can be read by anyone, anywhere, and unless the reader is hopelessly prejudiced, so homophobic, they belong in scripture class, it couldn't possibly give offense. It's also a book that will be appreciated on six different levels depending on the age of the reader. An intelligent 12 could read this: it's an easy easy with a clear writing style that benefits younger readers ... and a story that's deceptively complex. It sets out in simple style, gradually becoming more and more intricate until it's a real Gordian knot by the end -- and even old Aunt Maud ought to enjoy it.
The "gay content" also sneaks up on you, and is written so "naturally" it's part of the landscape, part of the ambiance of the story. Also very touching now and then.
The story concerns a father and his three sons making a journey to the ultimate elevator ... the elevator to space. Amazing tech surrounds the characters, and Gerrold is a master at depicting this kind of thing. (He cut his professional teeth on Trek, eons ago, if you recall the episode about the fuzzy little life forms that can eat a civilization into extinction in an afternoon.) The story focuses in tight on the middle son, Charles (his nickname is "Chigger"). He has a little brother, Bobby, whom he calls "Stinky," and a big brother, Douglas.
Charles is just pre-teen, and "the middle kid," always the difficult case. Stinky is just a little one, definitely his Dad's responsibility ... and Douglas is seventeen, absolutely on the brink of adulthood. And gay.
Jumping presents the world through Charles's eyes. He's exasperated with his kid brother and all he can do is watch from the sidelines as Douglas struggles to grow up. The world these kids are growing up in is wrecked. They come from a rat-hole called Bunker City in El Paso, TX, in an environment that's well and truly busted. Mankind is heading off-planet, trying our luck elsewhere -- hence the "elevator to space."
So this dysfunctional family is headed for the space elevator, and the kids have more than their fair share of problems. First stop is Geostationary, the platform at an altitude of several miles, which is also the departure point for the Moon and planets. The kids are excited about the trip; and Dad? He's hiding secrets. Nothing is what it seems to be. Charles is a bright kid, up to the challenge of guessing something, somewhere is wrong. Stinky is just along for the ride ... but Douglas -- seventeen, highly intelligent, gay, caught in an unenviable situation -- is about to grow up in a hell of a hurry.
The book is marvelous. Unless you're looking for gay content on every page (very few dedicated gay books offer this), or steamy sex (there isn't any), you can't not like this book at least a little. (Well, not unless you really hate SF, I suppose, and/or take exception to the descriptions of tech, in which Gerrold delights. Some readers have an allergy to such passages, it's true.)
Highly recommended. Would give this as a gift to a young gay teen without a qualm. AG's rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
September 24, 2025
This one falls squarely into the category of not bad, but not especially memorable. The premise grabbed me right away — a custody battle playing out on a space elevator to the Moon? That’s weird and specific in the best way. And to be fair, the setup delivers exactly what it promises: a family on a tense journey upward, with layers of emotional and political tension unfolding along the way.
But for all its originality, the execution felt a little flat. The story is told through the eyes of Charles, a teenager caught between his emotionally distant father and a system that doesn’t seem interested in what the kids actually want. That central emotional thread is definitely there, but it never quite hit me with the impact I think it was going for. The dialogue sometimes veers into lecture-mode, with long conversations about government, money, freedom — all interesting in theory, but not always natural in the mouths of characters, especially teenagers.
The pacing is uneven, too. There are stretches where nothing much happens besides the family riding the elevator and talking (or not talking). That could’ve worked with tighter character dynamics or sharper tension, but here it often felt like the book was just treading air — or atmosphere, in this case.
That said, the worldbuilding has its moments. The space elevator is well thought out, and there are some cool little details about how society and tech might evolve around it. I appreciated the thought Gerrold put into the near-future setting. It feels grounded, not flashy — and I can see this book appealing to younger readers who like hard sci-fi concepts delivered in a more personal, human-scale story.
There are also flashes of warmth and clarity in the family dynamic, especially between the brothers. You can tell Gerrold cares about these characters — and wants to say something about control, autonomy, and what it means to grow up when the adults around you are still figuring themselves out.
In the end, I didn’t dislike it. It was a decent read with a few standout moments, but I probably won’t be thinking about it much down the road. It didn’t stumble badly — it just never quite took flight.
But for all its originality, the execution felt a little flat. The story is told through the eyes of Charles, a teenager caught between his emotionally distant father and a system that doesn’t seem interested in what the kids actually want. That central emotional thread is definitely there, but it never quite hit me with the impact I think it was going for. The dialogue sometimes veers into lecture-mode, with long conversations about government, money, freedom — all interesting in theory, but not always natural in the mouths of characters, especially teenagers.
The pacing is uneven, too. There are stretches where nothing much happens besides the family riding the elevator and talking (or not talking). That could’ve worked with tighter character dynamics or sharper tension, but here it often felt like the book was just treading air — or atmosphere, in this case.
That said, the worldbuilding has its moments. The space elevator is well thought out, and there are some cool little details about how society and tech might evolve around it. I appreciated the thought Gerrold put into the near-future setting. It feels grounded, not flashy — and I can see this book appealing to younger readers who like hard sci-fi concepts delivered in a more personal, human-scale story.
There are also flashes of warmth and clarity in the family dynamic, especially between the brothers. You can tell Gerrold cares about these characters — and wants to say something about control, autonomy, and what it means to grow up when the adults around you are still figuring themselves out.
In the end, I didn’t dislike it. It was a decent read with a few standout moments, but I probably won’t be thinking about it much down the road. It didn’t stumble badly — it just never quite took flight.
January 23, 2025
David Gerrold’s Jumping off the Planet proves once again that Heinlein’s juveniles are an inexhaustible font. Gerrold, best known for his work on Star Trek, here refurbishes The Rolling Stones with a broken family that parodies the Heinlein model. Gerrold has the Heinleinian voice down pat and begins with a sentence that Heinlein could have written: “I’ve got an idea!” Dad said. “Let’s go to the moon.” Thirteen-year-old Chigger is less than enthusiastic. He dismisses Dad’s suggestion as “another one of those things adults say for no other reason than to use up air.” He does not want to go to the moon, but terrestrial life is overcrowded and socially dysfunctional. For example, in a draconian to slow population growth, the government will require Chigger’s brother to change his sexual orientation to single-gender if he wants a scholarship. His separated parents, Chigger thinks, “do not act their age.” Mom, who already wants to limit Dad’s visitation rights, won’t sit still for his kidnapping the kids for a new life in the Sheffield Crater.
Gerrold aims his story at young readers, but there is enough for fogeys like me to enjoy.
Gerrold aims his story at young readers, but there is enough for fogeys like me to enjoy.
February 12, 2023
Charles "Chigger" Dingillad and his brothers Douglas and Bobby go with their dad on a Clarke beanstalk to the Moon. The boys get embroiled in intrigue. Their father acted as a courier for something extremely valuable to pay for the trip. This leads to several groups and individuals after them. The eventually make it to Moon after the boys divorce their parents. The eventually find safe harbor on the Moon where the boys are reunited with their parents and discover what they have been carrying. A HARLIE unit inside Bobby's robot monkey. They boys eventually reconcile with their parents and decided to head out to settle Outbeyond, a distant colony, with the HARLIE unit. The series currently ends with the family halfway to Outbeyond. Gerrold has created a great work of juvenile fiction which can be read by adults. The science is well detailed. Gerrold explorers classic themes of personal responsibility. Gerrold also takes an interesting look in family and personal relationships.
July 24, 2023
Okay there was a lot to like in this book. Loved the space elevator and loved the overall premise. I’m a big fan of Heinline Juveniles, so I was excited to read this. The problem was the more you found out about the characters and their home life the more depressed I became. I missed the one essence found in the juveniles, that was missing from the book, the fun of the adventure. In the juveniles, there was always something fun going on, i don’t mind the author taking a serious tone, but all the fun that
Heinline put into his novels was missing from this one. I still recommend the novel, as it was very well written.and will appeal to many people.
Heinline put into his novels was missing from this one. I still recommend the novel, as it was very well written.and will appeal to many people.
April 18, 2022
I've loved David Gerrold's writing since "The Trouble with Tribbles" and so when I got this book as part of a StoryBundle, it was the first book I read. It did not disappoint.
Written in the style of a Heinlein juvenile, it was just what I was looking for. I don't read much science fiction nowadays, so I'm not too sure what modern trends are, but I read a lot in my teen years, and have fond memories of those books decades later. I'm pretty sure I'll be reading the other two books in this series in the not-too-distant future.
Written in the style of a Heinlein juvenile, it was just what I was looking for. I don't read much science fiction nowadays, so I'm not too sure what modern trends are, but I read a lot in my teen years, and have fond memories of those books decades later. I'm pretty sure I'll be reading the other two books in this series in the not-too-distant future.
May 20, 2022
¡Menudo truño!
A ver, el libro no está mal escrito ni mucho menos, pero es excesivamente detallista en lo que ocurre. Al autor le ha faltado describir y enumerar las veces que van al baño y lo que hacen en él. Es como una novela costumbrista, pero ambientada en el futuro. Ignoro si los siguientes libros serán más interesantes, pero hay he tenido bastante con uno, aparte de que la sinopsis **es** el libro.
A ver, el libro no está mal escrito ni mucho menos, pero es excesivamente detallista en lo que ocurre. Al autor le ha faltado describir y enumerar las veces que van al baño y lo que hacen en él. Es como una novela costumbrista, pero ambientada en el futuro. Ignoro si los siguientes libros serán más interesantes, pero hay he tenido bastante con uno, aparte de que la sinopsis **es** el libro.
January 23, 2025
Interesting book. In a lot of ways quite old fashioned - some heavy Malthusian population clock vibes - and not sure the tween boy voice is quite nailed. But a lot of interesting stuff too. A Heinlein juvenile pastiche by an author who probably grew up with them, a lot of interesting stuff on family dynamics and the harm that parents can thoughtlessly do to their kids and some matter of fact casual queerness. Not read anything like this in ages. Very much not perfect, but glad I read it.
February 21, 2026
Whether Leaping, Bouncing or Jumping , Gerrold’s three book coming of age story told through the eyes of a teenager is exciting, touching and hilarious! Who wouldn’t find a robot monkey with a propensity for farting at just the right time for kids, and the wrong time for serious adults funny? The science, form the space elevator to surviving on the moon is sound and the story compelling. A nice book!
February 9, 2018
This is one of the most aggressively adolescent books I've read in a while. It's probably a good read for a young teen or someone who isn't familiar with the concept of space elevators. Conversations were not so much a dialogue as taking turns monologuing. It could have been half as long without the padding of the same plot points rehashed over and over in angsty teen fashion.
February 21, 2025
Le raccolte di racconti in genere sono un insieme di cose mediocri con poche punte positive. Questo è un caso diverso. Tante luci e poche ombre. davvero una raccolta di fantascienza a tutto campo. Certo che con autori del genere ....
August 12, 2020
Can't remember if I finished it or not.
April 30, 2021
The book is well written but boring.
May 9, 2023
A powerful story about three boys in a race to escape the earth, caught in a custody battle which begins with their father taking them up an orbital elevator, jumping off the planet as the title says. It’s only when the trip is well on the way that they realize they’re being kidnapped.
The journey is emotional, physical, and visual. Earth is spiralling toward dystopia (hints of Gerrold’s other works cross over into this story) while the characters explore the environments beyond Earth. It’s a straining, overwhelming voyage where the boys find their bonds to their parents and each other challenged.
The oldest boy, Douglas, a.k.a. Weird finds himself a male lover wise in the ways of the orbital elevator, aiding in their escape. The middle boy, Charles, a.k.a. Chigger makes an enemy who sends security after them. The youngest, Robert, a.k.a. Stinky has a dangerous secret he doesn’t know about in his toy which makes the boys even bigger targets.
All of them find allies and adversaries in surprising places as the mystery of their father is up to and what’s pursuing them comes to light. The boys are constant danger, yet continually discovering their strengths.
Told from the perspective of Chigger, the middle child, the characters become rich and layered along with the setting. I got very absorbed in the otherworldly coming of age he and his brothers went through. Sometimes the setting was so detailed, it slowed the plot down a lot, yet the heart, the emotional beat kept everything going, kept me fascinated. Chigger and Douglas were stong characters. As was Judge Griffith (is Gerrold making a reference to another formidable science fiction writer?), Mickey (Douglas’s lover) and Alexei (Mickey’s eccentric, entertaining, and morally ambiguous lunar contact). I felt more sympathy for the father than the mother, but he was the more passive parent, developing the nerve to stand up to his ex-wife and steal some time with his children even if it meant stealing them. The wife was angrier, often lashing out at the children, particularly Chigger. Not that Chigger wasn’t a flawed character, often lashing out a people himself, a flaw which has consequences. Even so he engaged my sympathies with his love of music and deep thinking. I adored the oldest brother, Douglas, a.k.a. Weird and it was clear Chigger did, too. Two of the sweetest relationships in the series was the bond between Weird and Chigger along with the budding romance between Douglas and Mickey. They provided a gradually stabilizing point in a universe where everything was falling into chaos, emotionally as well as physically.
Overall this book was a fascinating combination of dystopian science fiction and family drama. I got very attached to these characters. I’m looking forward to reading more about them.
The journey is emotional, physical, and visual. Earth is spiralling toward dystopia (hints of Gerrold’s other works cross over into this story) while the characters explore the environments beyond Earth. It’s a straining, overwhelming voyage where the boys find their bonds to their parents and each other challenged.
The oldest boy, Douglas, a.k.a. Weird finds himself a male lover wise in the ways of the orbital elevator, aiding in their escape. The middle boy, Charles, a.k.a. Chigger makes an enemy who sends security after them. The youngest, Robert, a.k.a. Stinky has a dangerous secret he doesn’t know about in his toy which makes the boys even bigger targets.
All of them find allies and adversaries in surprising places as the mystery of their father is up to and what’s pursuing them comes to light. The boys are constant danger, yet continually discovering their strengths.
Told from the perspective of Chigger, the middle child, the characters become rich and layered along with the setting. I got very absorbed in the otherworldly coming of age he and his brothers went through. Sometimes the setting was so detailed, it slowed the plot down a lot, yet the heart, the emotional beat kept everything going, kept me fascinated. Chigger and Douglas were stong characters. As was Judge Griffith (is Gerrold making a reference to another formidable science fiction writer?), Mickey (Douglas’s lover) and Alexei (Mickey’s eccentric, entertaining, and morally ambiguous lunar contact). I felt more sympathy for the father than the mother, but he was the more passive parent, developing the nerve to stand up to his ex-wife and steal some time with his children even if it meant stealing them. The wife was angrier, often lashing out at the children, particularly Chigger. Not that Chigger wasn’t a flawed character, often lashing out a people himself, a flaw which has consequences. Even so he engaged my sympathies with his love of music and deep thinking. I adored the oldest brother, Douglas, a.k.a. Weird and it was clear Chigger did, too. Two of the sweetest relationships in the series was the bond between Weird and Chigger along with the budding romance between Douglas and Mickey. They provided a gradually stabilizing point in a universe where everything was falling into chaos, emotionally as well as physically.
Overall this book was a fascinating combination of dystopian science fiction and family drama. I got very attached to these characters. I’m looking forward to reading more about them.
September 18, 2023
The story was okay. Imagining a possible future society and the accompanying technology is always interesting. However, it was poorly written. To start with, the cover art is misleading. It depicts a scene that doesn't match any scene in the story. It shows two older teenage white boys whereas the main character is only 13 and several statements in the story seem to hint that the family is black. Furthermore, the short blurb on the back cover focuses on an event that only occurred in the final chapter of the book. That made the whole book feel like an "introduction". I see this is "Dingilliad #1" so I assume the story continues, however if the portion of the story told in this volume is worth being a book, then it is worthy of being presented as a story in its own right in terms of the cover art and promotional excerpt. I also didn't enjoy the level of angst portrayed by the main character, but I realize some might find that relatable. However I would prefer some consistency in the application of the angry thoughts of the character about the world around him. Some aspects of the future technology and society are carefully explained, but many were not. If there were things the character was discovering, then fine, we would discover the 'meaning of life' along with him. But other things were presented in a way showing the boy already understand them, but we the readers from a different time and place need some background!
Nonetheless, if I happen across the next book in this series, I would probably read it just out of my own need to know what happens next!
Nonetheless, if I happen across the next book in this series, I would probably read it just out of my own need to know what happens next!
August 29, 2013
I've read this book twice now - finished it a few days ago for the second time. The first time was in the pre-Goodreads era, and my memories of the book were quite fond. I remember then thinking it was exciting, had a unique plot, had a great and interesting point of view, and predicted a future which seemed quite plausible. Thirteen years later, absence has not made the heart grow fonder. The story and plot are still interesting, but this time I caught some bitter overtones. It's a book working on two levels - one a science fiction adventure thriller, the other a family drama. The science fiction aspects were even more frighteningly plausible (and Gerrold is prescient); the end of the world as we know it is happening now. The family drama, though, that's what I didn't find as interesting this time around. I kept wondering if the author had some axes to grind, somewhere, and this was a mechanism in which to grind them down to a fine point, particularly about child support and divorce. The teen point of view mostly still feels authentic though. If I loved this book 13 years ago, I still like it - but just not as much.
May 20, 2016
This book won the Gaylactic Spectrum Award in 2001 for positive explorations of LGBT issues in SF, Fantasy, and Horror. I chose to read it in my own little challenge to read as many of books on the Worlds Without End LGBTQ Speculative Fiction Resource list as I could this year. Not all books that win awards are my cup of tea, but this one was very tasty. It’s primarily about the breakup of a family told from the viewpoint of Charles, the middle child. I found it a very good read, but difficult because of the subject matter.
Come visit my blog for the full review…
http://itstartedwiththehugos.blogspot...
Come visit my blog for the full review…
http://itstartedwiththehugos.blogspot...
July 4, 2009
I really liked the character development in the book--at least with the brothers. I found the parents unrealistic and never got a very clear idea of what the father was really like, so I didn't quite like the ending.
Very imaginative near-future story, with a well-placed and subtle coming-out story mixed in (not the main character).
I'm debating whether or not I'll read the second in this series or simple another of Gerrold's books.
Very imaginative near-future story, with a well-placed and subtle coming-out story mixed in (not the main character).
I'm debating whether or not I'll read the second in this series or simple another of Gerrold's books.
April 4, 2012
Whether Leaping, Bouncing or Jumping , Gerrold’s three book coming of age story told through the eyes of a teenager is exciting, touching and hilarious! Who wouldn’t find a robot monkey with a propensity for farting at just the right time for kids, and the wrong time for serious adults funny? The science, form the space elevator to surviving on the moon is sound and the story compelling. A nice book!
November 18, 2007
A Heinlein-style juvie - easy read & fairly fun.
3 brothers & their estranged father travel from the US to Ecuador to visit the space elevator; but their "family vacation" isn't quite what it seems. Chigger reminded me of a more self-aware Podkayne & am looking forward to reading the next 2 books in the series.
3 brothers & their estranged father travel from the US to Ecuador to visit the space elevator; but their "family vacation" isn't quite what it seems. Chigger reminded me of a more self-aware Podkayne & am looking forward to reading the next 2 books in the series.
August 24, 2008
This book was the first time that I had heard of the idea of a space elevator which has since appeared in popular media. The author is able to create a believable world in which such an engineering marvel could have evolved by weaving a storyline of a troubled family living in troubled times. It get's you hooked into wanting to follow the Starsiders series through the next two books.
September 19, 2011
I struggled through the first part of the book, but once the family is moving into space it flowed better. It seemed as though the first part was written merely to get us into space - and could have been eliminated.
August 28, 2018
in print, originally included in Science Fiction Age June 1996 (#6.2)
included in The Far Side Of The Sky
July 4, 2020
A Story of True Humanity in a Science Fiction Setting
Gerrold’s ability to capture humanity — the internal struggles of his complex characters — and hold it up to light against the backdrop of believable (even when fantastic) science fiction settings is second to none.
Gerrold’s ability to capture humanity — the internal struggles of his complex characters — and hold it up to light against the backdrop of believable (even when fantastic) science fiction settings is second to none.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews