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Apollo's Outcasts
In the tradition of Robert A. Heinlein's juvenile classics, crafted with a modern sensibility. Jamey Barlowe has been crippled since childhood, the result of being born on the Moon. He lives his life in a wheelchair, only truly free when he is in the water. But then Jamey's father sends him, along with five other kids, back to the Moon to escape a political coup d'état that has occurred overnight in the United States. Moreover, one of the other five refugees is more than she appears. Soon Jamey is front and center in a political and military struggle stretching from the Earth to the Moon.
311 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
2 people are currently reading
346 people want to read
About the author
Allen M. Steele
235 books418 followersBefore becoming a science fiction writer, Allen Steele was a journalist for newspapers and magazines in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Missouri, and his home state of Tennessee. But science fiction was his first love, so he eventually ditched journalism and began producing that which had made him decide to become a writer in the first place.
Since then, Steele has published eighteen novels and nearly one hundred short stories. His work has received numerous accolades, including three Hugo Awards, and has been translated worldwide, mainly into languages he can’t read. He serves on the board of advisors for the Space Frontier Foundation and is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He also belongs to Sigma, a group of science fiction writers who frequently serve as unpaid consultants on matters regarding technology and security.
Allen Steele is a lifelong space buff, and this interest has not only influenced his writing, it has taken him to some interesting places. He has witnessed numerous space shuttle launches from Kennedy Space Center and has flown NASA’s shuttle cockpit simulator at the Johnson Space Center. In 2001, he testified before the US House of Representatives in hearings regarding the future of space exploration. He would like very much to go into orbit, and hopes that one day he’ll be able to afford to do so.
Steele lives in western Massachusetts with his wife, Linda, and a continual procession of adopted dogs. He collects vintage science fiction books and magazines, spacecraft model kits, and dreams.
Since then, Steele has published eighteen novels and nearly one hundred short stories. His work has received numerous accolades, including three Hugo Awards, and has been translated worldwide, mainly into languages he can’t read. He serves on the board of advisors for the Space Frontier Foundation and is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He also belongs to Sigma, a group of science fiction writers who frequently serve as unpaid consultants on matters regarding technology and security.
Allen Steele is a lifelong space buff, and this interest has not only influenced his writing, it has taken him to some interesting places. He has witnessed numerous space shuttle launches from Kennedy Space Center and has flown NASA’s shuttle cockpit simulator at the Johnson Space Center. In 2001, he testified before the US House of Representatives in hearings regarding the future of space exploration. He would like very much to go into orbit, and hopes that one day he’ll be able to afford to do so.
Steele lives in western Massachusetts with his wife, Linda, and a continual procession of adopted dogs. He collects vintage science fiction books and magazines, spacecraft model kits, and dreams.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
January 28, 2015
Ah, this is more like it. For those of you who miss those Heinlein juveniles, Apollo's Outcasts is perfectly billed as a successor to books like Starman Jones and Have Space Suit -- Will Travel. And look, is it too much to ask for some boy-centered YA now and then? This was a great juvenile hard SF novel, updated for the times.
Jamey Barlowe was born on the moon, but brought back to Earth after his mother died. Thanks to Lunar Birth Deficiency Syndrome, his bones aren't strong enough to hold his weight in Earth's gravity, so he's spent his life in a mobil, a kind of high-tech wheelchair. His father is a scientist for the International Space Consortium, a multinational space agency that has replaced NASA in this world of the late 21st century. When the President of the United States dies under suspicious circumstances, his Vice President, a right-wing fanatic named Lina Shapar who has what one might suspect to be more than a passing resemblance to certain real-life politicians
seizes control in what is effectively a coup d'etat. She starts throwing her political enemies — including Jamey's father, who had not long before, along with many other scientists, signed a letter opposing her — in jail.
Having seen this coming, Jamey's father packs him and his sisters into a transport to the Moon, where they can (he hopes) hide on Apollo, the ISC moon colony that mines helium-3 for Earth's fusion power plants.
This is a very traditional YA SF story. "Heinleinesque" cannot be said too often. If you liked those old Heinlein juveniles, you will like this book. If they do nothing for you, then you probably will find Apollo's Outcasts falls flat for you too, because it's a boy's adventure on the moon, with plenty of science and just enough politics and economics to make it vaguely plausible.
Advantage Heinlein: He was Heinlein, and a damn good writer when he wasn't writing batshit crazy wankery in a state of terminal fever. Allen Steele is a good writer, but he's no Heinlein.
Advantage Steele: This book was written in 2012, not 1952, and Allen Steele does not, so far as I know, have a spanking fetish, nor a "feisty-girls-who-inevitably-bite-their-lips-submissively-and-cast-demure-glances-downward" fetish, so the girls in this book are feisty and do shit and they don't stop being feisty and doing shit just because they've got boyfriends.
Jamey meets a cast of fairly stock YA characters: besides his whiny brat of an older sister, there is the precocious little kid and her mentally handicapped older brother, there's Jamey's best friend, there's the girl who's got a crush on Jamey and the girl Jamey has a crush on, there's the bully who's on his case from day one, and so on. Jamey and his pals have to learn the ropes, they become contributing members of the lunar colony, and when President Shapar launches an invasion to capture the base, Jamey winds up fighting to defend it. There are some deaths, obviously meant to be tearjerkers, but this is a YA novel so things get resolved relatively neatly.
So it may not quite achieve the status of science fiction classic, but Apollo's Outcasts is just the kind of book I loved when I was in the target audience age range, and who am I kidding, I still am the target audience. Recommended for all SF fans if you can stand YA.
Jamey Barlowe was born on the moon, but brought back to Earth after his mother died. Thanks to Lunar Birth Deficiency Syndrome, his bones aren't strong enough to hold his weight in Earth's gravity, so he's spent his life in a mobil, a kind of high-tech wheelchair. His father is a scientist for the International Space Consortium, a multinational space agency that has replaced NASA in this world of the late 21st century. When the President of the United States dies under suspicious circumstances, his Vice President, a right-wing fanatic named Lina Shapar who has what one might suspect to be more than a passing resemblance to certain real-life politicians
seizes control in what is effectively a coup d'etat. She starts throwing her political enemies — including Jamey's father, who had not long before, along with many other scientists, signed a letter opposing her — in jail.
Having seen this coming, Jamey's father packs him and his sisters into a transport to the Moon, where they can (he hopes) hide on Apollo, the ISC moon colony that mines helium-3 for Earth's fusion power plants.
This is a very traditional YA SF story. "Heinleinesque" cannot be said too often. If you liked those old Heinlein juveniles, you will like this book. If they do nothing for you, then you probably will find Apollo's Outcasts falls flat for you too, because it's a boy's adventure on the moon, with plenty of science and just enough politics and economics to make it vaguely plausible.
Advantage Heinlein: He was Heinlein, and a damn good writer when he wasn't writing batshit crazy wankery in a state of terminal fever. Allen Steele is a good writer, but he's no Heinlein.
Advantage Steele: This book was written in 2012, not 1952, and Allen Steele does not, so far as I know, have a spanking fetish, nor a "feisty-girls-who-inevitably-bite-their-lips-submissively-and-cast-demure-glances-downward" fetish, so the girls in this book are feisty and do shit and they don't stop being feisty and doing shit just because they've got boyfriends.
Jamey meets a cast of fairly stock YA characters: besides his whiny brat of an older sister, there is the precocious little kid and her mentally handicapped older brother, there's Jamey's best friend, there's the girl who's got a crush on Jamey and the girl Jamey has a crush on, there's the bully who's on his case from day one, and so on. Jamey and his pals have to learn the ropes, they become contributing members of the lunar colony, and when President Shapar launches an invasion to capture the base, Jamey winds up fighting to defend it. There are some deaths, obviously meant to be tearjerkers, but this is a YA novel so things get resolved relatively neatly.
So it may not quite achieve the status of science fiction classic, but Apollo's Outcasts is just the kind of book I loved when I was in the target audience age range, and who am I kidding, I still am the target audience. Recommended for all SF fans if you can stand YA.
December 31, 2012
Given the overwhelming prevalence of fantasy in YA lit, I’d personally love to see a swing towards some solid, future-looking SF. Having read a novel earlier this year that got it all wrong, it’s refreshing to come across a book that gets just about everything right. I can only hope this catches on as a genre again.
I’m not a Heinlein worshiper, but that’s clearly where Allen Steele draws his inspiration (as one would expect), even going so far as to almost quote him directly in a spot or two. However, Steele cribs from the good parts of Heinlein and doesn't get bogged down in baby-boomer nostalgia for the way the future used to be. The themes are all there – the hard science, the hard work, the young man learning personal responsibility – but updated for the 21st Century. I can’t imagine that any novel in Heinlein’s time would have used the U.S. as the antagonist, had a villain in a power-mad Vice President whose name just happens to be an anagram of “Sarah Palin,” or included a surprise Angry Birds reference for those paying attention. Steele doesn't blatantly leave any loose threads hanging around for a sequel, but he has reopened the door to a science-based future just waiting to be explored.
I’m not a Heinlein worshiper, but that’s clearly where Allen Steele draws his inspiration (as one would expect), even going so far as to almost quote him directly in a spot or two. However, Steele cribs from the good parts of Heinlein and doesn't get bogged down in baby-boomer nostalgia for the way the future used to be. The themes are all there – the hard science, the hard work, the young man learning personal responsibility – but updated for the 21st Century. I can’t imagine that any novel in Heinlein’s time would have used the U.S. as the antagonist, had a villain in a power-mad Vice President whose name just happens to be an anagram of “Sarah Palin,” or included a surprise Angry Birds reference for those paying attention. Steele doesn't blatantly leave any loose threads hanging around for a sequel, but he has reopened the door to a science-based future just waiting to be explored.
September 1, 2014
3.5/5 stars
Apollo’s Outcasts somehow manages to be nostalgic and refreshing at the same time. Jamey is a wonderful character to follow, and Steele really should be heralded for his understanding and adept use of science. While this book is billed as young adult, it’s easy to see how it could appeal to an audience that spans all ages. It’s adventurous, quick moving, and intense. Steele’s flowing prose will bring the world and situations to life and the fairly short length of the book makes this a quick read that won’t easily be forgotten.
You can read my full review here:
http://www.bookwormblues.net/2012/11/...
Apollo’s Outcasts somehow manages to be nostalgic and refreshing at the same time. Jamey is a wonderful character to follow, and Steele really should be heralded for his understanding and adept use of science. While this book is billed as young adult, it’s easy to see how it could appeal to an audience that spans all ages. It’s adventurous, quick moving, and intense. Steele’s flowing prose will bring the world and situations to life and the fairly short length of the book makes this a quick read that won’t easily be forgotten.
You can read my full review here:
http://www.bookwormblues.net/2012/11/...
March 4, 2013
When I first heard that Pyr Books would be publishing a book by Allen Steele, I was very excited. A few years back, I had read all of his Coyote books, and he had become one of my favorite authors. I finally was able to get his most recent book a few weeks back and have just finished reading it.
Apollo's Outcasts is another slam dunk for this author. It begins with Jamey Barlowe, the main male character, and his sister being sent to the Moon, along with five other kids, after a political uprising in the United States. One of the other kids has a secret which is revealed once they get to the Moon, and the book follows Jamey's adventures as he becomes adjusted to a new way of life.
I think the author does a good job of getting inside the head of a sixteen year old boy. As I have a sixteen year old boy myself, I know a little bit of what I'm talking about. :) The parts of wanting to appear grown up to the people around him, but still being scared of what is happening back on Earth, make the book engaging for its intended audience. In fact, I have recommended this book to my son for these very reasons.
I also think the science in the book is well researched, but still understandable to the layperson. In fact, if we, as a society, would get serious about funding space exploration, I could easily see a place like Apollo actually being developed.
This book gets five stars from me, and I can recommend it for its intended audience as well as those who are older.
Apollo's Outcasts is another slam dunk for this author. It begins with Jamey Barlowe, the main male character, and his sister being sent to the Moon, along with five other kids, after a political uprising in the United States. One of the other kids has a secret which is revealed once they get to the Moon, and the book follows Jamey's adventures as he becomes adjusted to a new way of life.
I think the author does a good job of getting inside the head of a sixteen year old boy. As I have a sixteen year old boy myself, I know a little bit of what I'm talking about. :) The parts of wanting to appear grown up to the people around him, but still being scared of what is happening back on Earth, make the book engaging for its intended audience. In fact, I have recommended this book to my son for these very reasons.
I also think the science in the book is well researched, but still understandable to the layperson. In fact, if we, as a society, would get serious about funding space exploration, I could easily see a place like Apollo actually being developed.
This book gets five stars from me, and I can recommend it for its intended audience as well as those who are older.
December 21, 2012
My first exposure to this book was the author's reading of the first chapter at the 2012 World Sci-Fi & Fantasy Convention in Chicago. After that reading, I knew I had to purchase this book. I'm mostly a newcomer to Allen Steele's work, but I've thoroughly enjoyed the works of his I've read thus far and this one is no different.
If you've never read a young adult novel before, don't let it discourage you. They're usually the same as a "full" adult novel, except the main protagonist is still a teenager. Apollo's Outcasts is no different. This is as good, as tense, as thrilling to read, and as well thought out as any other Allen Steele novel. The characters flaws and strengths are placed out for everyone to read. I found the story to be very believable and captivating.
There's nothing more to say about the book description that hasn't been said above. Accurate and easy to understand.
If you are a fan of sci-fi thrillers, life on the moon, or political intrigue, this is a book worth reading.
If you've never read a young adult novel before, don't let it discourage you. They're usually the same as a "full" adult novel, except the main protagonist is still a teenager. Apollo's Outcasts is no different. This is as good, as tense, as thrilling to read, and as well thought out as any other Allen Steele novel. The characters flaws and strengths are placed out for everyone to read. I found the story to be very believable and captivating.
There's nothing more to say about the book description that hasn't been said above. Accurate and easy to understand.
If you are a fan of sci-fi thrillers, life on the moon, or political intrigue, this is a book worth reading.
November 27, 2012
Very pleased with this. The premise mostly parallels Steele's Coyote books: the US is taken over by a hard right-wing coup, and the various 'suspect intellectuals' who oppossed the now-President are being rounded up and put in camps or simply disappeared. The children of several friends are put on a moon shuttle moments before the gendarmes arrive, and seek political asylum. Our hero was bound to a wheelchair on earth but on the Moon he's free to move, thanks to the lesser gravity.
It's a nice combination of 'coming of age', 'finding your place', exploration of a strange environment' blended with action in the last quarter as the US decides it's not going to let the international Lunar colony hold onto it's energy reserves (Fusion power is a major energy source,and the Moon's HE3 is the best fuel for it).
It's a nice combination of 'coming of age', 'finding your place', exploration of a strange environment' blended with action in the last quarter as the US decides it's not going to let the international Lunar colony hold onto it's energy reserves (Fusion power is a major energy source,and the Moon's HE3 is the best fuel for it).
March 5, 2013
I abandoned this one at around 180 pages. I thought I would finish it just for the hell of it, but I was so bored by the lack of plot advancing and the one-note characters that I just decided it wasn't worth the trouble.
The biggest problem is probably the pacing. It takes Jamey almost 100 pages to even get to the moon, and once he's there, not much else happens. This space could be used for all sorts of things, but when nothing happens, it's very, very hard to be engaged in the plot.
Instead of filling up the space with plot, Steele describes things that have no relevance to the story. The reason it takes 100 pages to get to the moon is that Steele feels the need to describe everything - the spaceship that the characters took, how it works, the physical that they had to go through beforehand, every aspect of their lives living in the spaceship - all information that was boring and completely unnecessary to the plot. I mean, it's great that he knows all this, but for the love of God, GET ON WITH IT! In this article, Megan Crewe talks about the research that went into the killer virus in her (incredibly underrated) book The Way We Fall. One of the things that stuck out at me was this quote:
What this means is basically that Crewe didn't include everything she knew about her disease into her book because she knew that it would interrupt the flow and pacing to include all of it. (And the pace was already pretty slow as it was.) Well, Steele doesn't seem to understand that. All the worldbuilding was done in long, boring infodumps that simply didn't need to be there - they interrupted the pace too much. That's not to say that Steele shouldn't know about all these factors, and it's great that he does, but unless they become necessary to the plot, we don't need to know about them.
Other than this, the story was mediocre at best. The writing wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. There were a couple of very, very obvious and distracting typos in the beginning. It was a very occasional problem, but when it happened, it never failed to take me out of the story. Steele also had a habit of overusing semicolons, probably to give the story a more formal effect. After a while though, the sentences structure started getting really repetitive. I will say that I believed Jamey's voice, which is more than I can say about a lot of writers.
But Jamey's voice was the only one I believed. Jamey was the only character that was at all fleshed out - everyone else was drawn in broad stereotypical terms. Jamey got to know plenty of people, but we didn't. In particular, Melissa really, really annoyed me due to the way Steele wrote her. She was such a stereotype - she had over 70,000 friends on some social network, she was a bad student, very lazy, and very whinny. Hell, in the first couple pages, she's described as a slut BY HER OWN BROTHER! This kind of stereotyping came across as sorta sexist, and very annoying.
The character relationships weren't too interesting, either. Jamey's relationship with his sister, Melissa, wasn't particularly tender or honest, and there was a friggin love triangle. A pretty passionless love triangle too, since Jamey never gives a reason that he likes Nicole, one of the sides. We never got to really know her, and neither did Jamey, really, but for some reason, he still had an enormous crush on her.
Other than the pacing, the plot had potential, but it was all crushed due to Steele's choice of narrator. Jamey wasn't particularly involved in the plot - not much really happened to him. On Earth, shit was hitting the fan with an enormous political scandal, but none of it ever reaches the moon. Jamey tells us about this in lengthy infodumps that carry no sense of urgency because it doesn't directly affect our narrator or his friends. Why not have the story be narrated by Jan, Jamey's sister, who was part of a resistance against the government on Earth? Nothing of interest happened on the moon, making the plot really, really boring.
I also took issue with the political commentary. The story's political aspect focuses on an extreme right-wing vice president who took over after the (moderate) president died. The new president implements some very harsh and blatantly unconstitutional policies against her protesters. The problem with the commentary was that other than saying "Conservatives are evil!", it didn't really say much. It doesn't help that what the new president does holds no resemblance to Republican politicians today. Don't get me wrong, I'm quite liberal, so the book's message might've been one that appealed to me, but with no honesty, what's the point of it?
The only thing I liked about the book (other than Jamey) was the world building. I wasn't too fond of the way it was presented to us, but the world itself was very real and detailed. Moreover, the technology was quite plausible and sometimes, interesting. This was one of the few near-future worlds that felt like a legitimate look at what the real future might be like.
But overall, the book wasn't a success. The plot was boring, the characters were one-note, and the political commentary was unrealistic. This could've been a great book, what with all the potential it had, but due to several huge factors, it fell flat for me.
The biggest problem is probably the pacing. It takes Jamey almost 100 pages to even get to the moon, and once he's there, not much else happens. This space could be used for all sorts of things, but when nothing happens, it's very, very hard to be engaged in the plot.
Instead of filling up the space with plot, Steele describes things that have no relevance to the story. The reason it takes 100 pages to get to the moon is that Steele feels the need to describe everything - the spaceship that the characters took, how it works, the physical that they had to go through beforehand, every aspect of their lives living in the spaceship - all information that was boring and completely unnecessary to the plot. I mean, it's great that he knows all this, but for the love of God, GET ON WITH IT! In this article, Megan Crewe talks about the research that went into the killer virus in her (incredibly underrated) book The Way We Fall. One of the things that stuck out at me was this quote:
Much of my research didn’t go into the book–it just there in the background as I wrote.
What this means is basically that Crewe didn't include everything she knew about her disease into her book because she knew that it would interrupt the flow and pacing to include all of it. (And the pace was already pretty slow as it was.) Well, Steele doesn't seem to understand that. All the worldbuilding was done in long, boring infodumps that simply didn't need to be there - they interrupted the pace too much. That's not to say that Steele shouldn't know about all these factors, and it's great that he does, but unless they become necessary to the plot, we don't need to know about them.
Other than this, the story was mediocre at best. The writing wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. There were a couple of very, very obvious and distracting typos in the beginning. It was a very occasional problem, but when it happened, it never failed to take me out of the story. Steele also had a habit of overusing semicolons, probably to give the story a more formal effect. After a while though, the sentences structure started getting really repetitive. I will say that I believed Jamey's voice, which is more than I can say about a lot of writers.
But Jamey's voice was the only one I believed. Jamey was the only character that was at all fleshed out - everyone else was drawn in broad stereotypical terms. Jamey got to know plenty of people, but we didn't. In particular, Melissa really, really annoyed me due to the way Steele wrote her. She was such a stereotype - she had over 70,000 friends on some social network, she was a bad student, very lazy, and very whinny. Hell, in the first couple pages, she's described as a slut BY HER OWN BROTHER! This kind of stereotyping came across as sorta sexist, and very annoying.
The character relationships weren't too interesting, either. Jamey's relationship with his sister, Melissa, wasn't particularly tender or honest, and there was a friggin love triangle. A pretty passionless love triangle too, since Jamey never gives a reason that he likes Nicole, one of the sides. We never got to really know her, and neither did Jamey, really, but for some reason, he still had an enormous crush on her.
Other than the pacing, the plot had potential, but it was all crushed due to Steele's choice of narrator. Jamey wasn't particularly involved in the plot - not much really happened to him. On Earth, shit was hitting the fan with an enormous political scandal, but none of it ever reaches the moon. Jamey tells us about this in lengthy infodumps that carry no sense of urgency because it doesn't directly affect our narrator or his friends. Why not have the story be narrated by Jan, Jamey's sister, who was part of a resistance against the government on Earth? Nothing of interest happened on the moon, making the plot really, really boring.
I also took issue with the political commentary. The story's political aspect focuses on an extreme right-wing vice president who took over after the (moderate) president died. The new president implements some very harsh and blatantly unconstitutional policies against her protesters. The problem with the commentary was that other than saying "Conservatives are evil!", it didn't really say much. It doesn't help that what the new president does holds no resemblance to Republican politicians today. Don't get me wrong, I'm quite liberal, so the book's message might've been one that appealed to me, but with no honesty, what's the point of it?
The only thing I liked about the book (other than Jamey) was the world building. I wasn't too fond of the way it was presented to us, but the world itself was very real and detailed. Moreover, the technology was quite plausible and sometimes, interesting. This was one of the few near-future worlds that felt like a legitimate look at what the real future might be like.
But overall, the book wasn't a success. The plot was boring, the characters were one-note, and the political commentary was unrealistic. This could've been a great book, what with all the potential it had, but due to several huge factors, it fell flat for me.
August 17, 2020
Jamey is awoken one early morning by his father and ushered to an unknown site along with his two sisters. Something terrible has happened and they're on the run....and what Jamey's Dad has in mind is going to the moon.
Starts out in a harrowing tone, has a great setting, and likeable characters. Great action!
Starts out in a harrowing tone, has a great setting, and likeable characters. Great action!
February 15, 2017
“THE IMPOSSIBLE”
Death. Sacrifice. Love. Three words that perfectly describe the breathtaking story held in a near futuristic era. As this story is told by a notably different sixteen year-old, history changing events occur in the Barlowe family. With the U.S. government behind Jamey and his family, near death experiences make a turn into the unbelievable and a war that seem to never end. Jamey Barlowe, his older sister Melissa Barlowe, the President’s daughter Hannah Wilford, and other jeopardized children escape the evil hands of Lina Shapar, the Vice President… to the moon. Who would’ve thought a signature could’ve cause the ‘impossible’?
The story is set after the President’s death. With the Vice President now in command bad idealistic from her place the Barlowe family in a danger zone. With problems ahead a life changing decision is made and two out of the three Barlowe children aboard a shuttle which destination is the moon. As a war breaks out between the U.S. government and Apollo for lunar resources a race against time makes Jamey, the main character, choose a path which is both filled with hate and love. Two emotions hard to mix, but which form the future of many generations.
This science-fiction novel revolves around three main characters: Jamey Barlowe, a sixteen year-old, shy boy that is unable to walk on Earth due to his birth in Apollo, but never gives up in order to save his family and the one he loves. Hannah Wilford, the late President’s daughter, a sympathetic sixteen year-old who is madly in love with Jamey. Finally, the antagonist, Lina Shapar is the appointed President after Wilford’s death who immediately takes actions, and targets the Barlowe family after Jamey’s father, Dr.Barlowe, signs a NASA’s plan which she does not agree with.
Although, this story is held in the future many teenagers, and even adults, can relate to problems in this novel like I did. This is a story in which two opposite things can create a solution, and what we might see as a fact, or a “must-happen” doesn’t really occur. I find this story hard to leave behind and would highly recommend readers to add this to their bookshelf. I was drawn by the way this story was told, and the plot explained. Never had I ever experienced a book that connected so well with me in day-to-day activities. That said, a book with so much passion put into it needs more recognition and who knows maybe a sequel or two. Now you can read and find out if the ‘impossible’ is done by a teenage sixteen year-old in the moon.
Death. Sacrifice. Love. Three words that perfectly describe the breathtaking story held in a near futuristic era. As this story is told by a notably different sixteen year-old, history changing events occur in the Barlowe family. With the U.S. government behind Jamey and his family, near death experiences make a turn into the unbelievable and a war that seem to never end. Jamey Barlowe, his older sister Melissa Barlowe, the President’s daughter Hannah Wilford, and other jeopardized children escape the evil hands of Lina Shapar, the Vice President… to the moon. Who would’ve thought a signature could’ve cause the ‘impossible’?
The story is set after the President’s death. With the Vice President now in command bad idealistic from her place the Barlowe family in a danger zone. With problems ahead a life changing decision is made and two out of the three Barlowe children aboard a shuttle which destination is the moon. As a war breaks out between the U.S. government and Apollo for lunar resources a race against time makes Jamey, the main character, choose a path which is both filled with hate and love. Two emotions hard to mix, but which form the future of many generations.
This science-fiction novel revolves around three main characters: Jamey Barlowe, a sixteen year-old, shy boy that is unable to walk on Earth due to his birth in Apollo, but never gives up in order to save his family and the one he loves. Hannah Wilford, the late President’s daughter, a sympathetic sixteen year-old who is madly in love with Jamey. Finally, the antagonist, Lina Shapar is the appointed President after Wilford’s death who immediately takes actions, and targets the Barlowe family after Jamey’s father, Dr.Barlowe, signs a NASA’s plan which she does not agree with.
Although, this story is held in the future many teenagers, and even adults, can relate to problems in this novel like I did. This is a story in which two opposite things can create a solution, and what we might see as a fact, or a “must-happen” doesn’t really occur. I find this story hard to leave behind and would highly recommend readers to add this to their bookshelf. I was drawn by the way this story was told, and the plot explained. Never had I ever experienced a book that connected so well with me in day-to-day activities. That said, a book with so much passion put into it needs more recognition and who knows maybe a sequel or two. Now you can read and find out if the ‘impossible’ is done by a teenage sixteen year-old in the moon.
March 19, 2013
I really felt like I ought to like this book a lot more than I did. I've had a hard time putting my finger on just what it was that didn't taste right. But I think I've sort of figured it out.
Jamey was born on the moon, so, when he's returned to and raised on Earth, he's basically crippled, and can't get around except in his "mobile". That's reasonably believable, except that since he's been on Earth since babyhood, I would have expected his body would have begun a certain amount of corrective adaptation back. I mean, we ARE originally designed for Earth living. When the ambassadors in THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS had to visit Earth, they did a LOT of weight training, etc. in preparation. Maybe I'm wrong here. I've never been on the moon, or studied weightlessness. I know people under those conditions do lose bone mass. I also know that elderly people on Earth who have lost bone mass can regain it through strength training. So, I guess I wasn't convinced by one of the earliest and most basic premises of the story.
And, then, why in the world wouldn't Jamey have EXPECTED to be able to function normally under the moon's gravitational conditions? I expected him to be able to. Emotionally, he might have experienced it as miraculous, but intellectually he should have been expecting it. He wasn't.
The lunar settings were cool, the characters were ok, the plot, while not overwhelmingly believable, was certainly not bad enough to jar me out of my willing-suspension-of-disbelief.
So, anyway, not a great book, but a pretty good read. Probably most people will not get hung up on the weight/bone issue. For all I know, Steele has his facts exactly correct. It's just that he didn't get me to believe him.
Jamey was born on the moon, so, when he's returned to and raised on Earth, he's basically crippled, and can't get around except in his "mobile". That's reasonably believable, except that since he's been on Earth since babyhood, I would have expected his body would have begun a certain amount of corrective adaptation back. I mean, we ARE originally designed for Earth living. When the ambassadors in THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS had to visit Earth, they did a LOT of weight training, etc. in preparation. Maybe I'm wrong here. I've never been on the moon, or studied weightlessness. I know people under those conditions do lose bone mass. I also know that elderly people on Earth who have lost bone mass can regain it through strength training. So, I guess I wasn't convinced by one of the earliest and most basic premises of the story.
And, then, why in the world wouldn't Jamey have EXPECTED to be able to function normally under the moon's gravitational conditions? I expected him to be able to. Emotionally, he might have experienced it as miraculous, but intellectually he should have been expecting it. He wasn't.
The lunar settings were cool, the characters were ok, the plot, while not overwhelmingly believable, was certainly not bad enough to jar me out of my willing-suspension-of-disbelief.
So, anyway, not a great book, but a pretty good read. Probably most people will not get hung up on the weight/bone issue. For all I know, Steele has his facts exactly correct. It's just that he didn't get me to believe him.
March 23, 2014
This book worked on so many levels, Political thriller, Teen romance, science fiction adventure, coming of age story. This was a very well thought out and outstandingly researched novel.
This novel was great because it felt so current, as if the events in this novel could happen tomorrow. The science felt grounded in fact and nothing struck me as impossible. The suspense was perfectly spread out to keep me reading.
So why only four stars?
I wanted to give it five stars. Sadly glaring editorial errors kept jarring me from the story and awakening my inner editor. And I'm not just nit picking over a misplaced comma or a misspelled word. There were multiple sentences that were very poorly constructed. The kind of errors I expect to find after a furious typing session in a fit of inspiration. These errors should have been corrected if not by the author after a reread then certainly by an editor. If this was a debut novel I could over look this but Mr. Steele already has a large body of work under his belt. Shame on the author for not checking his work. I have never heard of this Prometheus Books but shame on their editorial staff too. Don't make the readers mentally edit your product so that they can keep reading.
This novel was great because it felt so current, as if the events in this novel could happen tomorrow. The science felt grounded in fact and nothing struck me as impossible. The suspense was perfectly spread out to keep me reading.
So why only four stars?
I wanted to give it five stars. Sadly glaring editorial errors kept jarring me from the story and awakening my inner editor. And I'm not just nit picking over a misplaced comma or a misspelled word. There were multiple sentences that were very poorly constructed. The kind of errors I expect to find after a furious typing session in a fit of inspiration. These errors should have been corrected if not by the author after a reread then certainly by an editor. If this was a debut novel I could over look this but Mr. Steele already has a large body of work under his belt. Shame on the author for not checking his work. I have never heard of this Prometheus Books but shame on their editorial staff too. Don't make the readers mentally edit your product so that they can keep reading.
November 13, 2012
Jamey Barlowe was born on the Moon, but moved back to Earth as an infant following his mother’s tragic death. Because his fragile bones can’t handle Earth’s gravity, Jamey needs a wheelchair to get around, but he has learned to live with his disability and lead a normal teenage life. Then, on his sixteenth birthday, Jamey’s father wakes him up in the middle of the night and sends him back to the Moon to escape a military coup in the United States.
Jamey arrives in the lunar mining colony Apollo with five other refugees, including his kid sister and a young woman who seems to be more than she appears. At first it’s a challenge to start a new life in an unfamiliar environment, but thanks to the lower lunar gravity, Jamey can now walk independently for the first time in his life, so despite everything he flourishes and finds himself taking on new challenges. Meanwhile, tensions on Earth continue to rise, and the lunar colony soon becomes the world’s focus as the new U.S. President sets her sights on the Moon’s crucial He3 reserves…
Read the entire review on my site Far Beyond Reality!
Jamey arrives in the lunar mining colony Apollo with five other refugees, including his kid sister and a young woman who seems to be more than she appears. At first it’s a challenge to start a new life in an unfamiliar environment, but thanks to the lower lunar gravity, Jamey can now walk independently for the first time in his life, so despite everything he flourishes and finds himself taking on new challenges. Meanwhile, tensions on Earth continue to rise, and the lunar colony soon becomes the world’s focus as the new U.S. President sets her sights on the Moon’s crucial He3 reserves…
Read the entire review on my site Far Beyond Reality!
January 17, 2015
Apollo's Outcasts is the story about Jamie, a boy who has been handicapped since birth due to being born on the moon. His family (one father, two sisters) are currently living in outer space due to struggles on earth(which I won't spoil) and are trying to find ways to help it.
One thing I liked about this book was the atmosphere of being in outer space and plans to help the earth. It makes you want to know if the characters will succeed in their objective. One thing I didn't like was the pacing of the book sometimes it takes a little while to get a point across, but it's worth while to see how the family interacts and what their next move is.
Overall I thought it was a very enjoyable book with very good atmosphere of being in a crisis like setting. It makes you identify with the characters feelings of what they could do to help. I say give it a read you'll probably like it.
One thing I liked about this book was the atmosphere of being in outer space and plans to help the earth. It makes you want to know if the characters will succeed in their objective. One thing I didn't like was the pacing of the book sometimes it takes a little while to get a point across, but it's worth while to see how the family interacts and what their next move is.
Overall I thought it was a very enjoyable book with very good atmosphere of being in a crisis like setting. It makes you identify with the characters feelings of what they could do to help. I say give it a read you'll probably like it.
April 8, 2013
A pleasant read but too many illogical plot holes drove me crazy. I had a hard time finishing this. For more snarkiness, see my status updates.
But, as always, don't let me talk you out of this, if this book sounds interesting to you.
One of many small quibbles: All these comments about no milk for cheese, coffee, etc. on the moon. What about soybeans? Did they somehow become extinct in the future? As far as I know creamer is made from soy, cheese from soy, there is soy milk....
But, as always, don't let me talk you out of this, if this book sounds interesting to you.
One of many small quibbles: All these comments about no milk for cheese, coffee, etc. on the moon. What about soybeans? Did they somehow become extinct in the future? As far as I know creamer is made from soy, cheese from soy, there is soy milk....
May 29, 2020
My name is Jamey, and Lina Shapar, the new president, is arresting anyone who's ever spoken against her, like my father. My sister and I fled to the moon, to the Apollo settlement where I was born, along with the former president's daughter Hannah. She announced to the world that her father died of natural causes and was not assassinated as Shapar claimed. Shapar seems intent on gaining unlimited power, and her actions may be leading to war with an Asian alliance. Apollo is an international settlement that has been supplying resources for nuclear powerplants on Earth. However, Shapar has other ideas about the current arrangements that may directly affect our lives on the Moon. Her decisions are making me seriously consider joining the Rangers.
The essence of the conflict was an out-of-control "democratic" leader. Abuse of power was at the center of the problem, as the new president ignored restrictions found in the Constitution and censored or arrested anyone trying to share the truth. Opponents were steamrolled, as her actions escalated tensions on Earth and the Moon. Jamey's character was forced to deal with the legend of his deceased mother, and he overcame a lunar-related disability. His mother sacrificed her life while he was still an infant on the Moon, and his bones were weakened while he grew up on Earth. An additional subplot involves Jamey's budding relationship with the former president's daughter. It's mostly innocent flirting, but it has a moment of mounting passion. It doesn't serve any purpose in the context of the whole story. Overall, this book greatly contrasted with another book I chose not to finish. Both of them concerned world issues, but Apollo's Outcasts actually had an interesting main conflict and a realistic/creative look at a possible future. It viewed the moon as a vital source of resources rather than a lump of rock orbiting Earth. It's a great book to check out if you're looking for an entertaining science fiction.
The essence of the conflict was an out-of-control "democratic" leader. Abuse of power was at the center of the problem, as the new president ignored restrictions found in the Constitution and censored or arrested anyone trying to share the truth. Opponents were steamrolled, as her actions escalated tensions on Earth and the Moon. Jamey's character was forced to deal with the legend of his deceased mother, and he overcame a lunar-related disability. His mother sacrificed her life while he was still an infant on the Moon, and his bones were weakened while he grew up on Earth. An additional subplot involves Jamey's budding relationship with the former president's daughter. It's mostly innocent flirting, but it has a moment of mounting passion. It doesn't serve any purpose in the context of the whole story. Overall, this book greatly contrasted with another book I chose not to finish. Both of them concerned world issues, but Apollo's Outcasts actually had an interesting main conflict and a realistic/creative look at a possible future. It viewed the moon as a vital source of resources rather than a lump of rock orbiting Earth. It's a great book to check out if you're looking for an entertaining science fiction.
October 2, 2025
Good old-fashioned young adult science fiction, and yes, it does remind me of Heinlein's juvenile books. But it's entirely more modern; girls/women are actually people, and the book has a strong anti-fascist message. As well, of course, as being a coming-of-age story and including teenage romance. Very easy to read, but with substance.
July 31, 2020
A rousing adventure with sympathetic protagonists trying to improve their world a little. This is nothing revolutionary, but I recommend it to any STEM-inclined tween and teen.
September 16, 2020
I really loved the book. Id say if your parent be aware there is a pg13 scene that gets a little to adult. But overall really good emotional and action book.
June 25, 2013
Apollo’s Outcasts by Allen Steele is a near-future YA following Jamey, a ‘looney’ who is crippled on Earth because of his lunar birth, as he and five other political refugees flee to the moon to escape a suddenly hostile US government. As Jamey and the other teenagers struggle to control their new trajectories, they learn that even the moon is not far enough away to escape Earth politics.
Jamey finds new freedom in lunar gravity, where he can finally walk unassisted, and where he is already old enough to vote. Yet with these rights come the responsibility of formalized Colony Service, as well as an advanced school curriculum in a no-nonsense school. The constant demands of a harsh environment plus the cost of importing items from Earth mean that living on the moon is no cake walk. (It’s, you guessed it… a moon walk). This lends a seriousness to the tone of the novel and tests the characters’ courage. Add in the explosive politics surrounding the characters, and you have a rare book that actually makes you fear for the good guys. Allen Steele’s moon is a harsh place made habitable only through extraordinary cooperative efforts of the human race, and even a magnificent space dome can be decimated by the proverbial thrown rock. In Apollo’s Outcasts, there is a politician somewhere out there willing to throw that rock with fanatical glee.
The believable political and military developments in Apollo’s Outcasts solidifies my respect for and enjoyment of the book. Allan Steele brings us to a near future where the US President has just died, leaving in charge a Vice President who is morally corrupt. Earth soon finds itself in turmoil when the former Vice President starts putting out false press reports and Apollo sets up an embargo against the US. The duplicity of the US government reminds the reader of government’s power to deceive while also spelling out the limits of such efforts. Meanwhile, the lunar colony ups its defenses by militarizing the Rangers, an elite search and rescue team. By that time, the reader knows that Alan Steele means to put those laser guns to work. When Jamey joins the Rangers, where his life is in danger even during training, it feels less like watching an escapist fantasy where you know the hero is going to survive, and more like watching a soldier write a letter home, knowing that it might be his last.
Not surprisingly, Apollo’s Outcasts is serious on politics and light on romance. Character development has a strong presence in the book as the teens must redefine what is important in their lives. Existential angst, such as wondering what kind of clothes to wear, rapidly fades from their concerns as they come up against bigger problems. Jamey’s older sister, in particular, begins the book as a whiny teen reluctant to listen to good advice, but by the end of the book her perspective is realistically matured. Jamey starts out as comparatively more mature, yet he too must reevaluate his priorities when he finds himself attracted to his best friend’s almost-girlfriend. Because of the teens’ packed school and community service days, there is very little time for dating and the characters find themselves preoccupied by the imminent danger to the lunar colony.
All in all it’s easy for me to say to whom I would recommend this book: Apollo’s Outcasts is perfect for any reader who has ever dreamed of going to the moon, because Allen Steele takes you there with detailed, accurate science and believable military and political developments Every little detail, from the refugee’s first low-G experience to Jamey’s luckless paragliding adventure, conveys the wonder of science and human ingenuity.
-- This review originally appeared in SFFWRTCHT's column, YA Report
Jamey finds new freedom in lunar gravity, where he can finally walk unassisted, and where he is already old enough to vote. Yet with these rights come the responsibility of formalized Colony Service, as well as an advanced school curriculum in a no-nonsense school. The constant demands of a harsh environment plus the cost of importing items from Earth mean that living on the moon is no cake walk. (It’s, you guessed it… a moon walk). This lends a seriousness to the tone of the novel and tests the characters’ courage. Add in the explosive politics surrounding the characters, and you have a rare book that actually makes you fear for the good guys. Allen Steele’s moon is a harsh place made habitable only through extraordinary cooperative efforts of the human race, and even a magnificent space dome can be decimated by the proverbial thrown rock. In Apollo’s Outcasts, there is a politician somewhere out there willing to throw that rock with fanatical glee.
The believable political and military developments in Apollo’s Outcasts solidifies my respect for and enjoyment of the book. Allan Steele brings us to a near future where the US President has just died, leaving in charge a Vice President who is morally corrupt. Earth soon finds itself in turmoil when the former Vice President starts putting out false press reports and Apollo sets up an embargo against the US. The duplicity of the US government reminds the reader of government’s power to deceive while also spelling out the limits of such efforts. Meanwhile, the lunar colony ups its defenses by militarizing the Rangers, an elite search and rescue team. By that time, the reader knows that Alan Steele means to put those laser guns to work. When Jamey joins the Rangers, where his life is in danger even during training, it feels less like watching an escapist fantasy where you know the hero is going to survive, and more like watching a soldier write a letter home, knowing that it might be his last.
Not surprisingly, Apollo’s Outcasts is serious on politics and light on romance. Character development has a strong presence in the book as the teens must redefine what is important in their lives. Existential angst, such as wondering what kind of clothes to wear, rapidly fades from their concerns as they come up against bigger problems. Jamey’s older sister, in particular, begins the book as a whiny teen reluctant to listen to good advice, but by the end of the book her perspective is realistically matured. Jamey starts out as comparatively more mature, yet he too must reevaluate his priorities when he finds himself attracted to his best friend’s almost-girlfriend. Because of the teens’ packed school and community service days, there is very little time for dating and the characters find themselves preoccupied by the imminent danger to the lunar colony.
All in all it’s easy for me to say to whom I would recommend this book: Apollo’s Outcasts is perfect for any reader who has ever dreamed of going to the moon, because Allen Steele takes you there with detailed, accurate science and believable military and political developments Every little detail, from the refugee’s first low-G experience to Jamey’s luckless paragliding adventure, conveys the wonder of science and human ingenuity.
-- This review originally appeared in SFFWRTCHT's column, YA Report
January 13, 2014
This and more reviews, interviews etc are on Dark Matter Zine, an online magazine. http://www.darkmatterzine.com. This review was written by Rebecca Muir for Dark Matter Zine.
Apollo’s Outcasts is set in 2097, in a future where humanity has begun to colonize space. There is a colony, Apollo, on the moon, built by the International Space Consortium to mine and process rare materials, primarily helium-3. This isotope, present in moon dust, has become the power source of choice on Earth, where it is used to power fusion reactors.
Jamey was born on the moon, but has lived most of his life on Earth after his mother died in an accident at Apollo. Spending his infancy on the moon, however, has left him in a wheelchair – his bones can’t cope with Earth’s higher gravity. His world is turned upside down early one morning when he is dragged out of bed by his father and put on a rocket with his sister, bound for Apollo. A political coup has occurred in the American government, and Jamey’s dad is a political enemy of the new President.
On the moon, Jamey faces many challenges – worry for his father and older sister back on Earth, learning to walk for the first time, dealing with the tricky world of romance, finding his place in the colony and defending it against the new President’s ambitions to seize control of the helium-3 supply.
The storyline of this book, while a little predictable at times, was interesting nonetheless. Its real strength, however, lies in the way it makes this future so believable. Allen Steele has relied on ideas from the scientific community – people who have thought about how a colony on the moon could actually work. He also gives enough detail that you can see how it might work, without it feeling like you are being bombarded with descriptions of strange technology. The result is that the book doesn’t feel like science fiction – it feels like a political thriller set in a plausible future. I loved that this book made me believe that my grandchildren or great grandchildren could live and work on the moon.
I enjoy reading science fiction books written with a technological flight of fancy – where the limits of what we now see as possible pose no barriers. Those books are fun, and also have an important role to play – after all, many things we now take for granted were first dreamed up by science fiction. Think mobile phones and hand held communicators on Star Trek. A book like this, however, is great in that it makes what is at the moment just a dream – a lunar colony – seem possible, exploring what that might look like and helping to give it a shape in my imagination.
This book is an easy and engaging read, with well-drawn characters. It is part science fiction, part political thriller and part a coming-of-age story. It is well worth a read.
Apollo’s Outcasts is set in 2097, in a future where humanity has begun to colonize space. There is a colony, Apollo, on the moon, built by the International Space Consortium to mine and process rare materials, primarily helium-3. This isotope, present in moon dust, has become the power source of choice on Earth, where it is used to power fusion reactors.
Jamey was born on the moon, but has lived most of his life on Earth after his mother died in an accident at Apollo. Spending his infancy on the moon, however, has left him in a wheelchair – his bones can’t cope with Earth’s higher gravity. His world is turned upside down early one morning when he is dragged out of bed by his father and put on a rocket with his sister, bound for Apollo. A political coup has occurred in the American government, and Jamey’s dad is a political enemy of the new President.
On the moon, Jamey faces many challenges – worry for his father and older sister back on Earth, learning to walk for the first time, dealing with the tricky world of romance, finding his place in the colony and defending it against the new President’s ambitions to seize control of the helium-3 supply.
The storyline of this book, while a little predictable at times, was interesting nonetheless. Its real strength, however, lies in the way it makes this future so believable. Allen Steele has relied on ideas from the scientific community – people who have thought about how a colony on the moon could actually work. He also gives enough detail that you can see how it might work, without it feeling like you are being bombarded with descriptions of strange technology. The result is that the book doesn’t feel like science fiction – it feels like a political thriller set in a plausible future. I loved that this book made me believe that my grandchildren or great grandchildren could live and work on the moon.
I enjoy reading science fiction books written with a technological flight of fancy – where the limits of what we now see as possible pose no barriers. Those books are fun, and also have an important role to play – after all, many things we now take for granted were first dreamed up by science fiction. Think mobile phones and hand held communicators on Star Trek. A book like this, however, is great in that it makes what is at the moment just a dream – a lunar colony – seem possible, exploring what that might look like and helping to give it a shape in my imagination.
This book is an easy and engaging read, with well-drawn characters. It is part science fiction, part political thriller and part a coming-of-age story. It is well worth a read.
August 20, 2014
I'm very conflicted on this book. I love a lot of things about it but I dislike a lot of things about it too. I love that it's partially hard sci-fi, which I recently discovered and love, but the drama aspect of this book is disappointing. I feel like a lot of space fiction writers focus a lot on the accuracy or experience of living in space, which is a huge aspect of why I read these books, but the drama does not match the same quality. I want an enticing and complex story that happens to be in space... and explains how things are in space.
This books explore the very common theme of rebelling against a corrupted government but that was my least favorite part. I thoroughly enjoyed the aspects of living on the Moon, the premise that he was born on the Moon so he had has LBDS (Lunar Birth Deficiency Syndrome) which means that his bones are too fragile to support him on Earth so he spends his days on Earth in a wheelchair, but then when he went to the Moon he had the chance to become a Ranger (ie. first responder/military) and do things he could only dream of. It reminded me a lot of Across the Universe when talking about living on a spaceship (in this case a Moon base), but the drama felt very "spiky", it builds up at a rapid pace and immediately gets resolved by some sudden action, and that happened over and over. The only one controversial thing I remember being surprised was at the end with Billy's uncle, but even that got resolved in a matter of a page.
Picked it at the library because the cover and title caught my eye. I would recommend it to young kids, not necessarily young adults, but again, I enjoyed the "hard sci-fi" portions of it. The author even talked about NASA's mission LCROSS and how that mission discovered a huge amount of water in the South pole of the Moon deposited by a comet, and that gets incorporated into the story, as why they build a water mining facility there.
Also the author explains how you can use the Earth as a navigation aid, because the Moon is tidally-locked to the Earth, it always appears in the same spot on the sky, it doesn't rise or set, like we use Polaris to know where North is and also to tell us how far from the Equator we are. <3
This books explore the very common theme of rebelling against a corrupted government but that was my least favorite part. I thoroughly enjoyed the aspects of living on the Moon, the premise that he was born on the Moon so he had has LBDS (Lunar Birth Deficiency Syndrome) which means that his bones are too fragile to support him on Earth so he spends his days on Earth in a wheelchair, but then when he went to the Moon he had the chance to become a Ranger (ie. first responder/military) and do things he could only dream of. It reminded me a lot of Across the Universe when talking about living on a spaceship (in this case a Moon base), but the drama felt very "spiky", it builds up at a rapid pace and immediately gets resolved by some sudden action, and that happened over and over. The only one controversial thing I remember being surprised was at the end with Billy's uncle, but even that got resolved in a matter of a page.
Picked it at the library because the cover and title caught my eye. I would recommend it to young kids, not necessarily young adults, but again, I enjoyed the "hard sci-fi" portions of it. The author even talked about NASA's mission LCROSS and how that mission discovered a huge amount of water in the South pole of the Moon deposited by a comet, and that gets incorporated into the story, as why they build a water mining facility there.
Also the author explains how you can use the Earth as a navigation aid, because the Moon is tidally-locked to the Earth, it always appears in the same spot on the sky, it doesn't rise or set, like we use Polaris to know where North is and also to tell us how far from the Equator we are. <3
November 7, 2020
This book reads like a pastiche or homage to several of Heinlein's juvenile works, and a couple of his novels for adult readers, too, such as Between Planets, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, and Thet Menace from Earth, right off the top of my head. Jamie, Melissa and Jan are the children of a scientific bureaucrat within the international space agency who signed a petition to keep the Helium 3 resources out of the greedy claws of the current Vice President of the United States. When the President dies suddenly, allegedly assassinated by PSU (Chinese) agents, and the VP takes power, he realizes that he is in danger, and that his children can be used as leverage against him, so he sends them off - to the Moon - for safety.
This is a heavily disguised blessing for Jamey, who was born on the Moon, but who has lived his life on earth up to the age of sixteen in a powered mobile (read wheelchair) since his bones and muscles are not strong enough to support him on Earth unassisted. So, though it is emotionally traumatic and all very suspenseful, Jamie really blossoms...or perhaps soars is a better term, when he arrives at the lunar colony of Apollo. Jamey's best friend, Logan, is also along for the ride, as are the two children of another family of scientists, , one of whom is developmentally disabled, which turns out to be a brilliant gadget whereby Steele can do some expository work, explaining simple things about the Moon and its colony. At the last minute, before they board their shuttle to the Moon, Jamey's older sister, Jan, is replaced by Hannah "Smith", who arrives suddenly in a limousine, accompanied by Men in Black. It's all very mysterious to Jamie, but not so much to the rest of us.
After that, it's all mostly a coming of age novel, set in lunar orbit, complete with bullies, teenage angst and know-it-all atttitude, and a tale of rebellion against tyranny where boy gets girl in the end.
A good, innocent read. Steele has written so many great books over the years, and this one adds to his legacy.
This is a heavily disguised blessing for Jamey, who was born on the Moon, but who has lived his life on earth up to the age of sixteen in a powered mobile (read wheelchair) since his bones and muscles are not strong enough to support him on Earth unassisted. So, though it is emotionally traumatic and all very suspenseful, Jamie really blossoms...or perhaps soars is a better term, when he arrives at the lunar colony of Apollo. Jamey's best friend, Logan, is also along for the ride, as are the two children of another family of scientists, , one of whom is developmentally disabled, which turns out to be a brilliant gadget whereby Steele can do some expository work, explaining simple things about the Moon and its colony. At the last minute, before they board their shuttle to the Moon, Jamey's older sister, Jan, is replaced by Hannah "Smith", who arrives suddenly in a limousine, accompanied by Men in Black. It's all very mysterious to Jamie, but not so much to the rest of us.
After that, it's all mostly a coming of age novel, set in lunar orbit, complete with bullies, teenage angst and know-it-all atttitude, and a tale of rebellion against tyranny where boy gets girl in the end.
A good, innocent read. Steele has written so many great books over the years, and this one adds to his legacy.
August 28, 2013
Jamey Barlowe is a teenager with such weak bone structure that he cannot walk unsupported. This is because he was born on the Moon. He is roused from sleep and hurriedly taken to a space launch facility along with his sisters. The Vice President of the United States has come to power due to the mysterious death of the President. As becomes apparent, she is a bit of a nut and, among other things, wants to imprison Jamey’s space scientist father due to his signing a petition regarding the space program. Jamey and one of his sisters are sent to safety on the massive Moon base Apollo, established to mine Helium-3 for power generation. And so begins Jamey’s adventure, with a looming confrontation with the United States on the horizon.
It dawned on me after a few pages that this was Young Adult fiction. After a few more pages I noticed that it was clearly inspired by Heinlein’s “juveniles”. Not a bad place to start. The story is a not too complex bildungsroman. Jamey meets girl. Jamey’s best friend meets girl. They have to acclimatize to life on the Moon. They have military training on the Moon. The base is attacked.
It is a lightweight read even for a Young Adult novel, and despite the elaborate Moonbase setting some things kept nagging at me. Despite Steele’s effort to introduce at least some modern trappings, it seemed as if these kids were stuck with current technology and the social mores of the 1980s. Given that the novel takes place in 2097, I think it is safe to assume that there would be more advances than a Moonbase and some cell phone technology that could come on the market in 2014. I also wondered why people still listen to the radio in cars (which at least drive themselves) the way they do today, or why they have landlines. Another point was that Steele confused weight and mass in zero gravity. He might just have been trying to simplify but even Young Adult science fiction should get it right.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1658
It dawned on me after a few pages that this was Young Adult fiction. After a few more pages I noticed that it was clearly inspired by Heinlein’s “juveniles”. Not a bad place to start. The story is a not too complex bildungsroman. Jamey meets girl. Jamey’s best friend meets girl. They have to acclimatize to life on the Moon. They have military training on the Moon. The base is attacked.
It is a lightweight read even for a Young Adult novel, and despite the elaborate Moonbase setting some things kept nagging at me. Despite Steele’s effort to introduce at least some modern trappings, it seemed as if these kids were stuck with current technology and the social mores of the 1980s. Given that the novel takes place in 2097, I think it is safe to assume that there would be more advances than a Moonbase and some cell phone technology that could come on the market in 2014. I also wondered why people still listen to the radio in cars (which at least drive themselves) the way they do today, or why they have landlines. Another point was that Steele confused weight and mass in zero gravity. He might just have been trying to simplify but even Young Adult science fiction should get it right.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1658
February 23, 2014
First, let me own up to the fact that I'm not a big sci-fi reader. [Except for space operas. LOVE those!] So my two star rating must be taken with a large grain a salt. I found myself reading this title as part of a teen literature review group. While my overall assessment is "ok," I'm glad I had the opportunity to try out this novel.
This story follows Jamey Barlowe - a teenage boy who has been crippled since childhood, the result of being born on the Moon but having to live on Earth. Things change for Jamey though when he is abruptly sent to the Moon with five other teens to escape a political uprising of a particular government official who is after power and prestige at any cost. Once they reach Apollo, a mining colony, the kids must learn a new way of life, and for Jamey this includes walking on his own two feet. He is a determined one and even joins the ranks of Lunar Search and Rescue, aka the Rangers. This move is just in time as the threat of military action against the Moon becomes a reality.
Divided into four sections, this coming-of-age, young adult sci-fi novel starts off rather slow. It took me forever to get into, but that's most likely because of all the scientific detail, which isn't my thing. I enjoy reading about relationships and human nature rather than spaceships and lunar processes. However, the plot picks up its pace in the second half of the story and quite a few interesting possibilities with other characters arise, making for a much more engaging read. [For myself, that is.] I did like how Jamey and several other characters were very dynamic - learning life's lessons and applying them to their uprooted lives.
Glad I read it, but also glad it's finished! Onward!
This story follows Jamey Barlowe - a teenage boy who has been crippled since childhood, the result of being born on the Moon but having to live on Earth. Things change for Jamey though when he is abruptly sent to the Moon with five other teens to escape a political uprising of a particular government official who is after power and prestige at any cost. Once they reach Apollo, a mining colony, the kids must learn a new way of life, and for Jamey this includes walking on his own two feet. He is a determined one and even joins the ranks of Lunar Search and Rescue, aka the Rangers. This move is just in time as the threat of military action against the Moon becomes a reality.
Divided into four sections, this coming-of-age, young adult sci-fi novel starts off rather slow. It took me forever to get into, but that's most likely because of all the scientific detail, which isn't my thing. I enjoy reading about relationships and human nature rather than spaceships and lunar processes. However, the plot picks up its pace in the second half of the story and quite a few interesting possibilities with other characters arise, making for a much more engaging read. [For myself, that is.] I did like how Jamey and several other characters were very dynamic - learning life's lessons and applying them to their uprooted lives.
Glad I read it, but also glad it's finished! Onward!
February 5, 2013
By 2097, Earth has established at least two working colonies on the Moon, and after a coup d’état in Washington DC, Jamey Barlowe and his sister must flee to the moon since their scientist father is on the wrong side politically of the new president. Jamey has two claims to fame: he was born on the Moon (and is thus physically crippled under Earth’s stronger gravity), and his mother died saving him during a lunar accident. Jamey’s return to the Moon involves a lot of enculturation to the colony and its ways, but also a lot of regular teen stuff, until the new president decides the colony must surrender to her rule and launches an invasion; of course, Jamey is one of the first to sign up to defend his new home.
This novel is Steele’s first for younger audiences, and it shows a bit. His characters are somewhat stiff; they would fit in perfectly in a 1950s-era Heinlein book (as would their late-century culture - almost nothing has changed in the next 85 years? Really?). Jamey is supposedly 16, but comes off acting a bit younger or a lot older than that. Steele’s main interest is in the science of living on the Moon, which is commendable, and well explained, if occasionally didactic. Still, for teens looking for solid near-future science fiction, this book should work well. Recommended for grades 5 and up.
This novel is Steele’s first for younger audiences, and it shows a bit. His characters are somewhat stiff; they would fit in perfectly in a 1950s-era Heinlein book (as would their late-century culture - almost nothing has changed in the next 85 years? Really?). Jamey is supposedly 16, but comes off acting a bit younger or a lot older than that. Steele’s main interest is in the science of living on the Moon, which is commendable, and well explained, if occasionally didactic. Still, for teens looking for solid near-future science fiction, this book should work well. Recommended for grades 5 and up.
September 9, 2013
In Apollo’s Outcasts Allen Steele returns to an often used premise that our outer space colonies will be a safe haven from corrupt Earth governments. He used this idea as the launching point for his Coyote series and returns to it in this book.
In Apollo’s Outcasts America has come under the control of a corrupt Vice President. The she uses the resources of the government to go after her opponents. Fortunately for them they become aware of her plot. Unable to save themselves they none the less have the resources to save their kids by sending them to the moon. The book is the story of the children’s exile on the moon. Although the execution of premise is somewhat unbelievable, Allan needed more detail in his set up, the story moves along at a good pace. You get a feel of what life would be like living in a lunar colony. The characters and situations they find themselves in are compelling. The story ends well. The set up and conclusion are both well written and believable. While this story is not Allen Steele’s best work, it is worth reading.
In Apollo’s Outcasts America has come under the control of a corrupt Vice President. The she uses the resources of the government to go after her opponents. Fortunately for them they become aware of her plot. Unable to save themselves they none the less have the resources to save their kids by sending them to the moon. The book is the story of the children’s exile on the moon. Although the execution of premise is somewhat unbelievable, Allan needed more detail in his set up, the story moves along at a good pace. You get a feel of what life would be like living in a lunar colony. The characters and situations they find themselves in are compelling. The story ends well. The set up and conclusion are both well written and believable. While this story is not Allen Steele’s best work, it is worth reading.
July 9, 2013
This was recommended to me by a friend and I finished it in two sittings. I liked the idea of it, a boy born on the moon who then grows up (to age 16) on earth. His bones are never strong enough to bear his weight on earth so he is always in something like a wheelchair. But going back to moon makes living a 'normal' life possible for him - he just stands up and walks and runs with no building up of muscles or anything. That wasn't quite believable to me.
It is set in the future and things have new or shortened names to make it seem more 'techy' or futuristic. Sometimes it works and sometimes it seems like it tries too hard. The hardest thing was that I never felt like the kids (outcasts) were the age they were. The way they were written in the story made them seem much younger to me.
It is for middle grade so I think young people looking for a space adventure with a bit of danger and intrigue would enjoy it.
It is set in the future and things have new or shortened names to make it seem more 'techy' or futuristic. Sometimes it works and sometimes it seems like it tries too hard. The hardest thing was that I never felt like the kids (outcasts) were the age they were. The way they were written in the story made them seem much younger to me.
It is for middle grade so I think young people looking for a space adventure with a bit of danger and intrigue would enjoy it.
September 29, 2013
Jamey was born on the moon, and his bones have suffered, leaving him reliant on a wheelchair and crutches. But all that changes on his 16th birthday, when he and five other children are whisked off the planet in the wake of a coup d'état that puts the United States at war with the Apollo mining facility on the moon. Jamey and his friends must now rely on strangers to protect them, and rise to the challenge of saving their new home from their own government.
Good, quickly-paced, and plot-driven, but with some nice character development. It wouldn't be YA without a love triangle (more of a rectangle here) and Steele does a nice job of showing Jamey as a boy who has no idea what to do when a girl actually goes after him first. Very reminiscent of a Heinlein juvenile, and I mean that as a strong compliment.
Good, quickly-paced, and plot-driven, but with some nice character development. It wouldn't be YA without a love triangle (more of a rectangle here) and Steele does a nice job of showing Jamey as a boy who has no idea what to do when a girl actually goes after him first. Very reminiscent of a Heinlein juvenile, and I mean that as a strong compliment.
August 5, 2013
I've met Allen at a scifi con years ago in Orlando that got me reading his Coyote series and now I've read almost everything he's written. This one was a good book but because it was aimed at the young reader audience I guess I didn't enjoy as much as his other work. For the audience it was probably worthy of 4.5 stars and I would have given it 3.5 if possible. Being an engineer the hard science was very good. The idea behind the story was reasonably good as well. But to me the personal interactions and the politics were somewhat simplistic. So for an adult it is a worthy read but don't expect to be enthralled. For the young/teen reader it is a very good book with good science and a good story line.
August 10, 2015
Comparisons to Heinlein are apt! This reads like The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, Junior (a good thing!), though the political situation is different. In a time when YA lit is drowning in dystopias in half-built worlds, I appreciated Apollo's Outcasts as a detailed, "hard science fiction" read. Bonus: it's a single volume work. (I can just imagine how some publishers would have stretched it into a painfully shallow trilogy.) The action sequences in the last quarter are truly exciting. Weaknesses include some superficial drama with friends and girls and long stretches of "telling" rather than "showing." Still, a fun read that I'll consider for my library's junior high science fiction bibliography.
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