What do you think?
Rate this book
Jupiter #1
Higher Education: A Jupiter Novel
When a misfired practical joke gets him kicked out of school, Rick Luban thinks he has nowhere to go but down. Instead, he gets a second chance - and a whole new life - when he signs up for a career in asteroid mining. Life in space proves more challenging than Rick expected. Competition is heated between the new recruits of Vanguard Mining, and the harsh realities of space allow absolutely no room for error. On his way to a brighter future, Rick faces ever more demanding tests, as well as the very real dangers of sabotage and murder.
286 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
15 people are currently reading
344 people want to read
About the author
Charles Sheffield
216 books171 followersCharles A. Sheffield (June 25, 1935 – November 2, 2002), was an English-born mathematician, physicist and science fiction author. He had been a President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and of the American Astronomical Society.
His novel The Web Between the Worlds, featuring the construction of a space elevator, was published almost simultaneously with Arthur C. Clarke's novel about that very same subject, The Fountains of Paradise, a coincidence that amused them both.
For some years he was the chief scientist of Earth Satellite Corporation, a company analysing remote sensing satellite data. This resulted in many technical papers and two popular non-fiction books, Earthwatch and Man on Earth, both collections of false colour and enhanced images of Earth from space.
He won the Nebula and Hugo awards for his novelette "Georgia on My Mind" and the 1992 John W. Campbell Memorial Award for his novel Brother to Dragons.
Sheffield was Toastmaster at BucConeer, the 1998 World Science Fiction Convention in Baltimore.
He had been writing a column for the Baen Books web site; his last column concerned the discovery of the brain tumour that led to his death.
He was married to writer Nancy Kress.
His novel The Web Between the Worlds, featuring the construction of a space elevator, was published almost simultaneously with Arthur C. Clarke's novel about that very same subject, The Fountains of Paradise, a coincidence that amused them both.
For some years he was the chief scientist of Earth Satellite Corporation, a company analysing remote sensing satellite data. This resulted in many technical papers and two popular non-fiction books, Earthwatch and Man on Earth, both collections of false colour and enhanced images of Earth from space.
He won the Nebula and Hugo awards for his novelette "Georgia on My Mind" and the 1992 John W. Campbell Memorial Award for his novel Brother to Dragons.
Sheffield was Toastmaster at BucConeer, the 1998 World Science Fiction Convention in Baltimore.
He had been writing a column for the Baen Books web site; his last column concerned the discovery of the brain tumour that led to his death.
He was married to writer Nancy Kress.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
May 4, 2021
This is the first of the Jupiter books, a series of what we now call YA novels that Sheffield and Pournelle created in the spirit of Robert A. Heinlein's books for younger readers. The series was just called Jupiter, they're not set there, and it's not really a series in the sense that there's a reading order or that the plots or characters overlap. I was a bit surprised at the amount of sex, cursing, violence, and other what we now call adult content in a book labeled as for youngsters. It is a good fast-paced story, with interesting and plausible scientific premises, and a fine Vincent di Fate cover.
October 15, 2016
All four of these are basically the same plot, with similar themes. They're engaging, but not awesome, imo. Probably best for teen boys. Possibly dated by now. The first is the grittiest. My favorite is Putting Up Roots. This is the most cliched. All are recommended if you happen to find them at your library or friend's house, none if you have to buy them.
They do *not* need to be read in order. The significant characters do not carry over, nor does the plot. The world that is being built is developed further in each, but an understanding beyond what is included in each book is not necessary.
The writing is unexpectedly fresh and clean, with some gems. From The Billion Dollar Boy, "Shelby woke up bit by bit, body before brain, memory before mind."
(Review copy-pasted to each of the four.)
They do *not* need to be read in order. The significant characters do not carry over, nor does the plot. The world that is being built is developed further in each, but an understanding beyond what is included in each book is not necessary.
The writing is unexpectedly fresh and clean, with some gems. From The Billion Dollar Boy, "Shelby woke up bit by bit, body before brain, memory before mind."
(Review copy-pasted to each of the four.)
January 8, 2012
by Charles Sheffield and Jerry Pournelle, published in 1996.
This novel is one of four in the “Jupiter Novel” series started by Sheffield and Pournelle. This is the first book, co-written by both authors, (the last three are Sheffield only) and it is quite similar to Ender’s Game, but not quite as grandiose.
The backdrop for the Jupiter novel universe is that Earth schools, and Earth society, have pretty much run their course. Classical schooling no longer teaches route approaches to learning. Nothing needs to be memorized anymore as “readers” will read for you and calculators do all your math.
So what is the point?
Well, for Rick Luban the point will becomes quite clear when he is kicked out of school and needs to think about the alternatives. One, which is suggested to him by a sympathetic teacher, is asteroid mining and it seems a like a great idea. But to become an asteroid miner is not as easy as signing on the dotted line.
Rick ties out for it, but soon finds that his classical Earth schooling has taught his next to nothing. He is made to read for himself, do math without aid and use his brain like he has never before. Out in the asteroid belt machines do not always work or are not always available.
This is a fun romp to close outer space as we follow Rick on his adventure to mature and ultimately achieve his goals. Some interesting hard science fiction ideas are also tossed around to good effect as well as being integral to the story.
I had mentioned earlier that it has many similarities to Ender’s Game, and it does. There is competition between “apprentices” and only a select few will make it. There is conflict between Rick and a bully and female characters are just as wily and skilled as any man.
On the way to the asteroid belts themselves, for the last leg of training, things start getting out of control, and it is fun to watch how Rick and the others adapt. It is a story of growing up and moving on. Betrayal, deceit and corruption are ways of life in the belt and competition between mining companies is almost warfare - civilized of course but not beyond murder and things worse.
Only two things about this novel bothered me. One was that they never get to Jupiter. This is a “Jupiter” novel, isn’t it? A minor disappointment, but a disappointment all the same. So, no fun romping around the moons of Jupiter in this novel. And secondly, I wanted the story of Rick and the rest to continue, but looking over the next three novels by Sheffield it looks like this was a stand alone tale.
The next three novels look interesting and I will read them. I think this novel is worth your while, especially if you liked Ender’s Game, though it is not really in the same league.
This novel is one of four in the “Jupiter Novel” series started by Sheffield and Pournelle. This is the first book, co-written by both authors, (the last three are Sheffield only) and it is quite similar to Ender’s Game, but not quite as grandiose.
The backdrop for the Jupiter novel universe is that Earth schools, and Earth society, have pretty much run their course. Classical schooling no longer teaches route approaches to learning. Nothing needs to be memorized anymore as “readers” will read for you and calculators do all your math.
So what is the point?
Well, for Rick Luban the point will becomes quite clear when he is kicked out of school and needs to think about the alternatives. One, which is suggested to him by a sympathetic teacher, is asteroid mining and it seems a like a great idea. But to become an asteroid miner is not as easy as signing on the dotted line.
Rick ties out for it, but soon finds that his classical Earth schooling has taught his next to nothing. He is made to read for himself, do math without aid and use his brain like he has never before. Out in the asteroid belt machines do not always work or are not always available.
This is a fun romp to close outer space as we follow Rick on his adventure to mature and ultimately achieve his goals. Some interesting hard science fiction ideas are also tossed around to good effect as well as being integral to the story.
I had mentioned earlier that it has many similarities to Ender’s Game, and it does. There is competition between “apprentices” and only a select few will make it. There is conflict between Rick and a bully and female characters are just as wily and skilled as any man.
On the way to the asteroid belts themselves, for the last leg of training, things start getting out of control, and it is fun to watch how Rick and the others adapt. It is a story of growing up and moving on. Betrayal, deceit and corruption are ways of life in the belt and competition between mining companies is almost warfare - civilized of course but not beyond murder and things worse.
Only two things about this novel bothered me. One was that they never get to Jupiter. This is a “Jupiter” novel, isn’t it? A minor disappointment, but a disappointment all the same. So, no fun romping around the moons of Jupiter in this novel. And secondly, I wanted the story of Rick and the rest to continue, but looking over the next three novels by Sheffield it looks like this was a stand alone tale.
The next three novels look interesting and I will read them. I think this novel is worth your while, especially if you liked Ender’s Game, though it is not really in the same league.
November 27, 2020
Higher Education is the by Charles Sheffield and Jerry Pournelle. It is the first book in the Jupiter Novels. It is a Young Adult Science Fiction novel.
In a rather bleak future, the government and the school system is turning out drones who will be useless and on the government dole for life. Rick Luban is a trouble maker and when one of his practical jokes goes wrong he is kicked out of school. His prospects are bleak but he is given a second chance. He is recruited to train for Vanguard Mining, a space mining company. If he is judged to be worthy he will be sent to the asteroid belt where he can make a living mining the many mineral-rich asteroids to be found there. Competition is fierce however and he will need to apply all his native intelligence in order to compete. Complicating things a rival mining company is out to sabotage the efforts of Vanguard Mining. A coming of age story in the tradition of Robert A. Heinlein.
In a rather bleak future, the government and the school system is turning out drones who will be useless and on the government dole for life. Rick Luban is a trouble maker and when one of his practical jokes goes wrong he is kicked out of school. His prospects are bleak but he is given a second chance. He is recruited to train for Vanguard Mining, a space mining company. If he is judged to be worthy he will be sent to the asteroid belt where he can make a living mining the many mineral-rich asteroids to be found there. Competition is fierce however and he will need to apply all his native intelligence in order to compete. Complicating things a rival mining company is out to sabotage the efforts of Vanguard Mining. A coming of age story in the tradition of Robert A. Heinlein.
December 12, 2008
This was a surprisingly good story. It had a certain Ender's Game feel to it despite the kids being the mental equivalent of parking signs. It gets better as the kids learn and the story arc is actually a well-paced one. It even had an acceptable twist that didn't reek to the stratosphere of deux-ex-machina. The ending was short and sweet without leaving any loose ends.
Excellent science in this book. The education of the characters allows the reader to be educated in turn without feeling like they are in geek-school. It also doesn't cut off TOO many of the sharp corners of reality. It does, but it's under three hundred pages so what can you do?
However... I was just a smidge annoyed that this book had nothing to do with Jupiter. Not One Damned Thing. Oh, it gets mentioned all-right, but that's it. This did not cause me undue concern with the FIRST book, but when the second, third, and (probably) fourth book skipped the stories outside of the solar system altogether I became pissed. False advertising always drives me nuts. It was probably some kind of publishing faux-pas where what was originally intended was not what came out, but STILL! ARG!
And I don't have a damn clue what these books are doing in the adult section. The stories fit in the YA section much better as for length, content, and themes.
Excellent science in this book. The education of the characters allows the reader to be educated in turn without feeling like they are in geek-school. It also doesn't cut off TOO many of the sharp corners of reality. It does, but it's under three hundred pages so what can you do?
However... I was just a smidge annoyed that this book had nothing to do with Jupiter. Not One Damned Thing. Oh, it gets mentioned all-right, but that's it. This did not cause me undue concern with the FIRST book, but when the second, third, and (probably) fourth book skipped the stories outside of the solar system altogether I became pissed. False advertising always drives me nuts. It was probably some kind of publishing faux-pas where what was originally intended was not what came out, but STILL! ARG!
And I don't have a damn clue what these books are doing in the adult section. The stories fit in the YA section much better as for length, content, and themes.
March 21, 2008
Sheffield must be an educator. This book offers a future where many young high school students lack of literacy has been augmented with special computers that READ the books to them. Tests are done with illustrations and most public school students lack the basic skills of math and English to do even the simpler work.
In this world, the hero, plays a practical joke in his high school and is expelled. He manages to get on with a company that specializes in outer space mining, but he will have to hone his reading and math skills if he is going to succeed. An interesting story about a space cadet, astronaut training of the future, and space mining. Fun because of its negative view of where public education is going, solid science for the fiction, and generally a little better than average read without being anything really great.
In this world, the hero, plays a practical joke in his high school and is expelled. He manages to get on with a company that specializes in outer space mining, but he will have to hone his reading and math skills if he is going to succeed. An interesting story about a space cadet, astronaut training of the future, and space mining. Fun because of its negative view of where public education is going, solid science for the fiction, and generally a little better than average read without being anything really great.
August 20, 2016
Your basic pulp scifi story, as if out of the 50s or 60s, except with more sex. Which, when you consider the age of the characters vs the age of the authors introduces a bit of too much of a squick factor for me. I won't bother looking for the rest that fell into this series, and that's okay - given how big of a name the two authors are, my not reading this certainly isn't going to hurt them.
Wasn't really sure I should put this on the YA shelf or not - it felt far more like dirty old men admiring young bodies than YA. *shrug* Clearly I had some mixed feelings on this one.
Wasn't really sure I should put this on the YA shelf or not - it felt far more like dirty old men admiring young bodies than YA. *shrug* Clearly I had some mixed feelings on this one.
June 11, 2019
This book (and series) was also not for me. Too old boys club of sci-fi and not enough cool world building and differing cultures, etc. When I realized it was a standalone and the whole series thing was just that they were set in the same universe, it made it really easy to walk away.
August 6, 2007
I was so thrilled to see someone attempting to bring back Heinleinesque juvinalia. A decade or so later, the attempt appears to have been abandoned, but it was fun while it lasted.
April 19, 2024
A punk high school kid with no future suddenly gets the opportunity to make something of himself. After getting expelled from school he applies for a job with an asteroid mining company, and the rest is him and a bunch of other losers like him getting some learning about how to be useful people and become mining engineers in space. All the kids are illiterate or nearly so, can barely count, and act like gang members. Slowly they embrace the idea of learning real skills and working together, and even get some ambition to make something of themselves. A coming-of-age story most notable for the sorry state of their education.
By far my favorite part is where one of the boy's teachers has a talk with him after he is expelled. He explains that he can talk to him now that he is no longer a student, where before he was not allowed to do so because the #1 duty of a teacher was to build up the students' self-esteem. Actually testing to identify the best students is expressly forbidden by the government, and discipline is virtually nonexistent. The students regularly threaten to sue the school if any type of punishment is even hinted at. The teacher tells the boy that he is destined to spend his life on the dole, that in his entire time in school he has learned literally nothing, and the teacher is glad that he has been expelled because that is one less idiot he will have to deal with. He'll probably be dead before he reaches 30. Then he gives him a card with the name Vanguard Mining on it.
This is powerful because it practically describes in detail the state of the current education system. My sister and her husband are both teachers, and what they describe of their students sounds exactly like the book. If, during the course of the day, some girl decides suddenly to jump up on her desk and start twerking, the teachers are instructed to just wait it out. Discipline is actively discouraged from the management, and the most important thing is to keep graduation numbers up. Whatever it takes, everybody passes.
By far my favorite part is where one of the boy's teachers has a talk with him after he is expelled. He explains that he can talk to him now that he is no longer a student, where before he was not allowed to do so because the #1 duty of a teacher was to build up the students' self-esteem. Actually testing to identify the best students is expressly forbidden by the government, and discipline is virtually nonexistent. The students regularly threaten to sue the school if any type of punishment is even hinted at. The teacher tells the boy that he is destined to spend his life on the dole, that in his entire time in school he has learned literally nothing, and the teacher is glad that he has been expelled because that is one less idiot he will have to deal with. He'll probably be dead before he reaches 30. Then he gives him a card with the name Vanguard Mining on it.
This is powerful because it practically describes in detail the state of the current education system. My sister and her husband are both teachers, and what they describe of their students sounds exactly like the book. If, during the course of the day, some girl decides suddenly to jump up on her desk and start twerking, the teachers are instructed to just wait it out. Discipline is actively discouraged from the management, and the most important thing is to keep graduation numbers up. Whatever it takes, everybody passes.
May 28, 2025
This was wonderful, light reading, and I loved every page.
The high school expels Rick Luban when a practical joke he plays on a teacher backfires. He is 16, and he can barely read. His school insists that he use audio technology to listen to material rather than read it. The school is more interested in Luban’s self-esteem than in whether he can read and critically think. So, they expel him, and maybe they’ve done him a huge favor.
One of his teachers, a somewhat unorthodox teacher, quietly encourages him to determine whether he has the aptitude to work on asteroid mines.
You’ll read about unexpected successes as Rick passes test after test that qualify him as an asteroid miner. There’s good, fun, suspenseful reading here. I don’t normally tie my reading to the calendar. But if I did, this would be alight, propulsive summer read. It has all those checkboxes that make it a pleasure to read. There’s intrigue, romance, suspense, danger, all those things that make this a short read that is long on great entertainment. It’s space opera. It’s not literary stiff stuff you’ll read while playing high-brow classical music.
The authors wrote this for a youthful audience, but my experience with it says that it’s ageless. Because of the way the authors wrote this, I could cheer for Rick Luban as lustily today as I might have if I were I 16 again.
The high school expels Rick Luban when a practical joke he plays on a teacher backfires. He is 16, and he can barely read. His school insists that he use audio technology to listen to material rather than read it. The school is more interested in Luban’s self-esteem than in whether he can read and critically think. So, they expel him, and maybe they’ve done him a huge favor.
One of his teachers, a somewhat unorthodox teacher, quietly encourages him to determine whether he has the aptitude to work on asteroid mines.
You’ll read about unexpected successes as Rick passes test after test that qualify him as an asteroid miner. There’s good, fun, suspenseful reading here. I don’t normally tie my reading to the calendar. But if I did, this would be alight, propulsive summer read. It has all those checkboxes that make it a pleasure to read. There’s intrigue, romance, suspense, danger, all those things that make this a short read that is long on great entertainment. It’s space opera. It’s not literary stiff stuff you’ll read while playing high-brow classical music.
The authors wrote this for a youthful audience, but my experience with it says that it’s ageless. Because of the way the authors wrote this, I could cheer for Rick Luban as lustily today as I might have if I were I 16 again.
June 16, 2018
Higher Education är en bok som författades under tidigt nittiotal, men är om möjligt ännu mer aktuell idag. Det är på ytan en relativt teknisk sciencefictionstory i stil med äldre klassiker som Ender's Game och Starship Troopers. Berättelsen handlar om Rick som blir utsparkad ur skolan efter ett practical joke som gått fel, men får en ny chans då han blir erbjuden att arbeta inom rymdbaserad gruvdrift. Under den hårda sf-ytan så döljer sig en svidande samhällskritik kring framförallt ett urvattnat utbildningssystem där individualism och en rädsla för särbehandling orsakar att ingen lär sig någonting. Istället är det privata intressen som driver forskning och faktisk utbildning.
Så förutom välskriven sf erbjuder Higher Education en nyttig reflektion kring utbildning och lärande. Slutet är bra, men något abrupt. Det enda jag kunde önska mer av den här boken är en fortsättning.
Så förutom välskriven sf erbjuder Higher Education en nyttig reflektion kring utbildning och lärande. Slutet är bra, men något abrupt. Det enda jag kunde önska mer av den här boken är en fortsättning.
May 24, 2021
A rather enjoyable story, but set in a somewhat disappointing future. I find it hard to believe that space exploration and mining would be done by practically illiterate and frankly juvenile teens. Also, the timeline is somewhat ambiguous.
A marginally educated group of teens is selected to compete for spots as space engineers and expected to be able to complete complex problems of space flight, inertial momentum, mining, engineering and other issues relating to space exploration and the mining of asteroids. Their training is apparently done in a matter of weeks and they are then sent along to more advanced training in their specialties, which is where book two starts.
A marginally educated group of teens is selected to compete for spots as space engineers and expected to be able to complete complex problems of space flight, inertial momentum, mining, engineering and other issues relating to space exploration and the mining of asteroids. Their training is apparently done in a matter of weeks and they are then sent along to more advanced training in their specialties, which is where book two starts.
November 2, 2022
Jerry Pournelle are brothers for the mud we shsred
As they say mud is thicker than blood, and I grab every book Jerry P. writes. I've read Charles Sheffield when I discovered Robert Heinlein. I agree with their assessment of our educational system. I was fortunate to go to Catholic grade schools and a private high school. (Not from a wealthy family, just fortunate where I lived.)
Ok, a great book in the footsteps of Robert Heinlein, that emphasizes the importance reading and mathmatics.
Best to you Jerry
As they say mud is thicker than blood, and I grab every book Jerry P. writes. I've read Charles Sheffield when I discovered Robert Heinlein. I agree with their assessment of our educational system. I was fortunate to go to Catholic grade schools and a private high school. (Not from a wealthy family, just fortunate where I lived.)
Ok, a great book in the footsteps of Robert Heinlein, that emphasizes the importance reading and mathmatics.
Best to you Jerry
January 9, 2020
The thing about most dystopian fiction is that it is fundamentally pessimistic. The individual characters may have a happy ending, but the world as a whole is still fucked.
Higher Education -- and most of the Jupiter novels, for that matter, present a future Earth that is as dystopian as any '90s cyberpunk novel. But the story isn't content with accepting the inevitability of dystopia. It believes that only can individual people become better, but that these people together can lay the foundation for a better world.
Higher Education -- and most of the Jupiter novels, for that matter, present a future Earth that is as dystopian as any '90s cyberpunk novel. But the story isn't content with accepting the inevitability of dystopia. It believes that only can individual people become better, but that these people together can lay the foundation for a better world.
June 21, 2017
Summary: Near future SF, education space opera ... all seems a bit unlikely. The plot moves along nicely but the book feels dated already.
Plotline: OK plot, with a few twists and turns
Premise: Mining asteroids yes, the rest seems pretty unlikely to me
Writing: Simple, good descriptions, over states the obvious
Ending: A little unexpected, nice twist
Pace: Never a dull moment!
Plotline: OK plot, with a few twists and turns
Premise: Mining asteroids yes, the rest seems pretty unlikely to me
Writing: Simple, good descriptions, over states the obvious
Ending: A little unexpected, nice twist
Pace: Never a dull moment!
February 28, 2025
So so read
The characters of Rick Luban and his teachers were good, but the overall storyline is weak and lacked serious conflict or action until almost the end. The novel lacks strong forward momentum. Rick is just not a sympathetic or interesting enough character. The ending fell flat. Overall not a book I'd recommend.
The characters of Rick Luban and his teachers were good, but the overall storyline is weak and lacked serious conflict or action until almost the end. The novel lacks strong forward momentum. Rick is just not a sympathetic or interesting enough character. The ending fell flat. Overall not a book I'd recommend.
July 28, 2018
This had a very Heinlein feel to it with the social commentary but also tosses in some science. I feel I learned a few things. Great start to a sci-fi series, focusing on a expelled hoodlum picked up to work with a space mining company.
July 17, 2019
Reminiscent of Heinlein's teen books such as Space Cadet or Farmer in the Sky, but nowhere near as good.
June 7, 2021
A mildly entertaining story that's more about the authors' politics than anything else.
June 14, 2021
Great hard sci fi with an excellent jab at the American educational system
March 1, 2017
Was this trip really necessary? I sympathize with the mission of this book, but the authors could have used more finesse in telling their story. The authors could have made their point in a single two-page essay and I probably would have enjoyed it more. This book is not a good example of science fiction providing clever social commentary.
August 14, 2011
I got into this book more than most sci fi because the characters remind me of my neighbors here in the poor part of town, and the renters my company cleans up after.... People who are being used for unskilled labor because they are so poorly educated.
The main character gets a second chance at life by being sent to an asteroid mining school. He is taught to read, and catches a vision of the importance of knowing math. Having struggled with math all my life, I really identified with his first big mathematical breakthrough.
I can't recommend this book because of bad language and general carnality, but as the character grows in vocabulary and self respect, he teaches himself to use cleaner language.
The main character gets a second chance at life by being sent to an asteroid mining school. He is taught to read, and catches a vision of the importance of knowing math. Having struggled with math all my life, I really identified with his first big mathematical breakthrough.
I can't recommend this book because of bad language and general carnality, but as the character grows in vocabulary and self respect, he teaches himself to use cleaner language.
October 24, 2021
Sheffield, Charles, and Jerry Pournelle. Higher Education. Jupiter No. 1. Tor, 1996.
In Higher Education, Sheffield and Pournelle channel early Heinlein juveniles (now YA) better than anyone ever has. Rick Luban is a smart kid who is not a good fit in a modern urban schoolroom. When a practical joke goes badly awry, he is given a chance to train to mine asteroids in a strict bootcamp environment. What elevates the book above most similar young adult science fiction is the attention to the science of asteroid mining that Sheffield and Pournelle bring to it. Would that more YA scifi writers would pay as much attention to the science in their novels. I last read this book in 2015, and it holds up well six years later. 4 stars.
In Higher Education, Sheffield and Pournelle channel early Heinlein juveniles (now YA) better than anyone ever has. Rick Luban is a smart kid who is not a good fit in a modern urban schoolroom. When a practical joke goes badly awry, he is given a chance to train to mine asteroids in a strict bootcamp environment. What elevates the book above most similar young adult science fiction is the attention to the science of asteroid mining that Sheffield and Pournelle bring to it. Would that more YA scifi writers would pay as much attention to the science in their novels. I last read this book in 2015, and it holds up well six years later. 4 stars.
February 1, 2016
Entertaining story especially for science, math and astrophysics majors with a solid message about the decline of the education system. The author points out how the entrenched bureaucratic school systems nationwide have lost any interest in the value of knowledge, discipline or self-evaluation. By chapter 16 I predicted one event that could have taken place and as I continued reading I discovered I was right. Glad to see the book had short chapters, a total of 19 chapters, with easy reading. Good to learn information about outer space, mining colonies, etc. I want to point out that the story provides interesting topics of conversation about the recent news regarding the possibility of Mars colonization, what it will entail, etc. Overall I recommend it.
May 21, 2010
I first read this in 1997, and I remember really enjoying it. On re-read, it's all right. Deliberately Heinlein-esque, and it mostly carries it off. It also reminded me of Michael Flynn's Firestar series. But it avoided the whole Exposition Party thing, whereby there is so much telling the reader about things that it results in a doorstop-sized book.
I put this on my YA shelf because I think it would be suitable for older teenagers. I think it was written to appeal to adults as well as this group.
I put this on my YA shelf because I think it would be suitable for older teenagers. I think it was written to appeal to adults as well as this group.
August 29, 2013
A decent sci-fi story, the mining technology and deep space life were definitely interesting. However, it's all wrapped around what can only be described as a preachy treatise to the importance of education. This feels so much like it was designed to be handed to youths who were considering dropping out of high school. That being said, it wasn't as simple or silly as I expected, nor is it cribbing much from Ender's Game as I'd feared. All in all, it's a pretty straightforward short and mildly predictable read that I cared about juuuust enough to try the next book.
June 2, 2013
I found this to be a better than average space adventure with an element of cultural satire about public education and rampant litigation. The plot unfolds a bit abruptly in places, and the characters are not exactly believable, and some of the conflict seems contrived mainly because one of the authors or editors thought the story needed constant conflict, but it's an interesting read for the science and the satire.
May 21, 2016
Classic sci-fi with a good plot and a great twist.
The description of the public education system, as well as society, is sickeningly accurate for our day and age. We are on the brink of total idiocy and Higher Education makes the situation absolutely plain.
I didn't care for the language and such, but I'm the society portrayed, it is inevitable.
For my clean readers:
Contains language(minus the f-bomb), inappropriate scenes and innuendos, and violence.
The description of the public education system, as well as society, is sickeningly accurate for our day and age. We are on the brink of total idiocy and Higher Education makes the situation absolutely plain.
I didn't care for the language and such, but I'm the society portrayed, it is inevitable.
For my clean readers:
Contains language(minus the f-bomb), inappropriate scenes and innuendos, and violence.
January 20, 2012
The first in the Series of "Jupiter" books. About a boy, kicked out of a do nothing education system and picked up by a mining company in the asteroid belt. He is put in a school to learn about everything he doesn't know and then some! Very enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews