Play Book Tag discussion

It is 2075 and the governments on Earth (Terra), have succeeded in turning the Moon, Luna, into an habitable penal colony run by an Authority overseen by a warden. The Authority buys the wheat and other foodstuffs farmed by the Loonies (citizens of Luna) and sells back water, air and other goods. At the heart of they system is a computer who has come alive as Mike. Mike can do anything but he is bored, attempts jokes and can sulk like a child. Manny is Mike's technician and friend as the first person to understand and interact with Mike. After Mike's latest prank, Manny promises to help Mike learn humor and to find more not-stupid friends for him. Manny attends a meeting that Mike found was closed of to him and so begins the real adventure. Manny, together with a sexy female revolutionist and a rational anarchist professor and an unusual family, plan a revolt for Luna to govern itself with support from Mike.

The book mostly explores political theory through war games and planning an ideal government. Is it ideal to hamper a government as much as possible to avoid any interference or should the government by represented by elites, the wealthy or as democracy? What actions will provoke a war and will war allow for independence? Can it be done without?

I've only read Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein and that was when I was teen. I remembered really enjoying and was pleasantly surprised to quite enjoy as well. I have read several modern classics that have not aged well at all. While the women still end up heading the household, they are mostly revered rather than abused which I appreciated. It was a fun story with some fun personalities and as international studies, I enjoyed the politics of getting along or not.

Great review. I like to read about politics more than war, but they seem to go hand in hand. I like when it’s fairly realistic, than say 1984 (which I loved in college but found unreadable last year). I think I’ve read more female sci-fi authors this year than male authors. For years I heard women complain that there were few interesting female characters in classic sci fi, and It just wasn’t a genre that interested me. I still haven’t read much classic sci-fi, but I’ll add this one for next time.

I saw the movie Jane Austin Book Club last week, and the only male member was encouraging another character to read LeGuin. He may have mentioned this book too.