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Farmer in the Sky Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Farmer in the Sky


    Young Bill gets a wild notion to venture out to the stars and escape the crowded, regimented life he was used to. After getting some additions to the family and a long painstaking trip across the solar system, he finds that the really demanding part of his adventure has only just began!
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    Althoough a bit slow at first, this book is smack-full of good reading. Developing the alien side of the story could have possibly made it better too, but nonetheless a superb story from one of the masters.
The review of this Book prepared by Michael Conner




With food shortages growing on Earth, colonies are established on outlying colonies to grow food. This is the story of Bill Lermer, who along with his Dad, newly minted stepmom and stepsister, emigrate to Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter that has been newly terraformed. The first half of the story describes the trip to Jupiter on the aptly named Mayflower, as the emigrants try to cope with very crowded conditions on the passenger ship as well as a natural disaster. The second half of the story describes the very difficult life they face on Ganymede, and how Bill has to homestead. It's more interesting than it sounds, as we watch step by step how Bill prepares his soil and builds a home for his family. Then disaster strikes, in the form of a quake, and we see how Bill and the survivors cope with that. Finally, the book ends with an adventure on a nearby moon which looks almost tacked on and is basically extraneously.
Like all other early Heinlein stories, the character of Bill is squeaky clean. The father character is somewhat interesting for the wry observations he makes about society and life, but the stepmom and stepsister are basically throwaway characters who have relatively little impact on the story. While not one of Heinlein's greatest stories, if you like "survival and pioneering on new worlds" stories, this one may be for you.

The review of this Book prepared by Steve



Chapter Analysis of Farmer in the Sky

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Plot & Themes

Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence 10%planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives 10%Feelings, relationships, character bio/development 50%Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places 30% Tone of book    -   very upbeat    -   suspenseful (sophisticated fear) FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?    -   science fiction story Coming of age    -   Yes Youngster becomes    -   an adult (general) Explore/1st contact/ enviro story    -   Yes Explore:    -   colonizing/homesteading another planet    -   surviving natural elements on planet Is this an adult or child's book?    -   Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character

Identity:    -   Male Profession/status:    -   student    -   farmer Age:    -   a teen

Setting

Terrain    -   Mountains    -   Asteroid Earth setting:    -   medium future 22-24th century Spaceship setting:    -   futuristic human freighter/transport A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body:    -   humans in a primitive/fantasy society    -   empty, or nearly empty world Takes place on Earth?    -   Yes Planet outside solar system?    -   Yes Takes place in spaceship?    -   Yes

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   generic/vague references to death/punishment    -   moderately detailed references to deaths scientific jargon? (SF only)    -   some scientific explanation    -   a fair amount of scientific explanation Sex in book?    -   Yes What kind of sex:    -   vague references only How much dialogue?    -   mostly dialog    -   significantly more descript than dialog

Books with storylines, themes & endings like Farmer in the Sky

Robert A. Heinlein Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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