Read as part of the 1941 Retro-Hugo Voters' Packet.

Vintage Heinlein - with all that comes with that, good and bad.

Mr. Harriman has spent his life dreaming of space, much like the boy sci-fi readers and science club nerds that are the overtly acknowledged audience for this story. Harriman has made a career of risky investments in rocket technology, repeatedly ignoring the cautious and concerned advice of his wife, and his bets have paid off - he's a wealthy CEO of a major corporation. But now that he finally has the financial wherewithal to get to the moon, he can't. The interfering nanny state with its government regulations and well-meaning doctors, say that his elderly body is too frail: he'll never survive the rigors of space travel. But Harriman's not quite dead yet, and neither is his dream....

I think I would've found this one more emotionally affecting if I'd read it when I was younger, and still desperately dreamed of going to space. I don't anymore... ( )

Read as part of the 1941 Retro-Hugo Voters' Packet.

Vintage Heinlein - with all that comes with that, good and bad.

Mr. Harriman has spent his life dreaming of space, much like the boy sci-fi readers and science club nerds that are the overtly acknowledged audience for this story. Harriman has made a career of risky investments in rocket technology, repeatedly ignoring the cautious and concerned advice of his wife, and his bets have paid off - he's a wealthy CEO of a major corporation. But now that he finally has the financial wherewithal to get to the moon, he can't. The interfering nanny state with its government regulations and well-meaning doctors, say that his elderly body is too frail: he'll never survive the rigors of space travel. But Harriman's not quite dead yet, and neither is his dream....

I think I would've found this one more emotionally affecting if I'd read it when I was younger, and still desperately dreamed of going to space. I don't anymore... ( )

Overall I enjoyed this. My favorite part was the short story "Tenderfoot in Space", which was originally printed in Boys Life. It concerns a boy and his dog. It is touching and delightfully unpredictable. The essays at the end got a bit repetitive, as each guest author spoke about how Heinlein had affected them. The essays were enjoyable, there was just alot of overlap in what they had to say. Overall, an excellent book, well worth the time. I would definitley recommend it to any Heinlein fan. ( )

Of interest primarily to Heinlein's fans and to fans of scifi in general. The short essay about filming the film Destination Moon is particularly interesting.