Title: Variable Star
Author: Robert A. Heinlein, Spider Robinson
Rating:
4 stars out of 5Publisher: Tor
Copyright: 2006
Pages: 339
Keywords: science fiction
Reading period: 30 March-3 April, 2008
Joel Johnston is a budding young musician and the son of a Nobel-winning physicist,
who gets engaged to Jinna, a fellow orphan,
only to learn that she's the granddaughter of the richest man in the Solar System.
Her grandfather, The Conrad, wants him to breed more heirs.
In a fit of pique at the deception,
Joel goes on a bender then hops on a colony ship to a distant star.
Even at relativistic speeds, it's going to be a one-way trip.
Fifty years ago, Robert Heinlein wrote a short outline for this book,
then put it aside.
A few years ago, Heinlein's estate asked Spider Robinson to complete it.
Robinson has done a great job of writing another Heinlein novel,
exploring one of his classic themes, a young man finding himself,
and sounding very much like Heinlein himself.
Very enjoyable.