CITIZEN OF THE GALAXY: A Novel by Robert Heinlein

Robert Heinlein has long been considered by many as one of the 20th Century’s great writers of science-fiction and with his short novel Citizen of the Galaxy, it is easy to see why. Published as a children’s novel, this is a title I first came upon as a teenager, and I remember back then being impressed by the exciting, galaxy-spanning story, the complexity of the characters and the sophistication of the different cultures that Heinlein had created in a mere 260-odd pages. The tattered copy of my book sat on my shelf for several decades, as one of a collection of lifelong sci-fi friends, but until recently I had no thought of rereading it. After all, surely my tastes have moved on in the decades since I was a teenager? Apparently not.

Citizen of the Galaxy is as exciting and intelligent as it was when I first read it. The story centres on a young boy Thorby, whose life has been one of slavery and abuse. Bought at auction at the slave market by an old beggar, Baslim, he quickly comes to realise that his new master is not all that he seems, as he is slowly introduced the underworld of galactic espionage.  When his protector finally falls foul of the regime under which they both live, Thorby abides by his promise to his ‘Pops’ and seeks out aid from the captain of a Free Trader ship who is somehow embroiled in, and indebted to, his old master. The Free Trader ship, Sisu, is Thorby’s entrance into a much much wider world, where humanity has spread across a vast swathe of the galaxy, and where cultures and language have adapted to meet the challenges of galactic expansion. Against this backdrop Thorby must adapt and evolve his own morality and find his own place while remaining true to the ideals instilled in him by his adopted father Pops.

As expected with a writer of this calibre, Heinlein pulls no punches in tackling the contentious issues of slavery and civic responsibility. Following one character in his journey from chattel to financial elite is a fascinating way to carry the reader from a worm’s eye view to the top of the tree – as well as to show how invidious practices such as slavery can continue even with regardless of the moral ‘enlightenment’ of the human species.

Part of what makes this novel so successful is the sophistication with which Heinlein examines the different cultures he is writing about. From the slave-based autocracy of the Sargon Worlds, to the regimented and secretive culture of the Free Trader families, from the militaristic Hegemony Guard to the heights of elite society on Terra itself, each culture is painstakingly described and coloured with believable detail about how people talk, how they interact and what they believe. Heinlein goes so far as to create several characters, such as the anthropologist Margaret Mader (possibly a nod to the acclaimed social anthropologist Margaret Mead) who is studying the intricacies of Free Trader clans on board Sisu, in order to guide the reader through some of their more arcane cultural mores. It is not every children’s novel that tackles matrilinear relationships, moieties, purdah or phratry.

The creation of the Free Trader society, with its matriarchal hierarchy, is even more impressive considering that Heinlein wrote this novel in 1957, well before the advent of modern feminism. It is true that in some parts of the novel, particularly the latter chapters on Terra, there is occasional unconscious sexism towards some of the less central female characters (secretaries are always female, for example, and women must always be looking for a husband). However, the female characters – indeed all the characters, including various alien races that Thorby encounters – are well-realised and believable, and Heinlein makes it easy to buy in to his picture of humanity’s diaspora to the stars. Further, Heinlein is a master of exciting and pacey storytelling and this novel has enough battles (both personal and physical), misunderstandings, power struggles and skulduggery to satisfy the most avid reader. Add these to a story of sophisticated cultures, believable, sympathetic and above all human characters and it is no wonder that this novel is still in print 60 years after it was written. For me this longevity demonstrates the talent of Heinlein, and makes my rediscovery of Citizen of the Galaxy on my shelf after so many years an even greater pleasure.