Automoderated users, Autopatrolled users, Bureaucrats, Comment administrators, Confirmed users, Moderators, Rollbackers, Administrators
213,687
edits
Double Star: Difference between revisions
no edit summary
No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| (4 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{work}}
{{Infobox book
''Double Star'' is a science fiction novel by [[Robert A. Heinlein]] first published in 1956 as a serial. It's ''[[The Prisoner of Zenda]]'' [[In Space]]▼
| image =
| caption =
| author = Robert A. Heinlein
| central theme = [[Becoming the Mask]]
| elevator pitch =
| genre =
| publication date = 1956
| source page exists =
| wiki URL =
| wiki name =
}}
▲''[[Double Star]]'' is a science fiction novel by [[Robert A. Heinlein]] first published in 1956 as a serial. It's ''[[The Prisoner of Zenda]]'' [[In Space]].
Lorenzo Smythe is an out of work actor. Brilliant at his trade,
Although Smythe is reluctant at first, he soon becomes interested in the political opinions he's now forced to advocate, and starts to make an honest effort to get along with the aliens and the political supporters he always tried to avoid in the past. And when he has to make an appearance at the court of Bonforte's long-time friend, Solar System Emperor Willem of the House of Orange, he finds himself enjoying his new role and the friendships it brings more than he'd imagined.
Serialized in three issues of ''Astounding Science Fiction'' in 1956, ''Double Star'' won the [[Hugo Award]] for Best Novel - Heinlein's first - in 1957.
{{tropelist}}▼
▲{{tropelist}}
* [[Author Filibuster]]: It wouldn't be a Heinlein novel without one. Particularly, Smythe's long internal monologue to himself in mid-book as he tries to understand Bonforte's political philosophy and ethics. Justified in that its his job to impersonate Bonforte, and he's trying to better understand the 'character' he is portraying. Especially since he now has to impersonate Bonforte ''to the Senate'', which means being able to convincingly give the man's political speeches.
* [[Becoming the Mask]]: Smythe originally didn't agree with Bonforte's political views. Originally.
Line 24 ⟶ 37:
* [[Snowball Lie]]: The basis of the entire novel.
* [[Spotting the Thread]]: Smythe spends weeks studying Bonforte's files on everyone around him to make the masquerade work. He notices that the file on the emperor is nearly empty, and assumes that they don't have much contact... until he meets the emperor, and gets found out, because the point of the files is to help Bonforte remember things about people ''less'' politically important than he is. He's caught when he dutifully plays with the emperor's toy trains instead of teasing him about them.
* [[What Would X Do?|What Would Bonforte Do?]]: Mentioned word for word in the twenty-five years later postscript. Even before then, there's an example when Smythe overrules an adviser on the topic of carrying the Martian life wand — which is a deadly weapon — in the Emperor's presence. Martians have a special dispensation to do so (because their culture demands they take the wand '''everywhere'''), and Bonforte has been adopted as a Martian, so Bonforte '''would''' carry the life wand ... and seeing him do so will assure the Martians that he takes his adoption seriously.
{{reflist}}
[[Category:
[[Category:Literature of the 1950s]]
[[Category:Hugo Award]]
[[Category:Science Fiction Literature]]
▲[[Category:Double Star]]
| |||