Thomcat
5/7/2023
Two novellas from 1941 are connected and published in book form in 1963. One of the earliest depictions of a generation space ship, with the descendants of the crew completing the trip. Like many examples of this, something has gone wrong.
In a way, this is post apocalyptic fiction. Knowledge has been lost, humanity is greatly reduced, and external threats (radiation, starvation) drive the plot. This work (and related, including Non-Stop by Aldiss and Captive Universe by Harrison) probably influenced games like Metamorphosis Alpha and Starship Warden. Star Trek has an episode with this theme. When reading about the obese captain, I can't help thinking of Wall-E.
The book had two sections, each named after the original stories. I can't say where the fixup was, but the first is the better story by a good margin. Heinlein also throws in misogyny and polyandry, more overt in the second story. Casual violence is similarly ramped up.
This is an okay book, rating increased somewhat by the Converter, Joe-Jim and The Three Musketeers.