Beyond This Horizon

I've read almost all of R.A.H.'s works. I find them all outstanding. But, I admit to being prejudiced. He is/was my favorite author You cannot go amiss with anything he wrote whether new to the genre, or having read stories of this nature for over sixty years as I have. . Jules Verne would be his closest competitor. Visions of "future history" based on then current science and probability are remarkable. As well as any philosophical, theological or any other class you care to place it in.
But, it's your opinion that matters, not mine. Not one of his finest works, but a good read. As they all are.. But read them as "stories". and think of the possibilities they present. Thinking is what sets us apart from other life forms. And gives us hope, and inspiration to do more to improve our existence.. It is my belief that it is what Mr. Heinlein would want.

Arguably the best part of the book is found in one paragraph on page 191: “Well, in the first place an armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life. For me, politeness is a sine qua non of civilization. That’s a personal evaluation only. But gun–fighting has a strong biological use. We do not have enough things that kill off the weak and the stupid these days. But to stay live as an armed citizen a man has to be either quick with his wits or with his hands, preferably both. It’s a good thing.”

Tedious and pointless, though I've been a Heinlein fan since I was ten.

Heinlein's first novel, I have read everything he wrote except this one until now. Pretty good for a first novel, covers a lot of themes the author explores in greater depth in other works. If you are a Heinlein fan, I highly reccommend that you read it.A good introduction to Heinlein if you haven't read him.