In most reviews people look upon this as a space opera, and it most certainly is: but on this reading, I am finding it to be about the growth and development of Alan Corday as a person.
Corday is in love and decides that he needs to go to Mars and make his fortune so that her father will have no objections to their marriage.
In his quest to find passage to Mars, he stumbles into a bar where Captain Jocelyn is recruiting a crew for his ship, Hound of Heaven and their trip to Alpha Centauri and other ports on the "long Haul".
Corday finds himself an unwilling member of the crew and fights against the role Jocelyn has planned for him. Corday is one of the few that understand the properties of Einstein's Theory and knows that many years may pass before his return to Earth and his reunion with his beloved Chica in New Chicago.
At the return of his voyage, Corday finds the world a changed place and finally finds his Chica.
When next we find Corday, he is on the ship again and is earning his spot as the second or third mate, depending on Captain Jocelyn's mood and how much Corday appears to be learning about repairing the ship, learning all the systems, and getting along with the crew.
Each return to Earth shows a much changed planet and the items that were needed or precious has changed. It also has become harder to find repair parts for so ancient a vessel.
I wish there were more adventures had Hubbard revisited this timeline in his career.
In the beginning Corday is an elitist and has a very hard time accepting his role on the ship. He has a hard time making friends and finally takes his position seriously as he begins to do his best to keep the ship in its best shape, makes friends, and finally understands his humanity.
In many of Hubbard's later works, he spends the time to develop the humanity needed to show the reader what it takes to make the harder decisions and how man can not think only of himself but for the good of the masses.
This is an interesting volume that retains its freshness of it's time and how he was one of the first the utilize Einstein's discoveries in his writings. You also need to read BATTLEFIELD EARTH to see how Hubbard was able to develop humanity in his writing and his characters.
This classic of science fiction is a must-read and is space
exploration and intergalactic colonization that will stick with you long
after you finish reading
it.
I'm glad to see this available again and recommend it to those in the new generation of readers.
