Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein

First published in 1948

First published in 1948, Space Cadet is one of Heinlein's earliest sf juveniles. I remember loving it when I was a teenager. Those years are long past, but when I recently reread the novel, I recaptured at least some of the sense of wonder I felt when I read it as a kid. Science fiction has become more sophisticated in the intervening years (at least some of it has), but the art of storytelling never grows old, and Heinlein was a master storyteller.

Space Cadet has a tight, engaging plot that begins with Matt Dodson joining the Space Cadets and ends with an adventure on Venus. Dodson is a strong character who would be especially appealing to teens--he's able to overcome self-doubt, gains maturity, and learns (while making use of a leave to visit his parents) that "you can't go home again." The only other character in the novel with any personality is Matt's fellow cadet Tex, who likes to repeat his Uncle Bodie's tall tales, adding some humor to the story. The aliens Heinlein envisions living on Venus are credible (at least by 1948 standards, and in any event more credible than most of the lizard-like aliens that dominate sf movies), and the novel has something useful to say about prejudice against those who are outwardly different.

Space Cadet hasn't lost much of its charm in the six-plus decades since its first publication.

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