Red Planet by Robert Heinlein

First published in 1949

Jim Marlowe lives with his sister and parents on Mars.  Jim's life inside the colony and his Martian adventures beyond its borders are the subject of Robert Heinlein's Red Planet.

The 1949 novel is vintage Heinlein. Characters rant about bureaucracy, regulations, and limitations on personal freedom (the unfettered right to bear arms is sacred), themes that reappear often in Heinlein's later work. Although Red Planet is characterized as a "juvenile"--and although I was thoroughly entertained by it when I read it as a teenager--the story retains enormous appeal for adult fans of science fiction. While lacking the complexity of Heinlein's later work, the novel showcases Heinlein's vivid imagination and his stalwart belief in the ability of individuals to meet challenges posed both by hostile environments and by muddle-headed humans.  It has aged well.

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Hit Man by Lawrence Block

Published by William Morrow on January 21, 1998

Hit Man is the first in a series of books starring J.P. Keller, a laid-back assassin who, save for his profession, is just like the rest of us:  he walks his dog, goes out on dates, wonders about the lives of strangers he passes on the street, and takes up stamp collecting to alleviate his boredom.  Hit Man isn't a conventional thriller; it's an unconventional portrayal of a remorseless killer as an ordinary guy.

Block started writing about Keller in short stories that mostly appeared in Playboy.  Hit Man collects many of those stories and adds more material, but it still reads like a series of related stories rather than the novel it purports to be. There is no central plot. Keller gets a call from Dot in White Plains, who works for the old man; Dot relays an assignment to Keller, or Keller gets it directly from the old man; and Keller travels to wherever and makes the hit. Along the way Keller philosophizes and muses about his life and the lives of others, whether clients, victims, or total strangers. Some hits are more difficult than others; some present Keller with ethical dilemmas, creating interesting situations for a man who operates outside the boundaries of ethical behavior.  Toward the end the old man becomes a bit dotty, forcing  Keller to decide whether he wants to continue working in his chosen profession.

The interplay between Dot and Keller is often hilarious. Keller is an affable killer; the stories are surprisingly lighthearted and amusing, given the subject matter.  Readers looking for a thriller or a mystery might be disappointed with Hit Man.  This isn't a mystery and it isn't exciting; it's a series of scenes from a man's life.  The man happens to be a killer.  On that basis, the book works.

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