(Drivebycuriosity) - Robert Heinlein belonged to the ring of masters who developed the science fiction genre (Asimov, Clark, Frederic Pohl wikipedia). Like his colleagues he speculated about the future by appreciating scientific possibilities (hard science fiction). I appreciate Heinlein because he was an optimist and believed in free markets, the future and in technological progress.
Recently I reread his novel "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" ( amazon). The "Moon" is a statement of Heinlein´s libertarian mindset, his dislike of government power and overruling authorities.
Around the year 2075 the earth planet is a penal colony settled by delinquents, who got departed, and their descendants. The plot is told in first person by a computer technician who becomes the leader of a revolt (this is a spoiler free blog. You can find a synopsis here wikipedia ).
Like Jules Verne about 100 years before Heinlein described technologies which were already possible at the time of writing. But there is one exception: There is a super computer, which (or is it "who"?) is capable to learn. Today we would call it "machine learning".
The computer seems to develop sentiment, today known as "Artificial Intelligence" (AI). This AI can speak and makes decisions on his/her own and gains a central role in the plot, which makes the novel even today cutting edge.
Heinlein descriptions of lunar settlements, the economy and the social live there are very plausible and still up-to-date.
Heinlein`s "Moon" is still much better than most of contemporary science fiction.
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