Time Enough For Love A science fiction written by Robert Anson Heinlein in 1973 Reviewed edition by Putnam from 1987 A paperback has 590 pages ISBN 0-441-81076-4 Click to rate this book from worst 1 2 3 4 5 to best.

Most of the book takes place in a distant future, with humans populating numerous planets throughout the galaxy. Among them are the members of the Howard Families, whose genetic heritage gives them a natural life span of hundreds of years. This is further prolonged by a medical procedure called rejuvenation, to give a Howard practical immortality. Naturally, there is the usual catch of getting bored with life. A Howard solves this same as any other human, which is by committing suicide, either through classical means or by failing to appear for his rejuvenation procedure. Which is exactly what the oldest living Howard, Lazarus Long, decided to do. What Lazarus Long fails to take into account, however, is the fact that death is far from a personal affair. Which is why instead of enjoying afterlife, he finds himself undergoing a forced rejuvenation at the hands of a few of his distant relatives. A short play on his vanity gets Lazarus Long to agree not to suicide again for some time, during which he recalls his life and his relatives try to find a suitable pastime so that he does not get the idea again ...

Sometimes, when I write a review, I get this overwhelming urge to explain everything about the book. Usually, I get a hold of myself and cut the explanations short. I don't know how I will manage this time though ...

You have been warned :-)

First of all, this book is provocative. It is perhaps most apparent in the attitude towards sex advertised throughout the text, but I am sure the comments on government or practical lifestyle would score quite well too. The nature of the provocations, however, stays the same regardless of the topic - an outrageously simple set of arguments is used to solve a problem or a situation in a way that is today, or at least was at the time the book was written, breaking traditions or taboos.

Which leads me to a question of how many of the provocations were actually meant seriously, and how many were included only to tease some of the more sensitive readers. Then again, maybe this was the very intention, to force the reader to examine the arguments and to re-evaluate the position on some of the issues touched.

One more thing to note about the text is the omnipresent belief that an intelligent person is bound to arrive at the right conclusions about anything he or she sets the mind to. I would suggest that nothing can be further from the truth than this particular fallacy, which happens to irritate me all the more because of the frequency with which I encounter it every day.

Enough rambling :-) the book reads pretty OK, except for some boring passages such as Lazarus Long figuring out genetics, which actually conveyed a feeling of the author being a little kid who just figured out something and cannot wait to explain it to everyone. Also, some passages sound very naive, such as the one where colonists decide to nationalize a bank. Still, the book is definitely worth reading, rated as good.

Rated as good by Ceres on 2000-07-30

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