Citizen of the Galaxy
From helpless slave to beloved son to aspiring merchant to prodigal heir, Citizen of the Galaxy shows the inner and outer growth of a young man in a far-flung Galactic culture. From the moment he is bought and freed by the beggar Baslim (who is far more than he seems), young Toby learns the values of family, self-reliance, discipline, and self-knowledge. Galactic in its scope and personal in its depth, Citizen of the Galaxy is a well-crafted coming of age story set against a galaxy of contrasts. In a distant galaxy, the atrocity of slavery was alive and well, and young Thorby was just another orphaned boy sold at auction. But his new owner, Baslim, is not the disabled beggar he appears to be: adopting Thorby as his son, he fights relentlessly as an abolitionist spy. When the authorities close in on Baslim, Thorby must ride with the Free Traders -- a league of merchant princes -- throughout the many worlds of a hostile galaxy, finding the courage to live by his wits and fight his way from society's lowest rung. But Thorby's destiny will be forever changed when he discovers the truth about his own identity. - Back cover.
Stats for nerds
8recommend
19mentions
19people
2008–2025years
42% recommend58% neutral
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- I've read more than half of those, and every time I see that list, I really wish that almost every book would be paired w/ one which enhances/comments on either the book or that same theme.
e.g., _Kim_ by Rudyard Kipling should be paired w/ Robert Heinlein's _Citizen of the Galaxy_, or _The Grapes of Wrath_, which was cribbed from Sanora Babb's notes w/o permission should be paired w/ her _Whose Names Are Unknown_:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1197158.Whose_Names_Are_...
- Citizen of the Galaxy - despite being one of Heinlein’s “juveniles” is an interesting and entertaining exploration of the balance between freedom and duty.
It’s mostly not earth based.
- Many of Philip K. Dick books and short stories, but Ubik and A Maze of Death are my favorites.
William Gibson's Sprawl trilogy (Neuromancer, Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive)
Douglas N. Adams - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Frank Herbert's Dune books
Theodore Sturgeon's More Than Human
Robert A. Heinlein - Citizen of the Galaxy
Robert Charles Wilson's Spin trilogy
Frederik Pohl's Heechee books
- I love just about every one of Robert A. Heinlein's juvenile science fiction novels [1] and still love them as an adult. When I was a teenager, Time for the Stars [2] was probably my favorite, but as an adult, I've come to appreciate Citizen of the Galaxy [3] more.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinlein_juveniles
- What were your takeaways from the book?
Also, Citizen of the Galaxy and Double Star are really good reads in the same sort of vein of political-minded science fiction.
- Not a movie but some books that I helped shape my view on life and learning:
http://www.amazon.com/Have-Space-Suit-Heinleins-Juveniles-eb...
http://www.amazon.com/Starman-Jones-Robert-A-Heinlein/dp/145...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_of_the_Galaxy
That's the set I remember most at least. "Have Spacesuit Will Travel" has some good stuff on getting where you want to be in life.
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