Farmer in the Sky

Farmer in the Sky

First Edition cover for Farmer in the Sky
Author	Robert A. Heinlein
Cover artist	Clifford Geary
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Heinlein juveniles
Genre	Science fiction novel
Publisher	Charles Scribner's Sons
Publication date	1950
Media type	Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
ISBN	NA
Preceded by	Red Planet
Followed by	Between Planets

Farmer In The Sky is a 1950 science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein about a teenage boy who emigrates with his family to Jupiter's moon Ganymede, which is in the process of being terraformed. First published in Boys' Life magazine, in serial form (August, September, October, November 1950), under the title "Satellite Scout". It was published in hardcover that year by Scribner's as part of the Heinlein juveniles.

Passing references by the lead character to the song "The Green Hills of Earth" three times and to its author, Rhysling, once, have caused some to consider it part of Heinlein's "Future History" series.

Plot summary

The story is set in a future, overcrowded Earth, where food is carefully rationed. Teenager William (Bill) Lermer lives with his widower father, George. George decides to emigrate to the colony on Ganymede, one of Jupiter's moons. After marrying Molly Kenyon, George, Bill and Molly's daughter Peggy embark on the torchship Mayflower. On the journey, Bill saves his bunkmates from asphyxiation by improvising a patch when a meteor punctures their compartment. To combat the boredom of the long trip, the Boy Scouts in the group form troops and the children attend classes.

When they arrive on Ganymede, an unpleasant surprise awaits the newcomers. The group is much larger than the colony can easily absorb. The farms they were promised do not yet exist. In fact, the "soil" has to be created from scratch by pulverizing rocks and seeding the resulting dust with carefully formulated organic material. While some whine about the injustice of it all, Bill lands a job with an already-established farmer and his family to learn how things are done, while his father signs on as an engineer in town. Peggy is unable to adjust to the low pressure atmosphere and has to live inside. The air is being thickened by "matter converters", but progress is slow, given the size of the moon. Eventually, the family gets its own homestead, including a pressurized room for Peggy.

One day, a rare alignment of Jupiter's major moons causes a devastating moon quake which depressurizes Peggy's room and knocks out the machines that maintain the colony's heat shield. The temperature drops rapidly and the family is lucky to make it to the safety of the town. Peggy dies, as do many of the other colonists. The Lermers consider returning to Earth, but in true pioneer spirit, decides to stay.

The colony gradually recovers and an expedition is organized to survey more of Ganymede. Bill goes along as a cook. While exploring, he and a friend discover artifacts of an alien civilization, including a working land vehicle that uses legs. This proves fortuitous as Bill's appendix bursts and they miss the rendezvous with the shuttle that transports the rest of the group to another site. They travel cross country to the next landing point and get Bill to a doctor.

Major themes

The book takes up consciously many of the themes of the 19th Century American Frontier and homesteading.

References or Allusions

References to other works

The novel also refers to the "Space Patrol," the interplanetary peace-keeping organization described in Space Cadet.

References to actual history, geography and current science

Farmer In The Sky a character, Johann Schultz, with the nickname "Johnny Appleseed," having the same role as the original one, who became a legend in American history. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury also has a "Johnny Appleseed" character.

Because it was written to be serialized in the Boy Scouts' magazine Boy's Life, Bill's participation in the Scouts is pervasive, mentioned at least once per chapter.

References in other works

Variable Star, a novel written by Spider Robinson based on an outline by Heinlein, pays tribute to this novel. The lead character is a farmer from Ganymede, and one of the major cities there is Lermer City, named for the lead character of this book.

Comments

This is the first appearance (in Heinlein's novels) of the concept of overpopulation threatening to bring on a war (back on Earth).

External links

• Farmer in the Sky title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database