The World Beyond Book

Variable Star was an outline found in the papers of Robert A. Heinlein by his family. Spider Robinson was commissioned by RAH's literary executor to finish the work and he did, publishing the book almost 20 years after the grand master's death.

My first thought about this is that Robinson did a wonderful job recreating the syntax and style of Heinlein, down to the wisecracking technicality and the human centered hard science fiction storyline. Also endearing was the ubiquitous references to Heinlein's future history timeline and the multiple allusions to RAH books. Robinson seemed to lean heavily on Revolt in 2100 and the Scudderite theocracy. This book also read alot like The Cat Who Walks Through Walls. There is also some elements representative of The Door Into Summer and Time Enough for Love. What was very much un-Heinleinesque was the prevalent profanity.

I have developed a Goodreads rating meter that fluctuates its evaluation as I read. This one hovered between 3 and 4, had some 5 spikes, waned down to 2 a few times and ended with a solid 3, I liked it but was not thrilled with it.

Another general Goodreads observation I have is that many books that end up rated as a 3 could have been made better with some ruthless editing, shaving 50 pages off this one may have tightened it up nicely.