The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein

Was good read. Written in Luna dialect. Was story about dinkum thinkum
that could talk-talk like regular cobber. Started revolution for Free
Luna with three not-stupids.

Or, put another way, it’s the story of a computer that gained sentience
and helped three decent humans start a revolution to overthrow the
oppressive Lunar Authority.

It’s a good example of the genre.

What’s interesting is that and I started to write a play
set on Mars many years ago. In a draft I wrote of the first scene, I
inserted bits about alternative lifestyles that I thought would be more
prevalent in a society more or less cut off from the main society on
Earth. hated it and removed the bits.

But apparently Mr. Heinlein (“The greatest science fiction writer of the
modern age” according to the jacket cover) was on my side, because the
“marriages” on this fictional Luna are mostly of an alternative sort, some
what necessitated by the 2:1 male to female ratio there.

The main character was a member of a “line” marriage that had been in
existance for some time. (I think he said 100 years, which, given that
the story takes place in 2075, meant that Mr. Heinlein felt we would have
colonized the moon by 1975. The book was written in 1966.) A line
marriage starts basically with a couple, who then “opts” in a slightly
younger person, so now there are three spouses. Then later, another
younger person is added, and so on, so that the average age of the
marriage stays around 35.

I casually collect alternate marriage formats because I’ve always felt
that the answer to this “marriage=man+woman” controversy is to provide as
many legal social contract types as there are business types. You can
form a business as an s-corporation, c-corporation, limited liability
partnership, limited liability corporation, sole proprietership, general
partnership, a holding company with subsidiaries, etc., but you only get
one type of marriage contract¹. Backwards, if you ask me.

So, now having completed a novel by the “greatest science fiction writer
of the modern age,” I turn next to Guardian I Defender of Peace by
what I assume will be the second greatest science fiction writer of the
modern age.

¹ It should be noted for critical parties reading
(hi sweetie!) that I’m perfectly happy with my current marriage contract
and would not advocate a different type, but I’m all about freedom of
choice. In much the same way I believe all drugs should be legal but
would not partake myself.