This is an okay read, one of Heinlein's poorer efforts (a "bad" book by Heinlein is a better book than most other authors). The book is part of the Future History line and is a collection of three stories: "If this goes on...", "Coventry," and "Misfit". However, the first one, detailing the actual Second American Revolution, uses up 140 of the 187 pages while the other two are in the nature of small vignettes that look at a couple of details after the 'revolt' of the title, they use new themes and characters with no reference to the ones from the first story. "Coventry" occurs a fair period of time after the Revolution and describes post-Revolution America. "Misfit" is Heinlein's idea of what it would be like to travel in space to an asteroid, interesting but pretty far off the mark with slide rules and smoking on the ship while in transit. (in the 1950s everyone smoked and there were no calculators, much less computers.) But it does reveal the discovery of Andrew Jackson Libby, a character in later novels.
The story is told from a bit of a unique perspective: a young and pious John Lyle is a private in the guard turned aide in the revolution, not your normal hero. The device allows the story to be told from the perspective of those that are not making the decisions but are the ones carrying them out.
The base storyline is that as the 21st century comes to a close, Nehemiah Scudder became First Prophet. Once a low IQ itinerant backwoods preacher, he rose to the pinnacle of a fundamentalist Christian theocracy, became president, and overturned the Constitution. Succeeding Prophets are named to power in a "Miracle" where the First Prophet appears and empowers the new Prophet. The theocracy rules the former USA from New Jerusalem, the seat of an oppressive, right-wing government that punishes sin, heresy, blasphemy, or even any openly expressed lapses of a doubting faith with all of the awesome power of modern technology, science, and even applied psychology or psychotherapy.
John Lyle, a young man proud of his recent appointment to the Prophet's corps of bodyguards, believes himself to be happy, devout and confirmed in his faith. But when he commits the âcrimeâ of falling in love with one member of the Prophet's brigade of âvirginsâ, held in thrall for sexual services, he is forced to seek out the help of The Cabal, an undercover resistance movement called the Cabal (with Masonic overtones) that is dedicated to overthrowing the theocracy.
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But don't expect that Heinlein's writing in Revolt in 2100 is as polished as Stranger in a Strange Land. It's blunt, ham-handed, and melodramatic, the dialogue is stilted and trite, the romance is juvenile, and the manner in which the otherwise poignant ideas are expressed is in-your-face and over-the-top with nary a single subtle moment in sight.
The importance of the book is Heinlein's thoughts on organized religion, government, power, and revolution that are memorably thought-provoking and, if they were relevant in the 1950s, then they are even more important and relevant to the events of today. Jeff Sessions' obnoxious establishment of a Religious Liberty Task Force (with the openly stated goal of combating "dangerous secularism") in response to the unrelenting pressure exerted by evangelical Christians in the halls of power in Washington and Trump's attempted coup, make the message more important than ever.
If a reader is paying any attention to the current events that are unfolding in the world around him, they will realize that Heinlein was nothing if not prescient when he penned Revolt in 2100. The Author's Note is pretty scary in that it appears that Heinlein looked into a crystal ball and viewed the 2020 and 2024 elections. Yikes!!!
The story is told from a bit of a unique perspective: a young and pious John Lyle is a private in the guard turned aide in the revolution, not your normal hero. The device allows the story to be told from the perspective of those that are not making the decisions but are the ones carrying them out.
The base storyline is that as the 21st century comes to a close, Nehemiah Scudder became First Prophet. Once a low IQ itinerant backwoods preacher, he rose to the pinnacle of a fundamentalist Christian theocracy, became president, and overturned the Constitution. Succeeding Prophets are named to power in a "Miracle" where the First Prophet appears and empowers the new Prophet. The theocracy rules the former USA from New Jerusalem, the seat of an oppressive, right-wing government that punishes sin, heresy, blasphemy, or even any openly expressed lapses of a doubting faith with all of the awesome power of modern technology, science, and even applied psychology or psychotherapy.
John Lyle, a young man proud of his recent appointment to the Prophet's corps of bodyguards, believes himself to be happy, devout and confirmed in his faith. But when he commits the âcrimeâ of falling in love with one member of the Prophet's brigade of âvirginsâ, held in thrall for sexual services, he is forced to seek out the help of The Cabal, an undercover resistance movement called the Cabal (with Masonic overtones) that is dedicated to overthrowing the theocracy.
:
But don't expect that Heinlein's writing in Revolt in 2100 is as polished as Stranger in a Strange Land. It's blunt, ham-handed, and melodramatic, the dialogue is stilted and trite, the romance is juvenile, and the manner in which the otherwise poignant ideas are expressed is in-your-face and over-the-top with nary a single subtle moment in sight.
The importance of the book is Heinlein's thoughts on organized religion, government, power, and revolution that are memorably thought-provoking and, if they were relevant in the 1950s, then they are even more important and relevant to the events of today. Jeff Sessions' obnoxious establishment of a Religious Liberty Task Force (with the openly stated goal of combating "dangerous secularism") in response to the unrelenting pressure exerted by evangelical Christians in the halls of power in Washington and Trump's attempted coup, make the message more important than ever.
If a reader is paying any attention to the current events that are unfolding in the world around him, they will realize that Heinlein was nothing if not prescient when he penned Revolt in 2100. The Author's Note is pretty scary in that it appears that Heinlein looked into a crystal ball and viewed the 2020 and 2024 elections. Yikes!!!
This book contains one novel and two short stories. In the main story USA has been put under dictatorship. A theocratic power and its religious doctrines teach the high supreme Prophet possesses absolute truth whom everybody is to follow. Any doubters are Satan's followers are executed in sight. Black uniform police force supervise everything. The West Point military academy produces guards for the prophet.
Meet John Lyle, young cadet, who fells in love with virgin priestess who is to become servant of the Prophet's pleasures. In grief he collides with secret society who plans to revolt and liberate America. After escape and rescue of his beloved one, he joins the underground. The battle against tyranny starts. The book ends in victory.
The censorship, religious movements and propaganda is quite common concept and although the book deals with the issues from hight perspective, the story is simple adventure of John Lyle, his recruitment, live in military resistance movement and portrait of the final battlefield. The story's beginning dialogue between main characters is not bad, but shift to a 3rd person narrative for the rest of the story was like reading a paper journal, or news reports.
COVENTRY short story describes world after revolt, where unfit people are sent to borderland with no rules. It's a spy story where a sentenced idealist was sent to the borderland to serve his conviction, realizes the the reality didn't meet his expectations of the "free country".
MISFIT even shorter story is about space mining crew who have a job to move an asteroid into orbit between Earth and Mars to serve as an emergency landing platform. We meet Libby -- number genius -- who's latent mind computing powers save the mission.
Conclusion:
In the main story the religious aspect, even when elevated into dictatorship, is not ground breaking. The biblical fascist ruling feels rather conventional against early history. The adventures of John Lyle contains very little suspense factors because the plot can be predicted from the first pages. No great social issues or love story itch your mind afterwards. The short stories are better, but not enough to raise grading. This was Heinlein's first full length novel: published in 1953. Recommended only for the Heinlein fans.
Meet John Lyle, young cadet, who fells in love with virgin priestess who is to become servant of the Prophet's pleasures. In grief he collides with secret society who plans to revolt and liberate America. After escape and rescue of his beloved one, he joins the underground. The battle against tyranny starts. The book ends in victory.
The censorship, religious movements and propaganda is quite common concept and although the book deals with the issues from hight perspective, the story is simple adventure of John Lyle, his recruitment, live in military resistance movement and portrait of the final battlefield. The story's beginning dialogue between main characters is not bad, but shift to a 3rd person narrative for the rest of the story was like reading a paper journal, or news reports.
COVENTRY short story describes world after revolt, where unfit people are sent to borderland with no rules. It's a spy story where a sentenced idealist was sent to the borderland to serve his conviction, realizes the the reality didn't meet his expectations of the "free country".
MISFIT even shorter story is about space mining crew who have a job to move an asteroid into orbit between Earth and Mars to serve as an emergency landing platform. We meet Libby -- number genius -- who's latent mind computing powers save the mission.
Conclusion:
In the main story the religious aspect, even when elevated into dictatorship, is not ground breaking. The biblical fascist ruling feels rather conventional against early history. The adventures of John Lyle contains very little suspense factors because the plot can be predicted from the first pages. No great social issues or love story itch your mind afterwards. The short stories are better, but not enough to raise grading. This was Heinlein's first full length novel: published in 1953. Recommended only for the Heinlein fans.
Another classic Heinlein.
