Robert A. Heinlein (1907 – 1988) was an American naval officer and aeronautical engineer who made a name as a science fiction writer! His works were scientifically accurate and logical to a degree that had never been seen before in science fiction. And thus, a new subcategory of the genre was born – hard science fiction – and it had a lasting influence on the generations of readers and writers of fiction that followed Heinlein!
Among the many novels Heinlein wrote for young adults aged between 12 and 18 is Red Planet, a gripping tale of adventure set in Mars, published in 1949. Years later, it was adapted by Fox Kids and made into a three-episode animated mini-series.
The novel tells the story of two friends, Jim and Frank, who live in a boarding school on Mars, along with Jim’s Martian pet, Willis the Bouncer. One day Willis overhears conversations between the greedy principal of their school, and the corrupt administrator of their Martian colony about a plan which threatens to put all Martian colonists in immediate danger. When the boys get to know about this evil plot, it is up to them to save everyone’s lives!
This book contains a lot of detail about Mars and its terrain. It also features the Martian canals popularized by the American astronomer, Percival Lowell!
Picture Credit : Google
