Double Star (1956)

Double Star (1956) Robert A. Heinlein

The “Great Lorenzo”, a small-time actor, is hired for a short-term “double” job. All he has to do is stand in for one of the most recognizable men in the world for a couple days.. If only the role was that simple.

While not one of the names that show up automatically among Heinlein’s greatest novels, it did win him his first Hugo. Here he takes on a familiar story, the prince and the pauper who exchange places. In this case, an actor whose opinion of his abilities is quite generous and the man who is assumed to be the next Prime Minister of Earth’s worldwide government. Along the way, it raises some interesting political questions and some very human concerns for those few who know the secret.

The book brings together a couple of my great passions, science fiction, and theater. The inspiration came from Heinlein’s wife Virginia getting involved in a local theater company in Colorado (?) and inviting the company members into their home. Heinlein was fascinated by these folks and took that knowledge to the story. His affection for “theater folk” shines through.

There is one glaring weakness. The end of the book is lame and feels entirely wrong. I assume that the intent was to show how much had changed. Instead, it feels like a betrayal of all that went before. It took a lot of my enjoyment away.

Robert Heinlein is a controversial figure in some parts of the political and science fiction realms.  I’ve read a lot of criticism dismissing him as a “fascist” or a “sexist”.  Both criticisms strike me as shortsighted on the author.  He was a wonderful storyteller and an iconoclast throughout his life.  He remains well worth a reader’s time.

Why You Will Like It – The Great Lorenzo is an engaging character caught in an interesting dilemma.

Rating – ***  Worth a Look