Some newer editions of the novel include both endings.Įventually “Podkayne of Mars” is a kind of juvenile adapted to an audience a bit more mature than teenagers because it’s written like a juvenile, with a teenager discoverying the universe. Heinlein gave the novel a dramatic ending and this was too much for the publisher, who demanded a rewriting of the last pages to tone it down. “Podkayne of Mars” is sometimes considered one of his juveniles but actually it differs from that kind of novel: the protagonist is a teenager however the topics discussed in the novel are quite adult, including the possibility that Podkayne has an intimate encounter with a boy, a topic which at the time of its publication was too bold for a juvenile. Heinlein started having problems with publishers because basically he had decided to write what he wanted and not what he was asked by editors. This phase culminated with “Citizen of the Galaxy” in 1957 and went on with “Have Space Suit-Will Travel” in 1958 but the next year his publisher refused “Starship Troopers” considering it inappropriate for young readers. Luckily for Podkayne her uncle Tom is a senator so he can arm-twist the clinic that caused the mess with the babies into paying his niece and nephew a trip that not only brings them to visit Earth, but Venus as well under his care.ĭespite the problems created by her brother Clark, who is very intelligent but with sociopathic tendencies, Podkayne lives the adventure of her dreams but on Venus her family ends up involved in a quite dangerous interplanetary political game.įor years Robert A. Not only the Fries find themselves with three babies to look after but have to cancel the planned trip to Earth. By mistake the remaining three family embryos fertilized in vitro and frozen are developed and be born. Podkayne “Poddy” Fries is a teenager who lives on Mars with her parents and her younger brother. In the future the Moon, Mars and Venus have been colonized. Heinlein was published for the first time between November 1962 and March 1963 in the magazine “Worlds of If” (also known simply as “If”) and as a book in 1963.

The novel “Podkayne of Mars” by Robert A.

Podkayne of mars