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Methuselah's Children
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Plot Summary of Methuselah's Children
"The Americans are very proud of their free society ... until it is rumoured that the Howard Families have the secret to immortality. The Families, led by the rapscallious Woodrow Wilson Smith, aka Lazarus Long, flee Earth, determined to remain free. This is the first appearance of Lazarus, a main character in future works by RAH."
Kim Marks, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Methuselah's Children
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%




Tone of book - very upbeat
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Plotlets: - exploring a wondrous planet or phenomena
Repressive society story Yes
Repressive because: - strict rationing of freedoms/goods
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - champion of justice
Age: - long lived adults
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - an entire race
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount

Setting
Earth setting: - near future (later in 21st century)
Spaceship setting: - primative (present, near future) human spaceship
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - neutral aliens
Takes place on Earth? Yes
Planet outside solar system? Yes
Takes place in spaceship? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
scientific jargon? (SF only) - a fair amount of scientific explanation
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to Methuselah's Children
Angelmass by Timothy Zahn
Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke
Contact by Carl Sagan
The Engines of God by Jack McDevitt
For Love and Glory by Poul Anderson


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Robert A. Heinlein Resident Scholar Profiles

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Philip A. Petmecky  

SCHOLARS:
stan  John McCoy  Tamaal Ghosh  Chris  Melody Crookes  Jamie  Harriet Klausner  David Loftus  Annette Spence  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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