Space Cadet

by Robert A. Heinlein Narrated by Not Yet Available

Overview

Matt Dodson reports to the Colorado base of the Interplanetary Patrol, a new cadet with a fierce desire to become a member of the Patrol, which for over a century has kept the peace throughout the Solar System. Matt and fellow cadets soon leave the Earth base for training on Terra Station, where they learn, among other things, astrogation, survival skills, alien languages and how to maneuver in outer space. Matt loves the Patrol and finds, upon returning for a visit to his family in Iowa, that his real “home” is no longer on Earth.

When a call for help comes from a ship stranded on Venus, Matt is among the cadets chosen to accompany the Patrol Captain on this rescue mission. What they discover after they land on Venus is not what they expected... The cadets and their captain are taken prisoner, and the “rescue” signal came from Matt's old nemesis. Matt and his fellow cadets must learn to negotiate with the Venusians after their Captain is seriously injured. What seemed like a short and exciting adventure to another planet becomes a grueling experience, and the cadets' diplomatic as well as engineering skills and ingenuity are sorely tested.

Robert A. Heinlein's wit and exuberance are on full display here. Published in 1948, long before other writers even imagined cellphones or hydraulic mattresses (waterbeds), listeners can enjoy the lively dialog and inventiveness that are hallmarks of Heinlein's work.

Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
To mark the centennial of the birth of one of science fiction's greatest writers, Robert A. Heinlein (1907-88), several of Heinlein's early works are being re-released to a new generation of fans.

Space Cadet (1948), one of the very first published novels by the man described in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction as quite possibly "the all-time most important writer of genre SF," has been the inspiration for countless novels featuring young spacefaring students since its publication more than half a century ago. With an idealistic young man -- Des Moines, Iowa, native Matthew Brooks Dodson -- as the novel's protagonist, Heinlein interweaves a compelling coming-of-age tale with a military science fiction-flavored adventure replete with long-lost spaceships, cunning villains, and bizarre aliens. While determinedly making his way through the grueling Patrol Academy, Dodson -- who has dreams of being a member of the elite Interplanetary Patrol -- learns a little bit about the world around him and a lot about himself as he is confronted with one crisis after another…

Science fiction fans who know Heinlein only from his award-winning standards (Starship Troopers, Stranger in a Strange Land, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, et al.) should definitely take the time to read lesser-known -- but just as enduring -- novels like Space Cadet. Amazingly, more than half a century after it was first published, this story shows very little signs of aging. Aside from a few dated colloquialisms ("oh shucks," "go soak your head," etc.), this science fiction classic is virtually timeless and very suitable for readers of any age. Paul Goat Allen

The New York Times Book Review

One of the most influential writers in American Literature.”

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King

Not only America’s premier writer of speculative fiction, but the greatest writer of such fiction in the world…[Heinlein] remains today as a sort of trademark for all that is finest in American imaginative fiction.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer

Heinlein…has the ability to see technologies just around the bend. That, combined with his outstanding skill as a writer and engineer-inventor, produces books that are often years ahead of their time.”

The New York Times

Heinlein wears imagination as though it were his private suit of clothes.”

The Wall Street Journal

One of the grand masters of science fiction.”

New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz

There is no other writer whose work has exhilarated me as often and to such an extent as Heinlein.”

From the Publisher

The lively story of a group of boys—Matt and Tex, from Terra; Oscar, from Venus; Pierre, from one of Jupiter's moons; and others—who train to uphold the peace of the solar system. This account of their training and their subsequent adventures is good, colorful fiction by an author who can write it ably and entertainingly.” —Chicago Tribune on Space Cadet

“Throughout the story there is a constant stream of Heinlein's noted wit and satire, superbly told . . . The Hugo Award committee need look no further.” —San Francisco Chronicle on Glory Road

“Heinlein...wrote adventure stories grounded in credible scientific speculation. Even the wonderful stories collected here feature his trademark cool reasoning. . . .Superb stories - old friends, really - that are well worth the book's price.” —Booklist on The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein

Product Details

BN ID:	2940195729998
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	12/13/2025
Edition description:	Unabridged