Friday by Heinlein

I really like Heinlein as an author. Some of his themes cause me to pause but this particular book is devoid of those ones. It also happens to be one of my favorites.

It’s about an Artificial Person. A woman who has been genetically created but people who are genetically created are treated as though they are things. They have no rights and no privileges. They are raised as property for their owners. There are other types of “created” life in this society but the APs are the most mistreated because they look human and understand the injustice they suffer.

Anyway, back to Friday. This particular AP is owned by a specialized intrigue-type agency kind of like James Bond and MI-5 in the future. Friday is a message carrier getting sensitive information where it needs to be. Her employer has erased/covered up her status as an AP but she still suffers from self doubt and worry that she will be discovered and punished. During the this book, several world wide disasters occur while Friday is out on assignment/vacation. But the main focus is Friday and her perceptions of home, family, and love and the lengths people will go to gain and protect those things.

From my review, it sounds a little girly and romance novel-ish. It isn’t at all. Without going into specifics, it’s more periods of personal danger followed by “my family is missing how can I use my skills to find them”. The adventure aspect is well written, the “feeling” aspects are well written, the characters seem like real living breathing people. In general, Heinlein is just a great author. I cannot recommend reading his works enough. I read this book in one sitting every time I pick it up. It’s one of those books that I pick up every time I’m feeling sick because I know it by heart and it never fails to make me feel better.