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The Year Of The Jackpot (2000)

by Robert A. Heinlein(Favorite Author)

3.78 of 5 Votes: 3

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review 1: I enjoyed this story. It's actually the first work I've ever read from Heinlein. I picked it up when it was the Deal of the Day and read it right away. The plot revolves around a statistician who records any bit of 'silly' business he can find. He calculates the ebbs and flow of civilization from peaceful and ordinary to chaotic and destructive. When he finds a woman stripped down naked at a bus stop for no apparent reason (even she isn't sure why), he knows the end is nigh! The story is broken into two segments. The first is essentially Heinlein's in depth explanation of his premise. It's almost entirely a conversation between the mathematician, Breen, and the stripping girl, Meade, full of exposition about predicting the future. It made me think of Isaac Asimov's psychoh... moreistory concept. Aside from the strange opening at the bust stop, the first segment isn't all that exciting, but it does present interesting ideas. The second segment is far more interesting and develops a much stronger connection between Breen and Meade rather than just simple curiosities. They are a bit sassy with each other, which is fun. And then everything just keeps getting crazier. I won't say any more than that. No spoilers here. I really enjoyed this segment for the character development, the plot, and a rather unexpected event with Meade that still seemed believable enough. I felt the ending to be a bit abrupt, spinning out of some last minute exposition and what seems an impossible event. I wish the story had stopped before the last couple of pages. Overall, I enjoyed this story, particular the second segment, and will gladly read more of Heinlein's work.
review 2: A fun, quick read that becomes downright eerie at times. Heinlein didn't need to see the future to write this novella: he simply understands statistics, the recurrence of trends, and the herd mentality. Even so, I was taken aback at how "here, now, today" his vision seems to be. The decline of intellectualism and extreme political division are pretty easy predictions looking from the 1950s toward the future, agreed, but his description of the rise of the "American Rally" political movement (the protagonist refers to them as the "No-Nothings") had me murmuring "You betcha!" under my breath. The penultimate scene of the book was a bit unsatisfying to me, but overall, this was definitely a worthwhile read. less

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