#5. The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
This 1966 novel about lunar colonies’ inhabiting “criminals” and political dissidents revolting against the government of Earth received the Hugo Award for best novel, the Nebula Award for best novel, the Locus Poll Award for All-Time Top 10 novels, and the Prometheus Hall of Fame Award.
Known for popularizing the acronym slogan TANSTAAFL (“There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch”), The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress depicts the leader of the revolution as a “rational anarchist.” This revolutionary, Professor Bernardo de la Paz, spoke of “the most basic human right, the right to bargain in a free marketplace.”
Paz questioned the legitimacy of the institution of government and wondered: “Under what circumstances is it moral for a group to do that which is not moral a member of the group to do alone?”
Jeff Rigenbach examined Heinlein’s work in a piece for The Mises Institute.
