clanhay's review
3.0
Published in 1940. Where would the world be if the workers didn’t keep the roads rolling?
It’s a labor Union story set in ‘60? (Not sure if it’s supposed to be 2960 or some other)
The roads move vehicles like interstate conveyor belts and all of transportation is dependent on the unionized guild of road engineers and laborers.
Quirky points of interest:
A man working at a computer terminal had a cigarette tucked in the corner of his mouth.
A portable telephone plugged into a jack to operate.
Sun power screens provide energy for the moving roadways.
From their humble beginnings automobiles were eventually over 100 horsepower and capable of 100mph.
Automobiles were eventually banned due to fossil fuel restrictions.
There are personal transport devices called tumble bugs, the seem strikingly similar to a Segway.
It’s a labor Union story set in ‘60? (Not sure if it’s supposed to be 2960 or some other)
The roads move vehicles like interstate conveyor belts and all of transportation is dependent on the unionized guild of road engineers and laborers.
Quirky points of interest:
A man working at a computer terminal had a cigarette tucked in the corner of his mouth.
A portable telephone plugged into a jack to operate.
Sun power screens provide energy for the moving roadways.
From their humble beginnings automobiles were eventually over 100 horsepower and capable of 100mph.
Automobiles were eventually banned due to fossil fuel restrictions.
There are personal transport devices called tumble bugs, the seem strikingly similar to a Segway.
lizabethstucker's review
4.0
(Future History 3) The United States had moved from automobiles to solar-powered people movers beginning when oil and gasoline were rationed during World War II. It led to less pollution, a spreading out of the population from the congestion of the cities, and a working class who were ripe for agitation by self-serving megalomaniacs with self-worth issues like Shorty Van Kleeck. It is up to Larry Gaines, the Chief Engineer, to stop the destruction and disruption of the roads.
Heinlein is remarkably prescient in this 1940 tale, predicting the congestion of the automobiles and their increasing dangers as well as the importance of solar energy. It’s a shame such people movers, whether this style or high-speed trains are kept from actually being implemented. It is also true that the disenfranchised can be easily manipulated. Just look at our current political environment, not just in the United States and Great Britain. A brilliant tale. I can see the workers being militarized considering how a minor disruption, much less a major one, could not only bring the nation to a halt, it could have serious and deadly ramifications. 4.5 out of 5.
Heinlein is remarkably prescient in this 1940 tale, predicting the congestion of the automobiles and their increasing dangers as well as the importance of solar energy. It’s a shame such people movers, whether this style or high-speed trains are kept from actually being implemented. It is also true that the disenfranchised can be easily manipulated. Just look at our current political environment, not just in the United States and Great Britain. A brilliant tale. I can see the workers being militarized considering how a minor disruption, much less a major one, could not only bring the nation to a halt, it could have serious and deadly ramifications. 4.5 out of 5.
cesarbustios's review
4.0
Hear them hum!
Watch them run!
Oh, our job is never done,
For our roadways go rolling along!
While you ride,
While you glide,
We are watching down inside,
So your roadways keep rolling along!
Roadways have become the main transportation method in United States. This roadways, powered with the Douglas-Martin solar panels (yeah, those from Let There Be Light, the previous story), can reach speeds up to 100 mph and are managed by the Transport Cadets. The roads are so big you can have a nice diner in your favorite restaurant while getting home to your wife. It's all pretty cool until a bunch of technicians start a revolution by sabotaging one of the roads.
Watch them run!
Oh, our job is never done,
For our roadways go rolling along!
While you ride,
While you glide,
We are watching down inside,
So your roadways keep rolling along!
Roadways have become the main transportation method in United States. This roadways, powered with the Douglas-Martin solar panels (yeah, those from Let There Be Light, the previous story), can reach speeds up to 100 mph and are managed by the Transport Cadets. The roads are so big you can have a nice diner in your favorite restaurant while getting home to your wife. It's all pretty cool until a bunch of technicians start a revolution by sabotaging one of the roads.
ddavis3739's review
5.0
I am currently reading Heinlen's future series and this is my favorite of the stories I have read so far. The story moved fast and incorporates ideas from socioeconomic struggles as well as the futuristic imagination. That Heinlen is known for. How the story plays out is eerie of today's political climate, which makes for an interesting read.
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