- Higher Education (novel)
Infobox Book |
name = Higher Education
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author =Charles Sheffield andJerry Pournelle
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country =United States
language = English
series =
genre =Science fiction
publisher =Tor Books
release_date = 1995
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media_type = Print (Paperback & Hardback)
pages =
isbn = 0312861745
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followed_by ="Higher Education" is a
1995 science fiction novel byCharles Sheffield andJerry Pournelle . It is the first in a series, published byTor Books in their Jupiter line.Plot introduction
The novel starts in a future
dystopian earth where theUnited States has become a woefully inefficient bureaucratized nation. Thepublic school system is primarily interested in promotingself-esteem rather thanlearning . For example, the vast majority of public high school graduates areilliterate , and end up in "the pool"; an endless crowd of unemployable youths depending on government assistance orcrime for survival. The book is told from the perspective of the main character, ahigh school student named Rick who quickly finds himself expelled after a practical joke goes wrong.Plot summary
Since expulsion means that Rick's family will no longer be able to claim their welfare bonus, Rick begins looking for a job. One of his former teachers encourages him to get a job for the Vanguard Mining corporation, whose primary financial interest is in
space mining ofasteroids in theasteroid belt . The book follows his progress through an initial grueling examination period on Earth, initial training on an asteroid in a highorbit of earth, and through anapprenticeship on another training facility in the asteroid belt. After proving himself, Rick is recruited tojoin a secret program to infiltrate and subvert Earth's education systems away from its current initiative-deadening pandering to the lowest common denominator.Characters
Rick is the primary
protagonist of the novel. He is a high-school student who is forced to take a job mining asteroids after being expelled from school.Turkey Gossage is Rick's instructor on the asteroid in Earth orbit. He is tough, unforgiving and unyielding.
Authors Message
Much of the book is a thinly veiled criticism against current public policy concepts like
centralization ,socialism , federally managed education, and cultural attitudes about individual responsibility, particularly concerning children and young adults. The novel has a distinctlylibertarian tone, which is typical of both Sheffield and Pournelle's work, and certainly a common theme throughout speculative sci-fi in general.Trivia
The engines used by Vangaurd Mining's
spacecraft areDiabelli Omnivores . This particular brand of engine is used repeatedly throughout Sheffield's books, across many different fictional settings.References
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