Book finished

[johnridley]

Podkayne of Mars by Robert Heinlein

I thought I'd read all of Heinlein's stuff, and to be honest, I may have read this before, I don't recall but my memory of what I've read from 30+ years ago isn't that great.

• Mary Cruickshank-Peed - There was a new version of that (the original version) released after he died. Apparently the original version was too racy (or something) for the initial publication... I dimmly recall the reason, just that I have two different version of it the original release and the directors version.
  
• Mike Van Pelt - **SPOILER**
  
  
  In the original version Podkayne died when she went back to rescue the "fairy".
  
• John Ridley - I guess I read the newer version then. It really read like she died, but then there were a few paragraphs glued on the end where she recovered.
  
• Mike Van Pelt - Yeah, that was the "tacked on happy ending" that Heinlein's publisher demanded. (I prefer that she lives; I have a strong dislike for characters who are the point-of-view for the whole book dying at the end.)
  
• John Ridley - I have to admit that I'm happier she lives as well, though I was ready to accept it the other way.
  
• Michael Brian Bentley - I remember trying to tackle Podkayne of Mars in grammar school, I think 4th grade. I was plowing through all the SF content in the school library, but that one I had trouble with.