Job: A Comedy of Justice by Robert A. Heinlein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I think I've grown old. Why? Because this book used to hit hard in my consciousness of social irony. Why? Because I grew up in a hardcore religious background that judged, judged, judged, and more than that, it had the context of religious cues that could turn a novel of hardship into a skewering indictment of social norms.

Back in '84, this probably would have ridden the full wave of religious backlash written as mainstream rebellion. Now? It tries to recall the old oppression, shower us with the logical and honestly moral rebellion against it, and tell us just how much idiocy we had been living in.

Which, in all honesty, I agree with.

Which makes this novel a real throwback simply because it sits on the far side of the fence.

Can I say how much I hate the swing of this pendulum? I'm sure I can, but I feel like most people won't really realize just how much religious zealotry can cause so much damn pain.

But then, here we are, Job. If you know, you know.

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