Continuing my reading and reviewing the Hugo Winners. This time around, Robert A. Heinlein's Double Star...

The first of four of Heinlein's books which won a Hugo, Double Star contains the classic 50s Sci-Fi trope of life on Mars. The Martians are human-sized amoebas with a slight martial bent and an odd smell, but who are currently second-class citizens even on their own Mars, which has been colonised by humans. Leading the fight to get them full rights is the Right Honourable John Bonaforte, head of the Expansionist Coalition, and who hopes to win the next general election (the political set-up in Double Star is very much based on the British system even though Heinlein was American - presumably he had his reasons).

However, on the eve of Bonaforte's induction into a Martian clan he is kidnapped by his political opponents - or, at least, those allied with them. Bonaforte's people, believeing the Martians would not accept this as an excuse for not turning up for the induction hire Lorenzo “The Greate Lorenzo” Smythe to play Bonaforte during the induction. Smythe is understandable reluctant, particularly as he disagree with Bonaforte, hates Martians and in initially thinks he's standing in for Bonaforte during an assassination attempt.

However, with a little hypnotism to take away the hatred, the thought of working with Bonaparte's attractive secretary Penny (who carries an enrequited love for the real Bonaforte) and a decent remuneration, he agrees. Post-induction, the real Bonaforte is released by his captors, who overdose him on truth drugs before turning him loose. Smythe agrees to continue his charade a little longer, but then the entire sitting government resigns, forcing him to play Bonaforte in an audience with the Emperor on the Moon.

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Double Star has dated very well. Outside of intelligent life on Mars, there's little that jars. Arguably, that could be because there's limited science involved as Double Star is more of a character study: Smythe goes from self-centred actor to self-sacrificing politician during the book, and with excellent justification. On the other hand, you couldn't really set up the situation with the Martians to the same degree without getting all skiffy. A very good read.