History Literature / SpaceCadetHeinlein

* FutureImperfect: The rotunda of Hayworth Hall has the ''KilroyWasHere'' (the first ship to Mars which crash landed on return killing all on board) set up as though it had crash there. Dodson is asked who Kilroy was and after a bit of thought he replies he was a WW II admiral. Clear in context that it is Dodson's ignorance rather than faulty history though.

* RetroRocket: While there aren't any visuals in the book, all of the space rockets in the book are described as classic single-stage designs in the vein of the trope, as opposed to the multistage designs that actually became the standard in the real world.

* DudeWheresMyReward The cadets are rather put out when they don't get any praise for their first successful mission, but then realise they've simply done what's expected of Patrolmen.

* FantasticRacism: Burke shows this; Oscar Jensen who was born on Venus treats the natives with respect. [[SuperweaponSurprise Which is just as well]].

* FutureImperfect: The rotunda of Hayworth Hall has the ''KilroyWasHere'' (the first ship to Mars which crash landed on return killing all on board) set up as though it had crash there. Dodson is asked who Kilroy was and after a bit of though he replies he was a WW II admiral. Clear in context that it is Dodson's ignorance rather than faulty history though.

* OrbitalBombardment: Dodson serves a tour onboard a Patrol Ship whose prime mission is to coordinate such a bombardment via orbiting nuclear bombs. To keep the crew busy, they (including Dodson) perform routine maintenance on such bomb satellites.

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* TheCaptain: Captain Yancey of the ''Aes Triplex'' during Dodson's training cruise. Starts out as TheNeidermeyer to the cadets but mellows to VeteranInstructor as the cruise progresses, giving informal leadership seminars in addition to the more formal studies each cadet is following.* TheChainsOfCommanding: Captain Yancey of the ''Aes Triplex'' would have preferred to take the repaired ''Pathfinder'' back to Earth himself but no one of higher authority was in communication to relieve him of command of his own ship so he had to turn command of the ''Pathfinder'' to his executive officer.

* TheGreatRepair: After their rocket sinks into the Venerian mud, the patrolmen discover the Venerians have the ''Astarte'', the first spaceship sent to Venus and considered lost. They fix the ''Astarte'' so it can carry them back to the human colonies.

* TheGreatRepair: After their rocket sinks into the Venusian mud, the patrolmen discover the Venerians have the ''Astarte'', the first spaceship sent to Venus and considered lost. They fix the ''Astarte'' so it can carry them back to the human colonies.

* JerkAss: Girard Burke during training, thinking that his influential father is enough to get him into the Patrol, but he TookALevelInJerkass after he's kicked out and his father gives him command of his own rocketship. He kidnaps the leader of a Venusian tribe to pressure her into giving him mining rights, then hides in the radio room when the outraged Venerians [[SuperWeaponSurprise slaughter the rest of his crew]].

* LadyLand: When translating Oscar Jensen refers to his colleagues as female as there are no intelligent males among the Venusians.

** Venusians can't play the harmonica; 'I know, I let one try.'

* TheCaptain: Captain Yancey of the ''Aes Triplex'' during Dodson's training cruise. Starts out as TheNeidermeyer to the cadets but mellows to VeteranInstructor as the cruise progresses, giving informal leadership seminars in addition to the more formal studies each cadet is following.
* TheChainsofCommanding: Captain Yancey of the ''Aes Triplex'' would have preferred to take the repaired ''Pathfinder'' back to Earth himself but no one of higher authority was in communication to relieve him of command of his own ship so he had to turn command of the ''Pathfinder'' to his executive officer.

* TheParagon: John Ezra Dahlquist is one of "The Four" who are held up to be this and whose names are called at every roll call. His single handed thwarting of the "Revolt of the Colonels" at the cost to his own life early in the Patrol's history is cited as the ideal for Patrolmen. He is also literally HeroofAnotherStory since his HeroicSacrifice is depicted in the short story "Literature/TheLongWatch" published the next year by Heinlein.

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** Also Hayworth Hall, the Patrol's facilities at their main Earth base at Santa Barbara Field for final selection testing of Candidates and for final polish of Cadets befor Commissioning.

* SpaceStation: The ''PRS James Randolph'' ten miles astern the space station Terra Station. The cadets are granted occasional leave and take a scooter over for R&R.

* Hidden Purpose Test: Dodson has to pass a series of tests to get into the Space Patrol. One of them requires him to stand over a milk bottle and drop beans into the bottle with his eyes closed. Dodson ends up with only one bean in his bottle and sadly turns it in. He notices while standing in line that several people got many beans in their bottles, and after turning his in, he asks the examiner what would keep people from cheating by peeking. The examiner says, "Nothing at all", much to Dodson's disappointment. Then the book says about Dodson: "It did not occur to him that he might not know what was being tested."
* I'llPretendIDidn'tHearThat: When Tex Jarman gets drunk in public, one of the cadet's instructors (who is sitting nearby) calls over Matt Dodson and warns him, "Go back and tell Jarman to quiet down before I have to come over and ask him what his name is."

* TheParagon: John Ezra Dahlquist is one of "The Four" who are held up to be this and whose names are called at every roll call. His single handed thwarting of the "Revolt of the Colonels" at the cost to his own life early in the Patrol's history is cited as the ideal for Patrolmen. He is also literally HeroofAnotherStory since his HeroicSacrifice is depicted in the short story "TheLongWatch" published the next year by Heinlein.

* ShatteredWorld: The asteroid belt is was formed by a planet shattering. The ''Pathfinder'' discovered evidence that the planet had been inhabited by an intelligent species which had [[Earth-Shattering Kaboom destroyed]] their home in an nuclear war. This information was recovered by the ''Aes Triplex'' when they found the wrecked ''Pathfinder''.

* TheGreatRepair: After their rocket sinks into the Venusian mud, the patrolmen discover the Venusians have the ''Astarte'', the first spaceship sent to Venus and considered lost. They fix the ''Astarte'' so it can carry them back to the human colonies.
* JerkAss: Girard Burke during training, thinking that his influential father is enough to get him into the Patrol, but he TookALevelInJerkass after he's kicked out and his father gives him command of his own rocketship. He kidnaps the leader of a Venusian tribe to pressure her into giving him mining rights, then hides in the radio room when the outraged Venusians [[SuperWeaponSurprise slaughter the rest of his crew]].

* SuperweaponSurprise: The supposedly primitive Venusians have a superior knowledge of chemistry, to the extent that one of the characters says in astonishment "They can do ANYTHING!" (they've just synthesized liquid oxygen for their rocket -- and this from a species that doesn't use space travel)

* {{Zeerust}}: As can be expected there's lots. Surprisingly ''averted'' early in the first chapter, as it opens with Matt talking with his dad on what a modern reader will recognize as a cellphone, even shipping it back home when he goes into orbit, since there of course would be no relay towers to pick up its signal.

* {{Zeerust}}: As can be expected there's lots. Surprisingly ''averted'' early in the first chapter, as it opens with Matt talking with his dad on what a modern reader will recognize as a CellPhone, even shipping it back home when he goes into orbit, since there of course would be no relay towers to pick up its signal.

* ScienceMarchesOn: The basics of orbital mechanics are sound, but Venus is depicted in its typical swamp habitat stereotype and the Asteroid Belt is described as a destroyed planet (which is a minor plot point later).

* PatronSaint: The patronage of St. Barbara is mentioned while persuading Matt that a certain accident was real and not a fake put on to scare them off.

!!This story provides examples of:

* {{Zeerust}}: As can be expected there's lots. Surprisingly ''averted'' early in the first chapter, as it opens with Matt talking with his dad on what a modern reader will recognize as a CellPhone, even shipping it back home when he goes into orbit, since there of course would be no relay towers to pick up its signal.

A YoungAdult novel by RobertAHeinlein, published in 1948, following the adventures of Matt Dodson, a young man who joins the prestigious Space Patrol. As you might guess from the title, much of the novel follows his training, including rigorous physical and mental exams just to get in, then more training aboard the Patrol's university ''cum'' spaceship in orbit around Earth, and then finally his midshipman's cruise which leads to a crisis with the natives on Venus.

* DudeWheresMyReward The cadets are rather put out when they don't get any praise for their first successful mission, but then realise they've simply done what's expected of Patrolmen.

* OfficerAndAGentleman: To the point that the Space Patrol consists ''solely'' of officers, nineteen years before StarTrek.

* {{Zeerust}}: As can be expected there's lots, with atomic rockets and orbiting space platforms equipped with nuclear missles to keep the peace. Surprisingly ''averted'' early in the first chapter, as it opens with Matt talking with his dad on what a modern reader will recognize as a CellPhone, even shipping it back home when he goes into orbit, since there of course would be no relay towers to pick up its signal.

* FairForItsDay: Well before the CivilRightsMovement picked up steam, Heinlein takes pain to depict the Space Patrol as being staffed by all races and creeds. Of course it's still an all male force...

* DeathFromAbove: One of the tasks of the Space Patrol is to maintain the orbiting nuclear weapons used to maintain peace on Earth.

* TheGreatRepair: After their rocket sinks into the Venusian mud, the patrolmen repair

* SuperweaponSurprise: The supposedly primative Venusians have a superior knowledge of chemistry, to the extent that one of the characters says in astonishment "They can do ANYTHING!" (they've just synthesized liquid oxygen for their rocket -- and this from a species that doesn't use space travel)