When the leader of the Expansionist Party, John Bonforte, is kidnapped, unemployed actor Lorenzo Smythe is hired to take his place just before an important ceremony that will serve as a peace treaty between Mars and Earth. Should he fail, however, the results could be interplanetary war.
While the resemblance between Lorenzo and Bonforte is remarkable, the actor undergoes intense training to learn the politician’s background, thought process, manner of speech, and body language as well as the Martian phrases he must utter with impeccable precision during the ceremony. Coached by Bonforte’s team, Lorenzo delivers a flawless performance.
Shortly after, the real John Bonforte is found, but his mind and memories have been scrambled, leaving him in no condition to resume his responsibilities until he is fully recovered. Even his personal physician is uncertain how long that will take. Thus, Lorenzo must continue his impersonation, fearing that at any moment, the charade will be revealed.
As one of my favorite Heinlein novels, Double Star is a thoroughly entertaining, fast-paced romp with likeable characters, witty dialogue, and constant tension.
On an artificial world created by the immortal Lord Urthona, the landscape is forever shifting. Mountains crumble into plains, flesh-eating trees roam the surface, chunks of the planet are ejected into orbit as temporary moons only to fall back and crash into the surface. It is on this world that Earthman Paul Janus Finnegan—known as Kickaha among other aliases—and his companion, the Lady Anana, find themselves stranded with the devious Urthona, Red Orc, and their human henchman, McKay. Somewhere on this vexing planet floats Urthona’s palace and the means for finding a gateway to another world. Before Kickaha and Anana can find it, however, they must survive the treachery of the other three—not to mention the dangerous plants, animals, and natives.