Double Star
1956 Hugo Award Winner for Best Novel
Narrative Synopsis
Lawrence Smith, an arrogant and down-on-his-luck Shakespearean actor known as "The Great Lorenzo", is hired for the role of a lifetime: impersonate John Joseph Bonforte, the brilliant leader of the Expansionist coalition who has been kidnapped by political enemies on the eve of a critical Martian adoption ceremony.
A man does not realize what he can do until he is forced to live up to someone else's reputation.
Notable Passage
Historical & Editorial Context
Heinlein's first Hugo Award winner. A psychological tour de force exploring method acting, empathy, and statesman duty.