I first read the 1962 Hugo-winning version of Stranger in a Strange Land about fifteen years ago, so when my book club picked this book, I decided to read the "uncut" version that was published in 1991. The characters and basic plot are the same: Valentine Michael Smith is a human born on Mars and raised to adolescence by Martians. As a young adult, he travels to Earth, and the novel focuses on his entrance into — and impact on — human culture.

I liked this book a lot better fifteen years ago, and in part, it's because the "uncut" version moves too slowly. Also, I think some of the ideas were fresher then (at least to me). My four-star rating is more about what I remembered than what I just experienced, but this is still a worthwhile and important book.