I read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and the conceit of Earth sending convicts and political prisoners to the Moon to grow wheat underground never made much sense to me. I believe Charles Stross got into a good-natured slapfight with Ian McDonald over the latter’s use of helium mining in the Luna series but that sounds more likely to me than fucking wheat.
https://gerikson.com/blog/books/read/Twice-on-a-Harsh-Moon.html
I'd say it's essential Heinlein. Whether you believe Heinlein is essential is another matter :D