The Golden Globe by John Varley (American, 1998)

Summary:
The novel takes place in the solar system, now colonized after humanity has fled the earth due to alien invasion. Valentine is an actor who wants to get to the Moon from Pluto to play King Lear in an upcoming production. A good friend of Valentine´s promises him that he can play the role if he gets to the moon on time. So, Valentine and his dog Toby set to the Moon. However, we find out that Valentine has been running from the law for a long time now, is being chased by a detective. Also, he is escaping from the mafia after stealing a precious artifact from a Charonese woman.
 
 During his journey to the Moon, Valentine starts narrating flashbacks of his life. He explains a lot of how he became who he is. Valentine tells how his father pushed him to become an actor and that he was very controlling of his career, even reaching the point of physically abusing him. 
 
 Valentine meets Elwood P. Dowd, although it is uncertain if Elwood is a real being or a product of Valentine’s imagination. This evidence shows that Valentine is not a reliable narrator and that his memories might be altered. Elwood starts confronting Valentine and telling him that he should stop running and face what he did. 
 
 Valentine reveals that he killed, or believes to have killed, his father. He is eventually put on trial for this murder, and the trial is led by the Central Computer. Genetics reveal that Valentine is not a son to his father, but a clone, but cloning was illegal when Valentine was born and when the murder happened. Because of this, the Central Computer declares that there was no crime committed, because the only right thing to do was for one clone to eliminate the other, so only one could exist. 
 
 Valentine then reclaims his fortune, which ends his money problems and joins the Heinleiners, who are a group of idealists that are building a starship and plan to fly away from the moon.

Another summary:
It all starts with a Romeo and Juliet play. An actor is missing, but the one playing Mercutio says that he can play both parts because they never appear at the same time. Valentine decides the show must go on. Suddenly he has to go, and he takes Pluto, the dog. Sparky works on the streets and celebrates his 100th birthday. He finds out that Polly is going to produce King Lear, and he wants to be Lear. So he has to go to Luna. He starts working on a cruise. He gets in trouble with some people he offended, and he goes to Uranus. Kenneth recalls his childhood. Kenneth’s father, John, was abusive and used to torture him. John was an actor too and made Kenneth learn the plays’ lines. Kenneth had a friend, Elwood, but nobody can see him because he was an imaginary friend. Valentine used to play “Sparky and his Gang” Kenneth starts looking for the bank accounts he had under different names. The computer asks him to leave the station so, he does, but he returns for Polly because he is afraid she is in danger. She in fact in danger, she had been tortured by Comfort. Comfort had lost a hand because of him, but he had gained it back. Kenneth kills Comfort’s sister and cuts out his limbs. Poly wants revenge because she is still damaged. Polly and Kenneth take Comfort’s yacht. Kenneth looks for Comfort’s native culture. He recalls his teenage years. He has committed many crimes. Kenneth arrives at Luna, which is like his home. He finds Polly there. She refuses to use technology, so she is not going to live very long. Kenneth has to play King Lear in the same stage that his father died. He has to see Comfort and stand trial for killing his father.

Another summary:
Kenneth "Sparky" Valentine is an actor who wanders in the outer worlds, at times performing on Shakespeare's plays and sometimes working as a con artist.
  Through flashbacks, Kenneth describes his curious upbringing by his father John Valentine, a famous old-school actor who compels his son to follow him onto the stage. Also, Sparky explains his nickname and his fugitive status.
  It can be glimpsed that John has domineering treatment towards Sparky, leaving him half-sane, communicating with a non-existent friend and protector. Leading Sparky to commit a crime. 
  Being out of Luna for 70 years and hearing of a grand opportunity of going back to Luna to play King Lear, Sparky begins a hurried and risky journey from Pluto to the inner worlds, chased by an assassin from the Charonese Mafia. 
  Back in Luna, Sparky knows little about the events and family secrets that await him. 
  Once things have got in place, Sparky declares war on his enemies from the Charonese Mafia.

World view: Describes in a variety of aspects and with some consistency an imaginary state or society which is regarded as better, in some respects at least, than the one in which its author lives.
Future projections: The perfectibility of mankind through science and technology is presented as desirable.
Ideology: Portrays the enforcement of justice in a positive manner and has faith in human capacity to build a better future.
Characters, plot and writing style: Black humor and satire are employed to expose, criticize or shame individuals or the society itself into improvement.
Classification: Dystopia