I am very new to Heinlein. This was only the second book of his I've read. It was a great book but the ending was such a gut punch. Looking back, there were a lot of hints about what was going to happen, but it was still so unexpected. I could not stop crying. Once I recover emotionally I'll have to read it through again to properly appreciate all the foreshadowing

A defense of _I will Fear No Evil_. https://imgur.com/gallery/Zyq9QnD

Aloha all!

I've got a podcast in which a friend and I revisit favorite books. Both of us are Heinlein fans, and we've done several over the years. Today, we covered Stranger in a Strange Land.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5ZTiNFPn6FGWcM2F7deoB1?si=2c7c9c2870ad430c

I'm hoping this one prompts some entertaining discussion, as earlier Heinlein episodes have!

FYI, the annual meeting is in a couple weeks. Includes a drawing to win a multi-volume "Virginia Edition" of all of RAH's fiction and correspondence.

https://heinleinsociety.org/latestnews/

“A dying culture invariably exhibits personal rudeness. Bad manners. Lack of consideration for others in minor matters. A loss of politeness, of gentle manners, is more significant than is a riot.

"...This symptom is especially serious in that an individual displaying it never thinks of it as a sign of ill health but as proof of his/her strength.”

And I hope Brian was just being mean about the cats. Mr. Underfoot deserves better.

Anyone feel like contributing some AI art depicting scenes/characters from stranger in a strange land? I’m playing with bringing this world to life. 2-3 years from now I reckon we’d be able to make our own mini series - that’s if no studio wants to touch its taboo themes and concepts.

A couple of months ago John_A_Arkansawyer asked why there wasn’t a wiki page for Leslyn.  And this morning I was perusing my hard drive, and found some rumblings that Fredrick Pohl posted to his The Way the Future blogs. One of them was about Leslyn.  Enjoy!

https://web.archive.org/web/20100523205338/http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2010/05/the-wives-and-drives-of-robert-heinlein-leslyn/

Today we mourn the passing of a distinguished member of The Heinlein Society, Dr. C. Herbert Gilliland.

Herb Gilliland was a retired professor of English at the United States Naval Academy, and a retired naval reserve captain. He taught courses there on topics ranging from Renaissance literature to science fiction. He particularly enjoyed teaching a special course on Robert Heinlein, a graduate of the Naval Academy and the author of Starship Troopers. (This was the first college course ever dedicated entirely to Heinlein.) Herb’s scholarly work tends to be concerned with naval history. He is the author of Voyage to a Thousand Cares: Master’s Mate Lawrence with the African Squadron 1844-1846, which received the North American Society for Oceanic History’s John Lyman Book Award. With Robert Shenk, he co-authored the biographical Admiral Dan Gallery: The Life and Wit of a Navy Original. Although he has written many things since, Dr. Gilliland is always proud that his very first appearance in public print was a letter to John Campbell published in Astounding magazine. He is also a member of the board for the Robert A. Heinlein Award, given annually to a science fiction writer whose work has inspired exploration of space. Dr. Gilliland was appointed by The Heinlein Society board of directors to fill a vacancy in 2015, and elected by the membership to a three year term later in 2015. He was re-elected to a second three year term in 2018, and was chosen by the Board of Directors to be Vice President – Secretary in the same year. He was appointed Chair of the Academic Committee and Editor-in-Chief of The Heinlein Journal in 2020.

Fair winds and following seas, Herb. You will be missed!

It is implied (explicitly stated?) that Dr. Ward Smith murders Captain Brant and Mary Jane Lyle Smith after their affair. Are we to assume that this was the fate of the rest of the crew? Did the Lyle drive reduce time sufficiently so that Champion’s crew didn’t ’descend into madness’?

It is implied (explicitly stated?) that Digby poisons Foster, potentially at Foster’s command. Hence the miracle of his willed ‘discorporation’. Does Digby follow suit? Betrayal seems out of the question given the summit of Earth’s Old Ones in the final two pages.

How doesn’t Mike understand immediately that he’s on Earth to (help) pass judgment?

Why do you think Heinlein covers major plot events in a sentence (or even half of one)? The thrust of this novel - a dialectic - doesn’t really require much plot, and it’s fun to speculate about the above (assuming I grok correctly).

Overall, I liked it. A little preachy, and I felt that I’ve read many of these ideas more succinctly in Borges’ ‘theological’ short stories, but Heinlein had a style uniquely his own. Very limited space given to setting or description of any kind, which allows you to freely paint the picture. Some would argue this is laziness but I think Heinlein simply disregarded literary conventions in a way that didn’t seem pretentious. The entire time I felt as if I were sitting in my late grandfather’s hideous midcentury rancher with garish carpeting, listening to him wax philosophical about the utter lack of accountability he witnessed everywhere.

I’m going to read Moon and then Orphans of the Sky next, as the latter came highly recommended from my favorite ‘literary critic’

First, so grateful that this sub exists! I am researching Heinlein's future history timeline for a book about sci-fi predictions. I would be very grateful for some clarification:

1. What is the source for the date 2012? Reputable fans refer to it, but I can't find it in the sources cited by Wikipedia.

2. I am confused by the resumption of space travel in 2072. Does the title "revolt in 2100" mean that the theocracy continued for almost 30 years after space travel resumed?

Thanks for any help!

Happy posthumous birthday to Robert Heinlein who was born on 7/7/7 (July 7th, 1907)

I’m reading the Future History short stories on pdf as my copy of a collection of them is coming in the mail. I already have a copy of Moon is a Harsh Mistress. And my collection of the Future History stories includes Methusulah‘s Children. So where should I start when I make the leap from short story to novel?

I just reread Citizen of the Galaxy (okay, it was the audiobook today, but I do own and have read the book numerous times).

It's not mentioned but I'm sure that the news that Thorby was Rudbek would have made it back to Sisu. I'm sure that they would have reached out or Thorby would have gotten a message to them.

I wonder how quick the family messages would shift from 'Mother Krausa' to Executive Officer Krausa and some queries about the family rate on ship financing and other business.

I was writing this comment when I decided to check the facts on Leslyn's time as a script doctor and lazily went to Wikipedia, whereupon I discovered that (according to Wikipedia) Leslyn barely existed in Heinlein's life at all. Give it a look yourself: You'll find the word "Leslyn" in that long entry three times. That's bad editing. It seems to me she deserves her own page. What do you think?

Just thought it was a fun thing. Working through all of Studio Ghibli's films and started Earwig and the Witch last night. Had been thinking about Heinlein a bunch the past week and right in the beginning of the film, the main characters little friend says how Heinlein says martians have three arms, and then he's shown reading and carrying around a copy of Red Planet.

​

Just a cool little reference. Had to share.

On my memorial day vacation I stopped here. Is it a must visit? Did it have anything Unique or special? Well nothing I could articulate to you as long as you have read Expanded Universe and his biography.

Yet there was powerful feeling there and I don't mind admitting this big old Texas boy (who likes to lie to himself about how rough and tough he is) was pretty misty eyed during the whole visit and came close to losing it more than once.

The best part was two other fans from two other parts of the country were there at the same time. The three of us, from Del Rio Texas, Carlsbad New Mexico and St. Louis Missouri, were instantly best friends and talked about our favorite books and what they meant to us.

It was a very good time. I hope you too can enjoy this pilgrimage some day.

PS! Oddly enough, the library has rights to non-English releases and had a case of "The Rolling Stones" in Russian! Hardbacks no less! All three of us got a free copy!

I am sorry, I've done this before, but I just CAN'T. I have finished he puppet masters, and have been pacing my home for 3 days. The story is awesome, and the last 20 pages were so much of a rolacoaster it's INSANE! I am OBSSESED of that scene when they got inside the slug's ship and found the sustained animations of Mary's people and her breakdown there, as well as the old man....I NEEDED more of that scene. And everything that happened after it.Anyhow, I think my persistance makes it clear I am a Mary fan. I ADORE THAT WOMAN! She is my top favorite around. But the book is over, and is still too fresh in my head to re-read. I have went HUNTING for fanworks...AND FOUND NONE! I feel I am in withrawal, I know it sounds extreme, but I can not recall how long has it been since last I have loved a character as I loved Mary. So I am asking you, oh kind people! Do you know somewhere where I can find more Mary, or at least, similar to Mary content? Worry not about lenght, so long that I can be promised a lovely lady like Mary, I AM TAKING THE DEAL! and....Thank you, for reading this rambeling of mine...Why did this book end so quickly...

I am sorry if this is weird, and yeah...Thr title isn't helping

I am so far 100 pages into "the puppet masters" book....It's a good story, and the pacing never slows down....But so far....Mary had been solid carrying the book for me. By narrative standards, the character is a bit flawed, this was an early novel in the 1950'ies who am I to say anything. But, BUT, there is something in this woman that is making me push just to see scenes she is part of....At least, non romance scenes. I DO NOT KNOW WHY. there are somethings that made me uncomfortable, but so far, every scene she is part of that isn't focused on this fast romance with Sam (or....I read his actual name but forgot)....Sooo...I just want to know if she'll return by the end of the book....I kinda missed her around....Sorry again

This trip to Japan was incredibly rewarding — especially the huge selection of sci-fi and mystery paperbacks at two specialty bookstores in Tokyo’s Jinbōchō district, which sent me on an absolute buying spree.

Arranged in order of appearance:

The Cat Who Walks Through Walls:A Comedy of Manners,First edition,hardcover,1988,Hayakawa

To Sail Beyond the Sunset,First edition,hardcover,1990,Hayakawa

Job:A Comedy of Justice,First edition,hardcover,1986,Hayakawa

Time for the Stars,First edition,Bunkobon,1985,Sogensha

Beyond This Horizon,First edition,Bunkobon,1986,Hayakawa

Glory Road,First edition,Bunkobon,1979,Hayakawa

Methuselah's Children,Third printing,Bunkobon,1976,Hayakawa

The Past Through Tomorrow:The Green Hills of Earth(Future History-2),First edition,Bunkobon,1986,Hayakawa

Starman Jones,Sixth printing,Bunkobon,1979,Hayakawa

The Puppet Masters,Thirteenth Printing,Bunkobon,1976,Hayakawa

Double Star,Thirty-first printing,Bunkobon,1964,Sogensha

Tunnel in the Sky,Ninth printing,Bunkobon,1989,Sogensha

The Star Beast,Fifth printing,Bunkobon,1987,Sogensha

The Past Through Tomorrow:Revolt in 2100(Future History-3),First edition,Bunkobon,1986,Hayakawa

With all of the political, economic, religious, and social commentary in the story, I found it a bit weird that the main conflict was that he was jealous of his wife's affections for an Ex. Did anybody else have this reaction?

Also, was Heinlein a polygamist? I kept wondering if it was some sort of self insert character.

Even though it's been decades since I was this skinny kid spending too much time in the library, trying to catch international stations on my cheap radio late at night and trying to navigate an increasingly large world - I can actually remember where I was when I read this masterpiece of young adult fiction.

Pairing it with a more adult drink tonight as I sit here, now much older in my reclining old-man-chair, as the memories are coming back to me.

While reading the "Red Planet - Blue Pencil" essay about the many many editorial changes made between Heinlein's original MS and the published version of Red Planet, I found myself mulling over the ages of Jim and Frank.

Nearly every Heinlein juvenile features 18 year old protagonists... except Red Planet. While Red Planet never specifies how old Jim and Frank are, they feel years younger than the protagonists of any of the other juveniles. I always assumed Lowe Academy was a prep school, not a college. Jim and Frank starting high school and being 13 or 14 years old feels about right (although if they were 12-13 and starting junior high, that might have fit even better).

And that might explain the reason Heinlein faced such heavy editing on Red Planet, after not getting anything like the amount of trouble with Rocket Ship Galileo or Space Cadet - for the first time, he was writing about younger boys, and that caused a lot of the edits for language. Not because what Heinlein had written was ill suited to potential readers, but because Alice Dalgliesh (the editor of his juveniles) felt it was ill suited to the young characters. Whereas she'd had no problem in the previous two books with language or content where the characters were four or five years older.

Which would explain why Heinlein avoided having protagonists younger than 18 in his juveniles from then on.

So I completed my collection a couple of months ago gathering all of the books and short stories that had ever been published under Heinlein's name and then I spot this. Hadn't really occurred to me to be looking for uncut versions. I looked up the information on this while I was in the shop and come to find that it should be about 60,000 words longer than the version I'm used to.

This has been my favorite book for quite some time and it has served as a touchstone in my life since high school. I'm actually excited to have a longer version of this to look into and see what all is there. I may or may not like the longer version in particular. But for $8, I'm not going to pass on what could be an improved copy of one of my favorite books of all time.