Bet you didn't know today is the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Robert A. Heinlein, born July 7th, 1907. I've come across some talk of his centenary year celebration, but, so far, only one news article of note. (I took the subject line from it.)
I first encountered his work when I was about ten---in the school library, where I'd run through the works of Marguerite Henry and let my fingers wander along the shelves to a chance encounter with six books by Heinlein. The first one was "Space Cadet"---which, when I read it, forever changed my life. I'd read science fiction before, but not like this.
It took me about three years to lay my hands on paperback copies of all his work in print---by which time I had discovered Asimov and Clarke and others, and the magazines as well. By the end of that time I had fixed on writing science fiction as the thing I most wanted to do---and still do, today.
After all these years, I'm not blind to Heinlein's faults, personal, political, or as a writer. But the works, and he, moved me like nothing else had. What could I do? I'd fallen in love.
I gather a lot of us older types first met science fiction through Heinlein. Perhaps the later generations have other works that started them off, but this is what started me.
Anybody got any thoughts on Heinlein or his works? Me, after I log off, I'm going to spend part of the day rereading some of his works. If some of you haven't read him, find some. You're in for a treat.
Posted by Rick Norwood (Member # 5604) on :
I think Heinlein will probably still be read long after all of the other sf writers of his generation are forgotten. Yes, he has his flaws. But his writing is SO MUCH FUN.
Posted by EP Kaplan (Member # 5688) on :
Yeah, I grok. Actually, I *haven't* read Heinlein in a while.
A poll on what everyone's going to read to commemorate this?
Posted by KayTi (Member # 5137) on :
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is on my re-read list, I think I'll pick it up.
I found Heinlein early, too. Not sure when, not sure which book (The Cat Who Walked Through Walls, maybe?) There are books of his which I don't like, but the vast majority I do. I found Asimov not long after. Madeline L'Engle is the first set of books I really REMEMBER, and not really sure what led me from her to Heinlein, probably the space/time sort of thing. Who knows, maybe just proximity on my school's library shelves!?
Posted by Alye (Member # 5017) on :
Podkayne of Mars. was one of the first books I ever read and hooked me to scifi
Posted by debhoag (Member # 5493) on :
I was kicking around a story the other day that would need a new "element" and I was thinking about Heinleinium. I didn't end up using it, if others are interested, maybe we could develop the substance and all use it at some point. That would be fun. Whenever we pick up a mag or book, and see heinleinium, we'd know the writer was one of us. But We should probably check the periodic table, to make sure someone hasn't really named an element after him. Those wacky science guys Posted by TaleSpinner (Member # 5638) on :
Thanks for this, Robert. He was a major influence on me too.
I found him first in the kid's section of our local library, and could not believe it when I saw his name on a book in the adult section. "What, they write SF for adults too?" I thought. And that led to Aldiss, Asimov, Clarke and the rest.
For me his most influential book was Time Enough for Love which I have reread several times over the years. It spans so many ideas. For me he was a master at speculating how we might behave radically differently given wildly different environments and sciences.
Pat
Posted by Rick Norwood (Member # 5604) on :
For us old timers, the great Heinlein was Double Star through Starship Troopers. The later Heinlein seemed to have too many words in it, and not enough meat.
Those of you who first discovered Heinlein in the later books, such as Time Enough for Love. How do the earlier Heinlein novels strike you?
Posted by debhoag (Member # 5493) on :
I've read Heinlein through many incarnations. He struck me in the early novels as being a very talented writer who was coloring within the lines. I admired his later work very much, because he pushed the boundaries of what was considered acceptable in maintstream SciFi. He seemed a little "everything but the kitchen sink" at times, and stranger than fiction, stephen king reminds me of that occasionally. But he was freed by his successes rather than bounded by them, and to me that is exciting - it has an integrity that lives up to all the grand characters that he wrote.
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
Oh, Heinlein in summer was better than Heinlein in winter. I enjoyed several of his late-period novels, particularly "Job" and "To Sail Beyond the Sunset." But they didn't match the juveniles, or "Double Star," or "The Door Into Summer."
Also I thought the unexpurgated "Stranger in a Strange Land" improved it no end---it read much more smoothly, I thought.
Posted by rcorporon (Member # 2879) on :
The only Henlein I've read was "Starship Troopers" which I thought was excellent.
I've wanted to read more, just haven't had the time yet.
Posted by autumnmuse (Member # 2136) on :
"Door Into Summer" hands down my favorite. I didn't like the ones that were more pornographic.
But We should probably check the periodic table, to make sure someone hasn't really named an element after him. Those wacky science guys 