Heinlein, Robert A.

Average customer rating:

Stranger in a Strange Land
There are better books out there
A Classic
An Asperger in a 'normal' world.
Interesting, Dated, Marred by Chauvinism and Prejudice

Stranger in a Strange Land
Robert A. Heinlein
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
Starship Troopers
Time Enough for Love
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls
The Door into Summer

ASIN: 0441790348

Amazon.com

Stranger in a Strange Land, winner of the 1962 Hugo Award, is the story of Valentine Michael Smith, born during, and the only survivor of, the first manned mission to Mars. Michael is raised by Martians, and he arrives on Earth as a true innocent: he has never seen a woman and has no knowledge of Earth's cultures or religions. But he brings turmoil with him, as he is the legal heir to an enormous financial empire, not to mention de facto owner of the planet Mars. With the irascible popular author Jubal Harshaw to protect him, Michael explores human morality and the meanings of love. He founds his own church, preaching free love and disseminating the psychic talents taught him by the Martians. Ultimately, he confronts the fate reserved for all messiahs.

The impact of Stranger in a Strange Land was considerable, leading many children of the 60's to set up households based on Michael's water-brother nests. Heinlein loved to pontificate through the mouths of his characters, so modern readers must be willing to overlook the occasional sour note ("Nine times out of ten, if a girl gets raped, it's partly her fault."). That aside, Stranger in a Strange Land is one of the master's best entertainments, provocative as he always loved to be. Can you grok it? --Brooks Peck

Book Description

This is the epic saga of an earthling, Valentine Michael Smith, born and educated on Mars, who arrives on our planet with many psi powers, including the ability to take control of the minds of others—and complete innocence regarding the mores of man.

Customer Reviews:

Stranger in a Strange Land.......2007-05-11

Stranger in a Strange Land is my favourite sci-fi book. Not because of the great storyline and characters, but because of the great, but often overlooked, emphasis on Unselfish Love and Humility (which some people dismiss as being "hippie-ish" or hokey and dated. But nothing could be more useful now in these times.
Note especially the comments coming from the character Michael Valentine Smith such as "I am only an egg" and "Thou art God" and the famous word "grok" (which basically means grasping by intuition, but also much more).
I found Stranger in a strange land after it was mentioned in a book called "The Children of the Law of One & the Lost Teachings of Atlantis". I highly recommend reading that book also which is a real life changer and will give you answers to what you've been looking for (the truth). As Stranger in a Strange Land does to a certain level, that book takes it further.

For more information about the story and characters of Stranger in a Strange Land, I'll refer you to the other reviews found on this page.

There are better books out there.......2007-04-29

I did not like this book. It begins with 'the Man from Mars' who comes to earth. The military wants him, the press wants him, other governments want him. He is the heir to a enormous fortune, and by nature of his strange birth owns the rights to engines that allow space travel. He is the only human that can lay claim to the planet Mars, and has lived among Martians -- a more advanced race than humans for his entire life. It starts off very promising. Being from Mars, Michael is totally incapable of understanding anything that is going on around him. A nurse springs him from the hospital he is held prisoner in... and then things go downhill.

**I am going to be giving away a couple spoiler's here, so read on with care** The next hundred pages outline Micheal's slow grasping of society. But it is not quite as thoughtful as when Heinlein starts the novel. Micheal lives on the complex of a rich lawyer, Jubal Harshaw (sp?) who is basically Heinlein himself in character form. Jubal has no real motivations. Most of his dialogue (and there's a lot of it!) just feels like the author telling you what he thinks. That's ok sometimes in moderation, but after a while you get sick of it. Also, he is basically the same character as Lazarus Long, if you've read any other Heinlein books.

Michael slowly learns about human culture, but you never really see any of these experiences that make him learn (with a couple exceptions). Heinlein glosses over this part of Michael's development. At different stages in the book, Michael just begins to act differently. There is little explanation for why he changed. There is one experience where Michael hides in a pool in a catatonic state which is pretty good, it gives you some insight into how he thinks, but that's about it. Heinlein doesn't write about Michael's humanization very much, which could have made this book really good.

What makes the novel 'revolutionary', why it has so much buzz to it is that about halfway through it, the problem of Micheal's inheritance is resolved. Micheal becomes more human and starts teaching people about Martian ideas of free love. He encourages people to share each other sexually, breaking down ideas like marriage. He has this 'water brother' group which is basically a group of people that trust each other, have sex indiscriminately with each other, and make no preference toward one another in choosing sexual partners. Characters in the book that start off with more prude ideas about sex, suddenly experience this 'revolution' and change. This part does NOT live up to its reputation. There is little insight into the minds of the other human characters, and how they change their views and live Michael's utopia. Ben Caxton for example, loves Jill, the nurse that springs Michael from his prison. She adventures with Michael, helps him become human, and of course has a lot of sex with him. One day Ben is prude, the next day after hearing Jubal (Heinlein) expound his views, you find out that he spontaneously changes and joins the sex colony and you don't really hear from him after that. It would have been better if the book talked more about how Ben was jealous, and how that could affect a water brother community -- this isn't written about. Because water brother communities are perfect and there is no jealousy. Also, what it might be like to live there after a few months, after a few years, how some people might like other people in the community more than others, how the community as a whole dealt with that. None of this written about. The book sort of just goes into how the community expands, and then expands some more. Then Jubal talks some more. Then the community expands, etc. etc.

It makes all of Heinlein's beliefs about love seem far-fetched, even if they might not necessarily be.

I have read a bunch of Heinlein books, and I strongly dislike this one. I tend to like the books that he got the least critical acclaim for. Starship Troopers was a great book. Tunnel in the Sky was a good book too. Heinlein has other good books, so read those. This one kind of sucked, there are many better books out there to occupy your time with.

A Classic.......2007-04-04

There aren't really that many books that could be described as life-altering, but for me this is definitely one of them. I first read this book when I was in high school, over twenty-five years ago, and returned to it often. Recently I listened to it on an unabridged book tape and was caught up in the magic of Heinlein's prose again.

With this story Heinlein takes long, probing looks at religion and custom, at social mores and human values. It is a book that requires thought and reflection. It is a book that is made to help people open their minds and their hearts--to see that different is not necessarily evil. At the same time it is a strong narrative with well written characters. There are parts that are laugh-out-loud funny and other parts that may cause tears.

I can hardly wait for my own daughter to get old enough so I can introduce this book to her. Even though it is sometimes an uncomfortable ride, it is definitely a ride worth taking.

An Asperger in a 'normal' world........2007-03-29

Heinlein himself certainly had Asperger Syndrome (though he may never have heard the term) and wrote this wonderful soft-science-fiction novel to describe how it feels to be different from those around you. His book is certainly open to criticism from feminists, religious fundamentalists, and defenders of orthodoxy in general, but having aspergers myself, I can say that this is just what it feels like. The novel describes institutions in general as hostile, because they tend to look that way to us 'aspies'.

One measure of the book is revealed by many of the other reviews, which say in effect "This book offended many in 1961, which proves what squares they were then. It also offends me, which proves how wrong Heinlein was." To me, this just shows how superficially society has changed in the last forty years, and how effective Heinlein was at challenging our orthodoxies.

There is an aspergers website called wrongplanet, expressing the idea that we 'aspies' often feel we are in totally unfamiliar situations. Did the people who built the website know that Heinlein had the same idea 50 years ago?

In this story, the 'hero' is human, but was born on Mars and raised by Martians, then brought to Earth as an adult. Understanding nothing of human habits and customs, he flounders around until he gradually understands the world - even why people laugh. Once he conciously understands what ordinary people only know subconciously, he feels he can put the understanding to wider use. I often have this feeling too.

Not only is this book a wonderful read, but it is also as good a way as any for a 'normal' person to gain some insight into the frightening, bewildering, but ultimately wonderful world we aspies live in.

Interesting, Dated, Marred by Chauvinism and Prejudice.......2007-03-19

It's easy to understand why this novel made a splash in the 1960s (before the advent of "free love") and its harsh criticism of many contemporary religious practices is astute and rings true. But "Stranger" generally seems very, very dated, the dialogue is atrocious and often painful to read, and Heinlein's disdain for women and unflattering asides about gays, Jews and Muslims is indefensible. "Nine times out of ten, if a girl gets raped, it's at least partly her own fault" one of the lead characters, Jill, explains to Mike (the Man From Mars). Really? Perhaps if Heinlein's mother, wife or daughter had been raped, Jill would have felt differently. "Stranger," written in 1960, hasn't aged well at all and, especially in its 60,000-extra-word "original and uncut" version, must be viewed today as a major disappointment.

Average customer rating:

Outstanding!
Heinlien at his best!
Deployed Soldier says: Excellent!
Interesting yet troublesome.
This certainly is nothing like the movie

Starship Troopers
Robert A. Heinlein
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Movie Tie-Ins | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Adventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
Stranger in a Strange Land
The Forever War
Citizen of the Galaxy
Tunnel in the Sky

ASIN: 0441783589

Amazon.com

Juan Rico signed up with the Federal Service on a lark, but despite the hardships and rigorous training, he finds himself determined to make it as a cap trooper. In boot camp he will learn how to become a soldier, but when he graduates and war comes (as it always does for soldiers), he will learn why he is a soldier. Many consider this Hugo Award winner to be Robert Heinlein's finest work, and with good reason. Forget the battle scenes and high-tech weapons (though this novel has them)--this is Heinlein at the top of his game talking people and politics.

Book Description

Science FictionLarge Print EditionStarship Troopers is a classic novel by one of science fictions greatest writers of all time and is now a Tri-Star movie. In one of Heinleins most controversial bestsellers, a recruit of the future goes through the toughest boot camp in the universe and into battle with the Terran Mobile Infantry against mankinds most frightening enemy.

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding!.......2007-06-22

Thirteen years ago I was working in Yellowstone guiding people on back country trails. I still remember asking a fellow guide about the book in his hands, "Starship Troopers." He allowed me to borrow it and in a few days under a warm sun and swaying pines I had devoured the entire thing. It stirred my imagination, caused me to think about certain political problems for the first time in my life, and filled me with wonder.

Written for an adolescent level the book is still fun to indulge in every once in a while as an adult+. So between reading thick and heavy biographies, histories, and philosophy I still enjoy pulling this book off the shelf and settling into a few hours of guilty relaxation. Heinlein's politics are certain to offend many and his story is simple but all in all its still great ride!

Heinlien at his best!.......2007-05-28

Great book! This is the one that started it all for me! I remember stealing this book from my brothers room when I was just a lad... after I read it I decided he would 'lose it'. This book is mush better than the movie that was based on it.

Deployed Soldier says: Excellent!.......2007-05-09

I would definintely have to say that this is one of the best books I've read in a long time. I'm currently deployed in Iraq and being in a military environment like that, it is impossible to not relate anything I read regarding the military to my own experiences. That being said, Starship Troopers spot on nailed the attitudes and tendencies of a soldier during wartime. The ideas and principles set forth in this futuristic world were ones I desperately wished we as a society today would pay more attention to. I would highly recommend this book for anybody with a military background.

Interesting yet troublesome........2007-04-15

First off, I'd prefer giving this book a middling two and a half stars. It has a lot of good and a lot of, shall we say, not so good.

First, the good. This book details life in the military (albeit from a sci-fi standpoint) as it follows the adventures of Juan Rico, who signs up for the military to become a citizen and gain voting rights. I'm not military myself, but military folk who comment on the book all tend to say it's pretty accurate in its portrayal of the thoughts and ordeals of the average recruit, so that's good enough for me. And from a sci-fi standpoint it's interesting too, detailing the adventures of the Mobile Infantry, who use robotic power suits to battle alien species.

Now, for the bad. This book is infamous for its 'controversial' philosophy, but frankly, the philosophy is so naive and ridiculous that I have trouble believing it could persuade anyone who wasn't already of a like mind. Most of the so-called philosophising comes from the 'Heinlein-mouthpiece' character Mr. Dubois, who rambles on for pages at a time about the evils of democracy, or communism, or any system that isn't essentially ruled by military veterans. The most hilarious point comes when he pins the downfall of 20th century civilization on the fact that teenage gangbangers weren't publicly flogged. I'm serious. There's another great moment when we find out Rico's father, who was so furious about Rico's enlisting that he refused to speak to him again, joins the military - not because his wife was killed by a Bug attack, but because he had secretly been jealous of little Johnnie all along. When I read these things I just shook my head and groaned.

I won't comment on the dialogue, because as a 1950's 'juvie' book, it makes sense for the battle-hardened soldiers to be saying things like "Gosh!" and "Gee whiz!".

Frankly I wonder about all the people who were upset about the movie's satirical take on the book's premise, because I can't even imagine an earnest, straight-laced adaptation of this book being anything but laughable.

This certainly is nothing like the movie.......2007-04-04

This book really is an attempt for Heinlein to show the inadequacies with the democratic system, and the pros to a more rigid facist system of government. Sure there is a little action here and there, but in the end it is a book tackling the issus of government, and methods of handling punishment and military. Read this for a more old school science fiction approach to issues, not for an action novel.

Average customer rating:

2 Thumbs Up
Excellent SciFi.
Inspiring
Painful at best
The Moon may be a Harsh Mistress but Heinlein is a genius.

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
Robert A. Heinlein
Manufacturer: Orb Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Stranger in a Strange Land
Starship Troopers
Time Enough for Love
The Door into Summer
Citizen of the Galaxy

ASIN: 0312863551

Amazon.com

Tom Clancy has said of Robert A. Heinlein, "We proceed down the path marked by his ideas. He shows us where the future is." Nowhere is this more true than in Heinlein's gripping tale of revolution on the moon in 2076, where "Loonies" are kept poor and oppressed by an Earth-based Authority that turns huge profits at their expense. A small band of dissidents, including a one-armed computer jock, a radical young woman, a past-his-prime academic and a nearly omnipotent computer named Mike, ignite the fires of revolution despite the near certainty of failure and death.

Book Description

Robert A. Heinlein was the most influential science fiction writer of his era, an influence so large that, as Samuel R. Delany notes, "modern critics attempting to wrestle with that influence find themselves dealing with an object rather like the sky or an ocean." He won the Hugo Award for best novel four times, a record that still stands. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress was the last of these Hugo-winning novels, and it is widely considered his finest work.It is a tale of revolution, of the rebellion of the former Lunar penal colony against the Lunar Authority that controls it from Earth. It is the tale of the disparate people--a computer technician, a vigorous young female agitator, and an elderly academic--who become the rebel movement's leaders. And it is the story of Mike, the supercomputer whose sentience is known only to this inner circle, and who for reasons of his own is committed to the revolution's ultimate success.The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is one of the high points of modern science fiction, a novel bursting with politics, humanity, passion, innovative technical speculation, and a firm belief in the pursuit of human freedom.

Customer Reviews:

2 Thumbs Up.......2007-06-22

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is one of the best books that I have ever read. Robert Heinlein is an exceptional author with a well earned reputation as one of the sci-fi masters. I have read several of his works, but this is his best book by far. He spins a yarn about the "Loonies" - the moon people, their rebellion, and their struggles. He puts in a lot of dry humor throughout the book concerning a one armed man, a woman, a professor made politician, and a giant, joking computer. I highly recommend this book

Excellent SciFi........2007-06-18

Might just be Heinlein's best. All about Luna's quest for freedom from Terra's Federated Nations. A futuristic David & Goliath story if ever there was one. Characters are so well developed you feel you know them, and Mike the computer is as real as his corevolutionists. The suspense, along with the action, builds continuously from beginning to the excellent ending. And not the slightest bit outdated.

Inspiring.......2007-06-17

This is a very inspiring story about human freedom and also the quest of a computer for personhood. I have never been moved for a computer before, but in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress you will be. Heinlein interesting narrative structure allows for a very interesting first person narrative in the form of Manuel to share not only the plot action but also commentary on the action. Some people struggle with the way he talks but I didn't and actually found it fleshed out his character better. Heinlein is a master of both technology as well as theory about revolution. That alone makes the book interesting, but what is moving is the way he bonds his characters together and makes their cause worth fighting for.

Painful at best.......2007-06-05

I tried reading this book for a college lit class my freshman year and couldn't get through it. A couple years later, I thought I was older, wiser, and able to understand the book's significance as a science fiction classic. So I tried to read it again, and this time I got farther, but I still couldn't get through it. Why? Because it's a painful experience.

This book has two parts to it, and I wish that it would end after the first part. The first obstacle to this book is getting used to the narrator's broken English and bad grammar. This is no problem, it is actually a very clever method to immerse the reader into the text.

This book is an interesting look into politics, humanity, and rebellion. The whole first section is a look at the details of how a small group of citizens on a moon prison colony could spread and grow to take over the entire society. Sounds interesting, but honestly the entire book is uphill battle after another to simply pay attention and actually absorb whatever is going on. And it goes on, and on, and on... And then, voila!, you finally get to the end of the first section, and I found myself bored, frustrated, and annoyed with hollow characters and an entire movement I could care less about. So I shut the book for the last time.

I would definitely put this book on my worst list. Heinlein is one of science fiction's most respected authors, but this book is not a good example of his work. Avoid it like the plague.

The Moon may be a Harsh Mistress but Heinlein is a genius........2007-05-27

It will never fail to amaze the clarity with which Heinlein has seen the future. His future our NOW.
As with his other works you cannot read more than a couple of pages before you slip out of that NOW and move into his NOW. His written words flow as if an all encompassing 3D movie has been formed about you. What he writes about is known to us...we see it in the news, magazines and reviews everyday. It is real and believable - as real as the Heinlein Crater - and filled with all the turmoil of politics and passion found in any country on this planet Earth.

Average customer rating:

A book only for Heinlein Fans
Classic Heinlein, but could have used some severe editting
One of RAH's most original characters
What more do you want?
One star is as low as I could rate it, really it should be less.

Time Enough for Love
Robert A. Heinlein
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Stranger in a Strange Land
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
To Sail beyond the Sunset
Revolt in 2100 & Methuselah's Children

ASIN: 0441810764

Customer Reviews:

A book only for Heinlein Fans.......2007-06-11

In my unqualified opinion, this novel is not science fiction per se but really a biography of Lazaurus Long. This novel tells of the many lives Long lived in his 2000 year long space faring career as well as the life he would live thereafter. In some ways, I am tempted to think that Heinlein wanted to publish old Lazaurus Long stories, but at the same time these stories that he presents in the book do have one theme in common: what does it take for a human to live? Is it merely to survive? Is it family?

Here Heinlein takes us on a journey to not only answer that main question of why to live but also to know Lazaurus Long better as a person, as a human being.

Although I throughly enjoyed this book, why I took off one star is merely because this book is not for readers who want to read Heinlein for the first time. You're better off reading his earlier 'Future History' stories before tackling this one.

Classic Heinlein, but could have used some severe editting.......2006-11-21

When polling Heinlein fans, a number of books come up over and over again at the top of the favourites list. Time Enough for Love is one of those books. It covers some of the lives of Lazurus Long, eldest known member of the "Howard Families" - a group of humans specifically bred for long life, due to a genetic mutation. The story starts in the year 4000 and something, and works its way forwards and backwards in time, mostly using reminiscences of Lazurus while he's undergoing "rejuvenation" - a process whereby the mind is transferred into a cloned body (I think ... it's deliberately vague). As usual, the plot is simply a ploy to allow Heinlein to muse philosophic on the usual range of his favourite topics - government, religion, and sex.

Heinlein is notorious for revisiting the same themes over and over again in his books. It's to his credit that he doesn't always reach the same conclusions. Unfortunately, I found myself growing impatient numerous times when reading TEfL. Parts of the plot are basically stolen directly from "I Will Fear No Evil" and others from "Farnham's Freehold." True: the plotlines are better in this book than in its predecessors, but it still makes it seem repetitive. More damaging is the fact that Heinlein's "never rewrite" rule is on glorious display here: a date with a red pen could have eliminated 100 pages and created a book with much better flow.

Time Enough for Love is at its best when Heinlein is not beating us over the head with his (Lazurus's?) philosophies - i.e. when Lazurus is retelling his stories. The best is the tale of Lazurus's wedding to his adopted daughter, and their adventures as pioneers on a lawless and unforgiving planet. The other main problem with Heinlein's philosophising is his deliberate attempt to be provocative, regardless of logic or scientific merit. For example, he repeatedly asserts that incest is an invention of religion with no scientific basis. While it's true that writers of religious texts did not have a knowledge of genetics, it's also true that most incest taboos ARE designed for the purpose of preventing destructive genetic traits from propagating. Even if the priests didn't understand why the taboo needed to exist, it was clear what the effects of inbreeding were.

Part of the problem with this book, for me, is that I despise provocation for provocation's sake. Without logic or a convincing argument to back it up, I grow impatient, especially when such things are repeated over and over. (Considering that Lazurus has sex with 2 sisters, his mother, and his adopted daughter, you see how often the incest issue has the opportunity to come up!) It's a shame, because some genuine thoughtful insights end up getting buried by the sensationalism - one that is particularly relevant today (with the George W. Bush doctrine of bringing/forcing democracy onto middle-eastern countries) is the observation that democracies often start out life as small elites forcing democracy on the majority (e.g. the U.S. and French Revolutions, the English Civil War, etc.).

There is a good book buried in Time Enough for Love. Certainly, I recommend it over earlier (and even less polished) works like "I Will Fear No Evil." In fact, I recommend it unreservedly for its attempt to shake the status quo (and yes, it's provocative even today). Unlike a lot of Heinlein books, there is a satisfying ending (there's even a little surprise twist at the end, but it's set up over the course of the entire book, so the surprise is earned). However, be prepared for repetition and stretches of irritation when Heinlein just doesn't seem willing to get on with it.

One of RAH's most original characters.......2006-11-20

Lazarus Long, a/k/a a very long list of aliases was born Woodrow Wilson Smith in 1912 in southwest Missouri. Several thousand years later, thanks to a particular genetic mutation, he's still going strong. Well -- he has thought about allowing himself to die a natural death. It's hard to keep up enthusiasm for life after all those centuries, probably a score of wives, and maybe a couple hundred children. This fat novel picks up the events, themes, and some characters of _Methuselah's Children_, one of Heinlein's most popular earlier books (it was serialized in the early `40s), about the Howard families, a vast experiment in selective breeding for longevity. There's not really a plot here, as such, just a narrative thread upon which the author can hang a number of side-stories about how families ought to function, how pioneering works, and why so many 20th century American mores (especially those relating to sex -- and especially consensual incest) are nonsense. The thread consists of Lazarus's memoirs, or at least those possibly true memories he's willing to share. It's all pure Heinlein and should be read with that in mind. I.e., younger readers weaned on endless (and generally mindless) fantasy series probably aren't going to get it. For the thoughtful reader, however, there's a lot here to enjoy. After this one, read _To Sail Beyond the Sunset_ (1987) for another view of some of the same story.

What more do you want?.......2006-11-12

Many people dislike this book. Heinlein rambles, he tells a series of stories with an overarching story tying them together and the book has several hundred pages of conversation between characters that love to use pet names for each other. The book ask that you come to love the main characters despite (perhaps even because of) their willingness to violate the most basic taboos known to man and well suffice it to say that this book contains a lot of things people hate to see in a book. None of that matters. If you are the sort of person that doesn't mind reading a long book, believes that social conventions are not laws of nature, and is empathetic, you will be deeply moved by Time Enough for Love.

One star is as low as I could rate it, really it should be less........2006-11-01

Had this book been the work of a novice Sci-Fi author it would have never seen print.

The story follows the life of one Lazarus Long, a character who is easy to see is only a thinly veiled cover for the author himself. Lazarus is a character who is so convinced of his own personal superiority that late in his very long life he travels back in time so that he can father himself. As further example of his self superiority he had himself cloned into twins of the opposite sex. Twins that he later has sexual relations with. Even the conscience mind of the artificially intelligent computer that controlled his space craft transferred itself into the engineered body of a woman so that it too could have sexual relations with Lazarus. To make it further insulting the sexual advances of those characters is not of Lazarus' choosing but rather of their free will. Indeed Lazarus fends off the sexual advances of his cloned twins until they reach the age of consent. This reveals how shallow the author feels the drives and motives of others to be.

The story follows the life of Lazarus Long through a series of 'flashbacks' as the character struggles to find a reason to continue his existence. Most of the flashbacks deal with how the character traveled about the Universe starting colonies on untamed worlds. Each of these mini-stories is an equally self aggrandizing yarn about how Lazarus fathered virtually every child on the planet while single handedly delivering the worlds he founded from lawlessness, ignorance, and barbarism. Among these 'gems' are such classic lines as 'there is only one way to comfort a widow' implying that the answer was sex. Yes, among these stories there are a few meaningful bits of wisdom such as Heinlein's list of what things a man should be able to do. To save you the grief of reading the book just to get to it I'll quote it for you below. . .

"A Man should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently and die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."

- Robert A. Heinlein

Certainly I can agree with that. These are abilities that every man should endevour to have to make himself complete. But they are not the exclusive domain of men. Unfortunately this bit of wisdom is so embedded in mounds of garbage that reveal Heinlein's low esteem for women it is not otherwise worth excavating. One comes away from this book knowing that the Author felt that women are worth nothing beyond serving as receptacles for a man's sexual needs. Throughout the book examples are given of how a man should be able to do all of the above while women, conversely, are scarcely credited with the ability to do any of those things. That this book was ever nominated for an award is a blemish on human history.

Average customer rating:

Ahead of its time, even for science fiction.
Tunnel in the Sky
Tunnel In The Sky
My Book
Classroom Novel to Teach Government

Tunnel in the Sky
Robert A. Heinlein
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Citizen of the Galaxy
The Door into Summer
Have Spacesuit, Will Travel
Starman Jones
Rocket Ship Galileo

ASIN: 1416505512

Book Description

It was just a test . . .
But something had gone wrong. Terribly wrong. What was to have been a standard ten-day survival test had suddenly become an indefinite life-or-death nightmare.
Now they were stranded somewhere in the universe, beyond contact with Earth . . . at the other end of a tunnel in the sky. This small group of young men and women, divested of all civilized luxuries and laws, were being forced to forge a future of their own . . . a strange future in a strange land where sometimes not even the fittest could survive!
". . . fascinating . . . ingenious . . . this a book in the grand tradition of high literature!"
-- The New York Times

Customer Reviews:

Ahead of its time, even for science fiction........2007-02-06

This was a terrific book for me to read as a pre-teen and teenager, and it's still a great read today. Heinlein's story is well-conceived, and it moves quickly; unlike so many 1000-pagers today, it keeps the reader's interest. Like most good science fiction novels, this one doesn't spend too much time dwelling on what makes it science fiction, it dwells on how people interact and react in the world that is established. A lasting impression from me was the postive, confident black female character in the book, which was ahead of its time in ways most science fiction of the time hadn't foreseen. Bravo to Heinlein for realizing that the future ambitions and success of humankind would show up in more than just the white male population.

Tunnel in the Sky.......2007-01-12

My teacher, Mr. Fassold, read this book to us in my seventh grade class, and I'm glad he did. Normally I don't read science fiction books like this, but I had no choice. The book is about this kid in the future enrolled in advanced survial. He is a senior in high school enrolled in a college class. After somestrange events he finds that he must survive on his own without help longer then was expected.
I thought Robert Heinlein was very clever with his complete turn around of the plot and the universe he creates. I also admired the way the book is just as good now, as it was fifty years ago.
I would recomend this to anyone to anyone looking for a good read, regardless of the genres you normally read. The book is funny and it's characters are lively. This is one of the best books I have ever read and now I finally understand the saying, "I just couldn't put the book down."

Tunnel In The Sky.......2007-01-11

The reason I read Tunnel In The Sky originally was because it was assigned in Mr. Fassolds(Review listed earlier) social studies class, but after awhile it became difficult to not read ahead. The story is about a student named Rod in a survival class that has to go to an unknown land for his final survival exam. Rod encounters many dangerous people and animals as well as the feared stobor and the most dangerous animal of them all man. Everything seems to be going as it should until the signal for them to return to terra(earth) never comes. Faced with being stranded the survivors from several classes unite in an attempt to set up a colony and survive.

I definitely enjoyed this book for its riveting plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It also has great inclusions of other works such as quotes from poems and other books. Lastly it has a great example of how government is set up and works.

I would definitely recommend it to anyone teen or adult. I would also recommend that when you come across one of the quotes in the book to look it up because allot of the time it plays an important part in the story. All around an excellent read.

My Book.......2007-01-10

I have wanted a copy of this book for many years and finally found it with Amazon and am very happy to have such a beautiful copy.

Classroom Novel to Teach Government.......2006-12-21

After reading the book every year for the past 36 years I finally designed a junior high government teaching unit for the book. The book was a hit with my students. I read the book aloud in the beginning so that I could hook my reluctant readers. Also by guiding kids though the science in the science fiction it got me past the genre bias.

The story allows students to evaluate the development of the city-state from a government stand point and from a civilization's cultural universals.

This book provides much of the same conversation starters as Lord of the Flies, but without the darkness and the stilted language. In addition, the success of the city-state allows for deep discussion on the determination of the label "civilization".

If you are interested in the novel for your class you may email me and I'll send everything that I used.

Average customer rating:

Classic Outworlds Adventure
Moieties, Pirates and Begging, Oh My!
The Heinlein I most wish had sequels or backstory
a story that starts great but finishes weakly
Another great book by Heinlein

Citizen of the Galaxy
Robert A. Heinlein
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Tunnel in the Sky
Have Spacesuit, Will Travel
The Door into Summer
Starman Jones
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

ASIN: 1416505520

Book Description

The ragged, starving boy, Thorby, stood on the slave auction block. Surprisingly, he is purchased by the crippled beggar Baslim. Thorby soon discovers that Baslim is no ordinary beggar but a superb teacher who leads him to adventures on the starship Sisu.

Customer Reviews:

Classic Outworlds Adventure .......2007-06-08

Citizen of the Galaxy is a very good classic science fiction work. It is the third Heinlein novel which I have finished. While it is in Heinlein's juvenile stories, the novel is a great adventure saga. I enjoyed following the main character Thorby through his life education and experiences. Unfortunately, the ending comes much too quickly and in too "neat" of a 1950's manner. It is suitable for readers spanning ages 11 to decades beyond.

Moieties, Pirates and Begging, Oh My!.......2007-03-09

One has to read Citizen of the Galaxy to understand the development of Heinlein's cultural themes and of his fascination with various forms of kinship and marriage as well as other aspects of social structure. Your first clue is that the anthropologist aboard the Sisu is named Margaret Mader.

Heinlein also takes on slavery in this book. And white collar crime. Plus there is a rapscallionesque lawyer who describes himself as "middlin honest". Coupled with a charming protagonist, ethical mentors and the Space Navy, all the elements of a great Heinlein adventure come together in Citizen of the Galaxy.

"Good Business".

The Heinlein I most wish had sequels or backstory.......2007-02-21

As Heinlein used to say, many great stories draw from others, with "the serial numbers filed off". At various conventions, he acknowledged his debt to Rudyard Kipling, but this, I believe, is Kim done better.
It occurs to me that the protagonist's chief adoptive father believed in Robert E. Lee's observation "Duty is the sublimest word in the language. You can never do more than your duty. You should never wish to do less." That character lived by his conception of duty to mankind (side reference: think of the final pages in Failsafe), and managed to convey it to his protege, even as he experienced the Japanese proverb "Duty is heavier than a mountain; death is lighter than a feather."
I don't mean to suggest this is oppressive and preachy. The protagonist, in the best tradition of Star Trek, explores new cultures, and learns from each. Some of those cultures, such as the Free Traders, cried out for Heinlein to write more about them.
Absolutely the best Heinlein to start a juvenile reading him -- and I still get value reading it perhaps a half-century later.

a story that starts great but finishes weakly.......2007-01-26

This story starts really good. A slave-panhandler grows up on the streets on a very distant from earth world with his adopted-father-owner. The boy ends up on a spaceship where everyone is family. Both times, heinlein is exploring these different cultures. But, the book finishes with this attmpt to make the happy ending. Even, heinlein in the end, makes the ending messy. If you're a fan, include this book. If you're just starting pick up another story.

Another great book by Heinlein.......2007-01-09

I read a lot of books, about 2 a week and thsts just because I'm going to school right now and I have to spend conciderable amounts of time reading text books. But after starting to read this book I was so engrossed that I sat down and read it all in a day. It has a great story about a boy and his place in the universe.

Average customer rating:

A middling effort
I hate internal errors
The ghost of RAH!
Variable Star, by Spider Robinson
Like, dislike, and ambivalent

Variable Star
Robert A. Heinlein , and Spider Robinson
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Time for the Stars
The Sky People (Sci Fi Essential Books)
Hell's Gate (Multiverse, Book 1)
Off Armageddon Reef
1635: Cannon Law (Ring of Fire)

ASIN: 076531312X
Release Date: 2006-09-19

Book Description

A never-before-published masterpiece from science fiction's greatest writer, rediscovered after more than half a century.When Joel Johnston first met Jinny Hamilton, it seemed like a dream come true. And when she finally agreed to marry him, he felt like the luckiest man in the universe.nbsp;There was just one small problem. He was broke. His only goal in life was to become a composer, and he knew it would take years before he was earning enough to support a family.But Jinny wasn't willing to wait. And when Joel asked her what they were going to do for money, she gave him a most unexpected answer. She told him that her name wasn't really Jinny Hamilton---it was Jinny Conrad, and she was the granddaughter of Richard Conrad, the wealthiest man in the solar system. nbsp;And now that she was sure that Joel loved her for herself, not for her wealth, she revealed her family's plans for him---he would be groomed for a place in the vast Conrad empire and sire a dynasty to carry on the family business.Most men would have jumped at the opportunity. But Joel Johnston wasn't most men. To Jinny's surprise, and even his own, he turned down her generous offer and then set off on the mother of all benders. And woke up on a colony ship heading out into space, torn between regret over his rash decision and his determination to forget Jinny and make a life for himself among the stars.He was on his way to succeeding when his plans--and the plans of billions of others--were shattered by a cosmic cataclysm so devastating it would take all of humanity's strength and ingenuity just to survive.

Customer Reviews:

A middling effort.......2007-06-24

This book is a strange one, with a strange history. Way back in 1955 (before my father was born), Robert Heinlein wrote a partial outline for a juvenile novel and, for whatever reason, opted not to write it. Fast forward a half-century, and Spider Robinson (whose Callahan's Bar stories are a must-read, by the way), was commissioned to write a novel from said outline. The results are mixed.

Don't get me wrong-I enjoyed myself through and through. It's a good, fun, brisk read. But it does have a few annoyances. 1) It chooses to, for no reason I can see, use not Heinlein's Future History, but rather an offshoot of Heinlein's Future History. Why? Those who don't know Heinlein well won't get it, and those who do know the History will be annoyed by the off-shooting continuity. I know I was. 2) It pulls one of my big pet peeves in science fiction-namely, pop culture references. As though people will be quoting The Simpsons in the 23rd Century. Right. 3) The deus ex machina at the end. I won't spoil it, but it's not foreshadowed or possible to pre-conceive at all. It's a cheat, and it bugged me. Personally, I thought that it was building to an entirely different ending (and my ending rocked, by the way), and so I was annoyed when the rug was pulled out.

However, let me repeat that the above represent mostly annoyances. I think that both Heinlein and Robinson fans will enjoy this one. It's a fun read. But not much more than a fun read, I'm afraid.

I hate internal errors.......2007-06-08

The first Heinlein I read was Farmer in the Sky in a US Army dependent's school library in Germany about 1950, and it started me on SF. I sat at his table at the L5 Conference in Houston at the Saturday night banquet in 1983 as one of the first two to register. Spider is also a longtime favorite of mine.

Spider took on an impossible task and the result is an interesting read-once for me. Definitely not in the top rank of either writer.

But what really bugs me is that despite multiple readings by many people before publication, two errors slipped through, and the greater share of the blame would seem to go to the editor and publisher.

The minor one is that the name of the Prophet Nehemiah Scudder is missing the 'h', as in Nehemia.

The second relates to internal consistency, always a bugbear of SF. Early in the voyage, Joel learns that his roomie Herb is a telepath who can communicate with his twin sister Li back on Earth. Later on page 128 [first edition], it's stated that only identical twins have this talent.

Without internal consistency, and explanations of differences from our world, it's fantasy; not SF. In our world, identical twins are the same sex. That's the definition of identical. Duh.

Good SF demands that we suspend some disbelief to enter the world of the author, but it also demands that the universe the author creates must be internally consistent, and that differences from our world be explained.

I might overlook this in a new author from a small publisher. But given the reputations of Spider and Heinlein, this just ruined the book for me, and dropped my rating by one star.

Didn't anyone with an attention span long enough to find this read it before it was printed?

The ghost of RAH!.......2007-05-08

I can see Heinlein in this book, but am disappointed in the modernization process Spider Robinson used.
I know Heinlein wanted to be a lot more graphic in his descriptions of Sexual encounters, and use language that is considered profane, but his editors were able to keep him from doing that.
I for one enjoyed the fact that he created cuss words and phrases rather than use the words we use today. I got a kick out of his catch sayings as well.
Spider use the "F" word way too much. He also does some fart jokes which don't stay in line with RAH's writing. For these reasons, I am disappointed. But, all in all, this is a good book, and is otherwise a good RAH novel.

Variable Star, by Spider Robinson.......2007-04-24

Variable Star was not written by Robert Heinlein. Its plot, characters, and setting may have been devised and drawn out by the late Science Fiction master, but the gaps most certainly show whenever Robinson attempts to fill them in. I'll admit that I'm quite a Heinlein fan, and I loved the first half of this book more than any another Heinlen I've read. It has a catchy premise that reels you into a fantastic world, with a main character that is perfect in his quirkiness and authenticity.

Most good works of fiction make the reader grip the page during the climax, putting all other responsibilities aside until the plot is resolved. Variable Star is the first book I've read in recent memory that made me feel this way during the exposition and the initial chapters. The setting, the characters, and other elements in the novel are fascinating, especially because it deals heavily with one man's internal struggle to make sense of his own world, instead of the bloody (and predictable) conflict-based plots that are all-too-common in SciFi today.

However, halfway through the book, this came screeching to a halt. The trademark Heinlein references (including everyone's favorite, line marriages) still kept flowing, but the writing seemed rushed, the plot seemed forced, and the characters simply became less believable. I won't ruin it, but the climax of the novel was brought on by one of the worst plot devices I've ever read in published fiction and solved by a deus ex machina that was only slightly better. I finished the book with my jaw agape, trying to piece together the sheer ridiculousness of the events I had just read. There is a fine line between unbelievable and absurd coincidences, and Robinson stepped far over it in an attempt to conclude what was obviously an unfinished Heinlein novel.

However, I was willing to suspend disbelief, and don't give the work such a low rating simply for being unpredictable. My greater concern was that Spider Robinson couldn't help but make a political point whenever he saw a chance. I know that Heinlein (like Orwell, Asimov, Gibson, Stevenson, and other SciFi authors) writes books that express political messages, but I've never seen this done so tactlessly. Robinson is obviously disturbed by America's reaction to the September 11th attacks and subsequent invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq. However, instead of using fictional events as a metaphor, he has the gall to refer to them directly.

I almost had to put the book down at the point in the novel when one of the characters began referring to the "nineteen killers" and the "Christian superpower" that "crushed two tiny bystander nations." I'll admit that I'm as loony of a liberal as you'll get and agree with Robinson in principle, but this application was simply inappropriate for a science fiction novel set two hundred years in the future. I know that the Iraq war is a farce, Spider. I simply don't want to hear about it when I read a novel about colonizing the stars.

Like, dislike, and ambivalent.......2007-03-21

Oh, boy, I wanted to love, like, and treasure this novel. I can't. I have tried. Like Spider and so many others I discovered RAH when I was very young and read him voraciously and count him as one of, if not the, major influence in my life. (Is it not amazing that the previous sentence is repeated by people all over the world?) I have read and applauded Mr. Robinson's famous essay on RAH. I cannot imagine the daunting task, his unworthy feeling at being given the task of putting flesh on the bones of the outline and finishing an unfinished Heinlein novel. He could not turn down the offer of this project; yet he painted a large bull's-eye target on his forehead by doing so.

And for that target: the following slings and arrows. This reads many times as a square peg in a round hole. In truth, how could it not? Conceived in the 1950's and finished in the 21st century, the era that SF writers were earnestly using as a canvas. I started off enchanted by the quotes, play on words, names, and new twists on the Heinlein canon. By the end of the read this became a tiresome game when it became obvious that the book was more interested in being clever than advancing a plot. In addition, there were times when a character would make a point by hammering it home to the reader for page after page. Heinlein's juveniles were tightly plotted and did not assume that the reader needed handholding when he introduced technical or philosophical thoughts. These items advanced the character to the point it needed to for the novel's sake and then he went on. Here the reader is pounded upon until he cries uncle. I might say that Spider found Heinlein's "voice" - but this is the one RAH used when he preached too much in his final novels. (Yes, I know why and I was OK with it because it was the master speaking.)

Regarding the tangential infomercial for Buddhism; I didn't mind it -- much. But I kept hearing Lazarus Long whispering "One man's theology is another man's belly laugh."

The references to pop culture and current events were jarring within the narrative. This fictional world had been taken over by a theocracy and then had a revolution that overthrew it. The references to 20th/21st century events when the 18 year-old narrator was making a point were incongruous. E.G. the main character states that the first film to take space travel seriously was Star Wars. Hmmm...first I wanted to put my finger on the page and say "Whoa, let's discuss this for a second." Is Mr. Robinson aware of the details of spaceflight that are subtle, but there, in Destination Moon? And a few other non-Heinlein examples? But mostly I had trouble suspending the disbelief that a world two centuries from now having been through religious, moral, and economic revolution would have a young narrator referring to a space-opera from 1979. Gratuitous, I thought.

OK, now some praise. How can it be rated? A good experiment? The afterward makes clear that the publishers wanted SR to write his own novel based on Heinlein's ideas. Writing in another author's universe has been done before and the results are as varied as the writers. And what we have is a Spider Robinson novel. From that standpoint it is an OK effort on his part. But there are two names above the title of the book, forever linked. That will be enough to ensure that this will be judged differently from Spider's other work. I feel there will always be those who like, dislike, and the ambivalent. Nothing really bad about that. But it is not the resounding endorsement that an author cares for, either.

Average customer rating:

Have Spacesuit Will Travel
A brief comment
HAVE SPACE SUIT-WILL TRAVEL
Far more sophisticated than you think!
ENJOYED IT THEN AND JUST ENJOYED IT AGAIN!

Have Spacesuit, Will Travel
Robert A. Heinlein
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Citizen of the Galaxy
Tunnel in the Sky
Red Planet
Rocket Ship Galileo
Starman Jones

ASIN: 1416505490

Book Description

<B>A classic novel from the mind of the storyteller who captures the imagination of readers from around the world, and across two generations</B>

First prize in the Skyway Soap slogan contest was an all-expenses-paid trip to the Moon. The consolation prize was an authentic space suit, and when scientifically minded high school senior Kip Russell won it, he knew for certain he would use it one day to make a sojourn of his own to the stars. But "one day" comes sooner than he thinks when he tries on the suit in his backyard -- and finds himself worlds away, a prisoner aboard a space pirate's ship, and heading straight for what could be his final destination....

Customer Reviews:

Have Spacesuit Will Travel.......2007-05-07

I've probably read this book six times over the course of my life, first when I was thirteen. I still enjoy it as an adult. It's a great present for sixth grade birthdays. The story takes you from a regular boy in high school wishing he could go to the moon and leads you much further, further out, one step at a time. He wins a spacesuit, and that 's how his space travel and encounters with aliens begins.
Laura

A brief comment.......2007-02-27

Although considered one of his juveniles, Heinlein cleverly concealed a lot of more adult themes in these books (such as the no-nonsense marital advice in The Star Beast)--often dispensing valuable advice about the importance of good old fashioned values, especially hard work, discipline, integrity, loyalty, friendship, personal responsibility (especially civic responsibility), getting a good education, and other important qualities that young people needed to learn about.

This book is no different, and when the main character wins an old space suit in a contest and puts in a lot of time and effort to repair and recondition it, his industriousness "pays off" when he serendipitously gets involved in an improbable but fascinating drama of intergalactic proportions (he ends up visiting one of the Magellanic Clouds). Some of the most interesting parts of the book are the comparisons between the various alien races in regard to their observing proper morality and values themselves, although the security council meeting at the end of the book makes it clear that right or wrong, humanity will be exterminated if they pose a threat to the rest of the galaxy.

In that sense, the book anticipates the movie, "The Day the Earth Stood Still," and it's preachy but dire message, by ten years. But Heinlein, always more than a little ahead of his time, had an uncanny gift for sensing the winds of change. Most of the science in the book was far enough in the future so that very little of it seems dated, and like many of Heinlein's books it has stood the test of time and is still worth reading today.

HAVE SPACE SUIT-WILL TRAVEL.......2007-02-26

Although dated (and what isn't dated today), this is another great book by Heinlein. I remember finding this book in the school library when I was a kid and never forgot reading it from cover to cover. Now I am sharing it with my kids. Great adventure!

Far more sophisticated than you think!.......2007-01-05

I have read of this being referred to as "Juvenile" novel and how wrong those folks are. Its a fun romp, with ample explanation and surprisingly complicated math for our young hero to consider. In the end the novel reaches a climax that will determine Human survival and painted against the backdrop of the judgment against another species its pretty hard edged stuff.
I really really liked this. Perhaps all the more so since it was far mor than I expected.
If you liked Citizen of the Galaxy or The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress then pick this up as soon as you can and you won't be disappointed.

ENJOYED IT THEN AND JUST ENJOYED IT AGAIN!.......2006-10-07

I read this one for the first time in 1959, a year after it was published. This story has never left me. For some reasone it left quite an impression. Recently I ran across a copy at a book sale and purchased it, took it home and read it again. I now know why it has stayed with me all these year! It is good! I have, over the years read quite a number of Heinlein's works and I must admit that this is probably my favorite of the bunch. I realize that it is considered a juvenile book and it is certainly an appropriate read for the younger reader, but, as I just found out, it is quite a nice read for the older reader also. As I remember, looking back, this book rather inspired me in many ways, and doing better in school was by no means the least. Some of Heinlein's later work was rather difficult for me to digest, i.e. I simply did not like them. I rather wish he had stuck to simply telling well told tales as he did with this one. Recommend this one highly.

The Notebooks of Lazarus Long (The Future History Series)

Average customer rating:

Here's an idea
Buy Several Copies of this book
do not buy this
Colorful, in several ways
For The Compleat Heinlein TruFan Only ...

The Notebooks of Lazarus Long (The Future History Series)
Robert A. Heinlein
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Adventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

High Tech | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Time Enough for Love
To Sail beyond the Sunset
Number of the Beast
Revolt in 2100 & Methuselah's Children
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls

ASIN: 074348844X

Book Description

Not old enough to fight in the First World War (though he did manage to fight in it centuries later, by going back in time), but destined to lead the first successful expedition to another star system, and then some, the (literally) immortal Lazarus Long is the most popular and enduring character created by Robert A. Heinlein, author of numerous New York Times best sellers. Across five decades, he appeared and reappeared in Heinlein's most popular novels, including Methuselah's Children, Time Enough for Love, The Number of the Beast, To Sail Beyond the Sunset, and others. Long is the oldest living member of the human race by virtue of a unique set of chromosomes, aided by the advanced rejuvenation technology of the far future. He has been a pioneer on eight planets, survived wars and lynch mobs, and explored all of interstellar space known to humanity, as well as some other parts he doesn't talk about. Long's adventures and narrow escapes have given him a breadth of experience distilled through the irony of an immortal viewpoint. But there is nothing stuffy or snobbish about Long's reflections on the human condition. As the noted editor and critic David G. Hartwell has observed, "Lazarus' comments are acute, lively and intelligent." And here they are, compiled in one beautifully designed book, for the delight of the millions of Heinlein fans around the world.

Customer Reviews:

Here's an idea.......2006-01-28

If you're going to cut these parts fron TEFL and add art work why not make something that can be put out or given as a gift like a coffee table book. After all there arew some great words to live by in here.

Buy Several Copies of this book.......2006-01-23

During one of the intervals that this book was out of print, I saw copies offered for $60 and offered one of mine for $80. It was gone in a week. It's not likely that it will ever be out of print again, with new publishing regime, so that's not the reason to stock up.

You'll want a copy for yourself and several on hand when you need a gift for a bright friend... one who has yet to discover Heinlein, or even one who has.

I agree with most of the reviews, both good and bad. This is a thin volume and a copy of "Time Enough For Love" etc. will warm you for a longer period. But sometimes, what you want is a quick thought to lift you. Here's a few favored samples:

"Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors - and miss."

"Your enemy is never a villain in his own eyes. Keep this in mind; it may offer a way to make him your friend. If not, you can kill him without hate--and quickly."

"One man's theology is another man's belly laugh."

"A zygote is a gamete's way of producing more gametes. This may be the purpose of the universe."

do not buy this.......2005-09-14

Time Enough for Love is among the greatest novels ever written in the English language. This is but a scant few pages taken from that wonderful work. Do not buy this instead buy Time Enough for Love which is amazing.

Colorful, in several ways.......2005-03-16

This notebook is actually a collection of quotes from the Robert Heinlein's character, Lazarus Long, who appears in several Heinlein books. Most of the quotes come from the novel "Time Enough for Love."

Lazarus Long is an interesting character, who is extremely long-lived (nearly immortal) by reason of genetics, and is the Senior (head) of the Howard Families (a secret group of related people who, by genetics, are long-lived). Over Long's many escapades and adventures, he has developed a pithy attitude, a sort of practical wisdom, and some strong opinions, all of which are clearly reflected in "his" notebook.

One of the interesting features of the notebook is the beautiful illustrations and marginalia, which are reminiscent of bibles from the Dark Ages and the Renaissance.

A very interesting book of quotes, albeit completely derived from and redundant with several Heinlein novels, and I'm not sure it's worth the money. It does make a nice gift.

For The Compleat Heinlein TruFan Only ..........2005-01-10

This would be a nice addition to the collection of a total Heinlein fan who just can't get enough of the works of a true SF master; otherwise it is merely a collection of cryptic sayings that are better understood in the context of the book(s) from which they are taken.

If you want to understand Heinlein's life philosophy, you should read a variety of his novels.

If you want to see his writing at its finest, read his short stories, especially "All You Zombies".

If you want pithy, useful sayings that give you helpful advice, you should consult to more time-tested sources such as The Book Of Proverbs (the lessons of Lazarus Long were, after all, put in the mouth of a fictional character who increasingly depended on friends with a time machine to pull him out of trouble ... not a resource available to most of you.)

But if you are a Trufan of Heinlein, you definitely need this!

Off the Main Sequence: The Other Science Fiction Stories of Robert A. Heinlein

Average customer rating:

Shorter Stories from the Dean of Science Fiction
RAH's non-series short stories - Great Stuff

Off the Main Sequence: The Other Science Fiction Stories of Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Manufacturer: SFBC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Variable Star
The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein
The Notebooks of Lazarus Long (The Future History Series)
For Us, The Living: A Comedy of Customs
Time for the Stars

ASIN: 1582881847

Product Description

Stories include... Successful Operation Let There Be Light -And He Built a Crooked House- Beyond Doubt They Solution Unsatisfactory Universe Elsewhen Common Sense By His Bootstraps Lost Legacy My Object All Sublime Goldfish Bowl Pied Piper Free Men On the Slopes of Vesuvius Columbus Was a Dope Jerry Was a Man Water is for Washing Nothing Ever Happens on the Moon Gulf Destination Moon The Year of the Jackpot Project Nightmare Sky Lift Tenderfoot in Space -All You Zombies-. Here are smart, savvy tales of space adventure, time travel, weird science, mysterious phenomena, apocalypse and dystopia, tales that reflect the concerns of their day, yet eerily foreshadow our own. There's Successful Operation, a Twilight Zone-ish gem in which a dictator gets his just desserts...Let There Be Light, about two inventors who triumph over political corruption...and On the Slopes of Vesuvius, in which a Bomb-fearing barkeep sees his worst fears realized. -And He Built A Crooked House- tells of an architect whose innovative home design leads straight into a funhouse fourth dimension. Solution Unsatisfactory gives us a chilling alternate end to WWII, while -All You Zombies- paints a time-twisty picture of the ultimate causality paradox. All these and more, including three previously uncollected stories, Beyond Doubt, My Object All Sublime and Pied Piper, display Heinlein's creative genius to full extent.

Customer Reviews:

Shorter Stories from the Dean of Science Fiction.......2006-03-03

All things have a history. Science fiction has an illustrious modern history, with roots in Verne and Wells. There was a time when science fiction meant scantily clad women and tentacled monsters. All that changed with John Campbell and Robert Anson Heinlein.

Heinlein had a firm belief in the individual. Yet, he also believed in a strong military. Heinlein also had a good science and engineering education. Heinlein disliked a government that interfered in the everyday affairs of people, and Heinlein, having grown up in the Midwest, had a distrust of people with "religious" motivations. All these characteristics show up in Heinlein's novels and stories, and are well represented in this collection.

I am amazed at Heinlein's prescience. He stated in "On the Slopes of Vesuvius," written in 1947, that New York was an inevitable target. How well we know that considering the events of 9/11. Heinlein did a marvelous job of describing the first landing on the moon in "Destination Moon," from 1950. "Jerry Was a Man" from 1947 predates Pierre Boulle's "Monkey Planet," more commonly known as "Planet of the Apes," by a substantial amount. Heinlein even wrote a story called "Free Men" in 1947 that describes a United States subjected by a foreign power, with his focus on the men fighting back as guerillas. His story is significantly better than the much later movie "Red Dawn."

Heinlein's short stories extended well beyond unintentional predictions of the future. Heinlein enjoyed stories of time travel and the possible paradoxes of time travel. The convolutions in "All You Zombies" are a treat for any fan of time travel stories. "Elsewhen" is another clever story that mixes time and space, and the ending of this short story foreshadows the novel "Time Enough for Love." "By His Bootstraps" bears some similarity to "All You Zombies," with a different outcome.

Heinlein also seemed to like stories about extrasensory perception (e.s.p.). "Lost Legacy" is a marvelous alternative reality story that has echoes in television shows like "Charmed." "Project Nightmare" describes how a disbelieving government uses such talents to save the nation, in spite of disbelief. "Gulf" takes things a step further, predicating the existence of a new race of men with intellectual capabilities well beyond the average.

Stories of harder science fiction are in this book also, as you would expect. "The Year of the Jackpot" describes a mathematical prediction of events that lead to a tragic end. "Water Is for Washing" is an almost mundane story that combines man's hubris with the actual configuration of southern California around the Salton Sea. "Sky Lift" provides a poignant reminder that man may remain noble in space, and that space is a dangerous place. "Universe" and "Common Sense" are actually one story describing what we currently think will be the most feasible way of traveling to another solar system.

I was surprised and pleased that "A Tenderfoot in Space," written in 1958 for "Boy's Life," is included in this collection. Heinlein was known for his juvenile books, and this story is an excellent example of that category of book.

There are many more stories that encompass multiple dimensions, aliens, metaphysics, the past, the future, and just about everything else. Heinlein was a remarkable writer with incredible subject breadth.

I find it interesting that some modern readers describe Heinlein's stories as "cliche." In fact, the cliche's were frequently created because of Heinlein's stories. In a way, Heinlein's stories have become a victim of their success. But, remember this, and remember it well: These stories (or cliches) began here.

Heinlein also receives credit for introducing the words "waldo," "grok," and TANSTAAFL, or "there ain't no such thing as a free lunch," a variation on "there's no such thing as a free lunch," popularized by Milton Friedman. Heinlein originally used this term in the 1967 novel "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress." The first use of TANSTAAFL in economics literature came in a 1971 book by Edwin G. Dolan.

Heinlein was one of the big three in science fiction, the other being Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke. Reading these stories, that range from very short to novelette in length, I remember being young in the 60s and discovering Heinlein's marvelous books for the first time. While things have changed much in the intervening time, Heinlein's influence on science fiction and on writing in general can never be overestimated.

While there are some weak stories in this collection, even those are thought provoking and may just provide you with an interesting perspective. Fans of classic science fiction and Robert A. Heinlein will love this collection. Enjoy!

RAH's non-series short stories - Great Stuff.......2006-02-06

Robert A. Heinlein is was the Great Dean of Science Fiction and one of the Big Three writers of the field along with Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke. This book contains the early stories of his that do not fit into his Future History series.

Some of the stories in this book are among the best short stories in all science fiction.

"They" is probably the best single story in the book. It explores paranoia and solipsism to a very scary if logical conclusion. It is, in my opinion, the single best short written by Heinlein.

Among the other stories here is "Solution Unsatisfactory". It anticipated the nuclear stalemate and the Cold War that came at the end of World War Two. This is all the more impressive when you consider that the Manhattan Project was top secret at the time. Heinlein even predicted the United Nations in the story, along with its large scale weakness... but then, the League of Nations had the same issues.

Also of note are "Universe", "By His Bootstraps", "Gulf", "-And he Built a Crooked House-" and "-All You Zombies". All are very much worth reading today.

This book nicely complements the book "The Past Throught Tomorrow". That book collects all the short stories of Heinlein's Future History series.

This is a great book that should be on the shelves of anyone who likes science fiction.

Authors:

Authors

Authors