Any Robert Heinlein Fans Here?

[UKShootist]

I have read everything he has written, AFAIK. He has been one of the biggest positive influences in my life.

[jmort]

He was a great man. "An armed society is a polite society."

[nicholst55]

I enjoy reading his work from time to time. I certainly read everything he ever wrote, though.

[Pipefitter]

I never went to kindergarten, and 4 months after I started 1st grade I was reading at a 6th grade level. Santa brought me 4 science fiction paperback books for Christmas that year, 2 by Robert Heinlein and 2 by Ray Bradbury.

I have since been hooked on classic science fiction, and have devoured Heinlein, Bradbury, Larry Niven, Anne McCaffery, and a host of others.

[Kraschenbirn]

Heinlein has his own bookshelf in my library. I discovered his 'young people's' sci-fi when I was in 4th or 5th grade and by my senior year of high school had accumulated everything he'd written to that point and continued adding as new work was published.

Bill

[WRideout]

As a youth, I read everything by him that was in the library. He didn't patronize us kids at all; everything was told straight up.
Wayne

[richhodg66]

I have read Starship Troopers and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. I read Starship Troopers during the air war phase of Desert Storm and when I finished, it got passed around to just about everybody and was universally loved. I really wish they had never made that ludicrously stupid movie that was based on it.

[Gun-adian]

I've pretty much read most of his stuff at least once.
Starman Jones and Starship Troopers, I've lost count.......

[Nueces]

A favorite quote from "Glory Road", about having limits for other people: "I won't work for anyone who speaks to me that way even once."

Said, by the way, to the Empress of the Twenty Universes.

[UKShootist]

I have read Starship Troopers and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. I read Starship Troopers during the air war phase of Desert Storm and when I finished, it got passed around to just about everybody and was universally loved. I really wish they had never made that ludicrously stupid movie that was based on it.

That obscenity of a film called 'Starship Troopers' made me want to personally strangle every member of the production team. I saw the producer being interviewed on TV one time and it's clear he had absolutely no comprehension of the nature of the tale. If I outlive him I want him laid to rest on the hedge at the end of my garden so I can throw stones at him whenever I want.

[762 shooter]

Heinlein, Asimov, Herbert, and Bradbury.

I grew up with those four.

762

[Echo]

My Uncle Nolan was an editor on the Houston Chronicle, and reviewed books as well. His Bro, my Grampa (who lived with us for a time), used to borrow books from him to read, one of which was 'Sixth Column', later renamed 'The Day After Tomorrow'. My intro to SciFi - I guess I was about 8 yrs old. Have read all of his stuff, including some Bluebook short stories. And turned on a pals oldest son to RH, and later in life he thanked me profusely. Niven, Bradbury, Asimov, &cetera - and I still have a few RH books in my bookcase.

[MrWolf]

Part of the group that got Isaac Asimov to speak at our commencement ceremony. I got to have lunch with him. Pretty cool.

[JWT]

I've read them all. Just introduced my 11yr old to Heinlein last month. Looks like another classic SF fan in the making.

[kayala]

Yes. Love his work. I think world would be so much better place if his ideas were implemented: "You want to run for public office ? You gotta serve !"

[dsbock]

I've been re-reading my Heinlein collection over the past month or so. I started with his young adult books when I was a kid and graduated to his mature topics as I grew older. The ending of "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" still gets me choked up every time.

David

[Thumbcocker]

December 2001 the Green Morning in the Martin Chronicals made a big impact on me. Mrs. Thumbcocker and I have planted 10 trees this year.

[GhostHawk]

Read them all, some several times. Own many of them.

He had some pretty interesting views on the female persuasion for a farm boy.

But in my opinion he was right on when it came to government.
I am and always will be a rational anarchist at heart.

We could use a double dose of him about now.

[MaryB]

Heinlein is my favorite and many of the things he wrote about are happening now... Like in Starship Troopers when they discussion gangs running wild, no punishment for crimes, psycho babble garbage instead of prison... and in "Friday" corporations have taken over world government... just how far are we from that?

[edler7]

He is my favorite SF author. I think we are in "The Crazy Years" he talked about.

[Ford SD]

I also have a Heinlein collection --I think Heinlein is the reasion I started Buying Books because the libiary did not have a full colection

the Long Family :)

[Bent Ramrod]

I re-read "By His Bootstraps," which he wrote under the pseudonym Anson MacDonald, every other year or so. Absolutely fantastic, and yet absolutely logical and believable at the same time. How did he come up with that stuff?

I read somewhere that he never failed to sell a story. To any struggling author with a shoebox full of rejection slips, that is impressive.

[Mk42gunner]

He was born here, and is quite possibly the most famous person from Bates County, MO.

http://www.butlerpubliclibrary.org/heinlein-room/

I have read some of his books, but I really don't think I have read them all.

Robert

[Sasquatch-1]

Started with "Stranger in a Strange Land". Then started reading almost all he wrote. I still love the statement from Starship Troopers about the murderer and his being put to death, this is paraphrase, and how if he is a sane man he will commit murder again and if he is insane and cured he would not be able to live with what he has done. So therefor death is the only alternative.

[Bent Ramrod]

They also had public flogging for minor crimes and major misdemeanors. This punished the malefactor in the presence of his community and let him know that the community disapproved of his actions. Saved a lot of pettifoggling through the court system, where after dozens of suspended sentences, paroles, and minor jail times, the malefactor would be encouraged to do something really bad and finally get what he deserved, after years of un- or lightly punished depredations upon his neighbors. Sounds logical to me.

Agree the movie was just another shoot-em-up. The most interesting part of StarshipTroopers was the "Social and Moral Philosophy," and every iota of that was purged from the movie. As it is purged from the public education and culture of today.

[Hamish]

I grok you guys very well,,,,,,,

[robg]

Tunnel in the sky and time enough for love are my favorites .brilliant writer ,sham the powers that be don't follow his philosophy would be a better world .

[KCSO]

TANSTAAFL Nuff Said!

[Detroitdanm]

I have read & re-read everything of his I could put my hands on. Incredibly prescient in so many ways, I'm amazed at how well he foresaw so much. Haven't read him for awhile and for some reason I pulled out "Time Enough For Love" and have been reading the Notebooks of Lazarus Long plus a few favorite chapters. "The Tale of the Adopted Daughter", "The Man Who Was To Lazy To Fail" and I just started on the last part of his voyage back to his boyhood home. Makes me wish I could drive the flivver down to the pool hall and maybe spend a little time with Doc Johnson...

[UKShootist]

I feel privileged to be among such company.

[Bulldogger]

TANSTAAFL Nuff Said!

+1 to that

[matrixcs]

Another fan even though its been 50 years since I read any. I think I might return to his books again.

[UKShootist]

I have read a number of his books numerous times. The only thing that does disappoint me a little is the way he deals with aspects of sex, to put it bluntly. His Bible Belt origins are clear, but I can get by that. It was through his writing that I learned nothing was beyond questioning. It was a great pity that "Stranger in a Strange Land" was adopted as a mantra for free love hippies. So many people tried so hard to misunderstand Heinlein. Farnham's Freehold is a brilliant book, but the message was perhaps too well hidden for the liberal counter racist elite. I don't think I know of anyone more equalitarian than Heinlein. I don't care too much for some of his later books, he gets too heavy even for me. But if I had to choose one author to read for the rest of my life it would be Heinlein.

[MaryB]

I just wish more of his books were in Kindle format that didn't cost an arm and a leg...

[Peregrine]

Starship Troopers is the only one i've read (several times), anyone care to give me a couple suggestions of his other works to read from there? Favorites/teasers?


I just wish more of his books were in Kindle format that didn't cost an arm and a leg...

Is that a ship on the horizon?

[OBIII]

I have been a Sci-Fi freak since I was about 8. Heinlein, Asimov, Herbert, Niven, Pournelle, the list is endless. But one of my favorites when I was younger was Andre Norton. I just wish that the Starship Trooper movies had been made correctly. Grok that.

OB

[smokeywolf]

Read "Friday". Liked it very much. If I had more time and were more into science fiction, Mr. Heinlein's works would be my first choice.

[Bent Ramrod]

They ought to make a TV movie out of his short story "The Long Watch." The world needs more nerdy heroes.

For books, Glory Road is great, as is Double Star. The inside info on the acting profession in the latter book is really interesting. I didn't realize acting was such hard work until I'd read that one.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I like the comparison that compares the Sci-Fi book titled `Stranger in a strange land` to what is going on in our nation now.Robert

[UKShootist]

Starship Troopers is the only one i've read (several times), anyone care to give me a couple suggestions of his other works to read from there? Favorites/teasers?


Time Enough For Love is one of his best. Don't be put off by the size of the book, it's thick. It really is about four stories rolled into one.

I would be doubtful of recommending Stranger in a Strange Land. It's an excellent book, set out to challenge just about every pre-conception of society. The problem is, it does rather take a swing at organised religion which may upset some sensitive souls.

Glory Road is a cracker of an adventure.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is another excellent read. About a revolution.

Methuselah's children is a good read and gives an introduction to Time Enough For Love.

That'll be enough to get you hooked. But beware, there's a lot more. I've got them nearly all in PDF format.

[Taylor]

I always liked his work too.My most memorable is Stranger in a Strange Land.Been a long time though.

[OeldeWolf]

Actually, the major change in Stranger in s Strange Land makes me think it was one of his lesser works, I got started on SciFi by reading Andre Norton. She wrote a lot more than just SciFi, though. I remember a lot of Heinlein books I liked. Hard to pick a favorite. I need more of his books, but unfortunately I have a couple thousand books in my library already ...

[chill45100]

I still have the hardback copy of Starship Trooper that a family friend gave me in the late 50's. Turns out that is a second edition. Will be keeping that one for my grandson.
ASFAIK have all of Heinlein's works and read each of them several times.
Chill45100

[MaryB]

I have several autographed Heinlein first editions. Those are my treasured library and reside in the gun safe(with the dehumidifier!). I forgot about Andre Norton, quite a few good reads! At one point my paperback scfi library was well over 3,000 books. I got tired of moving them and donated all the common copies to the library. So many are available free online now so I load up my Kindle app...

[Sasquatch-1]

This thread started getting me nostalgic to read Heinlein again. I checked on Amazon and his books are up there with the cost of a paper back copy.

I believe Norton was the first Science Fantasy I ever read way back in the third grade. Lay the foundation for all the other SciFi to come.


I have several autographed Heinlein first editions. Those are my treasured library and reside in the gun safe(with the dehumidifier!). I forgot about Andre Norton, quite a few good reads! At one point my paperback scfi library was well over 3,000 books. I got tired of moving them and donated all the common copies to the library. So many are available free online now so I load up my Kindle app...

[Solothurn]

I didn't, care for Stranger in a Strange Land. Tunnel in the Sky and Starship Troopers are some of my favorite books.

[chutesnreloads]

Heinlein's work was what got me to learn that reading IS fun.Hated reading and only did it when made to or wanted to learn something.Starship Troopers...HAH....read that while on leave between boot camp and jump school.Talk about perfect timing.Read all the novels,some multiple times, and a good many of the shorter works too.I'm sure he had a profound influence on the way I see things.

[tygar]

I also have read all his books & shorts, many, many times. Just bought Glory Road again, just cause I wanted to read it again & couldn't find it in my mess. Same thing on Poul Anderson's "High Crusade". "Farnham's Freehold" may be just around the corner!

[johnnyastro22]

My signature line is a dead giveaway.

I am a fan like my father before me.
Now that my dad's passed it's like a connection to him through some of those books.
Yeah I am a fan.

[Lon246]

My favorites:

“Don't handicap your children by making their lives easy.” ― Robert A. Heinlein


“You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having both at once.” ― Robert A. Heinlein


“Almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.” ― Robert A. Heinlein


“There are no dangerous weapons; there are only dangerous men.”― Robert A. Heinlein


“An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life.” ― Robert A. Heinlein


“A generation which ignores history has no past — and no future.” ― Robert A. Heinlein


“God created men to test the souls of women.”― Robert A. Heinlein


“If you are part of a society that votes, then do so. There may be no candidates and no measures you want to vote for ... but there are certain to be ones you want to vote against. In case of doubt, vote against. By this rule you will rarely go wrong.” ― Robert A. Heinlein


“Girls are simply wonderful. Just to stand on a corner and watch them going past is delightful. They don't walk. At least not what we do when we walk. I don't know how to describe it, but it's much more complex and utterly delightful. They don't move just their feet; everything moves and in different directions . . . and all of it graceful.”
― Robert A. Heinlein


“Government! Three fourths parasitic and the other fourth Stupid fumbling.” -- Robert A. Heinlein


“A managed democracy is a wonderful thing... for the managers... and its greatest strength is a 'free press' when 'free' is defined as 'responsible' and the managers define what is 'irresponsible'.” ― Robert A. Heinlein

[Bent Ramrod]

Lon,

You forgot "No 'Department of Defense' ever won a war."

He was investigated in the early 1940's as a possible Atomic Spy, because he had written a story about a fission bomb. Must have gotten a look at some of the Manhattan Project research reports, they thought. But all he had done was extrapolate the open literature work of the 1930's to its logical conclusion. A very prescient man.

[MaryB]

Look at his book Friday... corporations are running the planet, not governments. Corporations are fighting, not governments... we have the first part already and you could argue the second because wars are to enrich the 1% and the bankers.

[koehlerrk]

Definite Heinlein fan here, started reading his works when I was about ten... I can say one of the best moments in my life was handing my well worn copy of Starship Troopers to my son. He loved it!

Heinlein's writing definitely had an impact on my life. I am a better husband, father, and man because I keep trying to live up to the standards of his characters.

[robg]

He's the best of the lot ,had his books in the seventies his political views match my own.

[Hawk4570]

I haven't read all his works yet, but I'm working on it.

I've got a 10 year-old Great Nephew who loves to read (AND shoot) who's probably at the right age for 'Tunnel in the Sky', might be a bit before he'll appreciate 'Starship Troopers'.

[flyingmonkey35]

Started with "Stranger in a Strange Land". Then started reading almost all he wrote. I still love the statement from Starship Troopers about the murderer and his being put to death, this is paraphrase, and how if he is a sane man he will commit murder again and if he is insane and cured he would not be able to live with what he has done. So therefor death is the only alternative.
This i s also my fav. Read this book in ROTC back in college it was on the reading list. If you read starship troopers then you know why.

Next is the forever war.

That man saw the future when he wrote.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[2wheelDuke]

This thread prompted me to track down a copy of Starship Troopers. I just finished it last night. I did enjoy it. I paid less than $4 on Thrift Books. I also bought "Fart Proudly" by Ben Franklin and the 1st Game of Thrones book so I had over $10 and got free shipping.

[dsbock]

I recently re-read the Heinlein short story "The Man Who Traveled in Elephants" for the umpteenth time. Still gets me choked up.

David

[WebMonkey]

have 87 of his in .mobi format.

read the 'unabridged' version of stranger in a strange land recently.
liked it a little less than most of the other titles of his so far.

i'll get through the collection eventually i think :)

'monkey

[Silver Eagle]

Fan???? Check out my Sig line.
Have read everyone of his works (including the shorts and "kids"). "Moon is a Harsh Mistress", "Friday", all of the Lazarus Long series are just a few of my favorites. Revolutionary author with a very prescient idea of what was to come.

[PerpetualStudent]

Big fan of Heinlein.

Stranger in strange land, Starship Troopers and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress are truly great books. Farnham's Freehold is a good read too. Especially for the survivalistically inclined. I've also read many of his short stories and even a few speeches and op-eds he wrote.

That said, towards the end, his ability to write really to pot imho. I suffered through "I will fear no evil" and the entire time I was waiting for it to get good and say something other than "wouldn't it be wonderful if there were no sexual mores".

Something heinlein fans might be interested to know is that Spider Robinson finished one of his unfinished novels and published it. Still feels like good Hienlien.

[Artful]

Starship Troopers is the only one i've read (several times), anyone care to give me a couple suggestions of his other works to read from there? Favorites/teasers?

Is that a ship on the horizon?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_A._Heinlein_bibliography

[richhodg66]

This thread has convinced me I need to read more and more Heinlein in particular.

During all my time in the Army, I was away from home a lot. During any given deployment, I read at least ten times as many books as I would during the same amount of time at home. I don't miss the deployments, but it is kind of amazing how much you can get done when the opportunity cost of whatever spare time you have is absolute zero. Guess I just need to make the time to do it.

[thxmrgarand]

I went to a talk or lecture he gave back when I was a graduate student at a large and very liberal public university. Much of the audience was not prepared for his views on private industry, personal responsibility and freedom, and the incompetence of government. It was a great talk and much more fun to be in the tiny minority who agreed with his political views. It has been my observation and belief that few popular writers of fiction are allowed to be conservatives.

[flyingmonkey35]

You know im still a firm believer of his philosophy from starship troopers on government.

No one can hold public office or vote if one did not serve in the military.

As no man is fit to lead others who has not been lead himself.

Yes you will still get career *******es every branch has them. But at least you know they have some respect for the **** they are about to put you through.


I never understood how the POUTS can be commander in chief yet not know the first thing about how the military works.

Look at obama know he still blames the guns not the a$$hats who commit the crime

My 2cents.




Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk

[DerekP Houston]

This thread has convinced me I need to read more and more Heinlein in particular.

During all my time in the Army, I was away from home a lot. During any given deployment, I read at least ten times as many books as I would during the same amount of time at home. I don't miss the deployments, but it is kind of amazing how much you can get done when the opportunity cost of whatever spare time you have is absolute zero. Guess I just need to make the time to do it.

This site is great, my "to do" reading list just keeps getting longer and longer.

Thanks for all the recommendations, let me know if you have any others.

[starbits]

I have read Science Fiction my whole life and most, if not all, of Heinlein's books. He wrote a number of good books, but he also wrote a lot of "lets see how fast I can pound this out and get paid" ****. He was far from my favorite author but I did enjoy some of his books. It has been 30+ years since I read one of his books so maybe it is time to reread a couple. Suggested reading from the golden age of Science Fiction, check out Clifford Simak.

Starbits

[jiandawg]

My favorites have fluctuated between Time Enough for Love and The Door Into Summer.

I pretty much only read sword and sorcery type books until I got Stranger in a Strange Land as a secret Santa present in 7th grade. I enjoyed the book and within the next year or so I had read most of Heinlein's other works. I lived in a small town and my saving grace was that one of my classmates parents owned a book store so I was able to special order most of the out of print ones used.

[RogerDat]

Time enough for love was very good, characters reflected authors views, possibly a bit too heavy on politics and human nature but he drew on history to predict how mankind would face future challenges. We don't change all that much in our basic natures, and a point he made often was upbringing and culture is what makes people what they are. Move us across an ocean, a continent, or a galaxy and we wouldn't behave radically differently. There are some other authors of sci-fi that have gone a different direction, how some tendencies might become dominant and change our whole society or species. Hive cultures or matriarchy come to mind as common situations to explore. One that sticks in my mind is human society to manage living in small spaces becomes more focused on the whole than the individual. To the point that personal pronouns don't exist because the concepts of me, myself and I no longer exist.

Asimov is another good one but hey theses guys did the books to make a living, some days they just punched the clock, some days the busted tail and turned out some dynamite work.

[MaryB]

This book is a scary look into the near future https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000O76ON6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1#nav-subnav

[dilly]

I have read a bit of Heinlein. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress had an idea that there ought to be a branch of government whose sole purpose is to repeal laws, day in and day out. It also drew into question the absurdity of a law restricting 100% of people if it can only get 51% support. I read Glory Road, too. It seemed to imply that the best rule involves the person in charge doing nothing in most circumstances, which is probably true in the long run.

One I'm not sure I saw mentioned in this thread is Citizen of the Galaxy. Looking back I'm having trouble recalling any deeper meaning from that one, unless it was a lesson on social mobility and how if you do things well you will succeed. It's been a while I may be missing something there.