Kevin's Watch

Wow! That's quite a list!

Perhaps "The Complete Heinlein" is available in a package deal?

It would be huge...

Published Heinlein Works

I'm not sure about the dates here, I'll have to check my Fear No Evil, cause they give it as published 1970...positive it wasn't.

--A

Heinlein did have some unusual things to say about human sexuality. However, if I recall correctly a lot of his discriptions about group and line marriages were in "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" and came about due to the imbalance of men and women on the Moon at that time. I believe he said the ratio was 3:1 men to women, and when the moon was first being populated it was 10:1 or more. I imagine with such an imbalance between the sexes different marriage and family arrangement could arise.

I love many of his Juvenile books. Starship Troopers, Citizen of the Galaxy and Farmer in the Sky are all favorites of mine.

MY favorites are Moon is a Harsh Mistress and the Star Beast

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is certainly one of my favourites. (And nice to see this thread revived.) But it was by no means the only place that he expounded the various different forms of marriage.

(I would however be interested to see if it was the first book in which he did so. But he mentioned them in books from Stranger in a Strange Land to Time Enough for Love, Friday, etc.

I also wonder if their mention is peculiar to a certain "timeline" like the Lazarus Long timeline...Never thought to try and figure it out.

Don't know if I'd class Starship Troopers as one of his juvenile books though, although the others you mention, (and Starbeast) certainly are. That said, like you, I often enjoy those as much if not sometimes more, and Citizen is my favourite of them I think.

--A

Avatar wrote:Don't know if I'd class Starship Troopers as one of his juvenile books though,

It certainly is an example of his more authoritarian views.

In a sense. But not mindless authority if you like. A very simple idea that, in order to be able to have a say in how your society is governed, you have to demonstrate your worth in terms of protecting it.

Unless of course you're talking about the propaganda aspects of it?

--A

Avatar wrote:In a sense. But not mindless authority if you like. A very simple idea that, in order to be able to have a say in how your society is governed, you have to demonstrate your worth in terms of protecting it.

Unless of course you're talking about the propaganda aspects of it?

--A

Well, you know my feelings on such a society. But regardless of whether it is good or bad, it has to be authoritarian in order to function.

*shrug* All societies are authoritarian. It's one of my biggest problems with them.

--A

I must admit to preferring the Heinlein works that are about a youngster coming to grips with a futuristic society.

People above have mentioned "Tunnel In The Sky".

I'd put "Time For The Stars" in the same category. I love the time-dichotomy of Heinlein's perception of Einsteins' theory of relativity.

But my favourite would have to be "Citizen of The Galaxy".

I love the premise of it. That your own greed can cast you down and enslave you. Or your children.

Good point, that last. I think I like the satirical pokes at a society we all recognise.

--A

I've read Starship Troopers, Stranger in a Strange Land, and am currently finishing The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. At the moment, Heinlein's my 2nd favorite sci-fi man, next to Philip K. Dick. Anybody know where to go after "Moon?" Love how Starship is accused of fascism, whereas Moon shows Heinlein had a Libertarian outlook. The novel also seems to be less didactic and much tighter in structure than "Stranger." Tanstaafl!

I love Moon. One of my all-time favourites, both in story, "theory" and style. Love how the dialogue is pared down by speakers.

If you can find it, I highly recommend Revolt in 2100, Time Enough for Love, (Probably my all-time favourite) and Job.

--A

Again, my favorite Heinlein is Stranger in a Strange Land (which is actually one of my favorite books by any author), followed by Time Enough for Love. But I've only read a few others anyway. One was Time for the Stars, which I also liked a lot.

I sort of see Heinlein's sexual attitude as a sign of his times. Le Guin, for example, has a wide range of relationships in her books.

Not to mention a sign of his general curmudgeonly anti-social attitude. And by anti social, I don't mean not getting on with people, I mean opposed to the way society worked. Anything that appeared contrary to it sounded good to him.

I must read those EarthSea books again.

Stranger is, I think, as you know, awesome. I reread it every now and then, and is another of my absolute favourites. But Foul's already read that one.

--A

Fist and Faith wrote:... a sign of his times. Le Guin, for example, has a wide range of relationships in her books.

Le Guin was ahead of her time. I only recently read on Wikipedia that she has added to the Earthsea Trilogy that I read many years ago. I also read that there is an Earthsea movie or mini-series THAT IS TO BE AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS!

Apparently she's livid about what they did to her story...

Avatar wrote:And by anti social, I don't mean not getting on with people, I mean opposed to the way society worked. Anything that appeared contrary to it sounded good to him.

I must read those EarthSea books again.

Stranger is, I think, as you know, awesome. I reread it every now and then, and is another of my absolute favourites. But Foul's already read that one.

--A

He has, has he? I just don't trust that Foul bloke...

Avatar: I tried the transition from Heinlein's "Juvenile" works to the "Adult" ones about 20 years ago. It was a resounding failure.

I recently bought a copy of "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" and enjoyed it very much. So I think I'm finally ready .

But back in, I think it was '87, I failed to get through :
"Friday"
"Stranger"
"JOB" (which seemed to me to be more a theological exploration than scientific?),

and also the one that involves a brain transplant the title of which I cannot for the life of me recall.

I think I just fell out of love with Fantasy & SF for a while.

What would you recommend as a good diving-in point?

Speaking of Le Guin: currently reading her and a lil Philip K. Dick on the side.

Trapper439 wrote:and also the one that involves a brain transplant the title of which I cannot for the life of me recall.

I had the misfortune to have read that brain transplant book, and thought it seriously sucked. I was unwilling to try anything else by Heinlein for years as a result. However, I have since been talked into reading Starship Troopers, and really enjoyed it. I have kept an eye out for a book called Podkayne of Mars, one of his juveniles, as it has also been strongly recommended to me, but I have never been bale to locate a copy.

Trapper, I responded to you here: kevinswatch.ihugny.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8642

And STILL duchess doesn't go for SiaSL! ARGH!!!! (You're killing me, dollface! )

Av, Le Guin's wide range of relationships isn't much seen in Earthsea. I was thinking of The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossesed.