Foo - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

Just got done with this book, awesome. I think the author was a closet anarchist, hiding behind fiction during the red scare. Anyone ever hear of this book?

Yeah, Heinlein's books are classic. If you liked it, there's a lot more where that came from! Sometimes I get the feeling he wrote as a way to put forth his political and social views, but I don't mind...I agree with most of what he has to say.

Yeah,
I read Heinlein back in the Sixties. Prob ought to read him again.
Great thing about senility is you get to enjoy everything you've forgotten again. :)

You should check out "Stranger in a Strange Land"

In actually,Heinlein was a full fledged Libertarian. He believed in just enough government, but not so much as to restrict individual freedoms.

You should check out "Stranger in a Strange Land"

That is the only Heinlen I've read and it was AWESOME. I have meant to read more because that was such a great book.

I grok you, Stacey!

That is the only Heinlen I've read and it was AWESOME. I have meant to read more because that was such a great book.

I grok you, Stacey!

Grok everyone

The Yes Album - Starship Trooper.mp3 (http://kevin.tersigni.free.fr/Yes%20(Papa)/03%20-%20The%20Yes%20Album%20(1971)/03%20-%20Starship%20Trooper.mp3)

Grok everyone

Ah the reason for the financial success of the book. Everyone who reads it thinks they Grok!

If they even came close they would pick a different phrase.

My advice on Heinlein.

1) Avoid the 'unabridged' version of "Stranger in a Strange Land". Robert says in "Grumbels from the Grave" that it needed polishing and the finished (original publication) version is what he liked. There is a used book store near me where there is a picture of the couple who owns it with Robert and Virginia, I'm pretty sure taken by Jerry Pournelles pool. I confirmed this with the owners.

2) His later sutff is weaker. Personally I find the stuff in the middle of his career the best. Early he had the ability, but far too often the final product is what the publisher wanted, not what he wanted. Near the end publishers would buy any cr@p with his name on it. Middle where he had to listen, but could win in hte end I think was best overall.

3) Don't miss the different stuff. "Magic Inc." "All You Zombies" come to mind.

4) Check the copyright dates. Some stuff he wrote seems rather ordinary, predictionwise. Anyone could have seen the future he saw. One asumes it was written in the 80s. Then the copyright date is early 50s. (Actually there are several of the better SF authors who have books where this happens).

5) Contrary to what many critics say it is a GOOD think and very much the intent of the author that parts of "Glory Road" are boring. Perhaps on of the more subtle cases of be careful what you wish for.

6) Few critics of Starship Troopers have read the book. Or if they have they have the worst memory or reading skills I have ever seen. If you can correctly answer the question "Why do we have the form of government we do?" (from the standpoint of a character in the book. you start to get things. (Also on the oriental martial arts scene, it seems trite now, look at the copyright date).

7) Heinlein was not nearly as dogmatic and 'sure' as many make him out to be. E.g. he saw the conflicts out there. On one side he wanted a world government, on the other side he did not trust a lot of the world. He has been called racist because of "Farnhams Freehold". But how can this be considering "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" and "Straship Troopers"?

8) Get "Grumbels from the Grave. A decent read on it's own, but as I see it worth the purchace price to get teh ending Heinlein wrote to "Podkayne of Mars" and his comments on what he was trying to communicate and how the ending he was forced into destroyed it.

In actually,Heinlein was a full fledged Libertarian. He believed in just enough government, but not so much as to restrict individual freedoms.

I would tend to agree. If Robert could be forced into a box that is the one.

Thinking of how he jhad his own unique opinions I recalled the attitude of Johan Sebastion Bach Smith in "I will Fear No Evil" regarding how he felt about his son by his first wife and his daughters from subsequent wives.

Thinking more about it, this book is a good but scarry read. Too much in it has come to pass, I'm not eager for the rest to happen.

My favorite piece of vintage Heinlein was in "Time Enough for Love". The segment, "The Man Who Was Too Lazy to Fail". It's essentially autobiographical, and is the foundation of a lot of my take on life. If you must be lazy, be smart and lazy rather than stupid and lazy. Smart and lazy = EFFICIENT and getting promoted to where others do the grunt work!:D

Keith99 did an excellent job of summing up Heinlein. Much better than I could ever do. I started reading Heinlein as a boy in the 70's. What struck me most about Heinlein, even then, was how much of what he wrote in 1950 had come to fruition. Space travel, cloning etc.

I have read most of Heinlein's books and "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" is still my favorite.

I like his early stuff better. Some are a total waste of time. ("number of the beast", anyone?)

My favorite piece of vintage Heinlein was in "Time Enough for Love". The segment, "The Man Who Was Too Lazy to Fail". It's essentially autobiographical, and is the foundation of a lot of my take on life. If you must be lazy, be smart and lazy rather than stupid and lazy. Smart and lazy = EFFICIENT and getting promoted to where others do the grunt work!:D

I just got done reading "Time Enough for Love" for the umpteenth time. I've been looking around the house for "The Number of the Beast". I'm afraid that Pixel the cat may have taken it and walked through a wall.

Just got done with this book, awesome. I think the author was a closet anarchist, hiding behind fiction during the red scare. Anyone ever hear of this book?

Funny...I'm about halfway through and it's my first time.

I got into Heinlein with Stranger (as so many people did!) and fell in love with the unabridged version. I just find it to be more compelling and juicier than the abridged.

Starship Troopers is just a great book..."I'm a thirty second bomb. I'm a twenty-nine second bomb..." I also love his commentary with it on democracy vs. communism.

I just love his writing style. He's easily my favorite author, living or dead.

Oh hell yeah! Heinlein is one of the greats, possibly the greatest. So much time spent as a youngster reading him and Asimov.

Try "Beyond this Horizon"

Some are a total waste of time. ("number of the beast", anyone?)

That was actually the first book I read by Heinlein :D Catchy title - but why only 10,314,424,798,490,535,546,171,949,056 parallel universes? I enjoyed the book anyway, I was a teenager when I read it, and the characters were entertaining.

I have read most of Heinlein's books and "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" is still my favorite.

I like his early stuff better. Some are a total waste of time. ("number of the beast", anyone?)Hey, now! That is one of my favorites...I enjoyed the interactions between the characters, and the whole idea of multipersonal solipsism (and, for crying out loud, MEETING Dorothy!) is a kick. Maybe it meant more to me because of how it relates to so many of his books...I think it was one of the last ones I read, so bringing characters together like that was just fun.

I think Starship Troopers should be mandatory reading for anyone who saw the movie. I'd wish they'd make more of his books into movies, but not if they're going to use nothing but the barest of details and then slap the same name on it. If they'd called that movie anything else, I would has thought it was slightly derivative, but that's about it!

Hey, now! That is one of my favorites...I enjoyed the interactions between the characters, and the whole idea of multipersonal solipsism (and, for crying out loud, MEETING Dorothy!) is a kick. Maybe it meant more to me because of how it relates to so many of his books...I think it was one of the last ones I read, so bringing characters together like that was just fun.

Gotta love the bathrooms in Gay Deceiver!

Gotta love the bathrooms in Gay Deceiver!

Haha!

My first guitar is named Dora...after a character/ship.

My two sabres are Duke (from Stranger) and Valentine Michael Smith.

My Xtracycle is named Friday. She'll carry any load anywhere you want it and get it there no matter what.

Yeah...I'm a fan. Heh.

You should check out "Stranger in a Strange Land"

Awesome book! I grok it.