Posted on 02/01/2010 12:31:22 PM PST by JoeProBono
Never could understand the acclaim given to Catcher in the Rye
I thought it was depressing
Cult type following
You bet.
Presents some not exactly standard morality, but in a more believable way.
Boy are you way off
The science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein (1907–1988) was productive during a writing career that spanned the last 49 years of his life and thus the Robert A. Heinlein bibliography includes 32 novels, 59 short stories and 16 collections published during his life. Four films, two TV series, several episodes of a radio series, and a board game derive more or less directly from his work. He wrote a screenplay for one of the films. Heinlein edited an anthology of other writers’ SF short stories.
Better not read much of the old testament then
SSL (1961) predated several of Heinleins more “hard SF” works, like “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress”, etc. Heinleins 1960’s were very productive.
The real problem book isn’t SSL (which does suffer from some of Heinleins “structural issues” but he kept his focus and it still has a discernible plot) but “I Will Fear No Evil” (1970). That one went entirely off the rails and wandered willy-nilly around the countryside, after a promising beginning.
Most of Heinlens work after that suffered from the same faults - massive, digressive, plotless, kitchen-sinks of occasionally brilliant writing, with the one exception of “Job”, which isn’t for everybody but still works very well as a novel.
My suspicion is that Heinlein badly needed a nasty editor, and by 1970 nobody was willing to question the master. A pity, because all the material he had in those 6 enormous “novels” could have supplied a dozen good, real novels, and probably the same number of short stories.
Those are excellent observations. Earlier in his career, when there were fewer publishers or magazine outlets for science fiction, he did have tough editors.
I was talking about Salinger.
And just what is that snippet supposed to mean? Nice drive by.
From Heinlein’s perspective it was completely ‘moral’. Not unlike the viewpoint of say Ayn Rand in her various fictions. One can suggest a phlosophical idea in fiction and explore it in ways that other forms would not allow.
Heinlein liked sex -— no doubt about it. He also was a huge advocate of personal responsibility. He remained to the same woman without divorce. There are no ‘scandals’ or rumors of scandals’ or rumors of scandals regarding him.
Words is words. They are not actions.
I had that thought after I had posted.
But really since the article was speaking of Heinlein why bother with any Salinger comment at all???
I favor the New Testament, heh
Why not reply when I post something to you instead of just randomly adding nonsense when you feel like it???
There is no New Testament without the prelude....
True enough. On the third try.
The philosophy of Stranger has always seemed to me something that a college student would think deep. The guy was over 50 when he wrote it.
Your post is a public ‘speaking’ and is due any reply necessary to request clarifying it. What exactly is to be read about in the Old testament that one would not want to read about?
The nonsene that was posted is all yours, just a disparaging remark, no backup, typical drive by.
I was quoting a line from the article and responding to it.
I was responding to this statement
“Thats a Heinlein book I don’t want to read.
Morality is important.
Otherwise you get liberals.”
Not all of the Old Testament serves as a moral example. In fact the Hosea was instructed to marry a whore.
Amen! First Heinlein book that I read (In Jr. HS). Made me a life-long fan...
That doesn’t mean I agree with group sex with children or anything. That is still immoral. bullet in the brain time.
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