"Robert Heinlein Remembered"

Lever Action Essays ^ | 1988 | L.Neil Smith

[redrock]

I carried with me thru 2 tours in Vietnam a paperback copy of "Starship Troopers"

I still have it......

redrock

[redrock]

Time to bring it back......

redrock

[Roscoe]

Extraordinary writer.

"Those who refuse to support and defend a state have no claim to protection by that state. Killing an anarchist or a pacifist should not be defined as 'murder' in a legalistic sense. The offense against the state, if any, should be 'Using deadly weapon inside city limits,' or 'Creating a taffic hazard,' or 'Endangering bystanders,' or other misdemeanor." -- Lazarus Long

[redrock]

Time to renew.....

redrock

[redrock]

"The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire."

My favourite quote.....

redrock

[alligator]

I am not sure, but wasn't it Rober Heinlein that said "an armed society is a polite society". If it wasn't him, then I need to give credit to the correct person because I have quoted that one many times.

[redrock]

That is one of Heinleins.....

redrock

[Brytani]

"An armed society is a polite society"

Stupidity cannot be cured with money, or through education, or by legislation. Stupidity is not a sin, the victim can't help being stupid. But stupidity is the only universal capital crime; the sentence is death, there is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.

Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.

Most people can't think, most of the remainder won't think, the small fraction who do think mostly can't do it very well. The extremely tiny fraction who think regularly, accurately, creatively, and without self-delusion- in the long run these are the only people who count...

brainpower is the scarcest commodity and the only one of real value.

A brute kills from pleasure, a fool kills from hate.

A committee is a life form with six or more legs and no brain.
An Elephant; a Mouse built to government specifications

Just a few of my favorites.

[JURB]

I am a fan of Heinlein's work for the most part, but his latter stuff...well...is execrable. Often, Stranger in a Strange Land is cited as his best work (as it caused quite a stir amongst the counter-culture); but, frankly, I found it rotten: boring, didactic, and morally suspect. Anything after that, aside from being bad fiction, is just plain creepy. Still, I think The Moon is a Harsh Mistress to be the pinnacle of Heinlein's talents and one of the best science fiction books of all time.

[Hazzardgate]

Heinlein is the man.....no doubt.

Big ol'pardox bump

[redrock]

ALL excellent quotes......

redrock

[redrock]

"The Moon is a Harsh Mistress"

One of my favourites.

redrock

[Lancey Howard]

I read everything Heinlein ever wrote. Mostly, I got them out of the school library but a few I bought as a teenager when they came out, like The Past Through Tomorrow which I got through the Science Fiction Book Club.

Funny that one of the books first mentioned by this article's author was Tunnel In The Sky - - it was always my favorite Heinlein book. (And it's not real easy picking a favorite Heinlein book.)

[Neanderthal]

"I am a fan of Heinlein's work for the most part, but his latter stuff...well...is execrable. Often, Stranger in a Strange Land is cited as his best work (as it caused quite a stir amongst the counter-culture); but, frankly, I found it rotten: boring, didactic, and morally suspect. Anything after that, aside from being bad fiction, is just plain creepy. Still, I think The Moon is a Harsh Mistress to be the pinnacle of Heinlein's talents and one of the best science fiction books of all time."

I agree with you on "Moon" and also somewhat on "Stranger." "Time Enough for Love" might be his best.

[JohnnyP]

I read "Have Spacesuit, Will Travel" about forty-some (yikes) years ago. I enjoyed it, but never read anything more of his.

[E Rocc]

Often, Stranger in a Strange Land is cited as his best work (as it caused quite a stir amongst the counter-culture); but, frankly, I found it rotten: boring, didactic, and morally suspect.

If you thought Stranger was "morally suspect" don't read Time Enough for Love or anything after it.....LOL.

Heinlein was simultaneously one of my main libertarian-conservative influences and my main agnostic influence. He espoused conservative principles without the priggishness, and libertarian principles without the naivety.

-Eric

[E Rocc]

One day, sent to the library as punishment (so much, he grinned to himself, for the intelligence of authority)

They used to do this to me in elementary school. Eventually the assistant principal wised up. >:(

-Eric

[Lancey Howard]

re: your post #9

I agree completely.
I barely made it through 'Stranger', but it was the book that transformed Heinlein, in the public eye, from a "young adult" author to a bona fide novelist who could make sci-fi palatable for adults by throwing a little sex in there.

As far as I'm concerned, books like Starship Troopers, Double Star, The Door Into Summer, Tunnel In The Sky, The Puppet Masters, Fifth Column, and a dozen or so more from that era were Heinlein's masterpieces. Most of his stuff after and including 'Stranger' didn't measure up, in my opinion.

[Swordmaker]

Heinlein is my spiritual father as well.

[Brytani]

As a side note, I have a cat named Pixel - we are just a little bit of Heinlein fans in this house. :-))