Robert A. Heinlein: A Biographical Sketch

The Heinlein Society ^ | 1999 | Bill Patterson

[Sparta]

Robert Anson Heinlein was born on 7 July 1907, in Butler, Bates County, Missouri, the third son of Rex Ivar Heinlein and Bam Lyle Heinlein. At the time of Robert's birth, the family had been living with his maternal grandfather, Alva Lyle, M.D. A few months after Heinlein was born, his family moved from Butler to Kansas City, Missouri, where he was to grow up, but Heinlein vividly recalled the summers spent with Grandfather Lyle until his death in 1914.

[Little John]

...... My Favorite short story is "The Green Hills of Earth".....

"...Green Hills...." was the first sci-fi book I ever purchased or read ..... ..... it was the first my daughter ever read ..... and she recently asked me if I still had the book as she wants it to be the first her daughter reads .....

Actually, Green Hills was the title of a paperback compliation of short stories that cost either a quarter or maybe $.35 back then. They also used to print two books back to back for about that price ..... lots of Andre Norton animal-sidekick stories.

FWIW, I bought Stranger from the sci-fi Bookclub and may well have a first edition ...... gotta look for it soon.

Regards

[Shooter 2.5]

Green Hills of Earth is the name of the short story in the book, Green Hills of Earth. I may be wrong about the story, though. The short story that I liked was the one that opened up with an Admiral's ship carrying a single coffin with a Geiger Counter reading in the red. The story then backtracked to what happened to cause it. It's a very moving story of sacrifice.

[Quietly]

Even though I only like his juvenile books (his adult fiction, with all its incest and libertinism and irreligion and speechifying, leaves me cold), I consider RAH to be the best science fiction writer of all time, and I am a better person for having read him in my youth.

My take exactly. I loved Heinlein in my youth, but as time went on and he kept writing, I found myself more and more uninterested and eventually just turned off. I tolerated Asimov for considerably longer, but eventually got tired of his "message." But they both got me reading SF, and while I'm no longer a SF fanatic, I still enjoy good SF as much as any good literature. I credit these two with that.

[Pablo64]

Bump to finish reading later.

Thanks for posting this. Although I don't agree with some of his personal philosophies, Heinlein is without a doubt my favorite SciFi author. I have been slowly trying to build a complete collection his works.

[Brett66]

He managed to reduce Cronkite to a state of spluttering indignation at the suggestion that women should have been included in this mission.

Does anyone have a link to these comments? I would love to see what he said.

[slohand]

I have been reading Heinlein for over 35 years. Over and over.
Double Star, Glory Road, Starship Troopers and all L. Long stories I feel are the best. Reading Expanded Universe is what
started me on the road to leaving libdems.

[JenB]

Bear, didn't you remember that I think Heinlein's the greatest science fiction writer of all time? I almost missed this!

[JenB]

I noticed both of you have read John Ringo's excellent military SF novels and wondered if you have looked over Sluggy Freelance, the online comic that Ringo makes allusions to several times in his last book - you know, that stuff with Bun-bun?

[VermiciousKnid]

Ender's Game is an excellent book, and I recommend it. The sequels (I believe there are 5) are not as good, but still interesting reading.

Another book fans of Heinlein might find enjoyable is Steel Beach, by John Varley.

Regards,

[Doc On The Bay]

"......the Commie Traitor......" Mr Heinlein DESPISED "Communism" Completely! Anyone who doesn't understand this Fact lacks the "Intellectual Acumen" to Criticize Him! "RAH" Created & Defined MOST of the "Values & Goals" of our Species' "Reach For The Stars!" IF we persevere, "RAH" will, one day, be Revered as a Prophet of Legendary Wisdom! Doc

[VermiciousKnid]

All of the Future History books are available from Amazon.com.

The Past Through Tomorrow

Time Enough For Love

If you want to read the ENTIRE saga, you'd have to do a LOT more reading, and pick up

The Number of the Beast

The Rolling Stones

The Cat Who Walked Through Walls

and Stranger In A Strange Land

You have to do all this reading because the final book of the saga, To Sail Beyond The Sunset includes characters from all those novels (and may even include others I've forgotten about at the moment).

In any case, they are all available, and I wish you happy reading! (Oh, how I wish I could go back and read them all again like the first time...I envy anyone who can still do so.)

Regards,

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

I'm sorry! I was going to apologize on the HH for not pinging you to this, but instead I'll apologize here.

I have no excuse! All I can offer in explanation was that I was too busy trying to get Rose to read it. :)

[Rodney King]

Yes, I corrected myself later in the thread. Sorry.

[Rodney King]

Yes, I corrected myself later in the thread. Sorry.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

By the way, I just finished reading "Fallen Dragon" by Peter Hamilton. In addition to featuring a credible updating of the powered battle suit, it was a pretty good read!

[VermiciousKnid]

Thanks for the family bio. Robert Heinlein was a brother of Oscar Heinlein, my maternal grandfather.

Get out of town! RAH was your uncle? Did you ever get to meet him, and if so...tell us...what was he like?

Regards,

[JenB]

Have not read that book. John Ringo does a great power suit. Try "A Hymn Before Battle", won't you? It's really, really great.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

I don't think "Fallen Dragon" is out in paperback, yet. I will look for "Hymn Before Battle", thanks!

[BOBWADE]

PING

[steve-b]

That was "The Long Watch".