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.

[alfa6]

AU Contrair dear vannrox, one must have FEDERAL service which included the military to vote not just military service. A minor point but important.

Heinlein had some interesting thoughts on universal sufferage.
Mainly he was against it. It was his opinion that a person should have some degree of education in order to vote. I do not recall exactly where I read this but I will try to find the cite and pass it on to you.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[alfa6]

Thank you for the link to "This I believe". I read Farnhams Freehold when I was in High School, probably my junior year. A very intersting book. It was sort of a primer on how to survive the coming nuclear holocaust. It also had some overtones of Planet of the Apes as well. I am not sure of the publishing date off hand I suspect it was the early 60s though.
This type of book had an active niche market in the late 50's early 60's. as most folks were sure that we would have some sort of nuclear exchange with the Soviet hordes. Remeber the back yard fall out shelters?

Glory Road was also a book I read in High School, it was a good intro to the sword and sorcery genre. A genre I never really got into much.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[bribriagain]

Heinlein really took a bizarre turn with that novel. In fact, I found it so disturbing that I considered not reading anymore SF.

[MikalM]

Did you know that there is an actual "Church of All Worlds," based on the one founded by Smith in STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND? They just celebrated their 40th anniversary!

Their Website is here.

[BlazingArizona]

"Have Spacesuit, Will Travel" and "Friday" changed my life.

Megadittoes for, in my case, "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress".

[Tennessee_Bob]

I remember a short story about Heinlein from a few years back. Seems a senator/congressman in modern times was tired of all the money being spent on the space program, and his research pointed to Heinlein's fiction as having been one of the driving forces behind the push to space.

In order to stop this, he sends an operative back in time (through the use of a top secret project) in order to inoculate Heinlein on the Roper so he wouldn't get sick, and wouldn't write his sci-fi.

After the operative returns and reports success, they realize that the space program hasn't been destroyed, but has been strengthened a thousandfold. Orbital colonies, lunar colonies, and heading towards Mars and beyond.

Turns out that without the illness, now Admiral Heinlein stayed in the Navy, and used his imagination and pull to start a space program much earlier than originally, and continued the push into space.

I wish I could remember who wrote it, and the name of it, but I thought it was an excellent story.

[xJones]

Heinlein really took a bizarre turn with that novel.

Something about the race warfare with cannibalism was rather disturbing. Also, the neutered first son. It was paranoid, IMO.

[Wonder Warthog]

"John Ringo's written a series of military science fiction novels ("A Hymn Before Battle", "Gust Front", and "Dance with the Devil") featuring troopers in mobile armor very similar to the "Starship Troopers" M.I. (!)"

Actually, I would say that Ringo's work actually surpasses Heinlein's (as far as the "mobile armor" concept--he goes Heinlein one or two better). Of course, Heinlein STILL takes the prize, as he devised the concept with science and technology concepts fifty years older than were/are available to Ringo.

Damn--I don't know how I am going to make it 'til the NEXT installment of Ringo's series comes out!!!!

[Wonder Warthog]

"I wish I could remember who wrote it, and the name of it, but I thought it was an excellent story."

I believe it was either written or anthologized by Spider Robinson. The "operative" was none other than William Proxmire (he of "Golden Fleece Award" infamy). Proxmire hated the space program--it took bucks away from his beloved social(ist) programs.

[FairWitness]

Bttt; will read later

[Redleg Duke]

Thanks, Sparta! Heinlein was and continues to be an inspiration.

His book, "Starship Troopers" is a basic text for anyone working on the "Digital Battlefield".

[Redleg Duke]

You really need to check your meds.

[Rodney King]

I don't have any. Perhaps I need to start taking them. Just kidding, I took back my comment which was made in haste after viewing just a few sentences.

[6ppc]

An honest politician is one who stays bought...paraphrased from one of his books. I think it was "The Man Who Sold The Moon"

[6ppc]

I know my folks freeked out when they read parts of the book.

LOL!!! My parents would have flipped if they knew what was in "Stranger in a Strange Land". I first read it when I was eight or nine years old! Obviously the small town Alabama librarian hadn't read it either! Would have been banned on the spot!

[VermiciousKnid]

Thank you for posting this. Heinlein truly was a giant.

I met him once, and he made me blush when he told me he liked my red hair. It's not every day a seventy-year-old man can make a seventeen-year-old girl blush!

His was the only celebrity death that has ever caused me to cry in earnest, and since I can no longer look forward to new works by him, I must content myself with the joy of passing his legacy on to my own kids in a few years. I hope they enjoy it as much as I always did.

Thanks again,
Regards,

[bribriagain]

Exactly. This is the guy who had provided the guideposts for the future that, in essence, freaked out. Now, what he depicted may come true in Africa...

Let's talk about "The Stars, My Destination", and the perseverance of mid westerners to succeed under the most adverse conditions.

[Redleg Duke]

Okay. Sorry I snapped, but I was taken aback by your comment when Starship Troopers is such a glaring indictment of what liberals and commies take as the holy grail!

Even Ronald Reagan was initially a Democrat!

[bribriagain]

Well, you seem to be a student of past and important SciFi, so, let's talk.

A.E.Van Vogt "World of Null A" was brilliant; but the E.E. Doc Smith saved many science dweebs from the world of boredom and other fates.