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| Author |
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| 25 new of 56 responses total. |
aruba
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response 20 of 56:
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Feb 19 04:58 UTC 1996 |
Someone told me that they made a TV miniseries (in Britain or Canada, I don't
remember which) out of Red Planet. I'd love to see that someday.
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mneme
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response 21 of 56:
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Feb 19 07:42 UTC 1996 |
From what I heard about Destination Moon, yeah, it deserved the treatment.
They had a rather insipid 5 part minisieries on US TV (animated) from Red
Planet.
My faves? _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_ is definately there, so is The Menace
From Earth and Podykayne and Double Star. Then mabye some of his other juvies.
Note that Double Star is itself a homage to the Prisoner of Zenda (the sequel
of which is pretty bad), just as the Roling Stones and Trouble with Tribbles
got the idea from the same source.
.s
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aruba
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response 22 of 56:
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Feb 19 14:17 UTC 1996 |
Sorry to hear the miniseries wasn't great. What was the source that The
Rolling Stones & Trouble with Tribbles got their idea from? (Not to imply
that there was only one plot in The Rolling Stones; the episode with the
flat cats is one of many.)
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mneme
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response 23 of 56:
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Feb 24 07:38 UTC 1996 |
Agreed that "the idea" refered to the idea shared between them, not the only
idea in The Rolling Stones.
Don't remember the source for the "fuzzballs that breed schtick;" think
it's in Expanded Universe, though.
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aruba
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response 24 of 56:
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Apr 3 13:16 UTC 1996 |
I just read "Waldo" and "Magic, Inc." Very old Heinlein; the copyrights in
the front ranged from 1940 to 1950. Not as good as some of his other stuff,
I think, but not bad. He's still the only writer that's been able to make
politics sound even remotely interesting to me.
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mneme
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response 25 of 56:
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Apr 9 22:18 UTC 1996 |
Make what? Waldo and magic Inc were nice; they were some of the first Heinlien
I read.
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aruba
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response 26 of 56:
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Apr 10 02:18 UTC 1996 |
(I'm sorry mneme, I don't understand the question.)
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bru
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response 27 of 56:
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Apr 16 15:50 UTC 1996 |
Have spacesuit, will travel. Great book
Waldo and magic inc.
Podkayne of Mars
Starship Troopers.
All were my introduction to SF
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mneme
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response 28 of 56:
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Apr 18 00:09 UTC 1996 |
aruba: for some reason, the first tim e I read #24, the line starting with
politics iddn't appear:( But his stuff isn't pure politics; more political
philosopy.
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aruba
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response 29 of 56:
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Apr 18 05:30 UTC 1996 |
Right, I agree. But mostly when I hear about politics in real life, I am just
disgusted and bored. But when Heinlein talks about it (I guess Double Star
is the best example, although characters play politics in Moon is a Harsh
Mistress and Stranger in a Strange Land, too), it sounds really exciting.
Double Star almost made me wish we had a figure like that main character in
our political system today.
I think Heinlein would have liked Ross Perot. :)
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aruba
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response 30 of 56:
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Jun 13 22:36 UTC 1996 |
I read "The Door into Summer" recently. A pretty good time-travel book, I
thought, if a bit predictable. Not a source of feminism, though.
I really like reading Heinlein when the world seems to be crumbling around me,
and people are acting in ways I can't understand. Heinlein knows *exactly*
how people will act (because he writes them), and he manipulates them out
the wazoo. It's delightful to see his heros cut through all the bullshit
of life and get their way in the end.
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otaking
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response 31 of 56:
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Dec 22 07:40 UTC 1996 |
What do you think of Heinlein's Future History series? The paperback omnibus
edition that collected several stories annovels introduced me to SF
stories.
I particularly enjoyed _Methuselah's_Children_ despite the fact that the
longer lifed people went to another star system with a magic box. Just
press the button and you're there.
Speaking of magic devices, has anyone read _Sixth_Column_, the novel where
some white guys fight off Asian invaders with a magic stick? Are magic
devices a trend in his SF?
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aruba
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response 32 of 56:
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Apr 28 15:03 UTC 1997 |
I'm working my way through all of Heinlein's works, and I finally got to
Sixth Column, so I can answer the above post. I thought it was pretty bad.
I was rather surprised at all the racial slurs Heinlein throws around; in a
number of other books he very deliberately makes the point that racism is
stupid. But Sixth Column was written in 1941, and I guess tensions were
high...
I can't think of many "magic devices" other than the two you mention, Mike.
I mean, there's lots of times when people encounter forces they don't
understand, but not too many times when they pull a rabbit out of their - uh -
shorts and win by virtue of it. Often Heinlein's stories are about how
humans can use their wits to out smart other humans; about how one can use
one's mind to overcome obstacles. (And often his villians act really
stupidly, which is always a disappointment.)
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angelj
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response 33 of 56:
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Jan 12 05:47 UTC 2001 |
What would everyone suggest as a good next book of Heinlein's for someone
who's read Starship Troopers and Stranger In A Strange Land? I loved them
both, but can't decide what to read next. I tried just a random one I picked
up at the library (green hills of earth) and couldn't get into it..
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scott
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response 34 of 56:
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Jan 12 12:19 UTC 2001 |
Generally the older ones are better than the most recent ones.
"The Puppet Masters" is pretty good.
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jep
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response 35 of 56:
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Jan 12 14:30 UTC 2001 |
"Starship Troopers" and "Stranger in a Strange Land" are two of
Heinlein's four novels which won the Hugo Award. The other two were
"Double Star" and "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress".
"Starship Troopers" was published in 1958, I believe, and "Stranger in a
Strange Land" was published in 1961. Other books published around the
same time were "The Door Into Summer", "Have Space Suit -- Will Travel",
"Farnham's Freehold" (one of Heinlein's most forgettable books in my
opinion), and "Glory Road".
The two you mentioned feature Heinlein in his most didactic voice.
(Those who criticize them say he sounds like a preacher.) He preaches a
lot in "Farnham's Freehold", "Citizen of the Galaxy" (one of my
favorites), and "Time Enough For Love", and in many of his other books,
too.
"Starship Troopers" was the last book he wrote intended as part of his
series of juvenile novels. Other Heinlein juvenile novels include
"Rocket Ship Galileo", "Between Planets", "The Red Planet" (which has
the same Martians as "Stranger in a Strange Land"), "Have Space Suit --
Will Travel", "The Star Beast", "Podkayne of Mars", and "Citizen of the
Galaxy".
If you can find a copy, Alexei Panshin's "Rite of Passage" is written in
the same style as Heinlein's juvvies, and is fully as good as *any* of
them. (That there is high praise from me, as Heinlein was
unquestionably my favorite science fiction writer.)
"The Green Hills of Earth" is a collection of short stories, part of
Heinlein's "Future History". Most of the collection of short stories is
available as "The Past Through Tomorrow", and he has some novels set in
the Future History as well. I'd go back and try again. Some of those
stories are brilliant, outstanding, and extremely influential among
science fiction writers.
That ought to get you started.
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angelj
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response 36 of 56:
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Jan 16 21:41 UTC 2001 |
"green hills of earth" was the other one I've tried. I could get into it...
But I'll try some of those you suggested. Thanks.
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janc
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response 37 of 56:
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Jan 17 15:12 UTC 2001 |
"Moon is a Harsh Mistress" is definately where you should go next. "The
Puppet Masters" is also a good choice.
"I Will Fear No Evil" and "Time Enough for Love" represent the start of
his escape from editors and his descent into self-indulgence, but still
have some redeeming virtues.
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jep
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response 38 of 56:
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Jan 17 18:59 UTC 2001 |
Heinlein's book "Stranger in a Strange Land" was the first one of his
which was released "in unabridged form" by his widow after he died. She
touted it as 50% longer, and containing a treasure trove of great
additional story parts. I'd agree it's 50% longer... I cite it to
people as an example of just how much an editor can do for a writer,
even a terrific writer like Heinlein. Read the original published
version, not the uncut version.
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aruba
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response 39 of 56:
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Sep 8 23:06 UTC 2003 |
Re #37: (If I can RE a post that is 2.5 years old) I honestly couldn't find
anything at all worthwhile in "I Will Fear No Evil". It just went on and on
and on, and nothing happened.
Re (jep) - how do you know the Martians in Red Planet are the same as the
ones in Stranger in a Strange Land? There's an oblique reference to a
Martian insurrection of some sort in "The Rolling Stones", so I figured that
that book and Red Planet were in the same universe. But the grandmother
character in The Rolling Stones also appears in THe Moon is a Harsh
Mistress, so by that logic, THe Moon is a Harsh Mistress and Stranger in a
Strange Land would be in the same universe. Not sure if that makes sense.
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jep
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response 40 of 56:
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Sep 9 00:12 UTC 2003 |
Heinlein is best known for the "Future History", but there are shared
events throughout his other works as well.
The actual "Future History" was revised for consistency, but works
outside of it still include some of the shared history and shared
events. "The Rolling Stones", "Stranger in a Strange Land", "The Red
Planet", "Between Planets", "Podkayne of Mars", "The Rolling Stones",
and "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" all contain references to what I've
always regarded as the same Martians. "Double Star" might, too. But
there are inconsistencies between the Martians in some of these stories.
"Moon" is probably a Future History story, and maybe so is "The Red
Planet". "The Rolling Stones" is probably not. "Stranger" is
certainly not, but it's set in what the Future History calls "the Crazy
Years". "Double Star" is not part of the Future History. "Podkayne of
Mars" is very close to "Between Planets". Either could be regarded as
a Future History story, or not a Future History story.
"Stranger" and "Red Planet" refer to neophyte Martians. Both have
Martians who cause people and objects to disappear, and also
have "sharing water" ceremonies. The relationship seems very clear to
me. I think "Red Planet" was written in 1952. Heinlein claimed to
have plotted "Stranger" around that time, then packed his notes away
and waited a decade to finish writing it because he didn't think anyone
would buy it in 1952. So that timing could be regarded as more
evidence.
But when it all comes out, Heinlein was a commercial writer. He wrote
what sold, and wasn't always hobbled by consistency. Even his works
intended as part of the Future History don't always jibe. Why should
they?
Some of his works outside of it are clearly related, but also quite
clearly not part of it.
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aruba
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response 41 of 56:
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Sep 9 21:56 UTC 2003 |
Well, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and The Rolling Stones share a character,
so they are definitely in the same universe; I don't remember anything which
made me think they were in the Future History. I think the Martians in
Between Planets are decidedly different from those in Red Planet; I can't
remember what they were like in Podkayne of Mars.
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jep
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response 42 of 56:
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Sep 10 14:24 UTC 2003 |
The Martians never appear in "Podkayne of Mars" but they were described
as a tired old race, much like they were in "The Rolling Stones"
and "Between Planets", and for that matter, "Double Star". I think
they were the same Martians but viewed from different perspectives
in "Red Planet" and "Stranger in a Strange Land".
I think it's arguable whether "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" is part of
the Future History. It's not inconsistent with it, or not very much
so. The Moon was never mentioned as a penal colony anywhere else in
the Future History as far as I can remember. It probably would have
been in such short stories as "The Menace From Earth" and maybe "It's
Great To Be Back". Harriman's Luna City isn't the predecessor for Luna
City from "Moon/Harsh Mistress". But then, the moon in "Moon/Harsh"
doesn't seem like the moon in "The Rolling Stones", and *they* share a
common character. The underground tunnels of "Moon" are very much the
same as those in the Future History.
Events from a number of stories which are undeniable Future History
stories never had any effect on other stories in the series (the anti-
gravity developed in "We Also Walk Dogs", for one example). There are
other inconsistencies in the Future History. That's why I find it hard
to exclude such stories as "Moon/Harsh" from it on the basis of a few
inconsistencies.
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dbratman
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response 43 of 56:
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Sep 17 06:36 UTC 2003 |
"_I Will Fear No Evil_ ... just went on and on and on, and nothing
happened."
Try _Time Enough for Love_. It goes on even longer, but some
interesting things happen. This is one really long, bad book with not
one but several pretty good, short books trying to get out.
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aruba
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response 44 of 56:
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Sep 19 13:25 UTC 2003 |
I've read most everything else by Heinlein, and am saving Time Enough for
Love for some time when I need a reward. I should say, I think I've read
everything else except To Sail Beyond the Sunset, The Cat Who Walked
Through Walls, and Grumbles from the Grave. I did read The Number of the
Beast, which was such a big waste of time (except for the last chapter),
that it turned me off of reading most of those later ones.
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