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Dust off a seat and discuss a good book here...you do read, right?

Robert A. Heinlein

11 years ago

Robert Heinlein was one of the most influential science fiction authors in the 1950. His books often ran on into a political form, but a good amount of them are truly fantastic. Was wondering how many of you have read his books. 

My favourites so far have been:

Starship Troopers

Farnham's free hold

 

I liked Moon is a Harsh Mistress, though it was a bit over the top. It's ideas, although some nutty, but the general idea, TANSTAAFL- There ain't no such thing as a free lunch - Is something my father has been telling me since I was in the crib, so I found the book very fun.

And shut up Aman, I know you dislike Heinlein, but you're a commie XD

Robert A. Heinlein

11 years ago

Farmer In the Sky was the first book I read of his, basically just for the points it was worth in our school's reading program. I don't know how well it would hold up now but at the time I loved it, and years later when I was really getting into classic sci-fi it threw me for a loop coming across it again and realizing it was written by Heinlein, I hadn't realized he'd written kids books too.

 

Some of his politics were kind of a questionable but I have a huge respect for the man and the way he fought against racism. Like Ray Bradbury (another one of my favorites), some of the ideas he wrote about were so radical at the time he had trouble even getting them published without edits being forced on him.

Robert A. Heinlein

11 years ago

Yeah, apparently Starship Troopers gave him hell from eveybody, but I found nothing wrong with it.

It's funny that Farnham is science fiction's most 'Controversial Novel' (literally states that on the cover of my edition) when it shows how NOT racist the Main character is XD.

A likeable thing about his books is that, although the main character is a self-insert, Heinlein didn't believe himself to be some kind of godly, saintly or genius person, rather one of the common man, unlike other self-inserts.

Robert A. Heinlein

11 years ago

That's were your name came from! I was trying to figure that one out.

I haven't had the pleasure of reading any of Heinlein's works sadly.