What is your Favorite R.A. Heinlein Book?

[erik_blank]

OK, so apparently for over a YEAR now, I have been putting some of my favorite quotes from RAH in my sig, only to finally have some one point out to me that I had been MISSPELLING his name for all that time. I have to say that not only was I shocked that I had miffed this badly, but I was also pleased to see many (rightly) angry fans out there of my favorite Sci-Fi author of the mid 20th century. In fact, I often attribute one of his works as the source of my getting interested in fencing in the first place through his book: Glory Road
So I am just wondering if other RAH fans out there in this group also see themselves slightly in the role as Oscar Gordon? What are your Favorite novels/novellas of his?
My top picks are:

1. Glory Road
2. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
3. The Past Through Tomorrow (a compilation of his short stories)
4. and of course the book that spawned college courses in an attempt to Grok the universe: A Stranger in a Strange Land

[Hattrick]

Methuselah's Children

An incredible Book even today. heck it was penned in 1941, before spaceflight, and has a great storyline. the howard Fam and the basic ideas of eugenics and the haves and have nots.
Faster than light Travel... and the first appearance of Lazarus Long!



Starship Troopers Love the book disliked the movie... where was all of the Exo Armour and "on the bounce" has a whole different meaning.

[erik_blank]

Methuselah's Children

An incredible Book even today. heck it was penned in 1941, before spaceflight, and has a great storyline. the howard Fam and the basic ideas of eugenics and the haves and have nots.
Faster than light Travel... and the first appearance of Lazarus Long!



Starship Troopers Love the book disliked the movie... where was all of the Exo Armour and "on the bounce" has a whole different meaning.

I agree about Methusela's Childeren (it is included in the Past Through Tomorrow compilation) and I LOVE Laz Long (no, not in THAT way...). Did you ever catch any of the animated Starship Troopers series that came out a little after the (nearly blasphemous) movie? I only caught a few episodes, but it seems to be MUCH more faithfull to the original story line presented by RAH in the book.
And since we are on movies based on RAH works, there is also The Puppet Masters that just creeped me out for a while when I read the book, but even Donald Sutherland couldn't save the movie for me. Too many liberties with the original text for my liking.

[Hattrick]

Did you ever catch any of the animated Starship Troopers series that came out a little after the (nearly blasphemous) movie? I only caught a few episodes, but it seems to be MUCH more faithfull to the original story line presented by RAH in the book.

Never Saw it... but than again I was overseas at the time.. Might have to see if I can dig it up somewhere.

[Westley]

Stranger in a Strange Land. I think I read it in the 1970's. It was considered to be a sort of cult classic, and everyone was interested in knowing more about the Stranger [it could have been a Publishers gimmick to call it that - on the Heels of Albert Camus' "The Stranger"] - But once we all digested that the main characters Grok, it became an unpleasant book. And here's a rational: young readers, wanting to stand up for the "Stranger" and his new culture would pretend to appreciate Groking like sheep; while in reality something as common and clean as cremation is still not widely accepted. It was the authors intention to try to rationalize a radical and new way of disposing of the dead. When we really think about it for a minute, the Earth could use a new way of disposing of the deceased rather than burying everything in the ground which probably causes pollution and disease. I would opt for cremation on the grounds that we need to save more land as well as keep things clean. The Grok theory didn't hold up over time.

The whole book was not about what we do with the dead, It's a great book, and it's just as great today as it was in the 70's. Sorry.

I have seriously about 20 of his books and I've read a decent amount-Rumbles from the grave is a must for any Heinlein Fan ,btw.

[erik_blank]

Stranger in a Strange Land. I think I read it in the 1970's. It was considered to be a sort of cult classic, and everyone was interested in knowing more about the Stranger [it could have been a Publishers gimmick to call it that - on the Heels of Albert Camus' "The Stranger"] - But once we all digested that the main characters Grok, it became an unpleasant book. And here's a rational: young readers, wanting to stand up for the "Stranger" and his new culture would pretend to appreciate Groking like sheep; while in reality something as common and clean as cremation is still not widely accepted. It was the authors intention to try to rationalize a radical and new way of disposing of the dead. When we really think about it for a minute, the Earth could use a new way of disposing of the deceased rather than burying everything in the ground which probably causes pollution and disease. I would opt for cremation on the grounds that we need to save more land as well as keep things clean. The Grok theory didn't hold up over time.

I am glad to see that you enjoyd the book. I personally believe that it is one of his masterworks, and is on of those books that moved me from my adolecent thinking into a more adult frame set.
I am a bit puzzled about your interpretation of the major theme of the book. This really is a messia book, with an outsider comming in to save a beleagured flock from themselves. My personal take was that the book, like many of his more adult oriented books, takes a hard look at religion and belief systems, at what people believe and why.

[Philistine]

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is mine.

{snip}
My top picks are:

1. Glory Road{snip}

Have you read it recently? I have to say that I reread it in the past couple of years (after probably 20 years or more) and was quite disappointed--I remembered liking it quite a lot when I first read it.

--Philistine

[erik_blank]

Glory road: Yes, I did recently re-read it. much to my relief I still enjoyed it. I have to admit that some of the ideas were dated, but that's OK. It was a nice trip back to my HS days, and I was in need of some nostaligic escape at the time.

[EdGardner]

Orphans of the Sky I liked alot.

I prefer his earlier stuff to his later stuff.

[Mergs]

I have all of his books (about 30 at last count, but are currently in storage), including some of the trash that his wife and son published after his death (Friday, etc) that were basically unfinished manuscripts that he didn't think could be or needed to be published.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, followed by Stranger, followed by Time Enough for Love.

[erik_blank]

I think that you may be mistaken about Friday. I remember reading it in HS which was about 4 years prior tohis death.

[oiuyt]

Another vote for The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.

-B

[fatfencer]

Farmer in the Sky.

One of his best I think. The main character was about my age at the time I read it so it resonated with me.

Great read and definitely one I'd say influenced me. It really was a very memorable novel.

I think I'm going to read it again.

Books like this and Ender's Game are my fave


FF

[BrianH]

Glory Road, Harsh Mistress, Time Enough, in that order.

My son as a pre-teenager loved Have Space Suit Will Travel.

[erik_blank]

I am constantly amazed at how much RAH has seaped into my psychie. While driving into work, one of the news stories sparked a memory of the short stories Blowups Happen and then immediatly after that The Green Hils of Earth. I think that the story had something to do with either nuclear power plants or mathematics. either of those topics will key these stories for me.

[parrythis]

While I thoroughly enjoyed "The Past Through Tomorrow", it is "Glory Road" that got me hooked, not only on Heinlein, but on Sci-Fi in general, so it is my favorite. Favorite chapter - the one about the Igli.

[Goofy]

The Day After Tomorrow (aka Sixth Column)
Starship Troopers

[Simaraon]

Sorry, 'twas I who noticed your signature block..

Though I hadn't noticed the wrong initial - that was someone else.

Anyway,

Of his juvenile novels I really like:

1.Citizen of the Galaxy
(Dedicated to Fritz Leiber, who rocks!)
2. Tunnel in the Sky
3. Have Space Suit Will Travel
4. The rest in any order...

Of the novels which are halfway between:

1. Starship Troopers
(No relation to the film - thank heavens)

[No other novels in this category]

Other novels:

How can you pull them apart, since they are all linked, like James Branch Cabell's 25 books about Manuel? IMHO Cabell is one of America's greatest ever exponents of the English language - with George Santayana a close second - oops - I forgot Mark Helprin who is the greatest living US writer, and I don't give a damn about why some people don't like his politics...

1.Time Enough For Love
(Relies upon Methuselah's Children, which is almost juvenile)
2. Number of the Beast
(Brilliant ideas from a mind starting to become less strong)
3. Stranger in a Strange Land
4. All the rest are intertwined, and don't try to pretend otherwise!

Oh, and damn... I do like Moon is a Harsh Mistress too, but partly because it's a very good political novel with some good hard scifi thrown in - I think some of the British new wave political scifi guys were totally influenced by MIHM.

Thanks for your thread Mr Blank

[erik_blank]

Sorry, 'twas I who noticed your signature block..

Though I hadn't noticed the wrong initial - that was someone else.

I'm Glad that you found it. I was able to fix the issue and through the magic of the forum it is as if I never had it wrong in the first place!

Anyway,

Of his juvenile novels I really like:

1.Citizen of the Galaxy
(Dedicated to Fritz Leiber, who rocks!)
2. Tunnel in the Sky
3. Have Space Suit Will Travel
4. The rest in any order...

Citizen of the Galaxydefinately a good one and as others had mentioned, I have to put a good strong vote behind Orphans of the Sky.
[quote=Simaraon;625686]Of the novels which are halfway between:

1. Starship Troopers
(No relation to the film - thank heavens)

[No other novels in this category]

Other novels:

How can you pull them apart, since they are all linked, like James Branch Cabell's 25 books about Manuel? IMHO Cabell is one of America's greatest ever exponents of the English language - with George Santayana a close second - oops - I forgot Mark Helprin who is the greatest living US writer, and I don't give a damn about why some people don't like his politics...

1.Time Enough For Love
(Relies upon Methuselah's Children, which is almost juvenile)
2. Number of the Beast
(Brilliant ideas from a mind starting to become less strong)
3. Stranger in a Strange Land
4. All the rest are intertwined, and don't try to pretend otherwise!
[\quote]

I was always pleased whenever RAH pulled in characters from his past novels in cameos and other mentions. I even remember Orphans getting referenced in Time enough for Love. Although I think he went a bit overboard in The Cat Who Walsk Through Walls. I loved the story, but the name dropping was a bit rough at times...

Oh, and damn... I do like Moon is a Harsh Mistress too, but partly because it's a very good political novel with some good hard scifi thrown in - I think some of the British new wave political scifi guys were totally influenced by MIHM.

Thanks for your thread Mr Blank

Your Welcome! I'm so glad to see other RAH fans surviving in the land of the Fencers!

[Simaraon]

Do you think the Fencing.net group know that Heinlein actually did know a little about fencing? Fenced with his squad at Annapolis, part of US Navy training? Did okay. Hung with some other scifi writers, all of whom fenced a little, or a lot...

People who knew Heinlein who also fenced include:

Poul Anderson
Fritz Leiber
Alfred Bester
L Sprague de Camp
TH White (wrote Once and Future King)
Roger Zelazny

and quite a few more.

A few Hugo and Nebula Awards amongst that lot...