What is your favorite book? (Robert A Heinlein)

[Beamer]

My favorite book by RAH is The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, however I really liked most of his books especially the juviniles like Tunnel in the Sky, Starman Jones, and Rocketship Galileo. I always liked Glory road too.

 

[richrock]

Gotta say my favourite 'book' is Friday. Don't know why, I guess I liked the adventure and it was my first 'big' scifi book I remember reading. My favourite story by RAH is the one about two scientists working out how to do cold light - the title escapes me, and finally 'The Roads Must Roll'.

My 2p worth.

 

[j d worthington]

Gotta say my favourite 'book' is Friday. Don't know why, I guess I liked the adventure and it was my first 'big' scifi book I remember reading. My favourite story by RAH is the one about two scientists working out how to do cold light - the title escapes me, and finally 'The Roads Must Roll'.

My 2p worth.

The story would be "'Let There Be Light--'", and it was collected in The Man Who Sold the Moon story collection... though, oddly, left out of The Past Through Tomorrow (at least all editions I have seen)....

 

[Mundering]

Heinlein had a great ability to put some very adult material in his kids books.
My favorite will always be Glory Road. Scar Gordon was a true pulp hero, with perhaps the best definition of the Viet Nam war as I've ever seen.

I will confess, I don't think Robert was a great author, but he is my favorite writer.

 

[j d worthington]

Just a suspicion of mine, but... from my reading of literature from various periods, in various fields, and looking at what is happening with Heinlein currently in many places (even, to some degree, in the U.S.), I've a feeling that Heinlein is well on the way to entering a period of eclipse... but I also have a strong suspicion that he will emerge from such to achieve a permanent, wider, but more critically-balanced, status....

 

[Connavar]

Eclipse? he is still widely read for older SF writer, he has more books in print than most SF authors. Thats the important thing for me. About his ability as a wrtier same with many critics who say he is an influential storyteller i think he is great as a storyteller,not the best at writing word for word. Among the greatest storytellers i have read genre or no genre. Despite his Hard SF writing,knack for idelogies his stories are always something.

As fan only thing important to me that he will be around for many more decades. Critics wise he is more unbalanced hailed,almost overrated as pioneer of modern SF. So i too hope he gets more balanced acclaim without overdoing it.

 

[Fried Egg]

It probably varies depending on where you are in the world but Heinlein is definitely in eclipse here in the UK. He has two or three books in print but I know quite a few people who read a little SF who've never even heard of him. I hadn't even heard of him myself until relatively recently.

I have some doubts too whether he will ever be more widely held in high regard...partly because many of his books haven't dated too well and I don't think time will do those any favours.

 

[Connavar]

It probably varies depending on where you are in the world but Heinlein is definitely in eclipse here in the UK. He has two or three books in print but I know quite a few people who read a little SF who've never even heard of him. I hadn't even heard of him myself until relatively recently.

I have some doubts too whether he will ever be more widely held in high regard...partly because many of his books haven't dated too well and I don't think time will do those any favours.

It depends alot on where you are, over here he has huge classic status that only Clarke,Asimov can compete with. Simpsons joked about ABC of SF in Asimov,Bester,Clarke but over here if you read SF you know which 3 are ABC of older SF.

I think American genre classics are stronger here than the british. In school you get to read mostly british fiction but library,bookstores is american dominated.

Being not dated well is not a real problem if people know who you are, Wells is horribly dated and he is mainstream classic whose books are everywhere. Critically acclaim i dont care really cause it depends on if the author is American or Brit which side of the atlantic it is. When it comes to readership it what makes you stay alive as readable,classic author in a genre.

About books being in print the world is much smaller these days, i mean Heinlein has always several of his in new paperbacks in the bookstores does it matter if they are from US or UK when you buy it ? You can say as a brit he is less known there. But from my POV,the american POV you can buy 20-30 of his novels in brand new paperbacks. Thats better than many new SF authors,let alone other old SF authors.

 

[Fried Egg]

About books being in print the world is much smaller these days, i mean Heinlein has always several of his in new paperbacks in the bookstores does it matter if they are from US or UK when you buy it ?

Well, that's the point. If you go into most bookstores, you will be lucky if you see more than one or two Heinlein books. Okay, on Amazon (that shows American imports) you will see a lot more, but it is indicative of the fact that Heinlein is held in comparatively less regard here in the UK than elsewhere.

Mind you, it is probably true for most authors of classic American SF. With the exception of the likes of Asimov, Dick and perhaps one or two others, you will be lucky to see more than one or two books by any classic American author of SF (in a British book store).

 

[Connavar]

Well, that's the point. If you go into most bookstores, you will be lucky if you see more than one or two Heinlein books. Okay, on Amazon (that shows American imports) you will see a lot more, but it is indicative of the fact that Heinlein is held in comparatively less regard here in the UK than elsewhere.

Mind you, it is probably true for most authors of classic American SF. With the exception of the likes of Asimov, Dick and perhaps one or two others, you will be lucky to see more than one or two books by any classic American author of SF (in a British book store).

Maybe because its two markets who are fighting for the same shelf space when it comes to SF. Here we can choose the top of both places when it comes to popularity,sales. That is why i buy new versions of my fav SF older authors to be sure the publishers see there are still readers for them. Thats how they stay alive and not get out of print,forgotten.

Hehe not strange you might find Dick novels in stores since Gollancz has 10+ of his novels in print in SF Masterworks,plus his short story collections,other books.

 

[Fried Egg]

Hehe not strange you might find Dick novels in stores since Gollancz has 10+ of his novels in print in SF Masterworks,plus his short story collections,other books.

It's not just the Masterworks editions that are in the book stores, there are quite a few other publishers printing his books. He is probably the most popular American classic SF author in Britain.

 

[Connavar]

It's not just the Masterworks editions that are in the book stores, there are quite a few other publishers printing his books. He is probably the most popular American classic SF author in Britain.

Yeah i have seen since i started reading SF he has gotten more published both in US and UK since im a big fan and check out the different publishers,choices i have.

I think its because unlike Heinlein and co PKD was not so big in his own life time, you can see his publisher history that many of his famous books now were not in print a decade ago. Like many authors called visionary it took alot of time for him to get more mainstream,acclaimed.

 

[Virtuous]

Starship Troopers. Without a doubt.

Don't get me wrong, TMIAHM is a very clever book that starts off as a gentle commentary on society, grows into a political intrigue, and then even has some exciting smashy-smashy later on. And Heinlein's depiction of a reporter's voice from the Deep South is spot on - perhaps harkening back to his Twainian inspirations.

But back to Starship Troopers. As a veteran myself, I can attest to the astonishing realism in the way Heinlein presents routine military life, and the world-view of your typical soldier. He served a few years in the USN and it shows in the details. And never have I come across a better description of the fear inside a recruit's heart. Quoting from memory, Johnny Rico's recollection of meeting Sergeant Zim, his chief instructor in basic training:

"Now," said Zim, "Anybody here think they got what it takes to knock me down?"
There was a profound silence to which I contributed.

Genius, I think.

I'm also one of the lucky ones who saw the movie Starship Troopers BEFORE I read the book, which means I'm able to appreciate both works of art on their own merits. But I think that's another line of discussion...

 

[johnmarsh]

my favorite book is The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is my really great book

 

[Hober Mallow]

Well, I have read SiaSL, Starship Troopers, Revolt in 2100 and Methuselah's Children...in that order. I liked SiaSL but found it a little confusing. I disliked Starship Troopers for the didactic writing style and endorsement of corporal punishment. I thought Revolt in 2100 was okay and I liked Methuselah's Children. I'm currently reading The Puppet Masters (very good, so far). I intend to read next (in order) Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Friday, Time Enough For Love.

My favorite so far would have to be a toss-up between Methuselah and Puppet Masters.

 

[J-Sun]

My favorite Heinlein book is pretty easy: The Past Through Tomorrow. My favorite novel is harder. As far as HardScienceFan's four year-old question, I have an additional theory: the juveniles do vary, but they're mostly so good and mostly so close together that it makes it very hard to pick just one. If you asked people what their favorite chunk of Heinlein was - stories, juveniles, other novels - I bet it'd be pretty even but with a lot more people picking 'juveniles' than pick a specific juvenile as their single favorite.

-- Oh, and here in the US in 2011, Heinlein's not in any kind of eclipse I can see.

 

[nightdreamer]

Old thread, but I have to throw in my comment. Have Space Suit - Will Travel. Nothing else even comes a close second. I see a lot of people have named Stranger in a Strange Land. I recall that being a moderately interesting read at the time, but I'm not really sure it had much to say. It seems to me that his later works got weirder and weirder while having less and less that spoke to me. I'll stick to his juveniles.

 

[Catswold]

Glory Road, without doubt. Heinlein's personal twist on fantasy.

One of my favorite commentaries of all time:

“What did I want?

I wanted a Roc's egg. I wanted a harem loaded with lovely odalisques less than the dust beneath my chariot wheels, the rust that never stained my sword,. I wanted raw red gold in nuggets the size of your fist and feed that lousy claim jumper to the huskies! I wanted to get up feeling brisk and go out and break some lances, then pick a like wench for my droit du seigneur--I wanted to stand up to the Baron and dare him to touch my wench! I wanted to hear the purple water chuckling against the skin of the Nancy Lee in the cool of the morning watch and not another sound, nor any movement save the slow tilting of the wings of the albatross that had been pacing us the last thousand miles.

I wanted the hurtling moons of Barsoom. I wanted Storisende and Poictesme, and Holmes shaking me awake to tell me, "The game's afoot!" I wanted to float down the Mississippi on a raft and elude a mob in company with the Duke of Bilgewater and the Lost Dauphin.

I wanted Prestor John, and Excalibur held by a moon-white arm out of a silent lake. I wanted to sail with Ulysses and with Tros of Samothrace and eat the lotus in a land that seemed always afternoon. I wanted the feeling of romance and the sense of wonder I had known as a kid. I wanted the world to be what they had promised me it was going to be--instead of the tawdry, lousy, fouled-up mess it is.”

Isn't that what we all secretly wish for . . . a return to the wonder and innocence of childhood rather than the harsh realities of day-to-day life? Isn't that the escape that our genre of literature is all about?

 

[j d worthington]

Old thread, but I have to throw in my comment. Have Space Suit - Will Travel. Nothing else even comes a close second. I see a lot of people have named Stranger in a Strange Land. I recall that being a moderately interesting read at the time, but I'm not really sure it had much to say. It seems to me that his later works got weirder and weirder while having less and less that spoke to me. I'll stick to his juveniles.

While I don't agree with you about his later work (in my view it is quite different, even more didactic than the earlier work, but often very good in its own way -- though frankly if you read a fair amount of Heinlein, it is only the development of certain aspects which had been there all along)... nonetheless, I am also very fond of his juveniles (with the sole exception of Rocket Ship Galileo, and even that has some good points). I think, if I were to pick one of those, I might go for Citizen of the Galaxy myself as being one of the best.

By the way... have you ever read Jack Williamson's essay on Heinlein's juveniles ("Youth Against Space: Heinlein's Juveniles Revisited")? He, too, felt these were Heinlein's best work....

 

[Catswold]

While I don't agree with you about his later work (in my view it is quite different, even more didactic than the earlier work, but often very good in its own way -- though frankly if you read a fair amount of Heinlein, it is only the development of certain aspects which had been there all along)... nonetheless, I am also very fond of his juveniles (with the sole exception of Rocket Ship Galileo, and even that has some good points). I think, if I were to pick one of those, I might go for Citizen of the Galaxy myself as being one of the best.

By the way... have you ever read Jack Williamson's essay on Heinlein's juveniles ("Youth Against Space: Heinlein's Juveniles Revisited")? He, too, felt these were Heinlein's best work....

One of my all time favorite books is his Red Planet (one of my earliest SF reads).