Unpublished Heinlein novel discovered

[Brian G Turner]

Unpublished Heinein novel discovered

The never-published manuscript for science fiction
legend Robert Heinlein’s first novel FOR US, THE LIVING
was found in a Seattle garage by Heinlein scholar Robert
James not too long ago, and issued recently by Scribner.
The NY Times notes admiringly, "Less a traditional
commercial novel than philosophical fiction, it has value
for its prophecies and for the light it sheds on Heinlein's
other books. One reason he refused to publish the novel
later in his career was that he used it as a source for ideas
and events that appeared in his subsequent work,
including ‘Stranger in a Strange Land,’ ‘Starship Troopers’
and the story ‘If This Goes On . . . .’"
NYT piece

 

[dwndrgn]

Re: Unpublished Heinein novel discovered

cool

 

[littlemissattitude]

Re: Unpublished Heinein novel discovered

What dwndrgn said.

Should be an interesting read. Actually, I think a lot of Heinlein's stuff was pretty philosophical in nature, even some of his more sensationalistic stuff, like "Farnham's Freehold."

 

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy]

Re: Unpublished Heinein novel discovered

I've heard of this novel and it ought to be interesting. There seems to be a lot of posthumus Heinlein turning up lately.

 

[nemogbr]

Re: Unpublished Heinein novel discovered

Should be interesting to read

 

[laznlor]

Its a great book. It really is just social commentary with a thin veil of novel on top of it, but still lots of fun. For those who don't like being given very detailed descriptions of how to fix the economy, maybe don't read this one. Its kind of like Heinlein does Rand.

 

[tobl]

Can anyone please tell me the publisher?

 

[j d worthington]

Scribners hardbound, Pocket Books pb. You can find it fairly easily at most used bookstores here, and get it online for very little (I've seen it for under a dollar (used) in fine condition....

 

[NirgalW]

Just know that this book should probably be the last Heinlein book you ever read if you want to be a completist. It is fully explained in the forewords that this is an unfinished story. It will only be an entertaining read to those who are into Heinlein enough to want an insight to his early writing style and to see some of the bones of his style before they were perfected. (And it's obvious they weren't yet)
And yet, I've read worse - and recently.

 

[Catsitter]

I've just read this one as I found my local library had it. It would have needed a lot of reworking to be publishable while Heinlein was alive. As stated above, more of an economic tract than a novel. There isn't even an explanation of how exactly the main character came to be in the situation he is in, and to my mind the utopia is just asking for a dark side to be unearthed (for instance, a visit to "Coventry"). I find it very interesting to see that in those days RAH's utopia involved so much government control of the economy and everybody getting a state handout, given his later mantra of TANSTAAFL. Had to laugh at the alternate history of WW2, especially the Duke of Windsor coming back to Britain and insisting on leading the fight against the Nazis!

 

[AE35Unit]

Sounds interesting!