Best Robert Heinlein novel?

[Vince W]

My favourites are Space Cadet and Starman Jones. The first two ‘real’ science fiction novels I ever read.

 

[JunkMonkey]

Given that I find him all but unreadable these days I will have to fall back on my childhood memories.

Of his 'Juveniles' - the first 'Grown up' (I know) SF books I read - I think Have Space Suit, Will Travel is the one I remember with most fondness. I haven't read it for 50 odd years and I still get the feeling of 'possibility' it gave me when I think of it. I will never read it again because I suspect I will hate it as much as loathed just about everything else of his I've reread. That memory is precious to me. I don't need it ruined.

 

[Parson]

I will never read it again because I suspect I will hate it as much as loathed just about everything else of his I've reread.

"Loathing" everything you've re-read sounds like more than having a matured understanding and appreciation of the art of literature than you had as a youngster. Can you say more? Perhaps his view of human morals?

 

[JunkMonkey]

"Loathing" everything you've re-read sounds like more than having a matured understanding and appreciation of the art of literature than you had as a youngster. Can you say more? Perhaps his view of human morals?

Without getting into politics, which ain't allowed around here, not really - I can read past the dated sexism and racism (to an extent) as being a product of his time. All I will really say is I find his gun-owning, anti-governmental, libertarianism attitudes utterly repugnant.

 

[Parson]

Without getting into politics, which ain't allowed around here, not really - I can read past the dated sexism and racism (to an extent) as being a product of his time. All I will really say is I find his gun-owning, anti-governmental, libertarianism attitudes utterly repugnant.

Thank you. This is what I thought, although I would have guessed more the dated sexism/racism than the libertarianism. I don't remember much of either of them in Have Spacesuit Will Travel. But the Lazarus Long "universe" was certainly rife with that.

 

[AE35Unit]

Lazarus Long is a brilliant character. I loved those books

 

[JimC]

" I think it reckless to assume he endorsed ideas merely because he put so much effort into the writing and the building of that character".

Ginny was fussing about that one day and I said, "Haven't they heard about peddling books"?
She responded, "Hmmf, you got that right".

It was a sore subject with her.