Which Heinlein book should i read next????

[bcl62]

My name is Blake and I am a 21 year old college student in Philadelphia. I love to read books for pleasure, however i am not an avid science fiction reader. Putting this aside, i decided to read Stranger in a Strange Land, the Uncut edition and i must say that it is one of my favorite books i have ever read. I know there are a lot of Heinlein works out there, so i am asking for your suggestions on which one to read next. I was thinking about JOB: A Comedy of Justice, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, The Man Who Sold the Moon, Tunnel in the Sky, or I Will fear no Evil. To tell you the truth, i have read many forums and have seen a lot of varying opinions. Please give me some suggestions on what Heinlein work i should read next, and please give a brief explanation why. Thanks a lot and i hope to see some responses in the near future.

 

[j d worthington]

I think that (though it has grown on me over the years -- which, according to some, means I seriously need my head examined ) I'd put I Will Fear No Evil at the bottom of the list, actually. I'm gathering that Stranger is all you've read so far, so I'd suggest either The Man Who Sold the Moon, which is some of his classic shorter works (and one short novel) and part of his Future History series, or The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (which is tangentially connected to same).

If you'd like to read the stories in The Man Who Sold the Moon in context, pick up a copy of The Past Through Tomorrow. That, along with one story from MWStM ("Let There Be Light--", left out of PTT), Orphans of the Sky, and Time Enough for Love covers the series as originally envisioned. (The Number of the Beast, The Cat Who Walks Through Walls, and To Sail Beyond the Sunset are also part of that series, continuing the timeline further and tying together many of Heinlein's disparate stories, but not necessary, though -- with the exception of NotB, which puts most people off -- quite enjoyable.) Job is an excellent book in its way, but quite different ... however, it may be more to your taste after Stranger, with its biting satiric edge.

Personally, The Man Who Sold the Moon would be my choice, as it introduces you to several of the concepts that Heinlein returns to frequently, as well as beginning the larger series as a whole... if you like it, you'll probably enjoy the rest of the series; if not, then you won't have a massive tome sitting around unread....

 

[Pyan]

Concur, jd - and if you would like to try what were originally written as juveniles, bcl62, though none the less enjoyable for that, my suggestions would be Have Space-suit - Will Travel, or Tunnel in the Sky.

Oh, and don't expect Starship Troopers to be anything like the film - [SIZE=-1]Paul Verhoeven lifted the character names and the Bugs out of the book, and left practically all that was Heinlein behind.

[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]though it has grown on me over the years -- which, according to some, means I seriously need my head examined

Shows what the loss of neurons can do - very sad!

 

[j d worthington]

Concur, jd - and if you would like to try what were originally written as juveniles, bcl62, though none the less enjoyable for that, my suggestions would be Have Space-suit - Will Travel, or Tunnel in the Sky.

Oh, and don't expect Starship Troopers to be anything like the film - [SIZE=-1]Paul Verhoeven lifted the character names and the Bugs out of the book, and left practically all that was Heinlein behind.[/SIZE]


Shows what the loss of neurons can do - sad!

My only caution about the juveniles is that, as enjoyable as they are as single novels, when read in order as a series, they take on extra dimensions... like his Future History, you see a broader tapestry, and it's really quite an impressive achievement. And, no... the film and the book of Starship Troopers are nothing alike...

 

[Pyan]

Pantheistic Solipsism Rules, RAH, RAH, RAH!

-on a t-shirt I once saw and have coveted ever since !

 

[j d worthington]

Ummmm... you'll note I tactfully ignored the latter part of your earlier post....

Yes... and if you get such a t-shirt... tell me where I can get one!

 

[Pyan]

Ummmm... you'll note I tactfully ignored the latter part of your earlier post....

Ooohhh - the tempation to use the "edit" button on that post, and really confuse things!

 

[chrispenycate]

Um - do you think there are enough potential takers that we could get that T-shirt reprinted (most of Heinlein's work has been)

If he's chewed through "Stranger", and enjoyed it, probably not a short story person? I'd go for Mike and "the moon's a harsh mistress, myself.

The idea of reading "Time enough for love" without having read "Methusela's children" seems very odd to me; sort of like buiding a house from the roof down (which is, of course, how one builds a space elevator)

And I quite enjoyed the number of the beast; more so in fact than the cat who walked through walls (no disparagement of our own trans-mural feline intended, evidently)

 

[j d worthington]

Um - do you think there are enough potential takers that we could get that T-shirt reprinted (most of Heinlein's work has been)

If he's chewed through "Stranger", and enjoyed it, probably not a short story person? I'd go for Mike and "the moon's a harsh mistress, myself.

The idea of reading "Time enough for love" without having read "Methusela's children" seems very odd to me; sort of like buiding a house from the roof down (which is, of course, how one builds a space elevator)

And I quite enjoyed the number of the beast; more so in fact than the cat who walked through walls (no disparagement of our own trans-mural feline intended, evidently)

Well, I put Time Enough for Love in with the rest of the Future History stories, and after The Past Through Tomorrow, which has Methuselah's Children in it. It's the capstone of the series, as Heinlein originally saw it, I think...

And I also liked Number of the Beast quite a bit... but most people I know did not; quite the contrary. As for The Cat Who Walks Through Walls... I did enjoy that one, and with it having part of the novel connected to The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, it would be best to read the latter first, then Cat, I think...

 

[Pyan]

The end of The Cat.... distressed me somewhat when I first read it - I think it was the difference from most of RAH's other work, which ends at least on a positive note, if not exactly always happy.


(I think I'll have to find my old syntax alarm, wot Paige gave me!)

 

[Razorback]

Although I am a big Heinlein fan, it has been a long time since I read most of Heinlein’s work. As I recall, Time Enough for Love and I Will Fear No Evil were 2 of my favorites.

 

[j d worthington]

Although I am a big Heinlein fan, it has been a long time since I read most of Heinlein’s work. As I recall, Time Enough for Love and I Will Fear No Evil were 2 of my favorites.

I think that a lot of people found I Will Fear No Evil irritating because the bulk of the book is spent dealing with (apparently) sexual shenanigans that the situation provides. While it does indeed do so, it is also exploring through that various levels of relationships, what it means to be a person of either sex, what love actually is (how to define the different types)... a lot of other things that aren't normally Heinlein territory (one might think, until looking through his other books a bit more carefully ... it's there, it's just not in the foreground, so to speak, except for Stranger, until after I Will Fear No Evil, when it became one of his major themes). Time Enough for Love had much the same effect because of some of the aspects of sexuality he was looking at... and a lot of people feel he doesn't handle the subject well to begin with. I'd agree that he wobbles a fair amount on that one. However, I think people forget how much humor, irony, and satire are directed toward these things in a lot of his work, too. He's saying some serious things, but he doesn't mind taking a poke at himself along the way, either... or lampooning (though showing it baldly) a lot of the stereotypical male attitudes, for that matter.

 

[bowerbird]

-on a t-shirt I once saw and have coveted ever since !

Hey! for YEARS now every time one of those door to door religion salespeople knock on MY door I have told them that I am a member of Solipsistic Society of Puritanical Perfunctory Panthiests!!

They usually back away slowly at that point

 

[bowerbird]

I would concur with the others about "Moon is a harsh mistress" but it REALLY depends on what aspect of Heinliens work you liked the most. Remember RAH was really about taking our preconceptions and shaking them until we had rethought everything we take for granted.

 

[Razorback]

I think that a lot of people found I Will Fear No Evil irritating because the bulk of the book is spent dealing with (apparently) sexual shenanigans that the situation provides. While it does indeed do so, it is also exploring through that various levels of relationships, what it means to be a person of either sex, what love actually is (how to define the different types)... a lot of other things that aren't normally Heinlein territory (one might think, until looking through his other books a bit more carefully ... it's there, it's just not in the foreground, so to speak, except for Stranger, until after I Will Fear No Evil, when it became one of his major themes). Time Enough for Love had much the same effect because of some of the aspects of sexuality he was looking at... and a lot of people feel he doesn't handle the subject well to begin with. I'd agree that he wobbles a fair amount on that one. However, I think people forget how much humor, irony, and satire are directed toward these things in a lot of his work, too. He's saying some serious things, but he doesn't mind taking a poke at himself along the way, either... or lampooning (though showing it baldly) a lot of the stereotypical male attitudes, for that matter.

As I said, I read these a long time ago. They may have been the first Sci-Fi I read dealing with the adult subject matter as openly as they did. I also liked Heinlein’s sense of humor. The combination was a real winner for me at them time. They may not hold up well to a current reading, but I have many books to go through before I start re-reading old favorites.

 

[j d worthington]

Well, the only reason I put out the caveats is because most people who enjoy Heinlein in general tend to have some reservations about those. Though I Will Fear No Evil had to grow on me as a whole, I did always like the humor; Time Enough for Love has always been a personal favorite -- though there I also caution because it really is better read as the capstone of the Future History series (well, until The Number of the Beast, The Cat Who Walks Through Walls, and To Sail Beyond the Sunset took that particular series even further).

Also, something I should have mentioned earlier, in connection with Stranger: Red Planet, though one of the juveniles, has some connections with that novel, both thematically (certain aspects of the philosophies explored, especially in relation to the Martians and immortality) and concerning the milieu -- thematically, Red Planet (or certain aspects of it) can be seen as a prequel to Stranger, while chronoligically (within the story) Stranger is a prequel to Red Planet! Also, thematically (immortality) Beyond This Horizon also has some similarities to certain aspects of Stranger in a Strange Land as well. (And now, darn it, I want to go dig my Heinlein out of storage and reread them.... )

 

[Razorback]

I appreciate the caveats, j.d. Heinlein seems to be a writer that many readers either love or strongly dislike. Although I read a fair smattering of Sci-Fi as kid, I did not discover Heinlein until after college. My first was Stranger in a Strange Land. I liked it, but I was not overwhelmed. Next, I read Time Enough for Love, which hooked me on Heinlein. I have read several of his latter works, but only a few of his earlier ones. I have not read any of the Future History before Time Enough for Love. I intend to remedy that at some point.

 

[Liz Pf]

Man ... the work I had to go through to log in! You'd think I never joined a forum before ...

Hello, all. I'm Liz, SF fan from 'way back. DH is a fan, too, and a very active member of our local SF club.

I've been a Heinlein fan since sneaking into my parent's bedroom to read my Dad's copy of Moon is a Harsh Mistress. I have definite opinions on RAH (who doesn't?), but they tend to be a bit different from everyone else's.

Um - do you think there are enough potential takers that we could get that T-shirt reprinted

Consider it being done! Well, I'm not able to reproduce it exactly, because 1) I've never seen it; B) copyright law. But I am beginning a t-shirt shop featuring Heinlein-inspired designs, and I'll put this one in. Look for it in the next couple days.

If he's chewed through "Stranger", and enjoyed it, probably not a short story person? I'd go for Mike and "the moon's a harsh mistress, myself.
And I quite enjoyed the number of the beast; more so in fact than the cat who walked through walls (no disparagement of our own trans-mural feline intended, evidently)

I'd suggest Moon for the O.P. Job wouldn't be a bad choice if s/he liked the religious aspects, and I think Friday is also an excellent choice. I'd stay away from the earlier novels, though, as they are much more "traditional", hard SF. Lots of non-SF fans are drawn to Stranger because of the social and religious aspects; they would not enjoy, say, Red Planet.

Anyway, expect to see me around from time to time. As a Professional Polymath, and full time Mom who tries to emulate Heinlein's uber-capable Moms, I don't have enough time to chat often.

--Liz

 

[engelbach]

The Puppet Masters. The best story about pods taking over humanity. Great tongue-in-cheek, tough-guy style, a la Dashiell Hammet and Raymond Chandler. Memorable archetypal characters. True sense of horror. The pace is breathtaking. And it's not preachy like some of his tiresomely overlong later works.

 

[Liz Pf]

-on a t-shirt I once saw and have coveted ever since !

I didn't see my post come up yesterday, but I did design the t-shirt and put it up for sale ... I don't know if I can advertise here, though. I don't like marketing, but I do like design.