Robert Heinlein

By Logan Wright

On May 8th, 1988, Robert A Heinlein died and the world lost the inventor of such words as “grok” and “waldo”. And really, that’s about all there is to say about him.

Just kidding. Heinlein was a science fiction giant, undoubtedly one of the most successful and capable science fiction authors ever. The first writer to really break into the mainstream, he helped science fiction transition from trashy pulp-fiction space westerns to new literary heights. His stories and novels repeatedly featured keen scientific and engineering knowledge as well as controversial and deep social themes.

His novel Starship Troopers, published in 1959, is perhaps the most hotly controversial piece of science fiction ever, and not just because of the horrendous 1997 film adaptation. A statement against anti-nuclear testing advocates, the novel earned him heaps of praise, the 1960 Hugo Award for Best Novel, and more than a few letters (mostly people that were really pissed off).

In 1961, Heinlein found himself with yet another Best Novel Hugo Award (suffice it to say he has a lot of trophies in his collection). Stranger in a Strange Land tells the story of a human raised by Martians who returns to Earth. Things like sexual freedom, the effects of organised religion, and libertarianism were key parts of the novel. Its sales escalated in the years after its release and it is now considered a cult classic and a sort of manifesto for the 1960s counterculture. Needless to say, he got a lot of thumbs-up, “groovy”s, and a lot more letters from people that were really pissed off.

And that’s just the first chapter. Heinlein, the rock 'n' roll of science fiction, continued writing books like a Beatles-hit-machine. Parents were so horrified by the controversial nature of his novels that they needed to confiscate them. Only then did they learn how addictive and enjoyable they are.

A top title from Heinlein:
Robert Heinlein, (2005), Starship Troopers, Hodder and Stoughton Paperbacks, ISBN: 0340837934

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