Stranger in a strange blog
Robert Heinlein, the great science fiction writer, was born 100 years ago this month. A nice commentary in the Wall Street Journal offers some insight into this talented man, and raises some of the issues I've wrestled with as I read -- with great enthusiasm -- his many books over the years.
Heinlein's earliest works, like "Rocket Ship Galileo," "Double Star," "Between Planets," were "boys books," written for, well, boys like me.
His more serious works, written later, examined social and cultural issues in great detail, and with great wit. He flirted with leftist politics as a young man, but became an icon of American libertarians in his later years. I never bought into the whole libertarian catechism -- I still laugh at the recollection of a friend who once described libertarians, with a snort, as "Republicans who smoke dope."
But that never detracted from my great enjoyment of Robert Heinlein's work. Now that I've been made aware of his centennial, I may just pull some of those volumes off the shelves and give them another read.
Comments
Great article. I didn't know anything about Heinlein before reading this. I'll definitely pick up one of his books.
Science fiction is one of the few genres that is engaging young male book readers. Thank heavens, as the NEA's "Reader's at Risk" study shows, few members of this age group are showing an interest in books anymore. Given how that has such a profound effect on their future education and contributions to society, articles like this restore my faith that that won't always be the case.
The Bee recently ran an article on the Fairness Doctrine, which likened blog and talk radio to Orwell's mention of hate talk in his book, "1984." It strikes me that this is yet another example of how science fiction uniquely informs our world.
Thanks for the Heinlein shout out. I know I learned about a great new writer today.
Many thanks!
~C
Posted by: Cindy Wathen | July 28, 2007 9:23 AM