Born 1907 in Missouri
Died 1988 in California |
| Heinlein raduated from the United States Naval Academy and served in the Navy; he reached the rank of lieutenant before being discharged for pulmonary tuberculosis in 1934; he worked as an engineer in the Philadelphia Naval Yard during World War II. |
Heinlein began publishing short stories in 1939, selling "Lifeline" to Astounding Science Fiction; he was a part of John Campbell's stable of writers of the Golden Age of Science Fiction. He came to be one of the best-known American writers of science fiction.
Heinlein was the Guest of Honor at three World Science Fiction Conventions; he was the first winner of the Grand Master Nebula. |
|
| Style |
| He
demonstrated the way to incorporate scientific and cultural information
efficiently and unobtrusively into the development of plot and characters. |
|
| Thematic Concerns |
| Heinlein
was a right wing anarchist and libertarian, a conservative who developed a strong interest in free sex
in the latter half of his career. |
|
| Major Works |
Key
stories include:
- "Life-Line" (August, 1939)
- "If
This Goes On" (1940)
- "The
Roads Must Roll"
- "All
You Zombies"
|
A
prolific author, Heinlein wrote a series of well received juvenile novels,
and eventually invented a Future History series and set his stories in
this universe.
Heinlein's
juveniles include:
|
Key
adult novels include:
- Starship
Troopers (1959), a right-wing, but extremely
influential future war novel
- "Methusaleh's
Children" (1941) which introduces the Howard Family and their most long-lived
member, Lazarus Long
- Stranger
in a Strange Land (1961), his breakthrough novel and an underground classic; winner of
the Hugo
- The
Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1966), winner
of the Hugo
|
From
this point on, though increasingly popular, Heinlein's work deteriorates:
- I Will Fear No Evil (1970)
- Time Enough for Love (1973), more adventures of Lazarus Long
- The Number of the Beast (1980)
- Friday (1982)
- Job, A Comedy of Justice (1984)
Heinlein's
earlier novels are his best. I think he stopped being an entertaining
and interesting writer about halfway through Stranger
in a Strange Land except for a brief return to top
form with The
Moon is a Harsh Mistress. |
| |
|
| Further Exploration |
 InfoMarks (About InfoMarks) |
|
| Links |
|
| Sources |
| Pringle, David, and John Clute. "Heinlein, Robert A." The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. ed. John Clute and Peter Nicholls. New York: St. Martins Griffin, 1993. |
