Saturday, July 07, 2007
Happy 100th
Today would have been Robert Heinlein's 100th birthday. Heinlein was a huge influence on me as a young writer, probably second only to Isaac Asimov. Even though some of his later works got a little strange, I still think he was one of the best ever. It's too bad he died "young." I would have liked to have seen what he might have come up with had he lived.
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4 comments:
I especially enjoyed Heinlein's novella "By His Bootstraps."
My favorite of the old pulpsters was Henry Kuttner, who also died rather early. I think he'd burnt out on SF and was recharging his batteries at the time. Makes me wonder what sort of stories he might have written -- with CL Moore, probably -- had he lived a couple of decades longer. But that's the stuff of SF, isn't it? What if...
Robert Porter
I'm afraid his writing went downhill toward the end. At least for me. He seemed to get stuck on a theme. I can only take so much free love and writing from a female POV that became increasingly weird.
One of the greats of science fiction, no doubt. Stranger in a Strange Land turned me into a science fiction fan for life.
Robert, Did you know there were two versions of "By his Bootstraps"? In one version,one of the incarnations of the lead character decides to break the cycle. This is in an anthology that I bought years ago and is under his Anson McDonald pseudonym.
Heinlein is my biggest influence.
The best, to me, was "Door into Summer".
I have to agree with Marva. Beginning with Stranger, he started a long slide. The moon is a harsh mistress is the last really great one. Virginia is supposed to have written much of Stranger.
J, I wish I had read you blog yesterday, so I could have raised a glass in a toast to the Master.
Check out the Spider Robinson Novel that he wrote from Heinlein's outline - it's pretty good.
i agree w/ keith...door into summer is an enchanting read. wouldn't it be something if we were remembered in 2069/70? that'd be a hoot ;)
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