Between 1940 and the 1960s, Robert Heinlein and a few others took a trashy pulp literature called Science Fiction and turned it into the first uniquely American literary form. Optimistic, forward-looking and adventurous, SF (never "SciFi") quickly became the only workable literature for exploring ideas and possible futures. And Robert Heinlein was the universally acknowledged Master.
Heinlein would have turned 100 today. If you haven't already done so, you might want to pick up one of his Hugo-winning novels: The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, Stranger in A Strange Land, Starship Troopers or the quiet masterpiece Double Star. Or any of a dozen others like "The Door Into Summer", "Citizen of the Galaxy", "Tunnel In the Sky", "Glory Road" or "Time Enough For Love." If you read just one short story of his, you could do no better than "The Green Hills of Earth" in the collection of the same name.
I met Mr Heinlein once a long time ago. They don't make 'em like that any more.
Oh, and write Library of America and ask them why they don't have any Heinlein in their collection.
Posted by Kevin Murphy at July 7, 2007 07:07 AM | TrackBack