Comments on: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress http://heliologue.com/2007/04/01/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/ Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:16:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: psikeyhackr http://heliologue.com/2007/04/01/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/#comment-222761 psikeyhackr Sun, 03 Apr 2011 06:07:04 +0000 http://heliologue.com/blog/2007/04/01/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/#comment-222761 Jules Verne and H.G. Wells are called fathers of science fiction. Of course Mary Shelley beat them both with Frankenstein and so was the mother of science fiction. Heinlein is said to be the Dean of science fiction. . Jules Verne and H.G. Wells are called fathers of science fiction. Of course Mary Shelley beat them both with Frankenstein and so was the mother of science fiction.

Heinlein is said to be the Dean of science fiction.
.

]]> By: Demonz http://heliologue.com/2007/04/01/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/#comment-67192 Demonz Wed, 11 Apr 2007 20:48:12 +0000 http://heliologue.com/blog/2007/04/01/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/#comment-67192 <blockquote>The works of Heinlein will never cease to amaze me</blockquote> His books are pure joy, and I can never stop reading them.

The works of Heinlein will never cease to amaze me

His books are pure joy, and I can never stop reading them.

]]> By: Demonz http://heliologue.com/2007/04/01/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/#comment-67191 Demonz Wed, 11 Apr 2007 20:47:18 +0000 http://heliologue.com/blog/2007/04/01/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/#comment-67191 The works of Heinlein will never cease to amaze me The works of Heinlein will never cease to amaze me

]]> By: Patrick Shepherd http://heliologue.com/2007/04/01/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/#comment-63326 Patrick Shepherd Wed, 04 Apr 2007 13:56:22 +0000 http://heliologue.com/blog/2007/04/01/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/#comment-63326 I just wish Hollywood <i>had</i> renamed that movie to something else, like BUGS ATTACK, rather than keep Heinlein's title, as the movie does serious damage to the ideas Heinlein was trying to present in that book. I just wish Hollywood had renamed that movie to something else, like BUGS ATTACK, rather than keep Heinlein’s title, as the movie does serious damage to the ideas Heinlein was trying to present in that book.

]]> By: S4R http://heliologue.com/2007/04/01/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/#comment-63077 S4R Tue, 03 Apr 2007 23:29:31 +0000 http://heliologue.com/blog/2007/04/01/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/#comment-63077 I'm suddenly surprised that Starship Troopers isn't also a Hollywood renaming of that book's title. I’m suddenly surprised that Starship Troopers isn’t also a Hollywood renaming of that book’s title.

]]> By: Ben http://heliologue.com/2007/04/01/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/#comment-62984 Ben Tue, 03 Apr 2007 17:23:17 +0000 http://heliologue.com/blog/2007/04/01/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/#comment-62984 Bwhahahaha! I'm surprised you haven't heard of it: it's a limey author. I was expecting you to respond to my forthcoming review with an "Oh, I read that five years ago". Bwhahahaha! I’m surprised you haven’t heard of it: it’s a limey author. I was expecting you to respond to my forthcoming review with an “Oh, I read that five years ago”.

]]> By: Rusty http://heliologue.com/2007/04/01/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/#comment-62982 Rusty Tue, 03 Apr 2007 17:09:32 +0000 http://heliologue.com/blog/2007/04/01/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/#comment-62982 Damn you, Ben. Damn you, Ben.

]]> By: Ben http://heliologue.com/2007/04/01/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/#comment-62952 Ben Tue, 03 Apr 2007 12:47:37 +0000 http://heliologue.com/blog/2007/04/01/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/#comment-62952 Have you read Fforde's <cite>Thursday Next</cite> series? If not, you'll have to add it to your list as well when I review <cite>The Eyre Affair</cite> within the week. Have you read Fforde’s Thursday Next series? If not, you’ll have to add it to your list as well when I review The Eyre Affair within the week.

]]> By: Rusty http://heliologue.com/2007/04/01/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/#comment-62933 Rusty Tue, 03 Apr 2007 10:18:25 +0000 http://heliologue.com/blog/2007/04/01/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/#comment-62933 *sigh* So that's another one to add to my list then... *sigh* So that’s another one to add to my list then…

]]> By: Patrick Shepherd http://heliologue.com/2007/04/01/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/#comment-62652 Patrick Shepherd Mon, 02 Apr 2007 14:50:15 +0000 http://heliologue.com/blog/2007/04/01/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/#comment-62652 TMIAHM is possibly Heinlein's best book; it at least ranks up there with Stranger in a Strange Land, Starship Troopers, and Time Enough for Love. Perhaps the main reason for this is that it is <i>not</i> just an adventure novel: the political and social scene that he sets is very much integral to the plot, and provides a great alternate look at how such things could be done, instead of what the American scene is now. Whether things like his described line marriage are actually workable models for living in practice is a point that can be debated almost endlessly; unfortunately there aren't any real-world examples that I know of that you could point to and say "yes that worked" or "No, that has never worked in real life". But that really wasn't his point - like most such ideas in his works, he was trying to shake up his reader's world view, make them question the status quo. Which applies doubly to the political comments in this work. Prof's musings on how to organize a government that cannot tyrannize its citizens makes for some excellent brain-fodder, and should lead to some sharp questions put to any potential candidate for office in our real world. Any writer of sf today owes a severe debt to RAH, as his ideas and style helped pull sf out of the pulp ghetto of the thirties and forties, and back into the world of worthwhile reading (not 'literature' - RAH had some very caustic opinions about 'art for art's sake'). And as you say, any reader of sf should read at least something by this man, just to see how it can be done. TMIAHM is possibly Heinlein’s best book; it at least ranks up there with Stranger in a Strange Land, Starship Troopers, and Time Enough for Love. Perhaps the main reason for this is that it is not just an adventure novel: the political and social scene that he sets is very much integral to the plot, and provides a great alternate look at how such things could be done, instead of what the American scene is now. Whether things like his described line marriage are actually workable models for living in practice is a point that can be debated almost endlessly; unfortunately there aren’t any real-world examples that I know of that you could point to and say “yes that worked” or “No, that has never worked in real life”.

But that really wasn’t his point – like most such ideas in his works, he was trying to shake up his reader’s world view, make them question the status quo. Which applies doubly to the political comments in this work. Prof’s musings on how to organize a government that cannot tyrannize its citizens makes for some excellent brain-fodder, and should lead to some sharp questions put to any potential candidate for office in our real world.

Any writer of sf today owes a severe debt to RAH, as his ideas and style helped pull sf out of the pulp ghetto of the thirties and forties, and back into the world of worthwhile reading (not ‘literature’ – RAH had some very caustic opinions about ‘art for art’s sake’). And as you say, any reader of sf should read at least something by this man, just to see how it can be done.

]]>