ROBERT A. HEINLEIN (1907-1988) INSPIRED MANY OF TODAY’S SUPERVERSIVE AUTHORS. WE SPOTLIGHT THE MASTER STORYTELLER HERE.
How long had Robert been writing?
Robert began writing in 1939. His first story, “Life-Line,” was published in the action-adventure pulp magazine Astounding Science Fiction, edited by another SF/F legend, John W. Campbell. Service in the U.S. Navy from 1942-1946 put his writing career on hold, but he returned to the craft in 1947 with his first book, Rocket Ship Galileo. He continued writing up to shortly before his death in 1988.
By the time he was finished, Heinlein compiled nearly 40 published novels and dozens of short stories and non-fiction pieces. Many of his stories have been adapted to film, including: Destination Moon (1950), Space Cadet (Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, 1950), Project Moonbase (1953), The Puppet Masters (The Brain Eaters, 1959 & 1994), and Starship Troopers (2012) among others.
Why is Heinlein considered Superversive?
Because, as Tom Clancy once said of Heinlein: “What makes Mr. Heinlein part of the American literary tradition is that his characters do prevail. His work reflects the fundamental American optimism that still surprises our friends around the world. As Mr. Heinlein taught us, the individual can and will succeed. The first step in the individual’s success is the perception that success is possible. It is often the writer’s task to let people know what is possible and what is not, for as writing is a product of imagination, so is all human progress.”
To be honest, we can’t think of a better description of why Heinlein is Superversive than that.
How can readers discover more about Robert and his work?
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/robert-heinlein/ and on Amazon: Robert A. Heinlein
The Helicon Society 