Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Boroda on July 07, 2007, 11:11:14 AM
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Today it's 100 years to Robert Anson Heinlein.
One of the greatest authors of the XX century.
(http://foto.mail.ru/mail/soustov/u_96/i-229.jpg)
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Indeed. His "The Rolling Stones" introduced me to a life long enjoyment of Science Fiction.
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The first of his works I read was Stranger in a Strange Land. I thought it was pretty wild that a book like that was on the shelf in a High School library. It got me instantly hooked on his work and I've read everything I could get. I grieved at the announcement of his death in 88. I keep a few of his works and have read them repeatedly. I was very pleased to see Starship Troopers on the reading list for the Army's Command and General Staff College. There are no others like him though many try.
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Agreed Heinlein rocks (esp Stranger). Just discovered Edgar Rice Burroughs Mars series, which is nice light reading.
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grok.
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holy smoke I agree with boroda on something
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TANSTAAFL, a Heinlen invention but true none the less.
There
Ain't
No
Such
Thing
As
A
Free
Lunch
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"an armed society is a polite society, manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life"
Robert A. Heinlein
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He had a lot to say, and whats even more astonishing. So very much of what he said applies today more than ever.
RAH you opened many new worlds to my wondering eyes and wandering imagination.
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Originally posted by storch
holy smoke I agree with boroda on something
I`m getting a little concerned myself. :D
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Greatly enjoyed several of his books.
"The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" was very interesting.
If you liked RAH you MIGHT find L. Neil Smith's work enjoyable.
His book "Pallas" reminds me of some of RAH's work.
Also "The Probabilty Broach" was entertaining.
Hard to find though?
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When I was in H.S., I was "right over the hill" from where he and the Mrs. lived.
I knew the name of the general area they lived in. One Wed. AM I grabbed my Heinlein books (Starship Troopers, Friday, Stranger in a Strange Land, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress), skipped my AM classes, drove 'over the hill' and went looking for his name on a mailbox.
Found it, found the Mrs. doing yardwork, asked her if I could talk to him.
Mrs.: "Who are you, young man?"
Me: "A guy who thinks your Husband's books are some of the best I have ever read."
Mrs.: "Really? Well come with me."
Into his house I am taken, he's in his study, signs my books, asks why I am not in school (me: "I should be, but I needed a break, and I own all the freshmen who work the attendance office anyways so it's not like I will be missed", he laughed at that), and he proceeds to tell me about his days in the USN long ago.
I had no idea what a lucky punk I was until I related the story to Jerry Pournelle years later, and Mr. Pournelle 'enlightened' me.
A great guy, I can remember that day like it was yesterday still.
Mike/wulfie
p.s. John Carter of Mars series and Pellucidar series by Burroughs may be light reading for an adult...they are perfect reading for 10-15 year olds in my opinion. I found 'A Princess of Mars' in a classroom desk while bored in an english comp. class in Jr. H.S. and read it in 2 days, and never looked back. Great, great classic cliffhanger-action-etc. stories. The last 3-4 pages of a Princess of Mars is maybe the best cliffhanger ever written, no?
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Originally posted by wulfie
p.s. John Carter of Mars series and Pellucidar series by Burroughs may be light reading for an adult...they are perfect reading for 10-15 year olds in my opinion. I found 'A Princess of Mars' in a classroom desk while bored in an english comp. class in Jr. H.S. and read it in 2 days, and never looked back. Great, great classic cliffhanger-action-etc. stories. The last 3-4 pages of a Princess of Mars is maybe the best cliffhanger ever written, no?
Yes the ERB Mars are real classics. I have to keep reminding myself they were written around 1918. I'm currently onto the last one, the Mastermind of Mars. The funny thing is I got pointed to the Mars series by Heinlein's Number of the Beast (who is John Carter and Deja Thoris).
To be honest wuflie I am fully into audiobooks these days :) . Between working and gaming most of my spare time is driving so I always have a good book to listen to in the car, and a nice relaxing rest at night.
I have a 4Gb SD card and plantronics bluetooth headphones to use with my treo, settling down at night for a nice relaxing listen to the Princess of Mars :)
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Robert Heinlein
is good, but
Robert E Howard IMO is far far better.
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I'm re-"reading" 'Time Enough For Love' right now on my MP3 player when flying cross country, great stuff.
Another good "If you like Heinlein, you'll love X" book: "Buying Time" by Joe Haldeman. Very different from his other books, very entertaining.
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He was a brilliant man, who wrote some really stunning and timeless books.
It was a shame what they did with the movie version of Starship Troopers. :)
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I think the movie 'Starship Troopers' was fantastic. It was loosely inspired at best by the book, but it stands on its own well. A version that followed the book would be nice, of course.
The Puppetmasters, now, _that_ was unfortunate.
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Yes Starship Troopers (movie) had some very tongue in cheek moments.
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My dad bought me 'Starship Troopers' hardback when I was 10yrs old or so.. for my birthday.
It was my introduction to Science Fiction, opened worlds of ideas, I 'grok'
with the best of 'em :)
I got ahold of everything I could from Heinlein as a start.. just excellent stories.
-GE aka Frank
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Along with Grey Eagle, I started with Starship Troopers..as others have
stated, very good stuff. Think the last one I read was Friday...I know it's
still sitting on my shelf :)
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Heinlein's works are eminently readable, Howard's much less so, in my opinion at least. Howard's fantasy writing always seemed a bit ham-handed to me. Fritz Leiber's works are much more interesting and entertaining, especially his Fafhryd and the Grey Mouser series.
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I've used the word "grok" many times in conversations. Even at work and it's funny that I've never been questioned about it's meaning. Either they naturaly understand what I am saying or they must think I know a word that they don't and are afraid to look dumb. LOL
Happy B day Mr. Heinlein!