Off-topic, Heinlein

[David B. Fenske]

I have to jump in here, and relinquish lurker status for a moment.  All 
this talk of Heinlein and
sci-fi in general is interesting.  Heinlein is the first sci-fi writer I 
cut my teeth on way back when
I was in grade school, and that led to Arthur C. Clarke, Frank Herbert 
(Dune rules!), Tolkien,
Asimov, and others.  This also fit in with my love of early Superman/Batman 
comics.  So why,
I wonder, did I buy so many Disney comics as a kid, especially Uncle 
Scrooge and Donald Duck?
And WDCD?  US comics represented the majority of my Disney 
purchases.  Despite the occasional
sci-fi or space theme in Disney comics (loved how they can just jump in a 
backyard rocket and be in
space or at the moon in a few minutes), the Disney world is much different 
from your typical sci-fi
universe.  I guess it just says something about the pull of good stories 
and artistry... much of which
was coming from Barks, even though at the time I had no idea who he was.

At 02:16 PM 06/18/2001 +0200, you wrote:
>"Shelley Hanson/KlezmerAllThatJazz":
>
> > By the way, I hate the stuff Heinlein wrote at the end of his career. In
>my
> > opinion, the first half of "Stranger in a Strange Land" was vintage
> > Heinlein, which took a weird turn halfway through, and I never really
>liked
> > anything he wrote afterward.
>
>Weird, I agree on everything you write, but this, I love every single word
>he wrote, especially the ones after Stranger :-)

I thought SIASL was a fascinating book when I read it, but I think I was too
young to really appreciate what was going on.  I'm not sure I would enjoy it
as much now, as an adult, and have resisted the temptation to do a re-read
on the expanded edition.  This book showed what was ahead... as Heinlein's
later works, beginning with the dreadful "I Will Fear No Evil," (clearly 
some of
us differ over that one), seemed to become obsessed with adult themes.  Still,
I thought "Time Enough for Love" was a very good read.  I must admit I 
haven't read
any of the later ones, although I keep thinking I should give them a try.


>Kriton:
> >Although I've read "Stranger in a Strange Land", I can't say I was
> >particularly impressed. On the other hand, I'd recommend two of his later
> >books "Time Enough For Love" and "I Will Fear No Evil". I'd even go as far
> >as claiming that "Time Enough For Love" is one of the best SF books ever.
>
>That's where I got my nickname ("Lazarus Long", I don't use here) from,
>that's my favourite novel:-)

It's a shame they haven't done any good film adaptations of Heinlein's work.
"The Puppet Masters" lacked something, even though it followed the book.
I have yet to see "Starship Troopers," because it sounds like the gore and
special effects hijacked the story.

David Fenske


>--
>Sprea
>
>
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