This article takes me back, as I enjoyed reading Heinlein and Asimov as a teenager. For those wanting a SF recommendation, "The Expanse" series is a wonderful read.
I have never been a fan of Science Fiction, or Fiction as a genre for reading, and yet you held my attention with your essay Max. Admittedly however, what I found most interesting is that you grew up with four older brothers. Maybe you could write about what that was like one day. I had two older brothers, and that was enough for me, believe me. I did grow up to love them both, eventually. ;-)
For those of us who love Robert A. Heinlein (before and after he went on his nudist, free-love tangent), I highly recommend the two-volume biography by William H. Patterson, Jr. Available on Amazon. Heinlein was an amazing man with an amazing life (and wife) and Patterson does a great job bringing his life alive.
At one time I owned EVERY paperback that Heinlein ever published. I also owned everything that Andre Norton, Isaac Azimov, the entire "Lensman" series by EE (Doc) Smith, Marion Zimmerman Bradley and others that escape my memory. Sadly all were destroyed beyond recovery when my basement flooded. I still have at least a hundred hard backs by Anne McCaffery, everything she ever published, and some others. So, yeah, I get where you are coming from. By the way, do you play World of Warcraft? If so send me your battle tag and I'll send you a friend request. If you don't play, yet, try it.
I turn 70 this year. I still read SF. Baen, the publisher of some of Larry Correia’ works, his seems to have gone less down the road to political correctness. Baen publishes a mix of fantasy, hard science fiction, and a mix of both. I especially like the writing of David David Weber. His Honor Harrington series is a good mix of bashing oatmeal-brained leftist ideas while holding up an extraordinary and exceptional woman as a protagonist. Her birth on a heavier-than-earth world, together with some genetic tinkering in her ancestry allows Honor to physically and successfully compete against her male counterparts. She despises the peace now at any cost loonies in her universe. Other Baen authors are worth a look. Many of them are military veterans so political correctness isn’t in the vocabulary. See Michael Williamson’s Freehold series or Tom Kratman’s Carrera series mercilessly pillory Leftist doo-da attitudes.
I still have my father’s collection of all the Astounding and Analog issues from the late 1930’s through the mid ‘60’s that he left me. Wouldn’t part with it for the world. Well, maybe a million bucks. They’re inextricably tied to my childhood memories. In 8th grade home room one of our reading assignments was Tunnel in the Sky (Heinlein’s answer to Lord of the Flies). Good juvey stuff. Great home room teacher.
One point you didn't mention. Heinlein's novel _Citizen of the Galaxy_ was written as part of his "juveniles" series. So, the target audience was teenagers, middle school to high school. My own sense is that very little contemporary YA fiction is anywhere near as sophisticated as CotG.
This is a very good point, William. The same with so-called "hard-boiled" mysteries. John D. MacDonald's wonderful "color" series has both male and female characters in their 20s and 30s who are ADULTS, not people who can stay on Mommy's insurance until they are 26 because "their brains are not fully developed yet." The infantilization of each successive generation after The Greatest One has proceeded apace. It's not a good trend.
Terrific column, Max. I'm getting to your offering a bit late today. Had appointments that I could not miss.
Since I grew up in Phoenix in the 50s, and early 60s, I spent at least a thousand summer afternoons in my room, made habitable by the swamp coolers used in those days. Reading books from the library on McDowell and Central was the only survivable pastime.
I loved Robert Heinlein. I think that "Have Space Suit Will Travel" was the first of his novels that I consumed. One of my favorites (I'm sure you won't be surprised) was "Starship Troopers." Airborne!!
I hated the movie that they made of that great book. Ironically, the technical advisor on that Film was Captain Dale Dye, USMC (Ret.). He also worked on "Platoon," "Saving Private Ryan," "Band of Brothers," and "Pacific." It's 'ironic' because Cpt. Dye eventually founded Warriors Publishing Group, (recently re-located from California to Texas). It was WPG that published my own science fiction type novel, "Archangel of Sedona."
I do note one important fact. Back in the 50s, we expected to be traveling around the solar system by now. I guess we were overly optimistic. It seems that moving humans safely away from Earth is lot tougher nut to crack than our best minds estimated. Bringing them back alive is important too!
Without someone who cares (like Elon Musk), nothing gets done. He's jumpstarting the space program.
I loved the book "Starship Troopers" as well, but I skipped the movie based on the previews and some reviews, from which I knew it wasn't going to follow the book. A movie based on that book has yet to be made. And like a lot of Heinlein books, it could be a great movie.
I admire Musk. He's impressive on several levels. Unfortunately, the combination of his superior intellect, and his success in several endeavors, has given him the impression (IMHO, an incorrect impression) that he can be competent in ANY environment
He's about to do a Ross Perot. In 2026, his 'third' party could easily draw enough folks away from Trump's candidates for Congress to change the majority in both houses. I can only hope that his intellect overcomes his pride, and he reconsiders.
I, too, spent my youth with Heinlein, Asimov, Dick... among others. Thanks for the wonderful retrospective. During WWII, by the way, Heinlein served as one of Admiral Ernest King's staff officers (not an easy thing) and was intimately engaged in Navy policy and organizational formulations.
I was a Science Fiction Reader in my childhood. I drifted away in the 2000s, with both the demands of my kids and the rise of endless books in series that are never done. Honor Harrington, military Science Fiction did me in. Baen's death seemed to leave no on willing to edit David Weber. Whole books did not advance the story much. Like E.E. "Doc" Smith he also succumbed to the "Even worse enemy behind the old one" trope.
I moved to John Ringo, but that man cannot finish a series. He is why I won't invest in any book series until is it considered complete.
Finally, all the wokeness just drove me away. Nothing seemed like what I wanted. I moved to history books for the most part.
If you can find it, Fitzpatricks War by Theodore Judson is both fantastic and hard science fiction
"I won't invest in any book series until is it considered complete." Exactly, so frustrating to be excited about an alternative history series, then it goes on and on without ever getting anywhere until there are so many societies and so many characters that it becomes a tottering tower before it just meanders around and peters out.
Exactly. I have read everything written I can find by Larry Correia, including spinoffs like Monster Hunter Memoirs written by John Ringo. Then I started on his fantasy series Saga of the Forgotten Warrior. I made it through maybe 5 novels, and then I forgot about the warrior. Give me more gun-toting Monster Hunters! I fell in love with the Karl Gustav man-portable recoilless rifle from one of them; since then a mere handgun, even an old surplus rifle like the M1 Garand, doesn't do it for me.
He finished SoFW and the ending was absolutely terrific. You should finish it. And even if you have read the Grimnoir series you really ought to listen to it on Audible, the reader really makes it come alive.
Fitzpatrick’s War tells the story of the rise and fall of a dictator, formatted as a largely critical memoir, interrupted repeatedly by annotations from a regime-lackey historian writing later. It’s interesting as much for its structure as its story, and it deserves more recognition than it gets today.
Great essay.
This article takes me back, as I enjoyed reading Heinlein and Asimov as a teenager. For those wanting a SF recommendation, "The Expanse" series is a wonderful read.
Max, thanks for this article.
"Here’s the issue of Astounding which published the first chapters in the serialization of the Heinlein novel Citizen Of The Galaxy."
Several years ago I made an Amazing...Astounding discovery. Free Audio Books On Youtube
Robert A Heinlein Audiobook ★★★★★ Citizen of the Galaxy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLvCVRS5OWE
The Stainless Steel Rat - the Novel by Harry Harrison read by Mark Nelson | Full Audio Book
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5H_NXCm0o4
With Friends Like These | Short Story By Alan Frost
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIFPms_jucA
I have never been a fan of Science Fiction, or Fiction as a genre for reading, and yet you held my attention with your essay Max. Admittedly however, what I found most interesting is that you grew up with four older brothers. Maybe you could write about what that was like one day. I had two older brothers, and that was enough for me, believe me. I did grow up to love them both, eventually. ;-)
For those of us who love Robert A. Heinlein (before and after he went on his nudist, free-love tangent), I highly recommend the two-volume biography by William H. Patterson, Jr. Available on Amazon. Heinlein was an amazing man with an amazing life (and wife) and Patterson does a great job bringing his life alive.
At one time I owned EVERY paperback that Heinlein ever published. I also owned everything that Andre Norton, Isaac Azimov, the entire "Lensman" series by EE (Doc) Smith, Marion Zimmerman Bradley and others that escape my memory. Sadly all were destroyed beyond recovery when my basement flooded. I still have at least a hundred hard backs by Anne McCaffery, everything she ever published, and some others. So, yeah, I get where you are coming from. By the way, do you play World of Warcraft? If so send me your battle tag and I'll send you a friend request. If you don't play, yet, try it.
I turn 70 this year. I still read SF. Baen, the publisher of some of Larry Correia’ works, his seems to have gone less down the road to political correctness. Baen publishes a mix of fantasy, hard science fiction, and a mix of both. I especially like the writing of David David Weber. His Honor Harrington series is a good mix of bashing oatmeal-brained leftist ideas while holding up an extraordinary and exceptional woman as a protagonist. Her birth on a heavier-than-earth world, together with some genetic tinkering in her ancestry allows Honor to physically and successfully compete against her male counterparts. She despises the peace now at any cost loonies in her universe. Other Baen authors are worth a look. Many of them are military veterans so political correctness isn’t in the vocabulary. See Michael Williamson’s Freehold series or Tom Kratman’s Carrera series mercilessly pillory Leftist doo-da attitudes.
Thanks for the suggestions!
Baen and Ark are still publishing readable science fiction. Tor not so much anymore.
I still have my father’s collection of all the Astounding and Analog issues from the late 1930’s through the mid ‘60’s that he left me. Wouldn’t part with it for the world. Well, maybe a million bucks. They’re inextricably tied to my childhood memories. In 8th grade home room one of our reading assignments was Tunnel in the Sky (Heinlein’s answer to Lord of the Flies). Good juvey stuff. Great home room teacher.
One point you didn't mention. Heinlein's novel _Citizen of the Galaxy_ was written as part of his "juveniles" series. So, the target audience was teenagers, middle school to high school. My own sense is that very little contemporary YA fiction is anywhere near as sophisticated as CotG.
This is a very good point, William. The same with so-called "hard-boiled" mysteries. John D. MacDonald's wonderful "color" series has both male and female characters in their 20s and 30s who are ADULTS, not people who can stay on Mommy's insurance until they are 26 because "their brains are not fully developed yet." The infantilization of each successive generation after The Greatest One has proceeded apace. It's not a good trend.
Just thought I would mention that my wife doesn't care for science fiction, but she loves The Door Into Summer. I like it a lot, too.
Is gravity a force or not? Discuss among yourselves.
Terrific column, Max. I'm getting to your offering a bit late today. Had appointments that I could not miss.
Since I grew up in Phoenix in the 50s, and early 60s, I spent at least a thousand summer afternoons in my room, made habitable by the swamp coolers used in those days. Reading books from the library on McDowell and Central was the only survivable pastime.
I loved Robert Heinlein. I think that "Have Space Suit Will Travel" was the first of his novels that I consumed. One of my favorites (I'm sure you won't be surprised) was "Starship Troopers." Airborne!!
I hated the movie that they made of that great book. Ironically, the technical advisor on that Film was Captain Dale Dye, USMC (Ret.). He also worked on "Platoon," "Saving Private Ryan," "Band of Brothers," and "Pacific." It's 'ironic' because Cpt. Dye eventually founded Warriors Publishing Group, (recently re-located from California to Texas). It was WPG that published my own science fiction type novel, "Archangel of Sedona."
I do note one important fact. Back in the 50s, we expected to be traveling around the solar system by now. I guess we were overly optimistic. It seems that moving humans safely away from Earth is lot tougher nut to crack than our best minds estimated. Bringing them back alive is important too!
Without someone who cares (like Elon Musk), nothing gets done. He's jumpstarting the space program.
I loved the book "Starship Troopers" as well, but I skipped the movie based on the previews and some reviews, from which I knew it wasn't going to follow the book. A movie based on that book has yet to be made. And like a lot of Heinlein books, it could be a great movie.
I admire Musk. He's impressive on several levels. Unfortunately, the combination of his superior intellect, and his success in several endeavors, has given him the impression (IMHO, an incorrect impression) that he can be competent in ANY environment
He's about to do a Ross Perot. In 2026, his 'third' party could easily draw enough folks away from Trump's candidates for Congress to change the majority in both houses. I can only hope that his intellect overcomes his pride, and he reconsiders.
I, too, spent my youth with Heinlein, Asimov, Dick... among others. Thanks for the wonderful retrospective. During WWII, by the way, Heinlein served as one of Admiral Ernest King's staff officers (not an easy thing) and was intimately engaged in Navy policy and organizational formulations.
let's not forget A.E. VanVogt and Orson Scott Card. And, for the true aficionado, Take a look at the Virginia Collection of Heinlein's work.
I was a Science Fiction Reader in my childhood. I drifted away in the 2000s, with both the demands of my kids and the rise of endless books in series that are never done. Honor Harrington, military Science Fiction did me in. Baen's death seemed to leave no on willing to edit David Weber. Whole books did not advance the story much. Like E.E. "Doc" Smith he also succumbed to the "Even worse enemy behind the old one" trope.
I moved to John Ringo, but that man cannot finish a series. He is why I won't invest in any book series until is it considered complete.
Finally, all the wokeness just drove me away. Nothing seemed like what I wanted. I moved to history books for the most part.
If you can find it, Fitzpatricks War by Theodore Judson is both fantastic and hard science fiction
"I won't invest in any book series until is it considered complete." Exactly, so frustrating to be excited about an alternative history series, then it goes on and on without ever getting anywhere until there are so many societies and so many characters that it becomes a tottering tower before it just meanders around and peters out.
Exactly. I have read everything written I can find by Larry Correia, including spinoffs like Monster Hunter Memoirs written by John Ringo. Then I started on his fantasy series Saga of the Forgotten Warrior. I made it through maybe 5 novels, and then I forgot about the warrior. Give me more gun-toting Monster Hunters! I fell in love with the Karl Gustav man-portable recoilless rifle from one of them; since then a mere handgun, even an old surplus rifle like the M1 Garand, doesn't do it for me.
He finished SoFW and the ending was absolutely terrific. You should finish it. And even if you have read the Grimnoir series you really ought to listen to it on Audible, the reader really makes it come alive.
Fitzpatrick's War by Theodore Judson One of the many many many things I've not heard of.
Fitzpatrick’s War and the the Narrative of History
Feral Historian
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyFHllcD7zg&t=38s
Oct 18, 2024
Fitzpatrick’s War tells the story of the rise and fall of a dictator, formatted as a largely critical memoir, interrupted repeatedly by annotations from a regime-lackey historian writing later. It’s interesting as much for its structure as its story, and it deserves more recognition than it gets today.
(Snip)
I'll look it up.