Calling all Robert A. Heinlein (SciFi) fans! Need some recommendations.

[Quick1]

If someone has never read any of his works, which ones would be best to start with? Which first 3-5 books would you read?

 

[Anubis]

Stranger in a Strange Land

 

[Gibsons]

Originally posted by: Anubis
Stranger in a Strange Land

That's what I'd recommend as well. I've only read about 5 of his books though.

 

[Quick1]

Anubis: Ah yes, I've heard of this one. About a man who comes back to Earth after being raised on Mars. I'll definitely include this one.

Anything else?

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: Anubis
Stranger in a Strange Land

Definitely the best one to start with.

Gotta keep in perspective when the book was written however. Things are a bit different now, so some of his references are a bit dated.

 

[pontifex]

He wrote Starship Troopers too, right?

That and Stranger in a Strange Land are the only Heinlein books I've read.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: Anubis
Stranger in a Strange Land

Definitely the best one to start with.

Gotta keep in perspective when the book was written however. Things are a bit different now, so some of his references are a bit dated.

I don't find that to be a problem usually. I've been reading a lot of older books lately (lots from the early 1900s) and the stories are usually so good that any mention of outdated references doesn't seem to matter.

For instance, one story was about a man who went into space in a hot air balloon. I believe this was a story written by Poe. Another was a story by Lord Dunsany about a man who flew to Mars and back in a modified airplane.

I kind of chuckled at the thought of it, but both stories were written so well that I was able to enjoy them.

 

[BoomerD]

Pontifex, I agree for the most part, but Stranger is...different....

Here's a good list of the Heinlein novels:

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/h/robert-heinlein/

 

[SpunkyJones]

Time Enough for Love.

Also Past Through Tomorrow, which is a collection of his future history stories.

 

[FoBoT]

read these in order (these are sorted by date written)

beyond this horizon
the day after tomorrow
farmer in the sky
green hills of earth
puppet masters
revolt in 2100
door into summer
citizen of the galaxy
starship troopers
glory road
the moon is a harsh mistress

then read Stranger in a Strange Land

then read the Lazarus Long books in chronological order

Methuselah's Children
Time Enough for Love
The Number of the Beast
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls
To Sail Beyond the Sunset


then read all the remaining book starting with 'I will Fear No Evil' in chronological order


then go back to his short stories in the sci-fi mags (Life-Line) and read all his works from the beginning in the order they were published


just a suggestion

 

[waggy]

Methuselah's Children
Time Enough for Love
The Number of the Beast
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls
To Sail Beyond the Sunset


great series. well worth the read.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
Pontifex, I agree for the most part, but Stranger is...different....

Here's a good list of the Heinlein novels:

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/h/robert-heinlein/

It's been awhile since I've read it so I don't really remember all that much about it.

 

[Lalakai]

save Stranger in a Strange Land, for last. Glory Road is nearly the same. Starman Jones would be a good starter, so would Doorway Into Summer. The Green Hills Of Earth is a great collection of short stories.

Considering how long ago those books were written, it's amazing how some of the story lines could be fairly accurate.

Hmmmm, i think a trip down memory lane is in order, with some of my old favorites from Heinlein; thanks for the memory jog. hope you enjoy him as much as i have.

 

[jjones]

Recommending just three, I'd say The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, Stranger In A Strange Land, Time Enough For Love.

 

[MaxDepth]

Whoa, that is some reading list!

Mine is a bit smaller. Read:
'Have Spacesuit Will Travel' or 'Red Planet' (or both)
- both are young adult books from the 1950's that read like one of those old time serials of neato gadgets and gosh-golly pluck and luck.

Starship Troopers
Compare this back to the first two. A bit more wordly, but interestingly enough, still a gung-ho type of novel

Puppet Masters
Is it about Communism? Hmm...

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Reading this one will start to show a pattern that are in most of his novels.

Originally posted by: FoBoT
read these in order (these are sorted by date written)

beyond this horizon
the day after tomorrow
farmer in the sky
green hills of earth
puppet masters
revolt in 2100
door into summer
citizen of the galaxy
starship troopers
glory road
the moon is a harsh mistress

then read Stranger in a Strange Land

then read the Lazarus Long books in chronological order

Methuselah's Children
Time Enough for Love
The Number of the Beast
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls
To Sail Beyond the Sunset


then read all the remaining book starting with 'I will Fear No Evil' in chronological order


then go back to his short stories in the sci-fi mags (Life-Line) and read all his works from the beginning in the order they were published


just a suggestion

 

[Chiller2]

Can't believe nobody mentioned "Job"

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: Chiller2
Can't believe nobody mentioned "Job"

once you are a fan, you have to read all the later works, 'Friday' is good also

 

[Quick1]

Wow! :Q That's a lot of feedback! Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

[nakedfrog]

FoBot pretty much nailed it.

Originally posted by: MaxDepth
Whoa, that is some reading list!

Mine is a bit smaller. Read:
'Have Spacesuit Will Travel' or 'Red Planet' (or both)
- both are young adult books from the 1950's that read like one of those old time serials of neato gadgets and gosh-golly pluck and luck.

or The Rolling Stones.
Personally, my first Heinlein book as a boy was Have Spacesuit, Will Travel. Checked it out from the library before a trip. Fortunately for me, my mom was a Heinlein fan so we already had a lot of his books on the home shelves.

 

[rasczak]

Starship Troopers has my vote. Nice post. I think I'll pick up on a few of the recommendations as well.

 

[RossGr]

My favorites are Glory Road and Tunnel in the Sky. Tunnel in the Sky is one of his young adult books so is a very easy read.

 

[torpid]

Didn't care for Stranger in a Strange Land. I suppose it has some sort of historical significance, but I found it to be mediocre. I like most of the rest of his work, though.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: torpid
Didn't care for Stranger in a Strange Land. I suppose it has some sort of historical significance, but I found it to be mediocre. I like most of the rest of his work, though.

I definitely wouldn't put it near the top of the must-read list based on it's literary value.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: torpid
Didn't care for Stranger in a Strange Land. I suppose it has some sort of historical significance, but I found it to be mediocre. I like most of the rest of his work, though.

I definitely wouldn't put it near the top of the must-read list based on it's literary value.

though werent most of Heinlen's books written for young males? so yeah as an adult they are medicore but still good.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
read these in order (these are sorted by date written)

beyond this horizon
the day after tomorrow
farmer in the sky
green hills of earth
puppet masters
revolt in 2100
door into summer
citizen of the galaxy
starship troopers
glory road
the moon is a harsh mistress

then read Stranger in a Strange Land

then read the Lazarus Long books in chronological order

Methuselah's Children
Time Enough for Love
The Number of the Beast
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls
To Sail Beyond the Sunset


then read all the remaining book starting with 'I will Fear No Evil' in chronological order


then go back to his short stories in the sci-fi mags (Life-Line) and read all his works from the beginning in the order they were published


just a suggestion

Good plan, a lot of these are short novels (4-5 of them = 1 Stephen King) so that's a lot less reading than it sounds like.

Stranger in a Strange Land is his most famous book, but it's one of my least favorite. Most of its acclaim comes from its impact on the hippies who thought it was mind-blowing, consciousness-raising, etc. "if you can grok that" (gah). Silly hippies.