For Us, the Living / Robert A. Heinlein

For Us, the Living

(category: science fiction)
by

Robert A. Heinlein

published by Scribner in 2004, but written in 1939
Nick read a library book, in April 2010

Nick's rating: 6 out of 10

Nick's opinion:

This book is of historical interest for fans of Heinlein... A treatise on how society should be and an early taste of Heinlein's preachy style. In 1939 the book was unpublishable; that obstacle has been overcome because Heinlein is now dead and famous.

Okay, I admit it: I skipped over great chunks of the book. I read some large chunks of ground-rules for a Heinlein utopia, then jumped a long way forward. Here's how it seems to go:

Modern (1939) hero leaps forward 150 years, to a perfect world. Various characters spend a lot of time explaining how their utopia works. Hero gets over his atavistic impulses, gets the girl, gets the other girl. Then -- in this perfect world -- the hero perfects rocket power and flies off to the moon.

What?!

Yes... In this perfect utopia of 2086, it is the hero from the USA of 1939 who has the nous and ability to perfect futuristic rocket technology. Heinlein describes utopia with one fault: the people are so boring and bland that they seem unable to develop their own technology..

So what is the message? Utopia is great but people of today's dystopia are so much more capable? Interesting, really: as the US heads towards WW II, Heinlein is scathing of its economy, its politics, its prudery, its crime. But he still sees the 1939 american male as being the be-all and end-all of heroic and successful endeavour.

An interesting book... mainly for its insight into the author.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes & documents, email nick leth at gmail dot com.