Robert A. Heinlein: A Biographical Sketch

The Heinlein Society ^ | 1999 | Bill Patterson

[Sparta]

Robert Anson Heinlein was born on 7 July 1907, in Butler, Bates County, Missouri, the third son of Rex Ivar Heinlein and Bam Lyle Heinlein. At the time of Robert's birth, the family had been living with his maternal grandfather, Alva Lyle, M.D. A few months after Heinlein was born, his family moved from Butler to Kansas City, Missouri, where he was to grow up, but Heinlein vividly recalled the summers spent with Grandfather Lyle until his death in 1914.

[bribriagain]

"Just went over and counted 29 of his works on my shelf. Think I will dust them off and re-read a few! "

What's your take on "Farnham's Freehold"? It really spooked me when I read it at the tender age of 10.

[alfa6]

Many thanks for this post. I hope to be able to repay in kind some day.

"Never try to outstubborn a cat"

Regrads

alfa6 ;>}

[Rocko]

Bump.

[philman_36]

The conspiracy of ignorance masquerades as common sense.
That expression is quickly getting very old.

[Jalapeno]

I would note that the military has Troopers on its reading lists

Thanks for reminding me on that one, I had forgotten this, and yet always thought it was interesting they included it. Again, would of been an interesting fact to add for this essay.

Now I'm going to have to go and read the book this afternoon....

US Marine Reading List

[alfa6]

Care to explain the "commie traitor" remark?

No regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Shooter 2.5]

Anyone who critisizes John Ross's "Unintented Consequences" as being too long with too much sex has never read the Lazarus Long series of books.

In this order:
Time Enough For Love
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
The Cat Who Walked Through Walls
To Sail Beyond the Sunset

My Favorite short story is "The Green Hills of Earth"

[alfa6]

Interesting that the Marines put it in the Doctrine, Training and Tactics section. When you get a chance to read the book be sure to pay attention to chapter 8. I would be willing to bet a small sum that Starship Troopers ia the only Sci-Fi book on that list and one of the few fiction books as well. In paperback Starship Troopers is only about 150 pages and it is IMHO a fairly easy read.

BTW I glanced through the whole list and would say that I have read about a fourth of the list. There are several books on the list that are on my to read list as well and a few more that I will need to put on my list as well.

Thsnks for the link

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Rodney King]

Heinlein had joined Upton Sinclair's EPIC ("End Poverty in California") Democratic Party organization shortly before Sinclair was defeated for the governorship in the November 1934 election. Heinlein's Wellsian progressivist socialist inclinations easily fit together with Sinclair's EPIC program, and his talents were rapidly recognized by the organization

Although having read more I realize that he turned around later, so I take back the remark.

[alfa6]

Okay, works for me.

Having read many of his books I had a hard time understanding where you were coming from with that remark. If I may suggest, check out Expanded Universe and Requiem,at the library or book store. IIRC they are both compilations of RAHs short stories and esays. One would hardly believe Heinlein to be a communist after reading some of the stories.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[dhuffman@awod.com]

The conspiracy of ignorance masquerades as common sense.

Well, since I originated it from whole cloth, then I guess you're reading a lot of my comments. Good. You're welcome to use it and to complain about it and think how it applies to YOU!

[Drumbo]

"What's your take on "Farnham's Freehold"?"

FF is a brilliant study of self-reliance, racism, authority and freedom. It's an excellent read.

"In this order: Time Enough For Love"

Oh No! Lazarus Long's adventures in Methuselah's Children is a must read prior to TEfL imho!

It's no wonder that the military reading list includes Starship Troopers, in it, Heinlein (pronounced Hine-Line) invented the military of the future. This is from military.com and gives him credit:

Sandia National Laboratories is also developing hopping robots. This one leaps 10-20 feet high on each jump. The Sandia researchers have achieved hops as high as 30 feet with their unique combustion approach. (Photo by Randy Montoya)

New Exoskeleton to Clothe Soldiers

$50 Million Project Intended to Increase Soldiers’ Strength, Performance

By John J. Lumpkin
Albuquerque Journal

The Pentagon is researching a powered exoskeleton that would make soldiers stronger, faster, able to carry heavier weapons and "leap extraordinary heights," according to military documents and officials.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency or DARPA, the Pentagon's research arm, is spending $50 million on "Exoskeletons for Human Performance Augmentation."

Sandia National Laboratories is working on a segment of the project, with a small group of scientists in its Intelligent Systems and Robotics Center developing several technologies, officials acknowledged.

“The idea would be some kind of exoskeleton that would allow a soldier to have increased strength, increased endurance, increased speed," said Jan Walker, a DARPA spokeswoman in Arlington, Va.

The soldier would wear it as an outer skin, rather than operate it, and its functions would optimally become an extension of the soldier's natural
movements.

“A guy in combat doesn't need to figure out which button to push," Walker said.

She emphasized the program is in the earliest of stages, with scientists and engineers figuring out what advances are needed to make it work. Tests could be as much as a decade away.

The developers' first task, according to Walker: build a compact, wearable and quiet power generator that would provide the juice for all the other devices on the exoskeleton. It would have to provide power for between four and 24 hours of continuous use.

“We're not sure what kind of fuel to use or how to store the fuel," Walker said.

With greater strength and endurance, the soldier could wear more armor and carry heavier weapons and more ammunition, she said.

DARPA, in documents displayed on its Web site, announced last year it was seeking devices that do one or more of the following:

-- "Assist pack-loaded locomotion"

-- "Prolong locomotive endurance"

-- "Increase locomotive speed"

-- "Augment human strength"

-- "Leap extraordinary heights and/or distances"

The suits could also be equipped with computers and communications gear that would give soldiers real-time intelligence about their comrades and targets, military documents say.

Such devices have long been the stuff of science fiction, most notably in Robert Heinlein's 1959 novel "Starship Troopers." The story is about the infantry of the far future, with soldiers wearing mobile combat armor to fight alien bugs.

In the 1986 movie "Aliens," Sigourney Weaver fends off the alien hive queen wearing a machine that looks like a cross between an exoskeleton and a forklift. And a whole genre of Japanese animation is devoted to these things.

Walker said the work is going on at various labs around the country. Sandia officials confirmed this week that theirs is one of them, but they declined to give many details.

Lab spokesman John German provided a written statement from project officials. "Sandia is proposing and assessing various solutions for improving speed, strength, endurance and payload," the statement said.

German said project officials declined to provide more information because they have not obtained patents on their work.

German said the lab has received $310,000 from DARPA to work on the project since 1999.

Last month, the Defense Department awarded Millennium Jet Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif., $1 million under the program "for the development and testing of a one-man vertical takeoff and landing flying exoskeleton."

Copyright 2001 Albuquerque Journal.

Finally, here's a link to "This I Believe" by Robert A. Heinlein, a very short essay that every American should read! Anyone calling him a "commie traitor" is an ignorant oaf.

[S.O.S121.500]

Ping

[dhuffman@awod.com]

And I found this http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/moon.htm

[Shooter 2.5]

"What's your take on "Farnham's Freehold"?"


I haven't read it yet. I'm reading, "The Number of the Beast" right now. It's the only one my son stopped reading after the first chapter. Thanks for including "Methuselah's Children". I thought I had read all of Lazarus Long's story.

[ASOC]

Just so.... as an adult I now see that Sci-fi comes in types - liberal, or perhaps Libratrain (SP?) and some of RAH would fall under "survivalist" - Tunnel in the Sky, Sixth Column, If this goes on... The one piece I stand in awe of is "Searchlight", a novel in 1200 words, if only I could write that well! I get sales, just not in the community. HAVE FUN HOO-AH

[ASOC]

Saw a piece on TV about a Russian with gasoline powered boots that (with pratice) would let you run at high speed. The boots had a piston arrangement that boosted your step length...
He could could get no takers & could not figure out why. ("Hold muh beer" effect maybe?)
Guess most folks would rather die on a motor bike : )

This holds promise for hadicapped vets IMO, can't wait to see the spin-offs.
Hoo-ah

[Jonah Hex]

John Ringo's written a series of military science fiction novels ("A Hymn Before Battle", "Gust Front", and "Dance with the Devil") featuring troopers in mobile armor very similar to the "Starship Troopers" M.I. (!)

[xJones]

What's your take on "Farnham's Freehold"? It really spooked me when I read it at the tender age of 10.

Farnham's Freehold freaked me out also at age 14. One can see from this account though, where Heinlein got the model for the alcoholic first wife.

Boris, you shouldn't miss this thread.

[vannrox]

A BIG Heinlein BUMP!
I love his "coventry" concept for prisons...
As well, as you must SERVE in the Military to be able to Vote as in "Starship Troopers". Or the concept of local Judges on "The moon is a harsh mistress". BUMP.BUMP.BTTT