Alphecca: Summer Reading

July 10, 2005

Summer Reading

One of the nice things about getting older is that I can (because I'm losing my mind...) re-read books I enjoyed many years ago and enjoy them just as much. So I went hunting through the stacks of books in my closets and came up with a quartet worth another go-through:

Yup, Robert A. Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, The Cat Who Walks Through Walls, The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag, and my favorite of his, Farnham's Freehold.

I'm set for a couple weeks, thank you very much.

Incidentally, I just finished reading Allen M. Steele's Coyote and Coyote Rising. I had enjoyed the stories that made up this series in the pages of Asimov's SF Magazine but the books bring it all together and I think most libertarians will enjoy them.

Update 5:45pm: Incidentally, Jay Solo IS Heinlein! (Via Jay) Which SF writer are you?

Hot Damn! So am I:

I am:

Robert A. Heinlein

Beginning with technological action stories and progressing to epics with religious overtones, this take-no-prisoners writer racked up some huge sales numbers.

Which science fiction writer are you?

I tried to answer honestly and was hoping I'd be Philip K. Dick (one of my other favorites) because I'm always wondering about what reality really is, but there you go. Incidentally, I wonder how many of you HAVE read Heinlein's (1957) novella, The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag since it definitely had a Phil Dickian flavor to it?

Posted by Jeff Soyer at July 10, 2005 09:53 AM

Comments

All those are great stories (of course pretty much everthing he wrote I thought was great), but my favorite part is seeing the different cover art. I've owned, at different times, several copies of each of those books, and the only cover that I've had that is the same is for "The Cat Who Walks Through Walls". Thanks for putting up a graphic of the covers.

Posted by: Brass at July 10, 2005 10:51 AM

I can reread many things without even having to get much older. For instance, I reread Lucifer's Hammer every 2 - 5 years. I reread The Proteus Operation periodically. When I was young, I reread The Martian Chronicles a few times. I periodically reread The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress and The Past Through Tomorrow.

I've liked Allen Steele's stuff that I have read, so I'll have to remember those two. He's also a cool guy in person.

Posted by: Jay at July 10, 2005 10:54 AM

You hit my two favorite Heinleins' works. I slightly prefer "Moon" over "freehold" but wouldn't argue the issue w/o beer and a grin...

I liked Farnham's freehold more for the "lifeboar" rules than anything else. That made me think long and hard on the subject.

I agree with Jay, above, that Lucifers' Hammer is a good book to re-read every few years. Ditto Atlas Shrugged.

Posted by: Jim Gwyn at July 10, 2005 02:02 PM

That's "lifeboat" rules.

Posted by: Jim Gwyn at July 10, 2005 02:04 PM

"Friday" is my favorite Heinlein book. The best cover, of course, is the one Michael Whelan did (g).

http://www.dreamstone.com.au/artists/michael_whelan_images/weblarge/Friday.jpg

Posted by: Lornkanaga at July 10, 2005 02:21 PM

The first library book I ever checked out (fourth grade) was a Heinlein juvenile. I was back two days later for more.

"Harsh Mistress" is my favorite. Although I have fond memories of "Have Spacesuit, Will Travel" and the lunar flying scenes in "The Menace From Earth".

Posted by: homebru at July 10, 2005 04:08 PM

Heinlein's Rocket Ship Galileo opened the world of scifi to me in the 6th grade.

Great selection for re-reading there.

I've still got a soft spot for Podkayne of Mars, too.

And I'm a Lensman... "Doc" Smith for me!

Posted by: John of Argghhh! at July 10, 2005 07:36 PM

"Have Spacesuit" will always be a favorite because it's the first I read. The Future History Stories (The past through tomorrow) are among the most re-read.

OTOH, some of his later works (Glory Road) end rather abruptly. In his posthumously published "Grumbles from the Grave". In it he notes how proud he was that he never missed a deadline. That explained to me how he worked... Everything is moving along nicely, then deadline approaches.. everybody dies. The End.

I thought I'd read just about all his books. But "The Unpleasant Profession.." doesn't ring a bell, and "The Cat..." rings a bell but that's about all. Time to reread that one as well.

Danno

Posted by: Danno at July 11, 2005 12:46 AM

The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag (assuming you have the version with the additional short stories) has absolutely the greatest time travel short story ever written: "All You Zombies". "And He Built a Crooked House" is great, too.

I also highly recommend The Door into Summer.

Posted by: Ken Summers at July 11, 2005 10:21 AM

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Alphecca

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July 10, 2005

Summer Reading

By Golly, you're reading an archived post. Click Here to head to the main page and read current stuff...

Check it out:

My group sci-fi blog novel:

Colony: Alchibah