Robert A. Heinlein

Robert Anson Heinlein is a American writer of Science-fiction. He was born the July 7th 1907 in Butler in the Missouri and he died the May 8th 1988.

Biography

During its childhood, there was an renewed interest for the religion in the United States, and in particular in its native Missouri. This religious influence is visible in its works.

After its schooling with the college of Kansas City, it entered to the naval Académie of Annapolis which it left graduate in 1929. It was useful then in the United States Navy and reached the rank of lieutenant before having to leave the army following a Tuberculose in 1934. Its military career had a certain influence on its work.

After its service, he studied during a few weeks the Mathématiques and the Physique with the the University of California, then followed various occupations (real estate agent, owner of a money mine…) and launched out in the policy to California, without electoral success. It found its vocation by publishing its first news of science fiction Life line ( Life Line ) in 1939. This news had been originally written for a contest equipped with a price of fifty dollars. But considering it very good, it decided to make it publish. John W. Campbell gave of them him seventy dollars for its publication in the magazine Astounding Science-Fiction .

(Note: at least this is the official story of the beginning of the literary career of Heinlein. An alternative reconstitution is proposed on the basis of partially known fact, by Robert James in the afterword for the following éditition of For Us, The Living : Scribner, New York, 2004. In the same edition, Spider Robinson proposes a third, more fictionalized of it, in introduction. In its compilation of news, Expanded Universe , R. Heinlein gives his version, probably veracious, and close to official) the

During the two years which followed, it published several news, and coherence ensured some by registering them in a Histoire of the future which it worked out to describe the history of the humanity of 1950 to 2600. The screen was published by it for the first time in the number of May 1941 of Astounding Science-Fiction .

At the time of the entry in war of the the United States, Heinlein ceased any literary activity and worked as civil engineer in a laboratory of the marine. It made there enter Isaac Asimov and L. Sprague de Camp.

After the war, he did not live any more but of his feather. He accepted four times the Prix Hugo of the best novel and three prices retro Hugo . He also accepted the first Prix Nebula Grand Masters .

Work

Famous quotations

Robert Heinlein is the author of the proverb (also known under its acronym TANSTAAFL): There Ain' T No Such Thing As has Free Lunch ( a free meal, that does not exist ). It is not possible to have something for nothing, the cost, even if it can be hidden or divided, is always assumed by a person or the company.

  • a man should know to change a shaped nappy, to plan an invasion, charcuter a pig, to operate a ship, to design a building, to write a sonnet, to make an accounting balance sheet, to assemble a wall, to look after a fracture, to support one dying, to take orders, to give orders, to only cooperate, act, solve equations, to analyze a new problem, to spread manure, to program a computer, to cook a good meal, to fight effectively, and to die galamment.

  • specialization is for the insects.

  • It was a time when the kings were chosen by God, and all the problem consisted of what God chooses the good person. Today the myth is with " will of the peuple" … what modifies only superficially the problem. (The Moon Has Harsh Mistress/Révolte on the moon)

  • " droits" are an abstraction. No machine or being of flesh does not have a " droits". The beings… have opportunities which they use or not. -- Long Lazarus

Novels

News

Here three news gathered in a work entitled Three steps in eternity :

  • In some time (1941, Elsewhen)

  • Heritage lost (1941, Lost Legacy)
  • a man (1947, Jerry has man)

The following list counts the news and accounts translated into French fitting in the History of the future , gathered according to their last edition:

History of the future, I: the man who sold the Moon

  • Life line (1939, Life Line)
  • cold Lumière
  • the roads must roll (1940, The Roads Must Roll)
  • It arrives that jumps (1940, Blowups Happen)
  • the man who sold the Moon (1950, The Man Who Sold the Moon)
  • Dalila and the man of space (1949, Delilah and the Space Rigger)

History of the future, II: the green hills of the Earth

  • Jockey of space (1947, Space Jockey)
  • Requiem (1939, Requiem)
  • the long day before (1948, The Long Watch)
  • Sit you, Sirs (1948, Gentlemen, Be Seated)
  • the black wells of the Moon (1947, The Black Pits off Luna)
  • They are good to be of return! (1946, " It' S Great to Be Back! ")
  • We walk also the dogs (1941, We Also Walk Dogs)
  • Coup of projector (1962, Searchlight)
  • Vertige space (1947, Ordeal in Space)
  • the green hills of the Earth (1947, The Green Hills off Earth)
  • the logic of the Empire (1941, Logic off Empire)

History of the future, III: Revolt in 2100

  • Bird of passage (1957, The Threatens from Earth)
  • " If that continues… " (1940, " Yew This Goes One-")
  • the reserve (1940, Coventry)
  • the misfit (1939, Misfit)

History of the Future, IV:

External bond

  • The Heinlein Society

Simple: Robert A. Heinlein

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