# Everything I Needed To Know, I Learned from Heinlein. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 10, 2001, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-needed-to-know-i-learned-from-heinlein/86476 "2001-10-10T01:50:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Theobroma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@Theobroma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theobroma)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-needed-to-know-i-learned-from-heinlein/86476/41 "2001-10-11T19:03:59Z")
Bwa ha ha ha ha! > [@](#): > > Valentine-Michael-Smith Soup for the Soul. Good one! You’re really on a roll now! -Theobroma ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-needed-to-know-i-learned-from-heinlein/86476/42 "2001-10-11T19:27:36Z")
> [@](#): > > Valentine Michael Smith Soup for the Soul > [@](#): > > “…always too sweet, could have used a little more salt…” (J. Harshaw) 😃 This is a “me too” post, because all the good stuff got said already. I just wish he’d written more _science fiction_, rather than historical novels ahead of the time they were set in. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-needed-to-know-i-learned-from-heinlein/86476/43 "2001-10-11T19:45:31Z")
I’m with Hamadryad. Overexposure to Heinlein was undoubtedly a factor in my becoming sexually active long before I was emotionally ready for it. That said, I also probably wouldn’t have gone to MIT if it hadn’t been for Have Spacesuit, Must Travel, and his teachings on how to think for yourself about political philosophy have probably kept me from failing out of law school. His writings changed my life in many ways. I wouldn’t make all the same choices if I had it to do over again, but I’m pretty happy with where I ended up anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-needed-to-know-i-learned-from-heinlein/86476/44 "2001-10-12T04:50:59Z")
Quoth **Theobroma** : > [@](#): > > Tenebras–the stobor drove me insane. I noticed the first time they were mentioned that “stobor” is “robots” backwards. Spent the whole book waiting for the robots to show up. (groan) _looks at word_ _slaps self in forehead_ Note to self: Next time I see an apparently nonsensical word in an SF book, I will read that word backwards. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-needed-to-know-i-learned-from-heinlein/86476/45 "2001-10-12T10:04:56Z")
minor hijack Kind of like the Mirror of Erised in the Harry Potter book. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-needed-to-know-i-learned-from-heinlein/86476/46 "2001-10-12T15:02:35Z")
I read all the Corwin Chronicles and played Amber for _two years_ before it occurred to me that Rebma is “Amber” spelled backwards. (Podkayne has never claimed to be the sharpest crayon in the box.) I started reading words backwards obsessively when I read _Bluebeard’s Egg_ by Margaret Atwood. One of the fascinating main characters is dyslexic and ambidextrous and compulsively reads things backwards. Now that’s how I make up fantasy names for RPGs–common words, spelled backwards. Apologies for continuing the kcajih. ---
**Author:** ![Yondan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/278dde/32.png) [@Yondan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yondan)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-needed-to-know-i-learned-from-heinlein/86476/47 "2001-10-12T19:52:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Theobroma \* > \*\* > (Slight hijack)Yondan: you thought Sheri S. Tepper was AFFIRMING?? I had to stop reading her books because she was so brutal and bloodthirsty! I was getting nightmares… And that idea of hers to get the siamese twins of different genders? Geez… (/slight hijack) > > \*\* {highjack continued} Mmm…I don’t recall the twin thing, but then I did not read all of her books, and it’s been a while…so, no lo contendere on the overall affirmational quality. In an effort to redeem my unworthy self, may I say I always thought Podkayne was great, and for a very similar character, John Barnes has a fairly recent novel with a similar young lass. There’s also a very enjoyable novel called Emergence with a marvelous young girl as the protag. {/continued highjack} ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2001, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-needed-to-know-i-learned-from-heinlein/86476/48 "2001-10-13T16:44:12Z")
**Emergence** : first novel (!!) by David R. Palmer, middle-aged court recorder from Gainesville, FL Fun romp but nowhere near as good is his second novel, about a young-male-adult former child genius millionaire who races motocross and owns an island, who gets drafted by an alien race to save the Galaxy. (I know that plot line seems hackneyed as hell, but somehow he manages to pull it off and make it a fascinating read!) And he’s been promising a third book for nearly 20 years now – in the entire period, the only thing I’ve ever seen from him other than forewords to rereleases of his two books telling how overworked he is and that he’ll get around to writing _real soon now_ is one letter to the editor in **Analog**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-needed-to-know-i-learned-from-heinlein/86476.md?page=2)