# Help with Heinlein. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 19, 2012, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-heinlein/644508 "2012-12-19T10:11:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dave\_Hartwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-heinlein/644508/21 "2012-12-21T01:44:58Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > _Job_ and _Stranger_ are the only two Heinlein books I couldn’t finish - made it about halfway through the former, but couldn’t get past the second chapter of _Stranger_. Yeah, I should say that while I enjoyed _Job_, I haven’t read it since it was published. And I never understood why _Stranger_ is Heinlein’s best known novel (or was formerly, _Troopers_ probably is now). I found it hard to get into and never did get much out of it, despite reading it a couple times. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-heinlein/644508/22 "2012-12-21T03:05:54Z")
> [@Dave\_Hartwick](#): > > And I never understood why _Stranger_ is Heinlein’s best known novel (or was formerly, _Troopers_ probably is now) I blame the dirty hippies ;). I liked the early part okay, but it lost me by the time Valentine discovers sex. Not Heinlein’s worst, but hardly his best IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-heinlein/644508/23 "2012-12-21T03:50:44Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > You know, I _liked_ The Number of the Beast. I truly did. And that leaves me in the minority, I know. > > It may be that it was the first new novel of Heinlein’s that came out after I discovered him. But I enjoyed it. I bought the trade paperback with the chapter artworks and everything. I was about 14 and it was a lot for me, but there it was and I wanted it. I still like it. In fact, I’d be hard pressed to name a Heinlein I didn’t like at least a bit. ---
**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:** [December 21, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-heinlein/644508/24 "2012-12-21T18:02:36Z")
One thing’s for sure: _Stranger in a Strange Land_ is a terrible choice for introducing someone to Heinlein. Everyone either loves it or they hate it, but whether they love or hate it is a very poor predictor for how they’ll feel about any of Heinlein’s other stories. Where I usually recommend someone start is either with almost any of the juveniles (except _Time for the Stars_), with one of the short story collections, or with _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_. Since the OP specifically mentioned that he like _Tunnel in the Sky_, I’d probably say to go with _Farmer in the Sky_ (one of the juveniles), which has I think a similar feel to it. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-heinlein/644508/25 "2012-12-21T18:49:21Z")
> [@blueslipper](#): > > My local library is fairly good in general but has only one Heinlein book in it – aforementioned ‘Starship Troopers’. > So any books I would have to order and obviously pay for. I am not rich enough to buy lots of books just to find a couple of good ones. I’m not going to comment on individual books, but your statement about your library caught my eye. Have you checked with the library about inter-library loan? I very, very rarely ever have any problems getting just about any book I want - including brand new books - using inter-library loan. It’s not even inconvenient, I can do it through my local library website, and they email me when it’s in. Heinlein books are neither rare nor new, so I’d be really surprised if you couldn’t get them. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-heinlein/644508/26 "2012-12-21T23:33:13Z")
\*For Us the Living \* should be the last Heinlein book that people read, since it makes lots of elementary writing mistakes and is interesting mostly for slightly different views on characters who show up in the Future History series. The juveniles are a good place to start, since they mostly stand on their own. _Have Spacesuit, Will Travel_ is my favorite but all the later ones are good. After that, why not start with the really early stories which made his name. The collections are good, as are _Orphans of the Sky_ and _Methusaleh’s Children_, which really should be read before \*Time Enough for Love. \* After that, \*The Moon is a Harsh Mistress \* is very good, as is _Door Into Summer_. I read \*Stranger in a Strange Land \* in the mid-1960s, and I don’t know how it would seem today. Kind of dated, I’d think. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-heinlein/644508/27 "2012-12-22T00:01:20Z")
A simple answer is “try anything the man wrote.” Heinlein did not write in one style, or with one voice, or to one audience. Even compleatist dedicated fans have a pile they will likely never re-read, and every such pile is different. I concur that the juveniles are among his best work, are certainly among the most accessible and are likely to appeal to most readers. Good place to start… but if one of them, or any Heinlein book you pick up, strikes you badly in the first few chapters… by all means put it aside and try another. You may come back to the disliked ones some day with a different eye, or not. But there are too many good things in Heinlein’s oeuvre to write off all his works because one or two didn’t appeal to you. You owe it to yourself to find the ones you consider good. Keep trying; move on as soon as a book fails you. True story: I hated the first Heinlein I read. That same book is now one of my most treasured possessions. ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-heinlein/644508/28 "2012-12-22T00:21:22Z")
> [@blueslipper](#): > > So I would appreciate some help with either a book similar to ‘Stranger in a Strange Land’ and one similar to also ‘Tunnel in the Sky’. I personally think The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is one of the finest works in the genre of SF. I’d suggest you also read The Past Through Tomorrow which is a collection of his short stories that all take place more or less in the same alternate time line. None of them are terribly long so if you don’t like one you can just skip to the next. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-heinlein/644508/29 "2012-12-22T02:29:17Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Where I usually recommend someone start is either with almost any of the juveniles (except _Time for the Stars_), with one of the short story collections, or with _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_. Since the OP specifically mentioned that he like _Tunnel in the Sky_, I’d probably say to go with _Farmer in the Sky_ (one of the juveniles), which has I think a similar feel to it. I just had to jump in here and say, Time For the Stars was the first Heinlein I read. Between Planets was the second. Citizen of the Galaxy was early, although I didn’t realize it was the same author. I still dig out my paperbacks and re-read them all. And I also have the trade paperback of Number of the Beast. I enjoyed it a great deal, although it doesn’t hold up as well as the juveniles. ---
**Author:** ![snowmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@snowmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowmaster)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-heinlein/644508/30 "2012-12-22T08:23:17Z")
I’d recommend **Friday** , whose heroine you might imagine as the offspring of James Bond and your favorite bond girl. ---
**Author:** ![Eugene\_of\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c37758/32.png) [@Eugene\_of\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eugene_of_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-heinlein/644508/31 "2012-12-22T14:41:07Z")
Thankfully I read **Starship Troopers** before the movie was even thought of. I shudder to think what horryweird will do to **Stranger**. Oh well. Box office you know. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-heinlein/644508/32 "2012-12-22T15:02:56Z")
My recommendation - start with _Double Star_, _Citizen of the Galaxy_, _Podkayne of Mars_ and _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-heinlein/644508/33 "2012-12-22T22:36:30Z")
> [@detop](#): > > [I would recommend reading that thread, as a start](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=668736) Seconded. My Heinlein favorites are _Have Space Suit - Will Travel, The Puppet Masters, Time for the Stars, Starship Troopers, The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag, Glory Road, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_ and _Space Cadet_. Just about all of the stories in the collection _The Green Hills of Earth_ (esp. “The Long Watch”) are good. As it happens, I’m reading _The Rolling Stones_ for the first time now with my teenage son, and we’re both enjoying it. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-heinlein/644508/34 "2012-12-22T23:10:08Z")
_The Rolling Stones The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress_ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-heinlein/644508/35 "2012-12-22T23:48:06Z")
I recommend: _The Past Through Tomorrow The Moon is a Harsh Mistress Double Star Glory Road Citizen of the Galaxy The Rolling Stones The Star Beast Farmer in the Sky_ ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-heinlein/644508/36 "2012-12-24T00:26:17Z")
> [@NitroPress](#): > > A simple answer is “try anything the man wrote.” Heinlein did not write in one style, or with one voice, or to one audience. Even compleatist dedicated fans have a pile they will likely never re-read, and every such pile is different. > > I concur that the juveniles are among his best work, are certainly among the most accessible and are likely to appeal to most readers. Good place to start… but if one of them, or any Heinlein book you pick up, strikes you badly in the first few chapters… by all means put it aside and try another. You may come back to the disliked ones some day with a different eye, or not. But there are too many good things in Heinlein’s oeuvre to write off all his works because one or two didn’t appeal to you. You owe it to yourself to find the ones you consider good. > > Keep trying; move on as soon as a book fails you. > > True story: I hated the first Heinlein I read. That same book is now one of my most treasured possessions. Yeah. It wasn’t until the third or fourth time I read Andre Norton’s _Catseye_ that I decided it was really a pretty good book after all… ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-heinlein/644508/37 "2012-12-24T01:37:29Z")
> [@NitroPress](#): > > …True story: I hated the first Heinlein I read. That same book is now one of my most treasured possessions. May I ask which one that is, and why you hated it at first, and why you love it now? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-heinlein/644508.md?page=1)