The Past Through Tomorrow
by Robert A. Heinlein
Future History (Collections and Selections — Collection #4 (1-4, 6-9, 11, 13-20, 22-24))
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From the vaults of the SF Gateway, the most comprehensive digital library of classic SFF titles ever assembled, comes an ideal introduction to the extraordinary work of the grandmaster of SF, Robert A. Heinlein. This one-volume omnibus of Heinlein's famous 'Future History' timeline, contains all of the stories, novellas and novels that make up one of the richest coherent narratives in all of science fiction literature. The collections and novels comprising THE PAST THROUGH TOMORROW are THE show more MAN WHO SOLD THE MOON, THE GREEN HILLS OF EARTH, REVOLT IN 2100, METHUSELAH'S CHILDREN and ORPHANS OF THE SKY. show lessTags
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Early in his career, Heinlein published a series of about two dozen stories that made up his "Future History," stories drawn from his imagining of how American history might play out over the next two hundred years or so. Those stories are collected in this volume.
It's a solid collection of 1940s SF, and entirely reflective of Heinlein's principal themes. His characters are hyper-competent, with significant emphasis placed throughout on the importance of being able to manage whatever crisis might arise, ideally without relying on others. There is a general wariness of government, religion, and other instutitions; the overall political vibe is a (relatively) sane version of libertarianism.
It is mildly distracting to modern eyes that show more Heinlein's male characters cannot seem to look at a woman without spending a few moments thinking about how lovely she is (and they are all lovely, just as his men are all manly and good-looking), but that's a problem of the era, and not specific to Heinlein. And his women are allowed to be just as competent as his men, and to rise to levels of significant power and responsibility. (His attitudes about sex and gender relationships wouldn't get really weird until later in his career, when they make some of his late novels very hard to get through.)
Those attitudes aside, Heinlein was a damned good genre writer. His stories are well constructed and efficiently told. His prose is never particularly memorable, but neither is it filled with the overwrought purple prose that often plagues early SF; it's clean, crisp, and functional. His characters lean towards a certain type, but there is enough variety that you wouldn't mistake the leading characters of (for instance) "Requiem," "Misfit," and "Methuselah's Children" for one another.
Half a dozen of these stories were eventually nominated for Retro Hugo awards, five of them from the single year of 1941. Those six can be divided into three pairs. "The Man Who Sold the Moon" and "Requiem" are about the life and death of the businessman who singlehandedly creates a space program to fulfill his childhood fantasies of going to the moon. "If This Goes On--" imagines a rebellion against the theocracy that has taken over American government; "Coventry" focuses on some of the changes the rebels make to government after the theocracy is defeated. "The Roads Must Roll" and "Blowups Happen" aren't quite so neatly tied together, but both are at least partly about the potential of labor disputes to disrupt society.
There aren't many writers of any genre from this era whose work is all still readily available, and still read by modern readers. At the peak of his career, Heinlein dominated the world of SF as few have ever done, and that domination was fully deserved. show less
It's a solid collection of 1940s SF, and entirely reflective of Heinlein's principal themes. His characters are hyper-competent, with significant emphasis placed throughout on the importance of being able to manage whatever crisis might arise, ideally without relying on others. There is a general wariness of government, religion, and other instutitions; the overall political vibe is a (relatively) sane version of libertarianism.
It is mildly distracting to modern eyes that show more Heinlein's male characters cannot seem to look at a woman without spending a few moments thinking about how lovely she is (and they are all lovely, just as his men are all manly and good-looking), but that's a problem of the era, and not specific to Heinlein. And his women are allowed to be just as competent as his men, and to rise to levels of significant power and responsibility. (His attitudes about sex and gender relationships wouldn't get really weird until later in his career, when they make some of his late novels very hard to get through.)
Those attitudes aside, Heinlein was a damned good genre writer. His stories are well constructed and efficiently told. His prose is never particularly memorable, but neither is it filled with the overwrought purple prose that often plagues early SF; it's clean, crisp, and functional. His characters lean towards a certain type, but there is enough variety that you wouldn't mistake the leading characters of (for instance) "Requiem," "Misfit," and "Methuselah's Children" for one another.
Half a dozen of these stories were eventually nominated for Retro Hugo awards, five of them from the single year of 1941. Those six can be divided into three pairs. "The Man Who Sold the Moon" and "Requiem" are about the life and death of the businessman who singlehandedly creates a space program to fulfill his childhood fantasies of going to the moon. "If This Goes On--" imagines a rebellion against the theocracy that has taken over American government; "Coventry" focuses on some of the changes the rebels make to government after the theocracy is defeated. "The Roads Must Roll" and "Blowups Happen" aren't quite so neatly tied together, but both are at least partly about the potential of labor disputes to disrupt society.
There aren't many writers of any genre from this era whose work is all still readily available, and still read by modern readers. At the peak of his career, Heinlein dominated the world of SF as few have ever done, and that domination was fully deserved. show less
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Heinlein's mammoth future history: 21 stories published as a collection in 1967, though in fact all but two originally came out between 1939 and 1949, outlining the future development of humanity through the coming centuries.
Heinlein misses a lot of things - notably the rise of information technology; his 23rd century spaceships are still running with slide rules. Some of these are a bit too sentimental, some based on concepts that don't really resonate today, and the last, "Methuselah's Children", is pretty weak - 100,000 people surviving on a spaceship built for a much smaller number??? But the idea of framing a future history based on technological advance rather than, say, the mysticism of show more Olaf Stapedon remains engaging. In particular, the theocratic America of If This Goes On- is rather closer to the bone now than it was in the 1940s. The whole collection is one of those taproot texts of the genre that remains well worth reading. show less
Heinlein's mammoth future history: 21 stories published as a collection in 1967, though in fact all but two originally came out between 1939 and 1949, outlining the future development of humanity through the coming centuries.
Heinlein misses a lot of things - notably the rise of information technology; his 23rd century spaceships are still running with slide rules. Some of these are a bit too sentimental, some based on concepts that don't really resonate today, and the last, "Methuselah's Children", is pretty weak - 100,000 people surviving on a spaceship built for a much smaller number??? But the idea of framing a future history based on technological advance rather than, say, the mysticism of show more Olaf Stapedon remains engaging. In particular, the theocratic America of If This Goes On- is rather closer to the bone now than it was in the 1940s. The whole collection is one of those taproot texts of the genre that remains well worth reading. show less
This is the first Heinlein book I ever read, and I have never looked back since. A fantastic collection of thought-provoking and interconnected stories made for a very excellent read. Personal;ly, my favorite stories were 'Requiem' and 'The Man who sold the Moon'. 'Methuselah's Children' is also part of this collection, introducing you to the Howard Families (and Lazarus Long)
Great collection of 24 stories, from the 1940s to the 1960s, arranged in way that events and recurring characters appear chronologically. I find Heinlein stories similar to Ray Bradbury's, but with more astronomy, psychology, philosophy, and politics.
This is an anthology of Heinlein short stories. Most were written between 1939 and 1949 and they are rather dated by modern standards. The earlier stories are rather simple in plot and the emphasis on "how it works" is salient. Several are still interesting, however, and some hints of future developments are discernable. My favorite is "The Menace From Earth," which story focuses on an intellectually precocious teenage girl living in Luna City and her thoughts and feelings about her “best friend” who is spending far too much time as a guide for an attractive older woman visiting from Earth. I love Heinlein’s idea that the combination of low gravity and a strong up-draft will permit humans to do aerial acrobatics (i.e., glide and show more fly) on the moon. show less
Warning: I am one of THOSE. You know. One of those people who bow in awe before the Master of Science Fiction. Robert Anson Heinlein may be the least known, but most influential person of the twentieth century. He is not and never will be politically correct. When an space organization made a list of the 100 people who had most influenced space policy and left RAH off the list, there were howls of dismay throughout both the science fiction and the science community. "The Past Through Tomorrow" is his early work. Here you will find the various inventions for which he is seldom given credit. But the inventions, although important, are secondary to his ability to tell a great story.
The stories get better as Heinlein gets more experienced. The best is the novella at the end, Methusaleh's Children. Though the dialogue in Methusaleh's Children is annoyingly snarky, the characters are nonetheless interesting. And Heinlein accomplishes the difficult task that separates good science fiction from bad: to present an exciting and provocative future as if it was already reality, thereby challenging the reader's to go beyond "this is a neat idea" to "what if this were the way it was?".
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Author Information
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Robert Anson Heinlein was born on July 7, 1907 in Butler, Mo. The son of Rex Ivar and Bam Lyle Heinlein, Robert Heinlein had two older brothers, one younger brother, and three younger sisters. Moving to Kansas City, Mo., at a young age, Heinlein graduated from Central High School in 1924 and attended one year of college at Kansas City Community show more College. Following in his older brother's footsteps, Heinlein entered the Navel Academy in 1925. After contracting pulmonary tuberculosis, of which he was later cured, Heinlein retired from the Navy and married Leslyn MacDonald. Heinlein was said to have held jobs in real estate and photography, before he began working as a staff writer for Upton Sinclair's EPIC News in 1938. Still needing money desperately, Heinlein entered a writing contest sponsored by the science fiction magazine Thrilling Wonder Stories. Heinlein wrote and submitted the story "Life-Line," which went on to win the contest. This guaranteed Heinlein a future in writing. Using his real name and the pen names Caleb Saunders, Anson MacDonald, Lyle Monroe, John Riverside, and Simon York, Heinlein wrote numerous novels including For Us the Living, Methuselah's Children, and Starship Troopers, which was adapted into a big-budget film for Tri-Star Pictures in 1997. The Science Fiction Writers of America named Heinlein its first Grand Master in 1974, presented 1975. Officers and past presidents of the Association select a living writer for lifetime achievement. Also, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame inducted Heinlein in 1998. Heinlein died in 1988 from emphysema and other related health problems. Heinlein's remains were scattered from the stern of a Navy warship off the coast of California. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Canonical title
- The Past Through Tomorrow
- Original title
- The Past Through Tomorrow
- Original publication date
- 1967 (collection) (collection)
- People/Characters
- Lazarus Long; Rhysling; Grace Cormet; Delos D. Harriman; Andrew Jackson "Slipstick" Libby
- Dedication
- For Ginny
- First words
- The Chairman rapped loudly for order. -- Life-Line
'Who makes the roads roll?' -- The Roads Must Roll
"Put down that wrench!" -- Blowups Happen
'You've got to be a believer!' -- The Man ... (show all)Who Sold the Moon
Sure, we had trouble building Space Station One -- but the trouble was people. -- Delilah and the Space-Rigger
Just as they were leaving the telephone called his name. -- Space Jockey
On a high hill in Samoa there is a grave. -- Requiem
"Nine ships blasted off from Moon Base." -- The Long Watch
It takes both agoraphobes and claustrophobes to colonize the moon. -- Gentlemen, Be Seated
The morning after we got to the Moon we went over to Rutherford. -- The Black Pits of Luna
"Hurry up Allan!" -- "It's Great to be Back"
"General Services -- Miss Cormet speaking!" -- "-- And We Also Walk Dogs"
"Will she hear you?" -- Searchlight
Maybe we should never have ventured out into space. -- Ordeal in Space
This is the story of Rhysling, the Blind Singer of the Spaceways-- but not the official version. -- The Green Hills of Earth
"Don't be a sentimental fool, Sam!" -- Logic of Empire
My name is Holly Jones and I'm fifteen. -- The Menace from Earth
It was cold on the rampart. -- "If This Goes On --"
"Have you anything to say before sentence is pronounced on you?" -- Coventry
". . . for the purpose of conserving and improving our interplanetary resources, and providing useful, healthful occupations for the youth of this planet." -- Misfit
"Mary Sperling, you're a fool not to marry him!" -- Methuselah's Children - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"I'm afraid I've ruined this table top.' -- Life-Line
"But I can tell you this, Andy, whatever the answers are, here's one monkey that's going to keep on climbing, and looking around him to see what he can see, as long as the tree holds out."
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)'Hie! Hie! Hee!
The rotor men are we --
Check off your sectors loud and strong!One! Two! Three!
Anywhere you go
You are bound to know
That your roadways are rolling along!' -- The Roads Must Roll
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)The room rumbled and shivered as tons of molten, massive metal, heavier than gold, coursed down the channels, struck against baffles, split into a dozen dozen streams, and plunged to rest in leaden receivers -- to rest, safe and harmless, until it should be reassembled far out in space. -- Blowups Happen
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)'Come on -- there's work to be done. -- The Man Who Sold the Moon
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"I've a feeling I've missed something. Hmm -- I've got it. Dad, tell them to send up a chaplain for the Station, as soon as possible. Under the new policy we may need one anytime." I thought so, too. -- Delilah and the Space-Rigger
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)He wondered why he had ever doubted her. -- Space Jockey
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)They didn't bother to close the outer door of the lock behind them. -- Requiem
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"When enough time had passed, long after the heaped flowers had withered, the lead casket was enclosed in marble, just as you see it today." -- The Long Watch
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"Okay, I owe you twenty. But you'll have to come to Des Moines to collect it." -- Gentlemen, Be Seated
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)He shook hands with me and said, "I know you will, Shorty." -- The Black Pits of Luna
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"Certainly is. It'll be great to be back. Don't get your nose all runny." -- "It's Great to be Back"
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"Any how," added Grace, "we can always go look at the 'Flower.'" -- "-- And We Also Walk Dogs"
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"Little fluffhead," he said, "how would you like to take a long, long ride with me?" -- Ordeal in Space
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)We pray for one last landing
On the globe that gave us birth;
Let us rest our eyes on fleecy skies
And the cool, green hills of Earth. -- The Green Hills of Earth
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"Nothing. Things are bound to get a whole lot worse before they can get any better. Let's have a drink." -- Logic of Empire
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)It really sounds better. -- The Menace from Earth
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)They had left him barely something to identify at an inquest. -- "If This Goes On --"
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)But the Fader was gone--he must ask himself. -- Coventry
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"Helio from Flagship: 'Well done, E-M3.' " -- Misfit
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"But I can tell you this, Andy, whatever the answers are, here's one monkey that's going to keep on climbing, and looking around him to see what he can see, as long as the tree holds out. -- Methuselah's Children - Original language
- English
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