Stranger in a Strange Land (1961)

A Martian Named Smith. I'm very glad I obtained the "uncut" edition of this book, although when I did finish reading it, I found I was missing reading the book immensely. Hopefully Heinlein's other books will be as good. Futuristic, with brilliant discussions between characters. Apollonian and Dionysian (Nietzsche), Lobund Laboratory, and Armattoe are just a few of the references that spurred my interest. The news articles which appeared at the start of some chapters became more appealing as the book advanced, like reading the gossip columns to learn about a society's culture. Heinlein's explanation of the asteroid belt tickles me. The innocence of Mike ("I am only an egg"), his introduction to human life, his rise to leadership, and sacrifice all made the story wonderful. I grok Mr Smith has discorporated, but sorry the story had to end. ( )

Having loved Starship Troopers (the movie), this one was always only my list to read. The story, thought of by Heinleins Wife, is simple -- take The Jungle Book, but make the man from Mars. The story went in unexpected places -- to politics, metaphysics, sex and commune lifestyles. I see why this one was such a big hit in the 60s. ( )

I don't even know where to start this review. The sexism? The bigotry? The tiresome, droning sermons given by the characters?

I've heard others claim that Heinlein was simply a man of his time, and we should take this into consideration when a Muslim character is endearingly nicknamed Stinky, or when Jill says the oft-quoted, "Nine times out of ten, if a girl gets raped, it's partly her fault." But, I've read plenty of other SF works from the same time period, and Heinlein is an anomaly.

Even if you could ignore the sexism and the bigotry, the rest of the book is simply uninteresting. The future of his world is just the 1950s with flying cars and Mars missions, where reporters are either winchells or lipmanns (a reference that was probably outdated by the time of the 1968 reissue). Male characters (because "these women did not chatter, did not intrude into sober talk of men, but were quick with food and drink") frequently orate during regular conversation, espousing their ideas about things only tangentially related to the conversation.

I really do not understand how this book has survived as a "classic" of science fiction. ( )

I read this book in high school for recreational reading and greatly enjoyed it then. I hope to read it again. However, I think The Moon is a Harsh Mistress maybe better. But my favourite book by Heinlein is his collection of short stories The Past Through Tomorrow. ( )

I am all that I grok. ( )