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The Past Through Tomorrow: 2 Vol. Edition #2
The Past Through Tomorrow: Vol. 2
Here, in volume two of two volumes, are the other half of the stories, novelettes and novellas which make up Heinlein's famous Future History -- the rich, imaginative architecture of Man's destiny that many consider his greatest and most prophetic work. Heinlein wrote most of the Future History stories early in his career, between 1939 and 1941 and between 1945 and 1950. Most of the Future History stories written prior to 1967 are collected in the two volumes of The Past Through Tomorrow.
Contents:
* Introduction - Damon Knight
* "—We Also Walk Dogs"
* Searchlight
* Ordeal in Space
* The Green Hills of Earth
* Logic of Empire
* The Menace from Earth
* "If This Goes On—"
* Coventry
* Misfit
Contents:
* Introduction - Damon Knight
* "—We Also Walk Dogs"
* Searchlight
* Ordeal in Space
* The Green Hills of Earth
* Logic of Empire
* The Menace from Earth
* "If This Goes On—"
* Coventry
* Misfit
347 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
2 people are currently reading
372 people want to read
About the author
Robert A. Heinlein
1,059 books10.5k followersRobert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accuracy in his fiction, and was thus a pioneer of the subgenre of hard science fiction. His published works, both fiction and non-fiction, express admiration for competence and emphasize the value of critical thinking. His plots often posed provocative situations which challenged conventional social mores. His work continues to have an influence on the science-fiction genre, and on modern culture more generally.
Heinlein became one of the first American science-fiction writers to break into mainstream magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post in the late 1940s. He was one of the best-selling science-fiction novelists for many decades, and he, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke are often considered the "Big Three" of English-language science fiction authors. Notable Heinlein works include Stranger in a Strange Land, Starship Troopers (which helped mold the space marine and mecha archetypes) and The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. His work sometimes had controversial aspects, such as plural marriage in The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, militarism in Starship Troopers and technologically competent women characters who were formidable, yet often stereotypically feminine—such as Friday.
Heinlein used his science fiction as a way to explore provocative social and political ideas and to speculate how progress in science and engineering might shape the future of politics, race, religion, and sex. Within the framework of his science-fiction stories, Heinlein repeatedly addressed certain social themes: the importance of individual liberty and self-reliance, the nature of sexual relationships, the obligation individuals owe to their societies, the influence of organized religion on culture and government, and the tendency of society to repress nonconformist thought. He also speculated on the influence of space travel on human cultural practices.
Heinlein was named the first Science Fiction Writers Grand Master in 1974. Four of his novels won Hugo Awards. In addition, fifty years after publication, seven of his works were awarded "Retro Hugos"—awards given retrospectively for works that were published before the Hugo Awards came into existence. In his fiction, Heinlein coined terms that have become part of the English language, including grok, waldo and speculative fiction, as well as popularizing existing terms like "TANSTAAFL", "pay it forward", and "space marine". He also anticipated mechanical computer-aided design with "Drafting Dan" and described a modern version of a waterbed in his novel Beyond This Horizon.
Also wrote under Pen names: Anson McDonald, Lyle Monroe, Caleb Saunders, John Riverside and Simon York.
Heinlein became one of the first American science-fiction writers to break into mainstream magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post in the late 1940s. He was one of the best-selling science-fiction novelists for many decades, and he, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke are often considered the "Big Three" of English-language science fiction authors. Notable Heinlein works include Stranger in a Strange Land, Starship Troopers (which helped mold the space marine and mecha archetypes) and The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. His work sometimes had controversial aspects, such as plural marriage in The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, militarism in Starship Troopers and technologically competent women characters who were formidable, yet often stereotypically feminine—such as Friday.
Heinlein used his science fiction as a way to explore provocative social and political ideas and to speculate how progress in science and engineering might shape the future of politics, race, religion, and sex. Within the framework of his science-fiction stories, Heinlein repeatedly addressed certain social themes: the importance of individual liberty and self-reliance, the nature of sexual relationships, the obligation individuals owe to their societies, the influence of organized religion on culture and government, and the tendency of society to repress nonconformist thought. He also speculated on the influence of space travel on human cultural practices.
Heinlein was named the first Science Fiction Writers Grand Master in 1974. Four of his novels won Hugo Awards. In addition, fifty years after publication, seven of his works were awarded "Retro Hugos"—awards given retrospectively for works that were published before the Hugo Awards came into existence. In his fiction, Heinlein coined terms that have become part of the English language, including grok, waldo and speculative fiction, as well as popularizing existing terms like "TANSTAAFL", "pay it forward", and "space marine". He also anticipated mechanical computer-aided design with "Drafting Dan" and described a modern version of a waterbed in his novel Beyond This Horizon.
Also wrote under Pen names: Anson McDonald, Lyle Monroe, Caleb Saunders, John Riverside and Simon York.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 24, 2023
Ad Hoc SF read in Feb 23
As ever with RAH, there are some excellent stories in the second part of this anthology, all based in his "future history" universe.
Some of them are certainly 5 star reads , namely We Also Walk Dogs ; The Green Hills of Earth ; If This Goes On — and The Menace from Earth. That said all the stories are great and I thoroughly enjoyed it. And as I said with the review of Volume 1, all of these were written before he went (in my humble opinion) a little weird.
As ever with RAH, there are some excellent stories in the second part of this anthology, all based in his "future history" universe.
Some of them are certainly 5 star reads , namely We Also Walk Dogs ; The Green Hills of Earth ; If This Goes On — and The Menace from Earth. That said all the stories are great and I thoroughly enjoyed it. And as I said with the review of Volume 1, all of these were written before he went (in my humble opinion) a little weird.
June 8, 2016
Non ricordo bene la trama e la storia, dovrei rileggerlo ma cercando il primo volume.
October 24, 2024
"Бъдещи истории: Том 2" от Робърт Хайнлайн, издаден от "Протон" / "Fiction Fabric", е впечатляващ сборник, който продължава да разкрива визионерските идеи на незабравимия автор за бъдещето на човечеството. Този том събира останалата половина от разказите и новелите, които съставляват известните "Бъдещи истории" на Хайнлайн, и предлага на читателите още по-богато разнообразие от вълнуващи теми и сюжети, както и поредна доза майсторско светоизграждане, развито в кратка форма. Прочетете ревюто на „Книжни Криле“: https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...
November 14, 2020
Loved it. First-time reader and I was blown away with the quality of writing, although the language and physics are slightly dated it's doesn't detract from the quality of story telling.
January 10, 2024
“Бъдещи истории”, том две, ни среща и с Лазарус Лонг: https://knigolandia.info/book-review/...
“Бъдещи истории”, том две, е още един прекрасен отглас от времената на класическата научна фантастика, като впечатление прави как всеки от разказите прилича на парче от общ пъзел, те са и подредени в хронологичен ред и отгласи от предните се откриват в следващите – не само като събития, но и като герои. Дори не си бях направил труда да погледна съдържанието и откритието, че в края е поместена точно предисторията на един от любимите ми романи, ми достави огромно удоволствие, помрачено само от отново немалкия брой грешки в текста, има още какво да се желае на това ниво. Но радостта, че тези книги излизат, а и са планирани други на Айзък Азимов и Робърт Силвърбърг, е по-голяма.
Издателство Протон
https://knigolandia.info/book-review/...
“Бъдещи истории”, том две, е още един прекрасен отглас от времената на класическата научна фантастика, като впечатление прави как всеки от разказите прилича на парче от общ пъзел, те са и подредени в хронологичен ред и отгласи от предните се откриват в следващите – не само като събития, но и като герои. Дори не си бях направил труда да погледна съдържанието и откритието, че в края е поместена точно предисторията на един от любимите ми романи, ми достави огромно удоволствие, помрачено само от отново немалкия брой грешки в текста, има още какво да се желае на това ниво. Но радостта, че тези книги излизат, а и са планирани други на Айзък Азимов и Робърт Силвърбърг, е по-голяма.
Издателство Протон
https://knigolandia.info/book-review/...
May 31, 2016
All of these stories can be found in other collections, notably "Revolt in 2100" which has the three main stories included here ('If this goes on -, Coventry and Misfit).
The shorter stories hold together quite well with some references between them to help with Heinlein's idea that his stories fitted into a charted 'Future History'. This is nicely explained in Damon Knight's introduction and a copy of his famed chart is included. (I loved this as a young teenager but could never work out how he'd included stories that he hadn't written yet... of course, now that I'm a grown-up I understand about introductions to later editions of books being written well after they were first published.)
Whether you like this collection is pretty much down to whether you enjoy Heinlein's take on a future that struggles with the same organisational issues that were present in business and governmental administrations of the 1940's. If you like you Sci-Fi with inventions and social standards that are well past their sell by date then this could be for you. Otherwise it will all seem either dull, quaint or offensive. This is old school Sci-Fi far removed from contemporary life.
I found it most interesting for Heinleins' anti-slavery tale "Logic of Empire". Given all his abhorrent traits I imagined he'd be in favour of slavery and was surprised by this... until the 'aliens' were depicted as oppressed and harmless imbeciles and were treated in a similar way to that of the native Americans in the 1800's; my faith in Heinleins' appalling moral standards was restored.
The shorter stories hold together quite well with some references between them to help with Heinlein's idea that his stories fitted into a charted 'Future History'. This is nicely explained in Damon Knight's introduction and a copy of his famed chart is included. (I loved this as a young teenager but could never work out how he'd included stories that he hadn't written yet... of course, now that I'm a grown-up I understand about introductions to later editions of books being written well after they were first published.)
Whether you like this collection is pretty much down to whether you enjoy Heinlein's take on a future that struggles with the same organisational issues that were present in business and governmental administrations of the 1940's. If you like you Sci-Fi with inventions and social standards that are well past their sell by date then this could be for you. Otherwise it will all seem either dull, quaint or offensive. This is old school Sci-Fi far removed from contemporary life.
I found it most interesting for Heinleins' anti-slavery tale "Logic of Empire". Given all his abhorrent traits I imagined he'd be in favour of slavery and was surprised by this... until the 'aliens' were depicted as oppressed and harmless imbeciles and were treated in a similar way to that of the native Americans in the 1800's; my faith in Heinleins' appalling moral standards was restored.
September 3, 2018
La storia futura è il nome dato dall'editore di Astounding John W. Campbell al ciclo di racconti e romanzi ambientati in questo universo narrativo scritti da Robert A. Heinlein.
Bella raccolta.
Bella raccolta.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews