The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag

by Robert A. Heinlein

Jonathon Hoag discovers a mysterious substance under his fingernails and can't remember what he does for a living or how he spends his days. He enlists private detectives Edward and Cynthia Randall to follow him and uncover his identity, entangling them in a web of intrigue and nightmarish encounters… causing all to question their own and each others' sanity. From the bestselling author of STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND, GLORY ROAD and STARSHIP TROOPERS.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Classics

117 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 1942

About the author

Robert 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.

Reviews

[Andree Sanborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant book with a scary concept at its core. I meant to do some housework on this first day of vacation but I could not stop reading this. It is beautifully written, too. I have to read more Heinlein. A warning: buy from Amazon, not from iBooks. iBooks is twice the price for the same edition but it does have nicer page numbering formats.

[Ross Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's true for nearly all Heinlein stories: the banter is clever, the characters' interactions are fun and lively, the protagonists contend against something far more devious than they imagine, and at some point the plot gets weeeeird.

I found the ending inconclusive but not altogether unsatisfying. Certainly more resolution required for the question the main characters are trying to get to the bottom of all this time. It's short and could be seen as a time capsule for what some authors thought of hypnosis in the last century.

[Stifynsemons · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3.4 stars = I liked it, but probably won't read again anytime soon]

This novel is setup as a mystery to solve, but instead of a murder or some similar crime, the question the client has for the P.I. is what do I do during the day ... after five years on the job, Jonathan Hoag has no idea what he does or where he works or who he works for and is quite afraid it is something horrible.

The book takes some decidedly surprising turns given Heinlein's typical style, but the resolution is the big surprise.

[Gara Khachadour · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love meta narratives, twin peaks style paranormal events, or a light quick read, this one commits to all three in the best way possible

[Nikoleta L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* Eerie, creepy and other synonyms you can think of. A bit too expectant in the realm of willing suspension and reader interpretation. Has some “mistakes” and illogical bits I couldn’t get past. A quick read I’d recommend, if nothing then for the paranoia and the main idea that was really interesting and thought-provoking.

[Nightlizard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ёмко. Захватывающе. Удивительно, как книга 42го года так вписывается в современность и думаю также легко она будет восприниматься и через ещё 77 лет.
Хотелось больше, но это было не нужно.

[Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining noir novella. The detective couple is hired to find out what their client, Mr. Hoag, does during the day, as the client has no recollection of his daytime activities. Then more and more bizarre events happen. The ending is a great idea, but the execution is weak: the couple is told what has really been going on, instead of us seeing a discovery of the truth front and center. They don't believe-believe it, until they check, of course, so we get a glimpse, but it would have been great if they actually ferreted it out and we saw their discovery as it unfolded more. This story certainly had Dark City vibes, so I wondered if the film was partly inspired by this. Recommended for those who like polished furniture, big mirrors and enamel paint.

[Alisabiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Долго я не могла взяться за эту книжку, но как же рада, что нашла в себе силы и желание!

Довольно увлекательное чтение, захватывающая история с преогромным любопытством, что же, блин, там всё-таки на самом деле произошло. Немного раздражает поведение упрямого детектива, а иногда и трусость его супруги, но несмотря на это книга меня впечатлила и оставила приятные послевкусия после прочтения.
Ну и, как обычно, зеркала, приводящие в другой мир, не остаются незамеченными.

Ох уж этот Хайнлайн! Могёт-таки!

[Richard Skolek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Má to silnou atmosféru a ústřední myšlenka je fantastická, celkové provedení na mě ovšem bylo příliš excentrické. Přišlo mi, že sem omylem "popadalo" pár nápadů z jiných textů, takže se to na konci moc nepropojilo a jako čtenáře mě to úplně neuspokojilo. Je nicméně pravda, že jsem měl tendenci srovnávat to se seriálem Severance, který je založen na podobné myšlence, ale pracuje s ní mnohem soustředěněji.

[Mike McNichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delightful read, combining 1940's mystery noir with science fiction. The witty banter between Teddy Randall and his wife, Cynthia, was touching and funny at the same time. The mysterious Mr. Hoag turns out to be much more than he seems, and Teddy's relentless pursuit of him ends in a surprising and satisfying way.

[Gato Tonto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Дивна книга на грані з шизою

Якби сюжет не пішов в якусь езотерику, то твір можна було б вважати міцним детективом.

Водночас, є об'єктивні плюси - постійна підтримка напруги, сомнабулічна атмосфера, співвідношення дійсності і дивної вигадки

Як вердикт, раджу читати на свій страх і ризик, бо дуже вкусовщина

[Joshua · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another commentator said this was Heinlein trying to be Philip K. Dick. I would add: ...and failing.

[Bill Hohl · Rating 5 out of 5]

whoa! what a trip!

[Марина Rosenfeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

как всегда у хайнлайна интересно, фантазия зашкаливает, внутренняя логика присутствует, всё всегда получает своё объяснение и закрываются все хвосты. но перечитывать не вижу смысла, хотя мир как произведение искусства для оценивания - отдельно очень красивая идея

[Ashley Lambert-Maberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 4, because although it's ultimately a bit familiar territory, I suspect it's the first one to trod that particular path, and it did so briskly and effectively where others meander to get to their point. This is a second read, but the first one happened quickly as a tween, and I barely remember it, so that shouldn't count. This is a quick, light read--a short novella or longish story--effectively combining a tale of private detectives with an eerie twist. Not too hard-boiled, with a pleasant camaraderie between the protagonists--hard not to like.

(Note: 5 stars = rare and amazing, 4 = quite good book, 3 = a decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. There are a lot of 4s and 3s in the world!)

[Reanne]

It looks like a lot of these reviews are for a story collection. The one I have is the Kindle version of only the Unpleasant Profession. (I'm wondering if it should be listed as a separate book on here.)

Edit: Meh, DNFing this at a little over half-way. It's trying to be mysterious and enticing, but the constant lack of any answers at all is just irritating, and I don't find the characters very interesting either. (And looking ahead, it looks like the ultimate answer to the mystery is so much made-up nonsense that it would have been unsatisfying anyway.)

[Kfir Luzzatto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not his best novel

The plot draws you in as all Heinlein plots do, and you must read on. But the ending is weak, uninteresting and leaves you unsatisfied. To a Heinlein fan like me, the book is disappointing in spite of the original idea behind it, also because the dialogue of the "demons" (or whatever they are) sounds extremely artificial.

[Jack Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curious musings

Amid a strange case taken by a husband/wife detective team, Heinlein gets metaphorical with the eventual outcome of the story. A compelling read, especially considering it's one of his rare non-scifi tales.

[Andrii Kaa]

Хорошая книга.

[Jenny Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nervous man brings a unbelievable story that turns out to be a true even more unbelievable than expected. Another good story from Heinlein .