The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag

by Robert A. Heinlein

Robert A. Heinlein interrupts the lives of two ordinary people for a terrifying night-ride along the interface between reality and our world.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Short Stories, Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction Fantasy, Horror

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1959

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

[Glenn Russell]

Offbeat, oddball detective fiction squared. Wow! Does it ever get any crazier?

We're in Chicago right around 1942, the publication date of American author Robert A. Heinlein's short novel The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag. And we're about to enter into a case that's, as the saying goes, nuttier than a fruitcake. Too nutty and too full of unexpected, quizzical U-Turns right from the first pages to say anything more about the story line; rather, I'll serve up several slices from this Heinlein fruitcake to stimulate your literary taste buds. Open wide - here goes:

JONATHAN HOAG
Articulate, gentile, gracious, cultivated, urbane Jonathan Hoag is in need of help – he has lost all memory of his daytime activities including his very own profession. His prime question: what do I do all day that serves as my means of employment? Furthermore, Jonathan is perplexed as to the reddish substance resembling dried blood under his fingernails. The doctor he consults, one Potiphar T. Potbury, is no help at all; quite the contrary, without the least provocation, Potbury throws him out of his office and demands he never, ever return.

SLUTHHOUNDS
Jonathan contacts Randall & Craig, a private detective agency, which turns out to be a husband and wife team - Ted and Cynthia Randall. Hoag hands Mr. Randall a fistful of large bills for shadowing him during the day to find out what exactly he does. Bizarre request, to say the least, but Ted and Cynthia can use the money, so they agree.

These two call each other Teddy and Cyn and have always worked well as a gumshoe team. A few samples of their breezy back and forth at different points in the story: "You didn’t pick up a snifter or two on the way, did you?” . . . “That’s a fine idea. That’s a swell idea. I’ll tell him you’ve broken your leg but you’ll be all right tomorrow. . . . " “We always have fun. Even when we were broke and trying to get the business started we had fun. We went to bed smiling and got up happy. We still do." As readers, we root for Ted and Cynthia from beginning to end, such a genuine good old Midwestern American apple pie couple.

KOOKY IN THE EXTREME
Cyn and Teddy tail Jonathan Hoag around town but they are in for a bucketful of the freakish: afterwards, when they compare notes of their respective experiences, they don't match. Cyn says she clearly saw Teddy speaking with Hoag out on the street but Teddy replies in alarm, he never exchanged a word with Hoag. Teddy recounts how he shadowed Hoag to the 13th Floor of the Acme Building and discovered Jonathan Hoag works as a jeweler for a company called Betheridge. But Cyn claims he did nothing of the sort. They both return to the Acme Building to solve the puzzle. Ahh! - no 13th Floor, no jewelers, and no Betheridge! Flabbergasted, Cyn and Teddy consider the explanation could lie in either hypnosis, hallucination or even madness. The thick plottens.



MIRROR WORLD
Teddy's world is about to turn even freakier. Much freakier. At home one evening he is led through a large mirror into another dimension where he is confronted by beefy business types sitting around a conference table, a group of men calling themselves "The Sons of the Bird" with talk of "The Bird is cruel." These coarse, odious men attempt to bully Teddy, making demands of him concerning none other than Jonathan Hoag. Incidentally, this part of the tale had served as inspiration for a number of the novel's book covers, as per above.

SOCIAL COMMENTARY
"She recalled once having seen a painting entitled Subway. It showed a crowd pouring out the door of an underground train while another crowd attempted to force its way in. Getting on or getting off, they were plainly in a hurry, yet it seemed to give them no pleasure. The picture had no beauty itself; it was plain that the artist's single purpose had been to make a bitter criticism of a way of living." Robert A. Heinlein isn't Theodore Dreiser or Upton Sinclair or Sinclair Lewis, but he does include a good bit of commentary on the underside of American society.


Cynthia is probably recollecting Subway, a 1935 painting by Daniel Celentano


In much similar spirit: Subway, a 1950 painting by George Tooker

As below, so above. Here's another instance of scathing social critique: riding the Chicago elevated, Cynthia scans the familiar miles of apartment houses, “Four-and five-story walk-up apartment houses, with their backs to the tracks, at least ten families to a building, more visually twenty or more, and the buildings crushed together almost wall to wall. Wood-construction back porches which proclaimed the fire-trap nature of the warrens despite the outer brick shells, family wash hung out to dry on those porches, garbage cans, and trash bins. Mile after mile of undignified and unbeautiful squalor, seen from the rear. And over everything a film of black grime, old and inescapable, like the dirt on the window sill beside her.”

TRANSCEND GRIM AND GRIME
The novel's ending caught me by surprise. Again, I will not reveal specifics but I will note that I wasn't expecting Robert A. Heinlein to speak in glowing terms of an individual's capacity to be an art critic and refined Epicure with highly attuned tastes and sensibilities. And a lover capable of great sacrifice. Made me wonder if anybody has ever addressed the topic of aesthetics in the literature of Robert A. Heinlein. I'm half joking here but only half. To compound matters, we are asked to ponder the prospect of our created world being one of process with echoes of Alfred North Whitehead and process theology. As to the question of how all of this fits together, I urge you to read The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag to discover for yourself.


One of the giants of science fiction, American author Robert A. Heinlein, 1907-1988

"Poets have sung of the beauty and innocence of childhood. But it could not have been this street, seen through Hoag's eyes, that they had in mind. The small boys seemed rat-faced to him, sharp beyond their years, sharp and shallow and snide. The little girls were no better in his eyes. Those of eight or nine, the shapeless stringy age, seemed to him to have tattletale written in their pinched faces — mean souls, born for trouble- making and cruel gossip. Their slightly older sisters, gutter-wise too young, seemed entirely concerned with advertising their arrogant new sex — not for Hoag's benefit, but for their pimply counterparts loafing around the drugstore." Robert A. Heinlein, The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag

[Lyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid collection of early Heinlein short work.

All You Zombies is THE going back in time book, the Velvet Elvis of that sub-genre.

And He Built a Crooked House is classic SF, told by a grandmaster, flipping it upside down, reversing the strings and playing it left-handed.

The title story --- eh ---, well told and fun to read, but we may see a very early foreshadowing of weird 70s Bob Heinlein.

Heinlein fans need to have read or have on the list and this would probably be a good introduction to his works without reading a full novel.

[J.L. Sutton · Rating 3 out of 5]

"He could not afford to believe anything that he was told, or that he read, or that was implicitly assumed to be true about the world around him."



Robert Heinlein's The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag has a detective noir feel about it that actually grabbed me. The husband-and-wife detective team of Ted and Cynthia Randall are hired by Jonathan Hoag, a man who has no memory of what he does during the day. The assignment is simple. Hoag simply wants to know what he does during the day. For a while, the investigation is straightforward. Then it gets weirder and weirder still. 3.5 stars

[Manny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could reasonably have been called Collected Paranoid Tales of Robert Heinlein. Most of them are satisfyingly creepy, and it's hard to get them out of your head.

Anyone who's got even the tiniest trace of paranoia ought to read They. (You haven't come across it? Interesting. Do you think that's just pure chance?) All You Zombies is in some ways still the ultimate go-back-in-time-and-meet-yourself story. And if you figure out what Jonathan Hoag's unpleasant profession is before he tells you, you're good at this kind of thing...

[Pawarut Jongsirirag · Rating 4 out of 5]

เรื่องบางเรื่องมักเริ่มต้นจากเริ่องขี้เล็บๆ โดยเฉพาะเรื่องของนายโจนาธาน โฮค

The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag เล่าถึงปริศนาของนาย โจนาธาน หอก ( ในที่นี้ขอพิมพ์หอก เพื่อความง่าย เเละ ความจริง หอก นี่คือเหมาะสมกับนายโฮคเเล้วจริงๆ ) ที่ไปหาหมอเพราะสงสัยว่าอะไรติดอยู่ในซอกเล็บของเขา
นายหอก : หมอครับ มันคืออะไร
หมอ : (ดูผลตรวจ) นายออกไปจากคลีนิคตูเลย.
หวังว่าเราจะไม่เจอกันอีก
นายหอก : หน่านี๊ !!!

จากความสงสัยในวันนั้น นายหอก เลยว่าจ้างนักสืบให้ติดตามชีวิตของเขาในช่วงกลางวันว่าเขานั้นไปทำอะไรมา เพราะเขาจำอะไรไม่ได้เลยในช่วงเวลากลางวัน ว่าเขาทำอะไร ไปไหนมา รู้เเต่เพียงว่าเขามีเงินใช้ทุกเดือน มีบ้านหลังใหญ่โตอาศัย ความสงสัยนี้ประกอบกับเรื่องเล็บ ทำให้เขากลัวว่าอะไรคือสิ่งที่เขาทำในตอนกลางวัน โดยเขาไม่รู้เลยว่าความลับนี้มีบางคนต้องการจะปกปิด เเละพวกเขายอมทำทุกทางเพื่อไม่ให้มีใครรู้..

เเม้เรื่องย่อเหมือนนายหอก จะเป็นตัวเอก เเต่จร งๆเเล้วไม่ใช่นะครับ เพราะตัวเอกจริงๆคือคู่สามีภริยา (ดวงซวย) ที่รับจ้างสืบหาความจริงของนายหอก เพราะตั้งเเต่เริ่มทำงาน ก็มีเรื่องประหลาดๆ เกิดขึ้นกับพวกเขาตลอด

ด้วยตัวนิยายเองสามารถเเบ่งได้ออกเป็น 3 ส่วน
ส่วนเเรกคือรหัสคดีชั้นดี เริ่มต้นด้วยปริศนาเเละการตามหาความจริง
ส่วนที่สองคือ สยองขวัญนิดๆไซไฟหน่อยๆผสมกัน การพบเจอเรื่องเเปลกประหลาดของคู่สามีภริยาที่ต้องการหาความจริงให้ได้ว่า นายหอก นี่คือ เป็นใครวะเฮ้ยยย ทำไมมีเเต่เรื่องวายป่วงเกิดขึ้นรอบตัวพวกเขาหลังตกลงรับงานนี้
เเละส่วนสุดท้ายคือความเป็นไซไฟผสมปรัชญา เมื่อคำตอบถูกเฉลย มันสร้างความว้าวให้กับคนอ่านเลยนะครับ ไม่นึกว่ามันจะมาทางนี้ เเละสิ่งที่ทำให้มัน��ีเยี่ยมคือตอนจบมันกึ่งปลายเปิด ถ้าไฮนไลน์ เขียนตอนจบเเบบปลายปิดว่า เออ นี่ไงคำตอบนะ จบเเล้วไปนอนได้ มันก็ยังเป็นไซไฟ ทริลเลอร์ กลมกล่อมอยู่ดี เเต่พอเขาเขียนให้เหลือช่องว่างน้อยๆให้นักอ่านได้ตีความ ทำให้จากเรื่องชั้นดี กลายเป็นชั้นเซียนไป การหาคำตอบจากตัวผู้อ่านใส่ลงในช่องว่างนี่เเหละคือความสนุกของเรื่องเเละทำให้เนื้อเรื่องมันไม่ซ้ำขึ้นอยู่กับเราตีความ

นอกจากเนื้อเรื่องการสร้างตัวละครคู่สามีภริยานักสืบนี่ก็ทำได้ดี ตัวละครมีความชัดเจนในตัวเอง เเละไฮนไลน์บิ้วตัวละครจนเราอยากเอาใจช่วยให้พวกเขาผ่านพ้นเรื่องตำบอนพวกนี้เเล้วกลับไปชกหน้านายหอกซักหมัด โทษฐานนำความซวยมาสู่พวกเขา

เเละสุดท้ายคู่สามีภริยานักสืบคงอยากบอกพวกเราให้รู้ว่า ถ้าใครมาขอความช่วยเหลือเราเรื่องขี้เล็บๆ อย่าไปรับนะ ไม่งั้นละก็ ........ ไม่อยากจะพูดเลยครับ

[Jersy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of Twilight Zone - esque stories with surprisingly compelling characters for the most part.
The first story, or rather a novella which over half of the book is comprised of, is an engaging detective story with an SF spin on it, which I really enjoyed. My favourite tales were the ones that where mostly concerned with the human mind in one way or another.
I'm looking forward to reading more of Heinlein's works, since his ideas, style and character interactions please me.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Heinlein really made his name during the 1960s and ̕70s, so these short stories are examples of his early work. There are two from the ̕50s and four from the ̕40s.
    The title story: a husband-and-wife team running their own detective agency are baffled when a man walks into their office one day and hires them to do a job the like of which they’ve never done before: he wants them to tail him. He leaves the house on time every morning and returns home each evening, but has no recollection of anything in between; one ominous detail, though, is a mystery deposit (red, sticky) under his fingernails. So he wants them to follow him and discover what he gets up to all day.
    “The Man Who Traveled in Elephants”: in this one a bus passenger, involved in an accident, bashes his head on the seat in front—and everything that happens next seems…different, too perfect…
    “All You Zombies”: an extraordinary time-travel story, eventually filmed as Predestination (2014).
    “They”: the story of a man’s unbending conviction—while under close observation in a psychiatric hospital—that the entire world and everyone in it is a sham and elaborate conspiracy against him (half a century before The Truman Show too!).
    “Our Fair City”: more whimsical fantasy than science fiction this one, as a newspaper reporter battles corrupt local officials—with a sentient whirlwind to help him.
    “And He Built a Crooked House”: an architect designs and builds a four-dimensional house—having four spatial dimensions that is, an object mathematicians call a tesseract or hypercube. So, from the outside, this house looks like a simple one-room box, surrounded by lawns and rose-beds; inside though there are no less than seven further rooms, all cubes precisely the same size as the first. The thing is this: getting in is straightforward, just through the front door, but can you find your way back out again—ever?
    There was only one story here I didn’t think much of and, overall, this was an enjoyable and interesting read.

[Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't say much about the other stories, but the title story has remained with me since I finally tracked the book down years ago. I reread it every so often and I am always amazed and puzzled. I had read about the story in Zizek's LOOKING AWRY. The excerpt and the Zizek described it gave me chills. I had trouble finding a copy and when I finally did I unwrapped the book and sat on my porch and didn't move until I had finished. It's only 75-100 pages ( ican't quite remember) The effect, on the other hand, has remained with me and still I watch people going into buildings with a different feeling about who they are and what I project onto them. It is scary stuff. A philosophy course in itself.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Good early collection of Heinlein stories. The title story is different from just about everything else Heinlein wrote and is worth reading for that alone. "All You Zombies" is a lot of fun as well.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

En esta compilación, el gran Heinlein nos demuestra sus aptitudes para todo lo que se le pusiera por delante; en el presente, el abordaje del misterio como vía para su desarrollo en los relatos que la conforman. Así, mediante cinco grandes historias que contienen la misma temática en concepto: la creación, a varios niveles y con diversos enfoques, el decano nos sumerge en una intriga continua y llena de entretenimiento, pero por encima de todo, en la auto reflexión, una vez finalizados ellos.
Siempre que reseño relatos, suelo comentar aquellos que más me han gustado. Tratándose de mi debilidad lectora: Heinlein, no quiero hacerlo, siendo consciente que hay algunos superiores a otros. Sin embargo, todos son de notable, por la fecha en que fueron ideados, por su originalidad en el momento, su excelente tratamiento y acometer su función personal.

A continuación, os describo el argumento de cada uno y mis impresiones y comentarios al respecto:

1/ La desagradable profesión de Jonathan Hoag (1942):
Jonathan Hoag sufre un tipo de amnesia rara y, además, tiene una extraña sustancia bajo las uñas que no comprende y le aterroriza. Contrata el servicio de unos detectives (Randall y Craig) para que le sigan y así poder saber qué hace por el día, después de desfallecer su intento con el doctor Podbury.
Esta notable novela corta (o relato largo, como se quiera ver), es completamente atrapante y contiene una atmosfera muy en la línea de la serie negra clásica, lleno de misterio. Los personajes, especialmente el binomio de investigadores, le acaban de dar ese toque descarado, escéptico y astuto, que le va tan bien al género (personajes 100% Heinleninanos, por otra parte). Heinlein, sabiamente (como no podía ser de otro modo), se recrea en su intriga central (contada metafóricamente y con omisiones, que incrementan la intensidad) que va arrastrando con astucia conforme avanza su desarrollo. El decano crea un halo de incertidumbre personal y filosófico- vital en la figura de Hoag, analizado desde el punto de vista del avispado matrimonio detectivesco (los verdaderos protagonistas de la historia), que llevan de la ‘manita’ al lector por dónde Heinlein place. Con ello, de manera endiabladamente maquiavélica, el lector se enreda una, y otra vez, dejándole deducir lo que el escrito desea en ese momento, para darle la vuelta nuevamente.
Su argumento y planteamiento es sumamente interesante, por enfoque y tratamiento, además de la sabiduría de su desarrollo. Un Heinlein fantástico (pero científico de fondo), y (como siempre, no nos engañemos) ambicioso, que aquí incluye sus temas favoritos: comida, sexo y gatos, acertadamente en la trama. Pero por encima de todo, la cúspide de su temática y tónica predilecta: la sociedad, desde raíz.
“¿Cómo luchar si no puedes creer a tus propios ojos?”
Me ha gustado mucho.

2/ El hombre que vendía elefantes(1957):
John Watts es un antiguo y solitario comerciante, que viaja en autobús a una feria estatal, cuando comienza a recordar su maravillosa vida junto a su esposa Marta.
Este es un relato ciertamente emotivo y cálido, basado en el recuerdo y con un aura de ensoñación muy especial. Repleto de flashbacks nostálgicos y curiosos, protagonizados por una alegre y peculiar pareja que gustaba de recorrer el país, fabulando grandes ventas (elefantes).
Quizá a día de hoy, su misterio y final no sorprendan, pero en su momento estoy segura que lo haría. Y es que, y una vez más, el maestro fue precursor de posteriores y aclamadas historias con ese mismo giro, llevadas a la pantalla dentro una excelsa y famosa serie clásica.
Empero, Heinlein, más que sorprender, pretendía sumergir al lector en una atmosfera especial de dicha y fantasía, a la par que emotividad. Y vaya si lo consigue.
Me ha gustado mucho.

3/ Todos vosotros zombies (1959):
La base del argumento es el testimonio desgarrador y traumático de una madre soltera, contado a un presunto camarero, (que después resulta ser un agente del tiempo) acerca del robo de su hija. Entonces el agente le propondrá el trato de recuperarla y vengarse del desalmado que se la robó volviendo al pasado. Pero todo ello a cambio de su reclutamiento.
Basado en un concepto filosófico, Heinlein nos muestra su maestría una vez más. Un relato extraordinario, enrevesado y perturbador, con un giro tremendo y original. La mejor parábola de viajes temporales. Es mi cuarta o quinta relectura, y me continúa fascinando. Heinlein en su máximo esplendor y expresión, con gancho y dejándote con la boca abierta en su primera lectura; os lo aseguro. Y altamente disfrutable, en posteriores ocasiones.
Me ha encantado.

4/ Ellos(1941):
Un hombre (del cual desconocemos su nombre incluso), está encerrado en un psiquiátrico. Cree que su mujer urde algo en su contra, y que es diferente a todos.
Un misterioso, hábil y profundo relato filosófico, que mediante le soliloquio del protagonista, disecciona el significado vital, poniendo en la mesa varias teorías, para enredo (y digestión pensante) del lector. Analiza, entre otros, la consciencia, absoluta vs la memoria, manipulable y perecedera, y critica la religión como vía de la distorsión de la verdad, volviéndola en mentira convincente. Su final contiene dos lecturas; ambas geniales.
Una historia que ha servido de precursora a conocidas obras literarias y a éxitos en la pantalla grande.

5/ Nuestra hermosa ciudad(1949):
El titulo que da nombre al relato, es el diario de la localidad dónde transcurre la historia. Peter es un sarcástico columnista, que una tarde charlando con Papy (encargado de un aparcamiento local), descubre que el remolino al que Papy nombra ‘Gatita’, está dotado de vida e inteligencia.
Heinlein nos presenta un bizarro relato, a modo de parodia e impregnado de crítica socio-institucional, además de denuncia. Dotada de achispados diálogos y personajes con garra. Es precursora de su “La bestia estelar” en esencia, pero con un enfoque más surrealista y acelerado; en la base de las comedias con trasfondo social y socarronería; cosa que compartía con Capra.
Sin ser su mejor muestra, es una narración corta del maestro, que sirve de ejemplo perfecto para descubrir la engañosa ligereza de sus escritos, llenos de entre líneas y mensaje.
Me ha gustado mucho.

6/ Y construyó una casa torcida(1941):
Quintus Tead es un arquitecto con sita en la lujosa y ostentosa California. Casando de los convencionalismos y peticiones de la población, convence a un amigo y colega de profesión para construirle una casa única: un Teresacto, que desafiará las estructuras tradicionales.
Ingenioso relato de ciencia ficción, que explora y expone el mundo de las dimensiones (paralelismos, espacios y tiempo) y su teoría, introduciendo al lector en una narrativa jocosa (por el desenfado de los personajes), misteriosa, un cuanto angustiosa y claustrofóbica. Tanto la presentación del diseño de la casa, como el tratamiento de su laberíntica morada y entorno; dice mucho de Heinlein. A parte de precursor e inspirador para posteriores films y series (dentro y fuera del género), la trama sigue funcionado en su lectura presente
Me ha gustado mucho.

[Toby · Rating 3 out of 5]

If Hollywood in the 40s had made the titular novella it would be titled The Thin Man On a Paranormal Adventure, such is the similarities found between Cyn and Randall and Nick and Norah. Heinlein's Norah is the voice of reason as her brain dead husband ignores everything and acts like a buffoon for the duration of their investigation in to what exactly it is that the rather unpleasant Mr Hoag gets up to during daylight hours.

There are some other stories in the collection, most notably the excellent All You Zombies which was recently turned in to the very nice low fi Australian science fiction movie Predestination. Largely it's from the fantastical end of Heinlein oeuvre which would explain my lower than anticapted enthusiasm for the book.

[Nicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic collection! Includes the novella "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag," and the five short stories "The Man Who Traveled in Elephants," "All You Zombies," "They," "Our Fair City," and "And He Built a Crooked House." This book is a great introduction for anyone looking to get a taste of Heinlein without trudging through some of his denser material.

[Nantiny · Rating 4 out of 5]

ชอบในพล็อตช่วงแรกมาก ความสงสัยต่อคราบที่ติดในซอกเล็บของโจนาธาน โฮค ถ้าลงรายละเอียดไปทางความรู้ด้านเคมีคงสนุกไปอีกแบบ ช่วงแรกน่าติดตามมาก จากนั้นมาช่วงกลาง คนแต่งเหมือน(หลอกล่อ)มาด้วยประเด็นทางจิตวิทยาเข้ามา การที่นายโฮคไม่รู้ตัวว่าเขาทำอะไรไปบ้างในช่วงกลางวัน เลยต้องให้คู่หูสามีภรรยานักสืบมาช่วยสืบดูตัวเองว่าตนทำงานอะไรกันแน่ ช่วงที่คู่หูสองคนนี่สืบอยู่ก็จัดว่าสนุก แต่หลังจากนั้นจะเริ่มออกดราม่ามาหน่อย เป็นเรื่องของสามีภรรยาคู่นี้เมื่อเกิดปัญหา เรื่องเลยดูเหวี่ยงจากแกนหลักไปบ้าง(เริ่มเบื่อนิดๆ) แต่พอมาถึงช่วงใกล้จบถึงได้รู้ว่า คนแต่งใส่ประเด็นดราม่านี้เข้ามาทำไม เพื่อแสดงถึงความพิเศษแบบที่มนุษย์มีได้(รึเปล่า) เลยกลายเป็นปรัชญาไปได้อีกแนวในตัว(แบบจะสื่อว่า ง่ายงามในความธรรมดาอะไรเทือกนั้น)

ถือว่าจบได้ลงตัว อ่านไป ทำให้นึกถึงกลุ่มชายไร้ผมอย่างซีรีส์เรื่อง fringe รึไม่ก็กลุ่มชายใส่หมวกอย่างในหนังเรื่อง the adjustment bureau ...ว่าแต่ทำไมมีแต่กลุ่มลึกลับชายทั้งนั้น ไม่มีหญิงเลย
อ่อ...ว่าแล้วก็มีที่พระเอก(เคย)เป็นหญิงอยู่นี่นะของคนแต่งคนนี้ที่ดูมา คือ all you zombies มาทำเป็นหนังชื่อ predestination

ปล. ทำไมเราอ่านเรื่องนี้แล้วฝันร้ายทุกรอบที่อ่านละหลับไป ตื่นกลางดึกละอ่านต่อ หลับไปอีกก็ฝันร้ายอีก 555 เรื่องนี้อาจมีพลังงานบางอย่างก็เป็นได้
ปล2. อาจเป็นเพราะ .... พญาปักษานั้นโหดเหี้ยมโดยแท้ ...
(อินๆ)

[Michael Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique mix of mystery, science fiction, and horror. It's a fun, inventive read and was look over your shoulder creepy at times. The overall concept was really cool, and the characters were well thought out and given decent depth. A quick and clever novella and definitely worth reading!

[Unai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Qué personaje tan peculiar era Heinlein y esta colección de relatos suyos es una buena muestra de que su cabeza era una montaña rusa de paranoias de todas clases y colores.
Desde el relato que da origen a la película “Predestination” a no poder dejar de ver en la historia de Jonathan Hoag un germen tangencial de lo que hoy en día es “Severance”, pasando por vendedores de elefantes y arquitectos tetradimensionales.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Huh.

*blink blink*

Well... okay then.

The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag is an odd story. All the while reading it, I continued thinking, "This isn't really a very great book, but I think it might make a fantastic episode on The Outer Limits or The Twilight Zone. Or a comic book!"

Unfortunately, it's a bit long for what it is. Characters that could have remained nameless have all kinds of description and even a bit of personality (though nothing particularly unique or intriguing). Strange things happen repeatedly, and the characters puzzle over it for too long. There's also the typical Heinlein joking about, which creates plenty of filler.

Eventually, it develops and ends as one of those strange old fantastic yarns that paranoiacs and cultists thrive on - it doesn't answer questions in a satisfying way. It's just weird.

It's not a bad story - it's quite entertaining at times - but it's too long and ultimately doesn't do much with the time it has taken to build a world and framework. Definitely lesser Heinlein.

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Un Heinlein diferente al habitual.-

Género. Relatos.

Lo que nos cuenta. Recopilación que incluye una novela corta (publicada en 1942 y parte de la primera producción del autor) y cinco relatos breves que tocan temas tan variados como la extraña amnesia selectiva de un caballero y los problemas que sufren la pareja de detectives encargados de averiguar en qué ocupa el día el señor, un viajero que echa muchísimo de menos a su amada esposa, un Agente Temporal en labores de reclutamiento, los problemas de Joe durante su internamiento en una institución por sentirse observado y manipulado constantemente, la amistad entre un señor y un remolino de aire y, por último, las consecuencias de construir una casa con un diseño avanzado en muchos sentidos.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Sushi (寿司) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rispetto agli altri dello stesso autore questi racconti mi sono piaciuti di più. Sia a "A noi vivi" che a "Waldo" avevo dato tre stelle ma penso che questo meriti un quattro. Considerando che il 90% degli Urania che ho comprato solitamente fa schifo sono felice che il primo del 2018 (pubblicato nel 2014) si prenda un bel quattro. All'inizio avevo dato un cinque ma poi le ultime tre storie erano piuttosto incasinate quindi ho deciso di scalare di una stella.

[Edoardo Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up reading Heinlein's juveniles and I'm grateful for that as both a reader and, now, a writer. As a reader, and a young reader at that, they were fast, convincing and did not condescend at all: I really thought that, under the right circumstances and with enough application and smarts on my part, I too should be able to:

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

Of course, the problem with that quote, which is the underlying philosophy of all the characters in his juveniles, is that it comes from his book Time Enough For Love, when, frankly, Heinlein had completely fallen off his typewriter and disappeared up his own verbiage as some sort of free-love guru who liked big guns and springy nipples. The later books, when Heinlein's fame and an overly permissive editor allowed him to write for as long as he wanted, are, quite simply, embarrassingly bad. Imagine the bloat of the later Harry Potter novels but with bad sex and women who only ever say, 'Yes.' But then... there are the early novels, the juveniles such as Have Space Suit, Will Travel, Starman Jones and Space Cadet, not to mention The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, and I remember just how good he was. If only, if only, if only Stranger in a Strange Land hadn't been such a success. But with the sex and philosophising pulling in the punters, Heinlein could abandon the discipline of telling a story for a soapbox.

The stories in The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag are certainly not juveniles, but they belong to the most brilliantly productive and imaginative phase of his career, although All You Zombies does foreshadow Heinlein's later bizarre mother fixation, even if you can argue that he's here working through the logical possibilities of time travel and, in his marvellous phrase, paradoctoring a paradox. The titular story has remained with me for many many years: the final images of a world apparently real but actually simply fog, and of not knowing whether you are a creature of that fog, lodged themselve so deeply into my teenage brain that, rereading the book now, they still freeze me. Highly recommended.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a title that makes you want to read the book. Just what is Mr. Hoag's unpleasant profession? Even he doesn't know, though he suspects something terrible, and hires a detective to follow him round one day to find out. From there on it is a trip down the rabbit hole, or rather through the looking glass.

There are also five shorter stories here:

"The Man Who Traveled in Elephants": No, he doesn't actually travel in an elephant; apparently it was a way of describing a traveling salesman's specialty. A widower continues to journey around America as he always did with his wife, until a tour bus incident sends him into a strange but somehow familiar place. The ending was a little predictable, only because the general concept has been done many times since.

"-All You Zombies-" is a twisted time travel story about a man who offers another the chance to have revenge upon the one he believes ruined his life.

"They" is about a man who seems to suffer from the solipsistic delusion that he is the only real person and everything else is an elaborate facade enacted for reasons he's yet to uncover. I read this a few years ago in a horror anthology. It's not an outright horror story in the traditional sense, but it is horrific in its philosophical implications.

"Our Fair City" is a sentimental and whimsical story that reminded me of Bradbury. A newspaper columnist teams up with a sentient whirlwind to bring down the corrupt local authority.

"-And He Built a Crooked House-" explores the perils and pitfalls of owning a four-dimensional home.

I'm still fairly new to the work of Heinlein at this point, but I really enjoyed these stories and look forward to continuing. I'll especially have my eye out for any other collections.

[The Frahorus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Questo romanzo breve è difficile da collocare in un genere specifico, perché ne racchiude diversi contemporaneamente: e purtroppo non posso dire nulla della trama, altrimenti vi rovinerei i colpi di scena della storia. Una coppia viene ingaggiata da uno strano tipo che chiede loro di seguirlo, perché non ricorda nulla di quello che fa durante il giorno e si ritrova con delle misteriose macchie sotto le unghie. La coppia di detective inizia a pedinarlo e scoprirà ben presto inquietanti personaggi.

Heinlein è sempre top, su questo non avevo dubbi. Forse tra i suoi lavori più onirici.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories. The title story is one of the most hair-curling stories I've ever read.

[Dave Packard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heinlein starting to stretch into weird territories. Kind of a mystery that did keep me guessing throughout, but not a book I think I would go back to!

[Chan Fry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories in this one aren’t much like Heinlein’s normal writing — they tend toward the metaphysical, magic, etc. Like the title story, which takes up more than half the volume, which is about an entire world/universe that’s undetectable from this one (but they can get to us). The one that is most memorable — I still remember first reading it in the 1980s — is “—All You Zombies—” (yes, the quotation marks and m-dashes are in the title), about a man who was his own mother, father, child, and so on, due to the awesomeness of time travel.

(I have published a longer review on my website, complete with mini-reviews of each of the six stories.)

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Contains the stories:

...And He Built a Crooked House... -
They -
The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag -
Our Fair City -
The Man Who Traveled in Elephants -
...All You Zombies... -

[Ntn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un fantástico libro que incluye una novela corta "la desagradable profesión de Jonathan Hoag" y cinco relatos más del autor.
Me han gustado mucho, sobretodo la novela corta.El libro en su conjunto es bastante breve y los relatos te los lees en un segundo pero son fantásticos. Un acierto si te gusta la CF clasica

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Six stories (five short, one novella) of Heinlein's that were published from 1941-59. I don't remember how it came to be in my possession, but it'd been on my nightstand for years. I got tired of looking at, so now seemed like a good time to read it.

My expectations were low, due to the publication dates of the stories. Typically, I've found that sci-fi doesn't age well. But I was pleasantly surprised by the overall quality. Only two of the stories really were sci-fi, though they all had speculative elements in them. Magic realism played more of a role in in the others. All of the stories would've made for solid Twilight Zone episodes.

The title track, a novella published in 1942, opens the book. Mr. Hoag can't remember what he does all day, so he hires a husband and wife private eye duo to figure it out. It was a surprisingly good mystery.

A widower recalls his salesman past, traveling the country with his wife in "The Man Who Traveled in Elephants" (1957). A bit shmaltzy.

"'—All You Zombies—'" (1959) is probably one of the strangest time travel stories that I've ever read. I can't say anything more without ruining it. Probably the best story in the bunch.

"They" (1941) is a tale of paranoia. Our unnamed protagonist thinks the whole world is a lie, a simulation meant to keep him preoccupied, from discovering some grand malevolent plot. Everyone is either a robot or one of the conspirators. Kinda predictable now, but maybe it wasn't back then.

"Our Fair City" (1948) is a whimsical tale of a reporter investigating corruption in the city's government with the help of his friend's domesticated dust devil.

An architect is looking for the next big thing in home design in "'—And He Built a Crooked House—'." Pretty speculative for its day (1941) as the architect tries to explain what a tesseract is to an investor.

Recommended for Heinlein completists, people who like Twilight Zone style stories, or those who either appreciate or are curious about the early days of speculative fiction.

[Lisa (Harmonybites) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of one novella, the title story "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag," and five short stories, among them some of Heinlein's strongest. I really loved the opening novella, which is a mix of science fiction, fantasy, horror--and noir mystery. It focuses on a husband/wife detective team, Teddy Randall and Cynthia Craig. They really are among Heinlein's best drawn couples--I'm sorry we never saw more of them. At times I have my issues with how Heinlein drew women, but not in the case of Cyn. She comes across as brave and competent without ever being kittenish. I'm not particularly impressed with the story's premise or plot, but the characters made it for me. "The Man Who Traveled in Elephants" is a sweet tale, and pure fantasy, not science fiction, but not to me a standout. "All You Zombies" is about a "temporal agent"--it's a twisty and memorable time travel story. "They" is an interesting study in paranoia--a theme that runs through most of the stories in this collection. "Our Fair City" features one of my favorite Heinlein characters--"Kitten"--a whirlwind. I'd call "And He Built a Crooked House" unique--and unforgettable. A story surely only an engineer such as Heinlein could have conceived. All of these stories are well worth the read--particularly if you're a science fiction or Heinlein fan.

[Jeff Yoak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't one of my favorite Heinlein novels. Most of the elements are there, but it comes off as a horror story through most of the novel. It's dark. It's depressing. Normally, through hair-raising trouble, you wish you were there fighting along his gallant heroes, finding changes to sneak off with his heroines. In this story, you want to stay well-away. There's nothing wrong with that per se, but I don't love it like I love most of the others.

Merged review:

A new-to-me, but very limited Heinlein story. This tells of a paranoid who believes that the ridiculous world he sees around him couldn't possibly turn out to be real, and so must be an elaborate ruse all meant to impact his impressions -- and he turns out to be right. It really isn't told with Heinlein's typical skill.

2014: I listened to the Spider Robinson reading from the new "All You Zombies" anthology and actually enjoyed it quite a bit more. The old-timey sci-fi-radio feel of the older recording I had may have hurt the enjoyment quite a bit.

2016: I listened to this one this time with just Alex. He hasn't had as much exposure to the short story form and really enjoyed it. A treat while his sister was away and he was sick.

[J K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to describe much of this without giving the story away. I really loved the husband and wife private eye team, batting quips back and forth whilst being awfully plucky and determined as they do their job and make the most of each other's strengths. They feel cool, professional and loving. This just increases the sense of genuine threat, which soon ramps up while they investigate the daytime whereabouts of the titular Mr Hoag. The fear they feel is very effective and you'll never look at a mirror in quite the same way again.

SPOILER WARNING
Eventually, the truth comes out. While the explanation could never possibly live up to the intensity of the mystery that's suggested, the payoff was still strange enough to be well worth the read. Making him an inter-dimensional 'art critic' makes a big change from 'it's all a dream' anyway. Almost a Douglas Adams response to the myth of creation.

Anyway, intriguing, great characters, all highly recommended.