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Future History or "Heinlein Timeline" #18
The Menace from Earth
She was beautiful
She was smart
She was irresistible
She was after my boyfriend...
Contents:
The Year of the Jackpot (1952)
By His Bootstraps (1941)
Columbus Was a Dope (1947)
The Menace from Earth (1957)
Sky Lift (1953)
Goldfish Bowl (1942)
Project Nightmare (1953)
Water Is for Washing (1947)
She was smart
She was irresistible
She was after my boyfriend...
Contents:
The Year of the Jackpot (1952)
By His Bootstraps (1941)
Columbus Was a Dope (1947)
The Menace from Earth (1957)
Sky Lift (1953)
Goldfish Bowl (1942)
Project Nightmare (1953)
Water Is for Washing (1947)
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1959
27 people are currently reading
1783 people want to read
About the author
Robert A. Heinlein
1,053 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 - 30 of 166 reviews
February 27, 2022
This is a nice little short story collection from the very hippy 60's - 70's that anyone who enjoys Heinlein should enjoy. Anyone who is interested in early, classic sci-fi should also enjoy it but there are some quirks that are worth mentioning. Maybe a trigger warning or two.
Heinlein is not everyone's cup of tea. Female friends who grew up more recently than myself are insulted by the fact that by modern standards he is pretty misogynistic. He is more than a little... off.... in his opinions about minorities, races and alternative genders also. He is inclined to have single prototypes of characters, his he-man male leads, his teenage super-smart but socially awkward YA girls, his super sexed not terribly convincing female leads... You either can bear with it all for the sake of the stories, which are good, or you can't.
In the first story THE YEAR OF THE JACKPOT Heinlein's main character is Potiphar Breen (oh, yes, Heinlein also loves convoluted names) who starts out as a non-traditional Heinlein male lead, in that he is meant to be middle aged and balding, but transmogrifies into a Lazarus Long type along the way. 'These characters always include some fruity American slang, and with "...dern tootin" this box is ticked. This story is about the potential for a dystopian social breakdown, nuclear winter ect and it is a pretty good story, though it has dated significantly, and at times I was not sure what point he was trying to make. What with old maids at 25, and girls who never stop thinking about something unspecified that I could not make out and the quaint notion that anyone who engages is drag is an "emotional cripple". Written long ago enough that people still thought that lemmings suicided. Still, if you can get over such hiccups and read it as the historical sci-fi that it is, well worth it.
BY HIS BOOTSTRAPS is a time travel gordonian knot which will be familiar to sci-fi readers and will hold few surprises, though it would have been ahead of it's time when it was first published. It is quite well done, though I do wonder if Heinlein intended the main character to come across as rather dumb (as he does) or not.
COLUMBUS WAS A DOPE describes a future spaceship and has the cute (interesting but ugly) standpoint that only "family men' can crew the spaceship, though their wives are allowed to come along as who-knows-whats it is basically a story about human concepts and assumptions, it has a punchy conclusion with a twist.
The title story THE MENACE FROM EARTH is not about what you think from the title. It is a juvenilia style story which is very reminiscent of some of Heinlein's other juvenilia. We have the Heinlein prototypical super smart, teen aged girl who despite being IQ brilliant is otherwise awkward. The lurid cover art is MEANT to apply to this story, I am guessing, but the scantily clad Boris Vallejo style figures on the cover (who appear to be about to copulate while on the wing) have absolutly nothing to do with the story. The misogynism in this one is a supersonic cringe, from the fact that older women are (apparently) not able to be attracted to young men (oh, really?) to the following conversation;
TMFF(The Mature Femme Fatale) "I know, but we can't let men think they own us."
Teen girl "I suppose not."
TMFF "they do own us, of course "
Oh... ICK!!!
I think I may have sprained an eyeball from rolling it too much during this story, though his concept of a lunar colony was interesting.
SKY LIFT has a medical emergency on a far colony sending our hero boosting on a small ship at unsafe gravity / speeds to save the colonists with much needed blood products. A heroic style adventure which was well planned and put together but which has badly dated as attitudes to certain things have changed a fair bit. The personal sacrifice part was fine, but there are some questionable ethics behind some actions. Basically, it would make a good story for an undergraduate ethics discussion. Kind of a sci-fi variation on the Trolley dilemma.
GOLDFISH BOWL is a great concept, set on Earth, with a variety of natural phenomena which are suspected by one academic as originating from an intelligence, though one clearly not human. This was a really good, very thoughtful examination of human preconceptions about intelligence and other species. The more intriguing to me as I had just finished a book about dolphin captivity. The ending tried to be too religious/philosophical, but aside from that it was good. Would make a great teeve series.
PROJECT NIGHTMARE was a very decent PSI story, coming to you firmly from the middle of the cold war and America's obsession with Russia, but really good for all that.
The final story in the lot is WATER IS FOR WASHING and follows the fortunes of one man when a massive earth quake on the San Andreas fault creates a rupture to the Pacific ocean and the water inundates Imperial Valley. (Of which I had not heard; thank goodness for google maps or I would never have been able to visualise this one).
While I know I have read some/all of these stories before it was good to reacquaint myself with some of the early genera sci-fi stories. I do like Heinlein more than my criticisms would seen to suggest, he was way ahead of his time in many social ways. If some of his outdated attitudes cause an eyeroll or a bit of indignant vitriol, it is STILL worth reading him for the interesting ideas behind all of the stories.
Heinlein is not everyone's cup of tea. Female friends who grew up more recently than myself are insulted by the fact that by modern standards he is pretty misogynistic. He is more than a little... off.... in his opinions about minorities, races and alternative genders also. He is inclined to have single prototypes of characters, his he-man male leads, his teenage super-smart but socially awkward YA girls, his super sexed not terribly convincing female leads... You either can bear with it all for the sake of the stories, which are good, or you can't.
In the first story THE YEAR OF THE JACKPOT Heinlein's main character is Potiphar Breen (oh, yes, Heinlein also loves convoluted names) who starts out as a non-traditional Heinlein male lead, in that he is meant to be middle aged and balding, but transmogrifies into a Lazarus Long type along the way. 'These characters always include some fruity American slang, and with "...dern tootin" this box is ticked. This story is about the potential for a dystopian social breakdown, nuclear winter ect and it is a pretty good story, though it has dated significantly, and at times I was not sure what point he was trying to make. What with old maids at 25, and girls who never stop thinking about something unspecified that I could not make out and the quaint notion that anyone who engages is drag is an "emotional cripple". Written long ago enough that people still thought that lemmings suicided. Still, if you can get over such hiccups and read it as the historical sci-fi that it is, well worth it.
BY HIS BOOTSTRAPS is a time travel gordonian knot which will be familiar to sci-fi readers and will hold few surprises, though it would have been ahead of it's time when it was first published. It is quite well done, though I do wonder if Heinlein intended the main character to come across as rather dumb (as he does) or not.
COLUMBUS WAS A DOPE describes a future spaceship and has the cute (interesting but ugly) standpoint that only "family men' can crew the spaceship, though their wives are allowed to come along as who-knows-whats it is basically a story about human concepts and assumptions, it has a punchy conclusion with a twist.
The title story THE MENACE FROM EARTH is not about what you think from the title. It is a juvenilia style story which is very reminiscent of some of Heinlein's other juvenilia. We have the Heinlein prototypical super smart, teen aged girl who despite being IQ brilliant is otherwise awkward. The lurid cover art is MEANT to apply to this story, I am guessing, but the scantily clad Boris Vallejo style figures on the cover (who appear to be about to copulate while on the wing) have absolutly nothing to do with the story. The misogynism in this one is a supersonic cringe, from the fact that older women are (apparently) not able to be attracted to young men (oh, really?) to the following conversation;
TMFF(The Mature Femme Fatale) "I know, but we can't let men think they own us."
Teen girl "I suppose not."
TMFF "they do own us, of course "
Oh... ICK!!!
I think I may have sprained an eyeball from rolling it too much during this story, though his concept of a lunar colony was interesting.
SKY LIFT has a medical emergency on a far colony sending our hero boosting on a small ship at unsafe gravity / speeds to save the colonists with much needed blood products. A heroic style adventure which was well planned and put together but which has badly dated as attitudes to certain things have changed a fair bit. The personal sacrifice part was fine, but there are some questionable ethics behind some actions. Basically, it would make a good story for an undergraduate ethics discussion. Kind of a sci-fi variation on the Trolley dilemma.
GOLDFISH BOWL is a great concept, set on Earth, with a variety of natural phenomena which are suspected by one academic as originating from an intelligence, though one clearly not human. This was a really good, very thoughtful examination of human preconceptions about intelligence and other species. The more intriguing to me as I had just finished a book about dolphin captivity. The ending tried to be too religious/philosophical, but aside from that it was good. Would make a great teeve series.
PROJECT NIGHTMARE was a very decent PSI story, coming to you firmly from the middle of the cold war and America's obsession with Russia, but really good for all that.
The final story in the lot is WATER IS FOR WASHING and follows the fortunes of one man when a massive earth quake on the San Andreas fault creates a rupture to the Pacific ocean and the water inundates Imperial Valley. (Of which I had not heard; thank goodness for google maps or I would never have been able to visualise this one).
While I know I have read some/all of these stories before it was good to reacquaint myself with some of the early genera sci-fi stories. I do like Heinlein more than my criticisms would seen to suggest, he was way ahead of his time in many social ways. If some of his outdated attitudes cause an eyeroll or a bit of indignant vitriol, it is STILL worth reading him for the interesting ideas behind all of the stories.
June 28, 2018
Another set of short stories by RAH & they're something he excelled at. They're kind of an odd collection, but good. Well narrated. Not as good as The Green Hills of Earth collection, although there are a few really good stories in this one.
"The Year of the Jackpot" is overshadowed now by Big Data, but still an interesting premise.
"By His Bootstraps" is too long, although that does help make the point. Time travel creates some interesting conundrums & this loop takes on a few of them.
"Goldfish Bowl" has never really grabbed me. Interesting concept, but too dated even when I first read it.
"Columbus Was a Dope" is pretty fantastic. It's short & makes a wonderful point.
"The Menace from Earth" features one of the neatest ideas in SF - humans wearing wings & flying on the moon. He makes it so believable! There's a pretty good YA romance in it, too.
"Sky Lift" is pretty fantastic, too. Just what would be the effects of prolonged high gravity acceleration on a human? Chilling answer.
"Project Nightmare" is kind of a silly thing about Psi powers.
"Water Is for Washing" is another of his stories about a phobia, but I liked "Ordeal in Space" far more. Again, I don't think he gets it right, although the idea is kind of interesting.
"The Year of the Jackpot" is overshadowed now by Big Data, but still an interesting premise.
"By His Bootstraps" is too long, although that does help make the point. Time travel creates some interesting conundrums & this loop takes on a few of them.
"Goldfish Bowl" has never really grabbed me. Interesting concept, but too dated even when I first read it.
"Columbus Was a Dope" is pretty fantastic. It's short & makes a wonderful point.
"The Menace from Earth" features one of the neatest ideas in SF - humans wearing wings & flying on the moon. He makes it so believable! There's a pretty good YA romance in it, too.
"Sky Lift" is pretty fantastic, too. Just what would be the effects of prolonged high gravity acceleration on a human? Chilling answer.
"Project Nightmare" is kind of a silly thing about Psi powers.
"Water Is for Washing" is another of his stories about a phobia, but I liked "Ordeal in Space" far more. Again, I don't think he gets it right, although the idea is kind of interesting.
March 10, 2021
Този разказ представлява просто мокрите сънища на американски милитарист, какъвто Хайнлайн без съмнение е. Сюжетът е малоумен - "злите руснаци" пращат ултиматум, че ще взривят скрити атомни бомби в множество американски градове, ако не бъде установена незабавно "народна власт". Обаче смелите и самоотвержени американски екстрасенси блокират по психически път взривяването на бомбите и минават в контранастъпление, взривявайки бомбите в силозите из целия Съветски съюз. Прогресивните капиталистически сили побеждават в световен мащаб, хайл капитализъм (както казваше Остин Пауърс). С две думи, самодоволна чекия, която може да се мери само със съветските изцепки отпреди Втората световна война как самолетите на Червената армия щели да летят над Берлин само 24 часа след като Германия посмее да ги нападне. Ха-ха-ха!
December 22, 2020
A nice collection of science fiction short stories from one of my favorite authors (yes, I know how problematic his politics are, and I really don't care - one can love the art and not the artist). They range from the rather mundane to the downright terrifying...the imagery alone in "Water Is For Washing" is pure nightmare inducing horror, and "Goldfish Bowl" will remain in my psyche forever. The ending of "The Year Of The Jackpot" was depressing, whilst the one in "By His Bootstraps" was fiendishly predictable. But nevertheless, I highly recommend it.
March 30, 2009
This is one of Heinlein's few story story collections. There are 8 short stories from the late 1940's and early 1950's.
The stories vary in quality--the title story "The Meance From Earth" is actually not bad--the descrition above does not do it justice.
It also contants two really good Heinlein short stories that are not well known, but are favorites of mine. One is "The Year of the Jackpot" and the other is "Goldfish Bowl".
I like Heinlein's early work much better than his later work. If you have never read any of his short stories, this collection would be a good start--all the stories---though a bit dated in spots--are still quitte readable.
The stories vary in quality--the title story "The Meance From Earth" is actually not bad--the descrition above does not do it justice.
It also contants two really good Heinlein short stories that are not well known, but are favorites of mine. One is "The Year of the Jackpot" and the other is "Goldfish Bowl".
I like Heinlein's early work much better than his later work. If you have never read any of his short stories, this collection would be a good start--all the stories---though a bit dated in spots--are still quitte readable.
April 16, 2019
this is late fifties a collection of Heinlein short stories and a couple of novellas. Most of his better works were published in earlier collections such as "The Man who Sold the Moon" and "The Green Hills of Earth". Heinlein himself, might have called some of these, "stinkers", though I would not class any of these as "bottom of the barrel" as all of his work during this time is well above par.
The title story (1957) is a very good female lead role story - uncommon for its day.
"Goldfish Bowl" is the sort of thing that would have easily captivated any young reader of the day.
"Jackpot" (1952) is a unique view using statistics, and a prequel to Heinlein's future take on man/female relationship type stories.
"Sky Lift" (1953) first published in the not so prestigious "Imagine" magazine, is a quite interesting speculation on the effect of acceleration on the human body written in the unique RAH style.
"By His Bootstraps" (1941) is one of the most entertaining time travel paradox stories ever written.
"Columbus was a Dope" (1947) is a short and simple thing that deals with a debate between one who still still believes in the pioneer spirit with on who does not.
"Water is for Washing" a minor work, but was first published in "Argosy" I had no idea this publication still existed in 1947. What a scoop for them, I suppose.
The title story (1957) is a very good female lead role story - uncommon for its day.
"Goldfish Bowl" is the sort of thing that would have easily captivated any young reader of the day.
"Jackpot" (1952) is a unique view using statistics, and a prequel to Heinlein's future take on man/female relationship type stories.
"Sky Lift" (1953) first published in the not so prestigious "Imagine" magazine, is a quite interesting speculation on the effect of acceleration on the human body written in the unique RAH style.
"By His Bootstraps" (1941) is one of the most entertaining time travel paradox stories ever written.
"Columbus was a Dope" (1947) is a short and simple thing that deals with a debate between one who still still believes in the pioneer spirit with on who does not.
"Water is for Washing" a minor work, but was first published in "Argosy" I had no idea this publication still existed in 1947. What a scoop for them, I suppose.
March 26, 2022
This collection of short stories were originally published in various magazines from 1941 to 1957. Some of the stories are considered part of Heinlein's future history which describes a projected future of the human race from the middle of the 20th century through the early 23rd century. I have been a fan of Heinlein ever since reading some of his juvenile fiction when I was in middle school back in the 1960s. I also read a lot of his other fiction in the 70s including STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND and STARSHIP TROOPERS, both of which I consider some of sci-fi's best.
I don't think I have ever read a compilation of his short stories and for me, this one was a little hit and miss. I really enjoyed some of them but others not so much. The book includes the following:
"The Year of the Jackpot" (1952)
This story was first published in the March 1952 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction. It is about a statistician is finding that very unusual events are happening which could portend that the earth may be near its end. I enjoyed this one with Heinlein's look at the prudishness of the times and survivalism.
"By His Bootstraps" (1941)
Published in the October 1941 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, this one was one of the most interesting in the collection about the paradoxes of time travel. A young man working on his graduate thesis is visited in his room by another young man who turns out to be himself traveling from 30,000 years in the future. Then another "self" appears but too late before the original self travels through the portal to the future. The story really boggles the mind about the paradoxes of possible time travel.
"Columbus Was a Dope" (1947)
First published in the May 1947 issue of Startling Stories, this is a rather short story where two bar patrons debate the possible travel to another star system using multiple generations to try in the attempt. So-so story for me.
"The Menace from Earth" (1957)
This one was first published in the August 1957 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. This is the titular story of the collection and to me it kind of reminded me of one of Heinlein's juveniles. It about a 15-year old girl who lives on the moon and its reduced gravity. She acts as a guide and also enjoys flying using artificial wings in the "bat cave". The reduced gravity and air pressure makes the flying possible. Then she acts as a guide for a beautiful woman from earth who may want the young girl's boyfriend. Thus she is the "menace from earth". Not what I was expecting!
"Sky Lift" (1953)
First published in Imagination magazine in November 1953. In the story, a torchship pilot lights out from Earth orbit to Pluto on a mission to deliver a cure to a plague ravaging a research station. Due to the short time needed before everyone at the research station is dead and the long distance involved, the torchship must accelerate at multiple gravities for days. The pilot is successful but is rendered an invalid due to the strain put on his body. Another so-so story for me.
"Goldfish Bowl" (1942)
First published in Astounding Science Fiction in March 1942. This was another quite interesting and compelling story about the navy investigating two pillars of water reaching to the clouds near Hawaii. What are they? Natural phenomena or are they manmade or made by some other entity? Some scientists want to find out which leads to some dire consequences and surprises. I enjoyed this one.
"Project Nightmare" (1953)
Published in Amazing Stories, May 1953 about an interesting concept of using telepathic powers to set off or stop atomic bombs. Interesting but a little tedious.
"Water Is for Washing" (1947)
Published in Argosy magazine in November 1947. This is another one that I really liked about a man who is afraid of water who then gets stuck in the below sea level desert in California when an earthquake causes the ocean to rush into the desert.
Overall, I did enjoy most of this and I'll probably read more of Heinlein's story collections in the future. I know I need to read or reread his novels!
I don't think I have ever read a compilation of his short stories and for me, this one was a little hit and miss. I really enjoyed some of them but others not so much. The book includes the following:
"The Year of the Jackpot" (1952)
This story was first published in the March 1952 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction. It is about a statistician is finding that very unusual events are happening which could portend that the earth may be near its end. I enjoyed this one with Heinlein's look at the prudishness of the times and survivalism.
"By His Bootstraps" (1941)
Published in the October 1941 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, this one was one of the most interesting in the collection about the paradoxes of time travel. A young man working on his graduate thesis is visited in his room by another young man who turns out to be himself traveling from 30,000 years in the future. Then another "self" appears but too late before the original self travels through the portal to the future. The story really boggles the mind about the paradoxes of possible time travel.
"Columbus Was a Dope" (1947)
First published in the May 1947 issue of Startling Stories, this is a rather short story where two bar patrons debate the possible travel to another star system using multiple generations to try in the attempt. So-so story for me.
"The Menace from Earth" (1957)
This one was first published in the August 1957 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. This is the titular story of the collection and to me it kind of reminded me of one of Heinlein's juveniles. It about a 15-year old girl who lives on the moon and its reduced gravity. She acts as a guide and also enjoys flying using artificial wings in the "bat cave". The reduced gravity and air pressure makes the flying possible. Then she acts as a guide for a beautiful woman from earth who may want the young girl's boyfriend. Thus she is the "menace from earth". Not what I was expecting!
"Sky Lift" (1953)
First published in Imagination magazine in November 1953. In the story, a torchship pilot lights out from Earth orbit to Pluto on a mission to deliver a cure to a plague ravaging a research station. Due to the short time needed before everyone at the research station is dead and the long distance involved, the torchship must accelerate at multiple gravities for days. The pilot is successful but is rendered an invalid due to the strain put on his body. Another so-so story for me.
"Goldfish Bowl" (1942)
First published in Astounding Science Fiction in March 1942. This was another quite interesting and compelling story about the navy investigating two pillars of water reaching to the clouds near Hawaii. What are they? Natural phenomena or are they manmade or made by some other entity? Some scientists want to find out which leads to some dire consequences and surprises. I enjoyed this one.
"Project Nightmare" (1953)
Published in Amazing Stories, May 1953 about an interesting concept of using telepathic powers to set off or stop atomic bombs. Interesting but a little tedious.
"Water Is for Washing" (1947)
Published in Argosy magazine in November 1947. This is another one that I really liked about a man who is afraid of water who then gets stuck in the below sea level desert in California when an earthquake causes the ocean to rush into the desert.
Overall, I did enjoy most of this and I'll probably read more of Heinlein's story collections in the future. I know I need to read or reread his novels!
May 18, 2022
A good collection of stories from the 40´s and 50´s, often exploring an interesting concept with a small twist at the end.
I was primarily interested in this because of By His Bootstraps since I´m a huge fan of this kind of time travel stories. It was not as wild and surprising as his other well known time travel story, All you Zombies, but it delivers. For me, having mostly read the author´s later stuff, The Year of the Jackpot felt the most typical Heinlein from the bunch while the other stories could have been written by other authors of the era.
I enjoyed all of the stories. Goldfish Bowl took a bit to get going, but I think it was worth it to get to the core. All the other stories are strong from beginning to end and it was a pleasant surprise that Menace from Earth wasn't at all the annoying YA love triangle I thought it would be.
I was primarily interested in this because of By His Bootstraps since I´m a huge fan of this kind of time travel stories. It was not as wild and surprising as his other well known time travel story, All you Zombies, but it delivers. For me, having mostly read the author´s later stuff, The Year of the Jackpot felt the most typical Heinlein from the bunch while the other stories could have been written by other authors of the era.
I enjoyed all of the stories. Goldfish Bowl took a bit to get going, but I think it was worth it to get to the core. All the other stories are strong from beginning to end and it was a pleasant surprise that Menace from Earth wasn't at all the annoying YA love triangle I thought it would be.
Read
April 19, 20181943 Retro Hugo Finalist for Best Novelette
“Goldfish Bowl” by Anson MacDonald (Robert A. Heinlein) (Astounding Science Fiction, March 1942)
Available as a Hoopla audiobook*: https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/1...
* It will be difficult to find this shortstory in that audiobook since Hoopla doesn't usually provide any bookmarks/table of contents links.
Contents (via ISFDB)
• The Year of the Jackpot • (1952) • novelette - Listened 4/11/18 am 3.5 stars
• By His Bootstraps • (1941) • novella (start at timestamp 01:17:05) - Listened 4/12/18 am 3-3.5 stars
• Columbus Was a Dope • (1947) • short story (start at timestamp 03:09:50) - Listened 4/13/18 am 3 stars
• The Menace from Earth • [Future History] • (1957) • novelette (start at timestamp 03:18:30)
• Sky Lift • (1953) • short story (start at timestamp 04:13:30)
• Goldfish Bowl • (1942) • novelette (start at timestamp 04:46:50) - Listed 4/15-16/18 while traveling for business. May need to re-listen as I had many distractions. Interesting. 3.5 stars
• Project Nightmare • (1953) • novelette (start at timestamp 05:59:15) The best defense is a good paranormal Cold War offense. 3.5 stars
• Water Is for Washing • (1947) • short story (start at timestamp 06:48:25) 3 stars
“Goldfish Bowl” by Anson MacDonald (Robert A. Heinlein) (Astounding Science Fiction, March 1942)
Available as a Hoopla audiobook*: https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/1...
* It will be difficult to find this shortstory in that audiobook since Hoopla doesn't usually provide any bookmarks/table of contents links.
Contents (via ISFDB)
• The Year of the Jackpot • (1952) • novelette - Listened 4/11/18 am 3.5 stars
• By His Bootstraps • (1941) • novella (start at timestamp 01:17:05) - Listened 4/12/18 am 3-3.5 stars
• Columbus Was a Dope • (1947) • short story (start at timestamp 03:09:50) - Listened 4/13/18 am 3 stars
• The Menace from Earth • [Future History] • (1957) • novelette (start at timestamp 03:18:30)
• Sky Lift • (1953) • short story (start at timestamp 04:13:30)
• Goldfish Bowl • (1942) • novelette (start at timestamp 04:46:50) - Listed 4/15-16/18 while traveling for business. May need to re-listen as I had many distractions. Interesting. 3.5 stars
• Project Nightmare • (1953) • novelette (start at timestamp 05:59:15) The best defense is a good paranormal Cold War offense. 3.5 stars
• Water Is for Washing • (1947) • short story (start at timestamp 06:48:25) 3 stars
February 10, 2022
Re-reading this anthology was enjoyable. Several of the stories — like By His Bootstraps — show Heinlein at his best, while others (like the title story) depict his lifelong lack of understanding of women.
(I have published a longer review, including mini-reviews for each short story, on my website.)
October 27, 2018
A collection of short stories/novellas by Heinlein between 1941 and 1957 (two years before Starship Troopers and four years before Stranger in a Strange Land).
The Year of the Jackpot - A mathematician studies minor peculiar events around the world and plots them to determine when the world will likely end. A good story.
By His Bootstraps - Published in 1941, this is a mind-boggling account of the realistic paradoxes of time travel. It's a formula that's been done to death now, but I can imagine this really messing with people in '41. Bob Wilson is visited by multiple future Bob Wilson's and we follow him on his journey and see how he himself becomes those future versions of himself. It gets technical.
Columbus Was A Dope - A very brief story regarding a conversation between four men about an upcoming interstellar expedition. The journey will take 60 years and require multiple generations to complete it. One man finds this absurd and doesn't think it's worth exploring, especially at the price of children living entire lives on a space ship. The other men have more of a pioneering spirit and feel chasing the impossible is the only way to make it possible. The final line provides irony contrasting with the single doubters opinion.
The Menace From Earth - A sneakily progressive (for the time) short about a self-described "career woman" living on the Moon dealing with jealousy. Holly is a teen spaceship designer that works in partnership with Jeff. Both make ends meet by acting as guides for "groundhogs", tourists from Earth. Much of the story takes place in Bats' Cave, a massive dome in which people can wear special wings and fly around (much like a skating rink or swimming pool on Earth). Jeff seems to have taken a shine to a pretty "groundhog", and Holly refuses to admit that her jealousy is based in romance. Rather, she puts up the appearance of being upset that their business partnership is now on shaky ground. This is a really well-written story, using the drama of flight as a metaphor for the emotional state of Holly.
Sky Lift - Science-fiction that is heavy on the Science, this is a pretty straightforward story about two astronauts making an interplanetary trip to rescue a settlement from a terrible health crisis. The issue is, in order to get there in time, the pilots will have to pull 3.5 G's for a continuous nine days - which is something close to a suicide mission (By comparison, modern astronauts pull 3 G's only during blast-off and then settle back once in orbit). The story details the effects of the high gravity on the body and the sacrifice of a few to save many. Decent story.
Goldfish Bowl - A definite standout in this collection. Scientists Eisenberg and Graves are sent to investigate two mysterious and massive pillars of water that have appeared near Hawaii. In doing so, the pair find themselves trapped in a room with nothing to interact with except mushy food and balls of water that are completely self-contained. Graves shares his theory with Eisenberg that perhaps they are being kept as pets by a higher form of being, the way we keep goldfish in bowls. This kinda reminds me of Flatland.
Project Nightmare - I really like the premise of this one, but I feel the impact was lost a bit in delivery. Basically, Russia has planted atomic bombs in cities throughout the US and plans to detonate them. The government enlists the help of people with ESP to find and mentally suppress these bombs until they can be disposed of properly. The bulk of the story is the frantic strategizing of the lead scientists as they assign certain individuals to find the bombs in specific cities. In that frenzy, I think the story comes across as a little too confused and unfocused.
Water is for Washing - A man with a fear of water due to past near-drowning undergoes the ride of his life. While in the Imperial Valley of California, an earthquake causes the below sea-level city to quickly flood. As he attempts to flee, he stops and rescues two children and a hitchhiker that stole from him earlier. The four try to outrun the rising waters, and in the process the man shows some development. Another good story.
Overall, this was an excellent collection. I had never heard of any of these before, and if it weren't for the bargain shelf at my local comic book store I would have never discovered it. I'm really happy to have read these stories.
The Year of the Jackpot - A mathematician studies minor peculiar events around the world and plots them to determine when the world will likely end. A good story.
By His Bootstraps - Published in 1941, this is a mind-boggling account of the realistic paradoxes of time travel. It's a formula that's been done to death now, but I can imagine this really messing with people in '41. Bob Wilson is visited by multiple future Bob Wilson's and we follow him on his journey and see how he himself becomes those future versions of himself. It gets technical.
Columbus Was A Dope - A very brief story regarding a conversation between four men about an upcoming interstellar expedition. The journey will take 60 years and require multiple generations to complete it. One man finds this absurd and doesn't think it's worth exploring, especially at the price of children living entire lives on a space ship. The other men have more of a pioneering spirit and feel chasing the impossible is the only way to make it possible. The final line provides irony contrasting with the single doubters opinion.
The Menace From Earth - A sneakily progressive (for the time) short about a self-described "career woman" living on the Moon dealing with jealousy. Holly is a teen spaceship designer that works in partnership with Jeff. Both make ends meet by acting as guides for "groundhogs", tourists from Earth. Much of the story takes place in Bats' Cave, a massive dome in which people can wear special wings and fly around (much like a skating rink or swimming pool on Earth). Jeff seems to have taken a shine to a pretty "groundhog", and Holly refuses to admit that her jealousy is based in romance. Rather, she puts up the appearance of being upset that their business partnership is now on shaky ground. This is a really well-written story, using the drama of flight as a metaphor for the emotional state of Holly.
Sky Lift - Science-fiction that is heavy on the Science, this is a pretty straightforward story about two astronauts making an interplanetary trip to rescue a settlement from a terrible health crisis. The issue is, in order to get there in time, the pilots will have to pull 3.5 G's for a continuous nine days - which is something close to a suicide mission (By comparison, modern astronauts pull 3 G's only during blast-off and then settle back once in orbit). The story details the effects of the high gravity on the body and the sacrifice of a few to save many. Decent story.
Goldfish Bowl - A definite standout in this collection. Scientists Eisenberg and Graves are sent to investigate two mysterious and massive pillars of water that have appeared near Hawaii. In doing so, the pair find themselves trapped in a room with nothing to interact with except mushy food and balls of water that are completely self-contained. Graves shares his theory with Eisenberg that perhaps they are being kept as pets by a higher form of being, the way we keep goldfish in bowls. This kinda reminds me of Flatland.
Project Nightmare - I really like the premise of this one, but I feel the impact was lost a bit in delivery. Basically, Russia has planted atomic bombs in cities throughout the US and plans to detonate them. The government enlists the help of people with ESP to find and mentally suppress these bombs until they can be disposed of properly. The bulk of the story is the frantic strategizing of the lead scientists as they assign certain individuals to find the bombs in specific cities. In that frenzy, I think the story comes across as a little too confused and unfocused.
Water is for Washing - A man with a fear of water due to past near-drowning undergoes the ride of his life. While in the Imperial Valley of California, an earthquake causes the below sea-level city to quickly flood. As he attempts to flee, he stops and rescues two children and a hitchhiker that stole from him earlier. The four try to outrun the rising waters, and in the process the man shows some development. Another good story.
Overall, this was an excellent collection. I had never heard of any of these before, and if it weren't for the bargain shelf at my local comic book store I would have never discovered it. I'm really happy to have read these stories.
November 27, 2018
A collection of Heinlein's stories from the 1940's & 1950's which I read back in the early/mid 1960's. "By His Bootstraps" is the one I remember best, a time travel story with a seeming paradox.
May 27, 2020
Хайнлайн и очередной провал с тестом Бехдель (который кажется будто не провал, но на самом деле, конечно, провал).
December 21, 2020
A book well-written but I was not in the mood to read about an obnoxious and conventional (and a bit sexist) teenage love in such a highly unconventional setting. It felt like an awesome world-building wasted.
P.S. It makes me wonder if Andy Weir lifted the idea for Artemis from this book because his setting and protagonist are eerily similar
P.S. It makes me wonder if Andy Weir lifted the idea for Artemis from this book because his setting and protagonist are eerily similar
August 25, 2025
A mixed bag of mostly great short stories.
October 14, 2021
3.5 Stars.
A fun collection of stories, more hits than misses. Some show their age more than others.
A fun collection of stories, more hits than misses. Some show their age more than others.
June 11, 2019
Includes some of Heinlein's best stories. My favorite is "By His Bootstraps," the best time travel yarn ever written, followed by "The Year of The Jackpot." The other stories are pretty good too.
December 6, 2018
A collection of mixed entertainment quality. Some very good short stories on the whole but I found the final few to have perhaps aged badly, being far more relevant to the period they were written than 2019.
January 27, 2025
#17/ La amenaza de la tierra (1957)
Periodo en que está basada: 2050 a.p.
Holly Jones es una joven de 15 años ( 3ª generación de Luna city), que estudia en la escuela superior técnica de Luna city diseño de espacio naves, a la vez que trabaja de guía de los turistas que aterrizan en el satélite. En ésta ocasión ha de guiar por la ciudad subterránea a la señorita Brentwood, una atractiva mujer, con los caprichos que ello conlleva, como salir al exterior o volar en el recinto natural de vuelo de los lunáticos: La cueva de los murciélagos, que es un tanque de almacenamiento, para ser reciclado, de aire para ciudad lunar y un espacio de ‘ejercicio’ para los lunáticos ( nacen y crecen ejercitándose cual pájaros, con alas fabricadas conforme van creciendo). Para ello, Holly requerirá la ayuda de Jeff, su amigo, a la vez que compañero de escuela y trabajo (y futuro socio de empresa, con un proyecto de nave interestelar de última generación). Atraído por la ‘marmota’ Brentwood, su amigo perderá el norte, lo que les llevará a ambos compañeros a replantearse sus sentimientos y proyectos futuros, y darse cuenta de realidades que hasta ése mismo momento no querían admitir, además, de abrirse mentalmente hacía los terrícolas..
Nos situamos con éste relato, en una Luna con generaciones nacidas allí (nativos puros). Los abuelos de la protagonista, Holly, fueron los pioneros del emplazamiento en dicho satélite.
Por lo comentado en la historia, hay un avance muy importante en lo referente a estructuras sociales y profesionales: una alcaldía establecida, Cooperativas de apartamentos, escuelas superiores, embajadas de otras constelaciones (Marte, por ejemplo), Periódicos del satélite como el ‘ Daily lunatic’.
Si en eso hay una avance, no obstante, hay un retroceso o más bien cabría definirlo de parón de producción tecnológico de naves y viajes interplanetarios. Actualmente no se pueden construir más naves espaciales debido a las plantas de energía y su ‘techo’ tecnológico.
‘La amenaza de la tierra’ significa el peligro DE LAS MARMOTAS (definición otorgada por los Lunáticos, y que expone la lentitud de movimiento y carácter de los terrícolas) Y SU ACTITUDES EN LA LUNA...AL IGUAL QUE HICIESEN ANTERIORMENTE ELLOS CONTRA LOS COLONOS Y EMIGRANTES (‘ ¡Qué grande es estar de vuelta!’ y ‘ Prueba en el espacio’). La historia se centra en el punto de vista de un lunático, que no soporta ‘ el salvajismo’ de la tierra ( polución, gravedad, bichos, enfermedades, crímenes, clima cambiante, caos generalizado..) y haya arrogante a los TERRÍCOLAS QUE CREEN QUE LOS LUNÁTICOS SON LOS SALVAJES, Y NO ELLOS. UN RACISMO A LA INVERSA EN ÉSTA OCASIÓN, DE PREJUICIOS ENTRE DISTINTAS CULTURAS Y NACIONES ( tierra –luna, en las figuras de Ariel Brentwood y Holly Jones)
PERO NO EN ELLO SE QUEDA, PUES EL RELATO NOS HABLA ACERCA DE LA ACEPTACIÓN DE LOS INDIVIDUOS MEDIANTE EL CONOCIMIENTO INDIVIDUAL, ADEMÁS DE DEPARAR EN UNA ‘HISTORIA ROMÁNTICA’ CON ‘TRÍO AMOROSO’, BIEN RESUELTO Y EXPLICADO DE FORMA PRÁCTICA Y NADA ÑOÑA ( y es que Heinlein, podía abarcarlo todo..tendrían que aprender un poco ciertos autores de YA). Añadir la importancia otorgada AL LADO FEMINISTA Y REIVINDICATICO (que les lleva a la camaradería) DE AMBAS FÉNIMAS DEL TRIÁNGULO. Las mujeres se unen FRENTE A LAS INJUSTICIAS DE SU GÉNERO.
Algunas cosas no cambian...
Una cosa que no me ha parecido muy ‘desarollada’, es la permanencia del apellido masculino frente al femenino...siendo ficción futura (aunque como resalto anteriormente en a reseña, ficción que ‘ toca de pies en el suelo’), podría haberlo cambiado..pero bueno, desengañémonos, el mundo sigue así, verdad?
Avances y/ o predicciones Tecnológicas:
- Parón productivo y evolutivo de naves espaciales
- Protección externa del planeta (Luna) contra meteoritos
- Tanques de almacenamiento de aire en las colonias interplanetarias
Avances y / o predicciones sociales:
- Desarrollo urbano, social, profesional, diplomático y comercial de Luna city
Periodo en que está basada: 2050 a.p.
Holly Jones es una joven de 15 años ( 3ª generación de Luna city), que estudia en la escuela superior técnica de Luna city diseño de espacio naves, a la vez que trabaja de guía de los turistas que aterrizan en el satélite. En ésta ocasión ha de guiar por la ciudad subterránea a la señorita Brentwood, una atractiva mujer, con los caprichos que ello conlleva, como salir al exterior o volar en el recinto natural de vuelo de los lunáticos: La cueva de los murciélagos, que es un tanque de almacenamiento, para ser reciclado, de aire para ciudad lunar y un espacio de ‘ejercicio’ para los lunáticos ( nacen y crecen ejercitándose cual pájaros, con alas fabricadas conforme van creciendo). Para ello, Holly requerirá la ayuda de Jeff, su amigo, a la vez que compañero de escuela y trabajo (y futuro socio de empresa, con un proyecto de nave interestelar de última generación). Atraído por la ‘marmota’ Brentwood, su amigo perderá el norte, lo que les llevará a ambos compañeros a replantearse sus sentimientos y proyectos futuros, y darse cuenta de realidades que hasta ése mismo momento no querían admitir, además, de abrirse mentalmente hacía los terrícolas..
Nos situamos con éste relato, en una Luna con generaciones nacidas allí (nativos puros). Los abuelos de la protagonista, Holly, fueron los pioneros del emplazamiento en dicho satélite.
Por lo comentado en la historia, hay un avance muy importante en lo referente a estructuras sociales y profesionales: una alcaldía establecida, Cooperativas de apartamentos, escuelas superiores, embajadas de otras constelaciones (Marte, por ejemplo), Periódicos del satélite como el ‘ Daily lunatic’.
Si en eso hay una avance, no obstante, hay un retroceso o más bien cabría definirlo de parón de producción tecnológico de naves y viajes interplanetarios. Actualmente no se pueden construir más naves espaciales debido a las plantas de energía y su ‘techo’ tecnológico.
‘La amenaza de la tierra’ significa el peligro DE LAS MARMOTAS (definición otorgada por los Lunáticos, y que expone la lentitud de movimiento y carácter de los terrícolas) Y SU ACTITUDES EN LA LUNA...AL IGUAL QUE HICIESEN ANTERIORMENTE ELLOS CONTRA LOS COLONOS Y EMIGRANTES (‘ ¡Qué grande es estar de vuelta!’ y ‘ Prueba en el espacio’). La historia se centra en el punto de vista de un lunático, que no soporta ‘ el salvajismo’ de la tierra ( polución, gravedad, bichos, enfermedades, crímenes, clima cambiante, caos generalizado..) y haya arrogante a los TERRÍCOLAS QUE CREEN QUE LOS LUNÁTICOS SON LOS SALVAJES, Y NO ELLOS. UN RACISMO A LA INVERSA EN ÉSTA OCASIÓN, DE PREJUICIOS ENTRE DISTINTAS CULTURAS Y NACIONES ( tierra –luna, en las figuras de Ariel Brentwood y Holly Jones)
PERO NO EN ELLO SE QUEDA, PUES EL RELATO NOS HABLA ACERCA DE LA ACEPTACIÓN DE LOS INDIVIDUOS MEDIANTE EL CONOCIMIENTO INDIVIDUAL, ADEMÁS DE DEPARAR EN UNA ‘HISTORIA ROMÁNTICA’ CON ‘TRÍO AMOROSO’, BIEN RESUELTO Y EXPLICADO DE FORMA PRÁCTICA Y NADA ÑOÑA ( y es que Heinlein, podía abarcarlo todo..tendrían que aprender un poco ciertos autores de YA). Añadir la importancia otorgada AL LADO FEMINISTA Y REIVINDICATICO (que les lleva a la camaradería) DE AMBAS FÉNIMAS DEL TRIÁNGULO. Las mujeres se unen FRENTE A LAS INJUSTICIAS DE SU GÉNERO.
Algunas cosas no cambian...
Una cosa que no me ha parecido muy ‘desarollada’, es la permanencia del apellido masculino frente al femenino...siendo ficción futura (aunque como resalto anteriormente en a reseña, ficción que ‘ toca de pies en el suelo’), podría haberlo cambiado..pero bueno, desengañémonos, el mundo sigue así, verdad?
Avances y/ o predicciones Tecnológicas:
- Parón productivo y evolutivo de naves espaciales
- Protección externa del planeta (Luna) contra meteoritos
- Tanques de almacenamiento de aire en las colonias interplanetarias
Avances y / o predicciones sociales:
- Desarrollo urbano, social, profesional, diplomático y comercial de Luna city
November 9, 2024
Robert A. Heinlein is considered one of the "Big Three" of science fiction, a trio of popular mid-20th century SF authors whose works were very popular and influenced a lot of readers and writers of the genre. I've read a good amount of novels from each of them (Heinlein, Asimov, and Clarke), but before *The Menace from Earth*, I'd only ever read a short fiction collection of Asimov's and Clarke's. Sure, I've read some of Heinlein's fiction here and there, but never to a focused extent. So when I saw this collection of short fiction ranging from 1941 to 1957 at an unconventional book sale last fall, I had to pick it up. As it turns out, Heinlein is just about as good of a short fiction writer as Asimov and Clarke, and even though only a few of these stories really stood out, I enjoyed this collection quite a bit.
--My edition of the collection (a Signet paperback) starts with "The Year of the Jackpot," which in turn starts with a scientist scouring the newspaper for odd facts over a meal when a woman outside the restaurant window starts stripping at the bus stop for no reason. After some talk with a couple transvestites and a cop it appears that a lot of Los Angeles women have been stripping for no reason and none of them- this one included - can remember why. But once our scientist - actually a statistician - brings her home, he reveals that ... the story does rather change its tone about half-way through, but all of the "science fictional" concepts in the story - pretty much all about statistics - do feel kind of Campbellian and hammer home what I see as Heinlein's ability to write what was then considered social science fiction. A lot of contemporary readers find him too "leery" or not sophisticated enough for that term, but when he has books about societal duty like *Starship Troopers* or the pros and cons of martial law under emergencies like *The Puppet Masters*, I find it hard to think that Heinlein wasn't, at some level, trying to explain why civilizations function the ways they do, or the ways they could. "The Year of the Jackpot" gives a rather unique and hard to explain reasoning for that, but it still earns a 7.5/10 and sets some aspects of Heinlein's writing up very well; alright, I'll try and make the next "micro" reviews go a little faster....
--"By His Bootstraps" is the most important story anthologized here and arguably one of the most important shorts in his whole oeuvre. It starts with a physicist writing a paper on why time travel is impossible when a man he vaguely recognizes shows up through a portal behind him and urges him to go through the portal to help out an old man. He's hesitant at first, but then a third man appears, and he ends up getting shoved through the portal anyways, where he meets an old man who asks him to . This is a timey-wimey story, and the way its details culminate in the end seems ahead of its time. It more or less invented a kind of paradox - the bootstrap paradox - as far as I can tell, and that's why one critic called it "The most important time travel story since *The Time Machine*." It's not as complex as more recent stories like Walter Jon William's "The Bad Twin," and its characters are a bit flat and the old man's ultimate reasoning and appreciation of his situation a bit murky, and its outcome is a bit obvious to the contemporary reader, but this really is ahead of its time in all the right ways. Strong 8.5/10.
--"Columbus Was a Dope" is only a few pages and is rather ironic; the set-up is a few people in a bar complaining about the foolishness of someone who just left the bar for bringing his family with him on a space exploration - after all, . I didn't think Heinlein wrote short, ironic pieces, but I definitely didn't mind this, especially since Heinlein did a rather good job of setting up the punchline and subverting the reader's expectations. Still, it's only a few pages - 7.5/10.
--"The Menace from Earth," our title story, also does a rather good job of subverting Earthly expectations by looking at Lunar colonists flying with mechanical wings in the Moon's low gravity, while also examining a couple of teenagers who guide Earthly tourists through the moon and design starships for the future on other nights. This does set the story up as one of Heinlein's juveniles - like *Tunnel In the Sky* or *Have Spacesuit, Will Travel*, which may just have a better batting average than Heinlein's adult novels - which I didn't know he wrote in short form. Either way, the crux of the story - the protagonist, a teenage girl, being upset at her starship-building partner, a boy, for getting the hots for a blonde beauty from Earth who both guided - might annoy some, especially when it ends with . It's... it's not great, but the way that the plot engages with the lunar culture, which is somewhat vague but yet still interests me more than the blander culture in *The Moon is a Harsh Mistress* really did please me for some reasons beyond me comprehension. It is a highlight, and gets 8/10, even if it is vaguely annoying.
--Heinlein turned towards thriller-mode in "Sky Lift," a heart-racing piece where a pilot who almost got the chance to go on leave on Earth gets put on an emergency flight to bring much needed medical supplies to a plague-ridden Pluto which will subject him to four g's - a lethal assignment. He's not happy about the mission, but he goes anyways, and when the high g's . It could be a pretty poignant message, but it doesn't fit with the main thrust of the hunky-dory adventure. It is a different kind of story than the more socially- or world-building- tinge of others, and while it's fine - perfectly sufficient - it might be the low point of this collection. 6.75/10.
--"Goldfish Bowl" is a rather science fictional take on eldritch themes where a pair of scientists charters a boat to take them close to the two miles-high pillars of water that have erupted from the ocean against all logic. They do eventually ? Time will tell. This story is solid, but Lovecraftian themes have never resonated with me too deeply, even though this is a passable attempt at that with some noble but uninteresting characters. Still, for 1942, this ain't bad. 7.25/10.
--I thought "Project Nightmare" was really fun. It's a 50s ESP story where one guy parades a bunch of psychics and other freaks out to military brass when they receive word that Russia has bombs hidden throughout metropolitan centers and they ask the psychics and such to find the bombs and keep them from detonating. This results in a . The mobilization is a thrilling thing to see, and all the hoops that had to be jumped through made this seem like a puzzle I'd honestly like to try and solve on my own, if in the form of a piece of paper or a video game instead of the real [portrayed] situation. It might seem a little silly, but it was rather fun. 8/10.
--Finally, "Water Is For Washing" caps the collection off on the least scientific note of them all. It's really a disaster piece set in San Francisco (like of like "The Year of the Jackpot"), in which one random man finds himself helping a homeless man and two children escape . I'd give it a 7.25/10, since it was tense and engaging but not too impactful. An off-key but not uncolored note for this collection to end on.
As a whole these stories round out to 7.625/10, so I think a book-wide score of 7.5/10 is reasonable. It's written with Heinlein's usual readable prose, which is both nothing to sneeze at or write home about, and it presents some interesting concepts in cool ways. I'd recommend this to most appreciators of 40s/50s science fiction, but if you're a part of the anti-Heinlein vanguard, I don't think this book will be the one to change your mind. It's Heinlein - less "lecherous" Heinlein than usual, if you consider him that - and entertaining. I enjoyed reading it, and I hope you will too. Until next time, this is Darnoc Leadburger, signing off.
--My edition of the collection (a Signet paperback) starts with "The Year of the Jackpot," which in turn starts with a scientist scouring the newspaper for odd facts over a meal when a woman outside the restaurant window starts stripping at the bus stop for no reason. After some talk with a couple transvestites and a cop it appears that a lot of Los Angeles women have been stripping for no reason and none of them- this one included - can remember why. But once our scientist - actually a statistician - brings her home, he reveals that ... the story does rather change its tone about half-way through, but all of the "science fictional" concepts in the story - pretty much all about statistics - do feel kind of Campbellian and hammer home what I see as Heinlein's ability to write what was then considered social science fiction. A lot of contemporary readers find him too "leery" or not sophisticated enough for that term, but when he has books about societal duty like *Starship Troopers* or the pros and cons of martial law under emergencies like *The Puppet Masters*, I find it hard to think that Heinlein wasn't, at some level, trying to explain why civilizations function the ways they do, or the ways they could. "The Year of the Jackpot" gives a rather unique and hard to explain reasoning for that, but it still earns a 7.5/10 and sets some aspects of Heinlein's writing up very well; alright, I'll try and make the next "micro" reviews go a little faster....
--"By His Bootstraps" is the most important story anthologized here and arguably one of the most important shorts in his whole oeuvre. It starts with a physicist writing a paper on why time travel is impossible when a man he vaguely recognizes shows up through a portal behind him and urges him to go through the portal to help out an old man. He's hesitant at first, but then a third man appears, and he ends up getting shoved through the portal anyways, where he meets an old man who asks him to . This is a timey-wimey story, and the way its details culminate in the end seems ahead of its time. It more or less invented a kind of paradox - the bootstrap paradox - as far as I can tell, and that's why one critic called it "The most important time travel story since *The Time Machine*." It's not as complex as more recent stories like Walter Jon William's "The Bad Twin," and its characters are a bit flat and the old man's ultimate reasoning and appreciation of his situation a bit murky, and its outcome is a bit obvious to the contemporary reader, but this really is ahead of its time in all the right ways. Strong 8.5/10.
--"Columbus Was a Dope" is only a few pages and is rather ironic; the set-up is a few people in a bar complaining about the foolishness of someone who just left the bar for bringing his family with him on a space exploration - after all, . I didn't think Heinlein wrote short, ironic pieces, but I definitely didn't mind this, especially since Heinlein did a rather good job of setting up the punchline and subverting the reader's expectations. Still, it's only a few pages - 7.5/10.
--"The Menace from Earth," our title story, also does a rather good job of subverting Earthly expectations by looking at Lunar colonists flying with mechanical wings in the Moon's low gravity, while also examining a couple of teenagers who guide Earthly tourists through the moon and design starships for the future on other nights. This does set the story up as one of Heinlein's juveniles - like *Tunnel In the Sky* or *Have Spacesuit, Will Travel*, which may just have a better batting average than Heinlein's adult novels - which I didn't know he wrote in short form. Either way, the crux of the story - the protagonist, a teenage girl, being upset at her starship-building partner, a boy, for getting the hots for a blonde beauty from Earth who both guided - might annoy some, especially when it ends with . It's... it's not great, but the way that the plot engages with the lunar culture, which is somewhat vague but yet still interests me more than the blander culture in *The Moon is a Harsh Mistress* really did please me for some reasons beyond me comprehension. It is a highlight, and gets 8/10, even if it is vaguely annoying.
--Heinlein turned towards thriller-mode in "Sky Lift," a heart-racing piece where a pilot who almost got the chance to go on leave on Earth gets put on an emergency flight to bring much needed medical supplies to a plague-ridden Pluto which will subject him to four g's - a lethal assignment. He's not happy about the mission, but he goes anyways, and when the high g's . It could be a pretty poignant message, but it doesn't fit with the main thrust of the hunky-dory adventure. It is a different kind of story than the more socially- or world-building- tinge of others, and while it's fine - perfectly sufficient - it might be the low point of this collection. 6.75/10.
--"Goldfish Bowl" is a rather science fictional take on eldritch themes where a pair of scientists charters a boat to take them close to the two miles-high pillars of water that have erupted from the ocean against all logic. They do eventually ? Time will tell. This story is solid, but Lovecraftian themes have never resonated with me too deeply, even though this is a passable attempt at that with some noble but uninteresting characters. Still, for 1942, this ain't bad. 7.25/10.
--I thought "Project Nightmare" was really fun. It's a 50s ESP story where one guy parades a bunch of psychics and other freaks out to military brass when they receive word that Russia has bombs hidden throughout metropolitan centers and they ask the psychics and such to find the bombs and keep them from detonating. This results in a . The mobilization is a thrilling thing to see, and all the hoops that had to be jumped through made this seem like a puzzle I'd honestly like to try and solve on my own, if in the form of a piece of paper or a video game instead of the real [portrayed] situation. It might seem a little silly, but it was rather fun. 8/10.
--Finally, "Water Is For Washing" caps the collection off on the least scientific note of them all. It's really a disaster piece set in San Francisco (like of like "The Year of the Jackpot"), in which one random man finds himself helping a homeless man and two children escape . I'd give it a 7.25/10, since it was tense and engaging but not too impactful. An off-key but not uncolored note for this collection to end on.
As a whole these stories round out to 7.625/10, so I think a book-wide score of 7.5/10 is reasonable. It's written with Heinlein's usual readable prose, which is both nothing to sneeze at or write home about, and it presents some interesting concepts in cool ways. I'd recommend this to most appreciators of 40s/50s science fiction, but if you're a part of the anti-Heinlein vanguard, I don't think this book will be the one to change your mind. It's Heinlein - less "lecherous" Heinlein than usual, if you consider him that - and entertaining. I enjoyed reading it, and I hope you will too. Until next time, this is Darnoc Leadburger, signing off.
February 6, 2024
To be fair, I ought to acknowledge that I do not usually go in for science fiction. Not in the written form, anyway. There are exceptions, of course: Pierre Boulle's Planet of the Apes, Herbert's Dune, PKD's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. So too are some of my favourite movies sci-fi ones: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Jurassic Park, Alien (though I think that's more horror than pure sci-fi). Indeed, I enjoyed many a solid story within this genre in a sizable Treasury of Science Fiction I read back in 2o21, which included an excellent tale by Heinlein called It's Great to Be Back!.
So, I certainly respect the genre. But so many of the random novels I jump into every so often leave me entirely unsatisfied, and mostly unentertained - even with the greats like Phillip K. Dick and Isaac Asimov.
So it comes as little surprise that I did not enjoy this book that much at all. I actually tried to like this one more, since I thought I might enjoy Heinlein's work due to what seems to be a level of irony often employed in his stories. Apparently, he was quite a right-wing guy. Although he also wrote the novel for another schlocky sci-fi movie I happen to love, the ultra-violent satire about militaristic jingoism, Starship Troopers, with some special effects way ahead of their time, an enjoyable performance by a much younger Neil Patrick Harris, and a very hot (and, honestly, not as inept as she's often accused of being) Denise Richards.
I have gone off on a little tangent of sorts, and barely actually spoken about the book in question. That is because I honestly do not have anything to say. It was fine, the short stories were perfectly adequate. But they just did nothing for me.
So, I certainly respect the genre. But so many of the random novels I jump into every so often leave me entirely unsatisfied, and mostly unentertained - even with the greats like Phillip K. Dick and Isaac Asimov.
So it comes as little surprise that I did not enjoy this book that much at all. I actually tried to like this one more, since I thought I might enjoy Heinlein's work due to what seems to be a level of irony often employed in his stories. Apparently, he was quite a right-wing guy. Although he also wrote the novel for another schlocky sci-fi movie I happen to love, the ultra-violent satire about militaristic jingoism, Starship Troopers, with some special effects way ahead of their time, an enjoyable performance by a much younger Neil Patrick Harris, and a very hot (and, honestly, not as inept as she's often accused of being) Denise Richards.
I have gone off on a little tangent of sorts, and barely actually spoken about the book in question. That is because I honestly do not have anything to say. It was fine, the short stories were perfectly adequate. But they just did nothing for me.
April 21, 2010
With Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke I think their short stories are more impressive than their novels, and if I were to list my favorite short science fiction stories, Asimov and Clarke would crowd out almost everyone else in the top ten. With Heinlein I tend to think it's the reverse--that it's his long fiction that is the most memorable--stronger than that of Asimov and Clarke just as their short fiction is much more memorable than that of Heinlein. I just don't think any Heinlein short is of the same caliber as Asimov's "Nightfall" or "The Dead Past" or Clarke's "The Star" or "The Billion Names of God."
But--it surprised me just how enjoyable these were. This is a reread, although I last read this ages ago in my teens. The story I remembered best--and still like the best, is the title story, "The Menace from Earth." It's quite light-hearted and there's a lot here to like. JK Rowling, eat your heart out, Quidditch has nothing on the winged flyers of the Moon! And I quite liked fifteen-year-old Holly Jones--she has quite a lot in common with Heinlein's Podkayne of Mars, only more level-headed and the ending of this novelette doesn't make me want to bounce the book against the wall. "By His Bootstraps," a time-loop story, is another one I found very memorable--although I don't think on first read decades ago I hated Bob Wilson oh so much. With "Goldfish Bowl" I definitely remembered the odd form of the water and the food--and the story does creepy well. "The Year of the Jackpot" is quite unsettling and like many of Heinlein's stories, features a nice little twist. The other four stories aren't as strong--but none is less than entertaining.
But--it surprised me just how enjoyable these were. This is a reread, although I last read this ages ago in my teens. The story I remembered best--and still like the best, is the title story, "The Menace from Earth." It's quite light-hearted and there's a lot here to like. JK Rowling, eat your heart out, Quidditch has nothing on the winged flyers of the Moon! And I quite liked fifteen-year-old Holly Jones--she has quite a lot in common with Heinlein's Podkayne of Mars, only more level-headed and the ending of this novelette doesn't make me want to bounce the book against the wall. "By His Bootstraps," a time-loop story, is another one I found very memorable--although I don't think on first read decades ago I hated Bob Wilson oh so much. With "Goldfish Bowl" I definitely remembered the odd form of the water and the food--and the story does creepy well. "The Year of the Jackpot" is quite unsettling and like many of Heinlein's stories, features a nice little twist. The other four stories aren't as strong--but none is less than entertaining.
November 23, 2014
"The Menace From Earth" is a collection of short stories from the 1940s and 1950s by science-fiction master Robert A. Heinlein. Not surprisingly given the period of writing, the stories come across as dated, especially in attitudes toward women. Nevertheless, it's valuable to go back and read material from seminal SF writers like Heinlein (along with Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke).
One thing I'm struck by is the variety of story ideas represented in this collection. Most of these stories could fit loosely together in a common future where humankind is spreading out into space. Heinlein does a good job of asking "what-if," building an interesting scenario, and placing characters into it, confronted by a challenge.
I think my favorite story from this collection is the title story, "The Menace From Earth," which imagines what things might be like for human colonists on the moon. Because of the low gravity, flying has become a popular sport, and the great cavern used for this becomes the setting for a love triangle.
ARK -- 23 November 2014
One thing I'm struck by is the variety of story ideas represented in this collection. Most of these stories could fit loosely together in a common future where humankind is spreading out into space. Heinlein does a good job of asking "what-if," building an interesting scenario, and placing characters into it, confronted by a challenge.
I think my favorite story from this collection is the title story, "The Menace From Earth," which imagines what things might be like for human colonists on the moon. Because of the low gravity, flying has become a popular sport, and the great cavern used for this becomes the setting for a love triangle.
ARK -- 23 November 2014
September 20, 2015
I love science fiction short story collections, and this collection from Heinlein is a great example of how early sci-fi writers really let their imaginations go - something that is lost in today's sci-fi I think. Written from 1941-1957, it totally captures both the anxiety and possibilities of the era including the jargon and slang of the 1950's. We have nuclear end of the world stories with Project Nightmare and The Year of the Jackpot. We have teenage angst in a time when generations of people grew up on the moon in The Menace from Earth. And we have a brilliant time travel story in "By His Bootstraps" where the main character plays every character in the story through time travel. Lastly we have the awesome sci-fi "what if" stories about traveling through space or aliens manipulating our world in ways we never thought possible.
October 18, 2013
8 short stories published in the pulps between 1941 and 1957 are found in this 1959 compilation from the grandmaster Robert A. Heinlein. The quality of the individual stories varies, but the title story and 'By His Bootstraps' are worth the price of admission and show the imagination for which RAH is regarded as one of the all-time best SF authors.
'The Year of the Jackpot', end of the world romance.
'By His Bootstraps', ingenious time travel yarn.
'Columbus Was a Dope', cute short.
'The Menace From Earth', amusing technological romance.
'SkyLift', straightforward rocket pilot tale.
'Goldfish Bowl', alien presence.
'Project Nightmare', ESP powers.
'Water Is For Washing', future action tale.
'The Year of the Jackpot', end of the world romance.
'By His Bootstraps', ingenious time travel yarn.
'Columbus Was a Dope', cute short.
'The Menace From Earth', amusing technological romance.
'SkyLift', straightforward rocket pilot tale.
'Goldfish Bowl', alien presence.
'Project Nightmare', ESP powers.
'Water Is For Washing', future action tale.
October 13, 2018
I re-read the title essay again today. While the story is great either on paper or in traditional narration, I have a copy produced by The Atlanta Radio Theater Company that is my favorite. It's a short but sweet example of Heinlein's amazing style... and the end turns me into a great big crybaby. :-)
2012: This is actually the first of Heinlein's I made it through with Alex (6). He was incredibly touched by the story. Heinlein tends to have a vocabulary that is still just a little bit tough for him, but we got through this one and he loves the story. It gave us another half hour or so talking about gravity on the moon, and the recreational flying it might allow. :-)
2012: This is actually the first of Heinlein's I made it through with Alex (6). He was incredibly touched by the story. Heinlein tends to have a vocabulary that is still just a little bit tough for him, but we got through this one and he loves the story. It gave us another half hour or so talking about gravity on the moon, and the recreational flying it might allow. :-)
May 8, 2010
This is the first R.A.Heinlein book I ever read, and I must say it was great. Looking back some of the stories weren't nearly as good as some of his other works, but it will always hold a special place in my heart.
The story that really got me hooked onto Heinlein was "By His Bootstraps", I saw the ending coming, but I didnt really mind that much. The book is a great read with lots of fun, charm, and memorable stories.
There is an interesting story "Fish Bowl" which posses some interesting concepts of how we think about pets.. if you are looking for some fun, light, Scifi, check this one out for sure.
The story that really got me hooked onto Heinlein was "By His Bootstraps", I saw the ending coming, but I didnt really mind that much. The book is a great read with lots of fun, charm, and memorable stories.
There is an interesting story "Fish Bowl" which posses some interesting concepts of how we think about pets.. if you are looking for some fun, light, Scifi, check this one out for sure.
November 4, 2021
Water Is For Washing is one of Heinlein's shortest stories describing a man terrified enough of water from a childhood experience with flood that he gravitates to the deep desert in California. When a big quake brings the Pacific sweeping in to those deserts below sea level, our hero has to contend with the emergency.
Perhaps the story is a little too short. The character never really gets developed. His survival is intimately related to his interactions with a vagrant he initially meets as he tries to steal from him, but there isn't enough story to dig into what drives those interactions.
Perhaps the story is a little too short. The character never really gets developed. His survival is intimately related to his interactions with a vagrant he initially meets as he tries to steal from him, but there isn't enough story to dig into what drives those interactions.
March 19, 2014
There are two stories in this collection that have stuck with me since I was about ten: The Year of the Jackpot and The Menace from Earth. I still reread them on occasion. Jackpot is the scariest story I've ever read since it starts off as a tale about oddball happenings that seem statistically impossible, moves onto nuclear war and then to the sun going supernova.
'Menace' I always loved because as a geeky awkward girl that there it a future of being smart and striving for achievement would not preclude finding someone to love. Classic YA before there was YA.
'Menace' I always loved because as a geeky awkward girl that there it a future of being smart and striving for achievement would not preclude finding someone to love. Classic YA before there was YA.
July 10, 2020
Sky Lift is one of those stories that built the whole idea of "what's out there?" Here's a guy who's trying to save a colony on Pluto. He's got to get a blood bank there, because of a disease that's going to wipe them out.
The problem is physics. Getting there requires enduring more G's than anyone should. Can he not only live through the 3+ G's but in getting into orbit going even above 4 G's.
It's a short story, but putting others above yourself is a story I'll always be willing to read.
The problem is physics. Getting there requires enduring more G's than anyone should. Can he not only live through the 3+ G's but in getting into orbit going even above 4 G's.
It's a short story, but putting others above yourself is a story I'll always be willing to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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