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6 x H: Six Stories
A novel and 5 short stories, truly some of the farthest-out of Heinlein's stuff. . The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag (the novel)
. The Man Who Travelled in Elephants
. "All You Zombies"
. They
. Our Fair City
. "And He Built A Crooked House"
. The Man Who Travelled in Elephants
. "All You Zombies"
. They
. Our Fair City
. "And He Built A Crooked House"
219 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1959
6 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
Robert A. Heinlein
1,056 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 37 reviews
February 6, 2025
And he built a crooked tale ... !
Heinlein's 6xH is a collection of (would you believe it?) six of Heinlein's short stories ranging in tone from warmly optimistic and almost religious through paranormal mysticism all the way to hard core multi-dimensional (both space and time) sci-fi. Just as the tone and nature of the stories represent a wildly eclectic blend of plots and characters, the quality and credibility of the stories is all over the literary map as well! But, rest assured, it's all vintage Heinlein and will certainly appeal to Heinlein fans!
The centre piece of the collection, THE UNPLEASANT PROFESSION OF JONATHAN HOAG (***), is a 125 page novella that, in a fashion vaguely reminiscent of Robert Louis Stevenson's DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE, tells us of Hoag's total inability to recall what he does during the day. When he hires a very earthy and yet very warm and loving husband and wife team of detectives to follow him, we are treated to a sparkling story filled with superb dialogue, terrific suspense and first-rate characterization. Sadly, like a poorly written episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE, the story ultimately dissolves into a conclusion of meaningless metaphysical bafflegab that left me completely deflated as a reader and asking what happened.
THE MAN WHO TRAVELED IN ELEPHANTS (*****), in a remarkably small number of words, not only describes a positively astonishing cross section of 1940s American cultural snippets but also clearly delivers the message that happiness both here on earth and ultimately in a heavenly after-life is in the eye of the beholder. Warm, uplifting, charming, believable and well-delivered without a trace of religious or preachy overtones. Wonderful, indeed!
In ---ALL YOU ZOMBIES--- (**), Heinlein has prepared a racy, adult-rated time travel tale that opens with a bartender, clearly a time traveler and recruiter for other potential time travelers, listening to a customer's tales of woe over his beer. Once again, Heinlein's dialogue is crisp and realistic as is the characterization but (and how ironic is this?) the story has not stood the test of time. Heinlein completely ignores the issue of time travel paradoxes and, as a result, the story ends up unresolved in a most unsatisfactory fashion.
THEY (***) presents a morbid, dark and probably realistic vision of serious mental illness, or at least debilitating paranoia from the point of view of the suffering patient. The twist at the conclusion of the tale, while entertaining, is perhaps just a little too predictable and, frankly, is not sufficiently resolved to be completely satisfying.
A whimsical flight of fancy, indeed, OUR FAIR CITY (*) tells the story of an animated whirlwind that seems to know its own mind and makes friends with Pete Perkins, an elderly all night parking attendant. While treating us to some truly inspired slapstick comedic moments, ultimately this childish whirlwind dwindles to a limpid zephyr and then just hits the doldrums.
On the other hand, AND HE BUILT A CROOKED HOUSE (****), also clearly intended as a lighthearted fantasy with a bent towards comedy succeeds in a walk. Heinlein gives us an out on the edge California (where else?) architect with an extraordinarily imaginative idea for his clients - a new age house designed as eight cubes stacked in the shape of a tesseract. Imagine the confusion when, in the middle of the guided tour, they are jostled by an earthquake tremor and their brand new home somehow collapses into the fourth dimension and folds back up into a hypercube. At once, funny, mind-bending, tantalizing, novel and provocative.
An interesting, collection of stories that must be read by and I dare say will even appeal to diehard Heinlein fans in order for them to say they've read it all. But, for my money, I'll call it a very average rating overall as science fiction goes and a disappointment coming from the pen of a master such as Heinlein.
Paul Weiss
Heinlein's 6xH is a collection of (would you believe it?) six of Heinlein's short stories ranging in tone from warmly optimistic and almost religious through paranormal mysticism all the way to hard core multi-dimensional (both space and time) sci-fi. Just as the tone and nature of the stories represent a wildly eclectic blend of plots and characters, the quality and credibility of the stories is all over the literary map as well! But, rest assured, it's all vintage Heinlein and will certainly appeal to Heinlein fans!
The centre piece of the collection, THE UNPLEASANT PROFESSION OF JONATHAN HOAG (***), is a 125 page novella that, in a fashion vaguely reminiscent of Robert Louis Stevenson's DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE, tells us of Hoag's total inability to recall what he does during the day. When he hires a very earthy and yet very warm and loving husband and wife team of detectives to follow him, we are treated to a sparkling story filled with superb dialogue, terrific suspense and first-rate characterization. Sadly, like a poorly written episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE, the story ultimately dissolves into a conclusion of meaningless metaphysical bafflegab that left me completely deflated as a reader and asking what happened.
THE MAN WHO TRAVELED IN ELEPHANTS (*****), in a remarkably small number of words, not only describes a positively astonishing cross section of 1940s American cultural snippets but also clearly delivers the message that happiness both here on earth and ultimately in a heavenly after-life is in the eye of the beholder. Warm, uplifting, charming, believable and well-delivered without a trace of religious or preachy overtones. Wonderful, indeed!
In ---ALL YOU ZOMBIES--- (**), Heinlein has prepared a racy, adult-rated time travel tale that opens with a bartender, clearly a time traveler and recruiter for other potential time travelers, listening to a customer's tales of woe over his beer. Once again, Heinlein's dialogue is crisp and realistic as is the characterization but (and how ironic is this?) the story has not stood the test of time. Heinlein completely ignores the issue of time travel paradoxes and, as a result, the story ends up unresolved in a most unsatisfactory fashion.
THEY (***) presents a morbid, dark and probably realistic vision of serious mental illness, or at least debilitating paranoia from the point of view of the suffering patient. The twist at the conclusion of the tale, while entertaining, is perhaps just a little too predictable and, frankly, is not sufficiently resolved to be completely satisfying.
A whimsical flight of fancy, indeed, OUR FAIR CITY (*) tells the story of an animated whirlwind that seems to know its own mind and makes friends with Pete Perkins, an elderly all night parking attendant. While treating us to some truly inspired slapstick comedic moments, ultimately this childish whirlwind dwindles to a limpid zephyr and then just hits the doldrums.
On the other hand, AND HE BUILT A CROOKED HOUSE (****), also clearly intended as a lighthearted fantasy with a bent towards comedy succeeds in a walk. Heinlein gives us an out on the edge California (where else?) architect with an extraordinarily imaginative idea for his clients - a new age house designed as eight cubes stacked in the shape of a tesseract. Imagine the confusion when, in the middle of the guided tour, they are jostled by an earthquake tremor and their brand new home somehow collapses into the fourth dimension and folds back up into a hypercube. At once, funny, mind-bending, tantalizing, novel and provocative.
An interesting, collection of stories that must be read by and I dare say will even appeal to diehard Heinlein fans in order for them to say they've read it all. But, for my money, I'll call it a very average rating overall as science fiction goes and a disappointment coming from the pen of a master such as Heinlein.
Paul Weiss
January 1, 2011
Sort of weird (remember, "i" before "e" except after "c", weird?) little book with more off beat stories than we're used to from Heinlein.
There are 3 stories here that are overtly fantasy...not as usual as science fiction for Heinlein (see Glory Road). We've also got science fiction and one undisguised political tale.
Another book I read back in the 70s I believe.
There are 3 stories here that are overtly fantasy...not as usual as science fiction for Heinlein (see Glory Road). We've also got science fiction and one undisguised political tale.
Another book I read back in the 70s I believe.
June 6, 2016
Six stories from Robert Heinlein, all dating from the 40s and 50s.
One, The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoeg, takes up half the book and should properly be called a novella. The other 5 are short stories.
On the whole they are pretty good. Some of the attitudes and dialogue seems a little old fashioned now, and some of the ideas seem less fresh than they would have done 60 (60!) years ago. The ending of The Man Who Travelled in Elephants is blindingly obvious, but for me, on the whole, they held up very well. Only one bored me, Our Fair City, others were so intriguing I read them twice.
Short stories usually don't allow for much character building, but Heinlein does well, especially in the novella, where the relationship between husband and wife is sensitively drawn. Mostly though this is spec fic and relies on ideas to carry the stories rather than characters.
Over all, a bunch of interesting stories from a master of the genre.
One, The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoeg, takes up half the book and should properly be called a novella. The other 5 are short stories.
On the whole they are pretty good. Some of the attitudes and dialogue seems a little old fashioned now, and some of the ideas seem less fresh than they would have done 60 (60!) years ago. The ending of The Man Who Travelled in Elephants is blindingly obvious, but for me, on the whole, they held up very well. Only one bored me, Our Fair City, others were so intriguing I read them twice.
Short stories usually don't allow for much character building, but Heinlein does well, especially in the novella, where the relationship between husband and wife is sensitively drawn. Mostly though this is spec fic and relies on ideas to carry the stories rather than characters.
Over all, a bunch of interesting stories from a master of the genre.
August 18, 2011
Robert A. Heinlein, certainly one of the most influential authors in sci-fi history, was also one of the most celebrated. As reported in "The Science Fiction Encyclopedia," Heinlein was the guest of honor at three World SF Conventions, received the first Grand Master Nebula Award, and was selected "best all-time author" in many readers' polls. His four Hugo awards for Best Novel is a record that stands to this day, and in his long and prolific career, the man wrote 32 novels (13 of them juveniles) and 58 short stories. (Go to the RAH Home Page for the complete bibliography.) In 1959, six of those shorter pieces were collected in what was to later be appropriately titled "6XH," consisting of tales written between 1941 and 1959. Most of these tales are rather fantasy oriented and not really sci-fi, and indeed, all six appear in a larger collection called "The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein."
The collection kicks off with the longest tale of the bunch, "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag" (which first appeared in "Unknown Worlds"; 10/42). In this novella-length story, a prim and fussy man hires a detective couple (that Heinlein obviously based on Nick and Nora Charles) to find out just what he does for a living. The little man is an amnesiac, it seems, and pretty soon our detecting couple is involved in a very bizarre case involving apparent hypnotism, hallucinations, the kidnapping of souls and the mirror-dwelling Sons of the Bird. The reader will never guess just where this one-of-a-kind story is going next, or the mystery of Jonathan Hoag's background. A way-out finale answers our many questions, but just barely. This tale, by the way, was chosen for inclusion in British critic David Pringle's book "Modern Fantasy: The 100 Best Novels," despite its 105-page length. Yes, it IS that good. (This "6XH" collection, by the way, was originally called "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag," but my 35-cent Pyramid paperback from 1961 carries the latter title, so I'm reviewing it here. Amazon readers who wish to see additional comments on this book are urged to look under the original title.) Next up is a short tale called "The Man Who Traveled In Elephants" ("Saturn"; 10/57), supposedly one of Heinlein's favorites. If I'm reading this tale correctly (and I suppose that the story is open to interpretation), the author is here suggesting that heaven is very similar to all the parades, state fairs, and expositions in the world rolled into one. This is a sweet little story, rich in detail, that features a warmly satisfying ending. "All You Zombies" ("The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction"; 3/59) is one of the author's last short pieces, and was something of a head scratcher for yours truly. Supposedly a classic time paradox story, this one almost gave me a migraine as I tried in vain to figure out its loopy temporal conundrums. "They" ("Unknown"; 4/41) was much more satisfying for me. A man sits in a mental ward, convinced that he is different from every other human being in the world. Is he a raving paranoiac or rather on to a hideous worldwide conspiracy? Heinlein waits until the very end of this fun story before showing his hand. "Our Fair City" ("Weird Tales"; 1/49) is a very whimsical fantasy that is heavy on the humor. It tells the story of Kitten, a sentient whirlwind (as in spinning current of air) that helps to bring down the corrupt government in a nameless small city. This one really had me chuckling out loud, with its tough talk and outrageous situations. A very charming tale indeed. The collection winds up nicely with the much-celebrated "'And He Built A Crooked House--'" ("Astounding Science-Fiction"; 2/41). In this story, an eccentric architect builds a house in SoCal based on a tesseract, and succeeds in having this structure enter a fourth-dimensional wonderland, where our three-dimensional rules seem to be in abeyance. Things get pretty outre and hallucinatory by the end of this remarkable tale.
Thus ends this very entertaining bunch of fantasies from one of sci-fi's foremost practitioners. By the book's end, most readers will be wishing it were called "12XH," I have a feeling!
The collection kicks off with the longest tale of the bunch, "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag" (which first appeared in "Unknown Worlds"; 10/42). In this novella-length story, a prim and fussy man hires a detective couple (that Heinlein obviously based on Nick and Nora Charles) to find out just what he does for a living. The little man is an amnesiac, it seems, and pretty soon our detecting couple is involved in a very bizarre case involving apparent hypnotism, hallucinations, the kidnapping of souls and the mirror-dwelling Sons of the Bird. The reader will never guess just where this one-of-a-kind story is going next, or the mystery of Jonathan Hoag's background. A way-out finale answers our many questions, but just barely. This tale, by the way, was chosen for inclusion in British critic David Pringle's book "Modern Fantasy: The 100 Best Novels," despite its 105-page length. Yes, it IS that good. (This "6XH" collection, by the way, was originally called "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag," but my 35-cent Pyramid paperback from 1961 carries the latter title, so I'm reviewing it here. Amazon readers who wish to see additional comments on this book are urged to look under the original title.) Next up is a short tale called "The Man Who Traveled In Elephants" ("Saturn"; 10/57), supposedly one of Heinlein's favorites. If I'm reading this tale correctly (and I suppose that the story is open to interpretation), the author is here suggesting that heaven is very similar to all the parades, state fairs, and expositions in the world rolled into one. This is a sweet little story, rich in detail, that features a warmly satisfying ending. "All You Zombies" ("The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction"; 3/59) is one of the author's last short pieces, and was something of a head scratcher for yours truly. Supposedly a classic time paradox story, this one almost gave me a migraine as I tried in vain to figure out its loopy temporal conundrums. "They" ("Unknown"; 4/41) was much more satisfying for me. A man sits in a mental ward, convinced that he is different from every other human being in the world. Is he a raving paranoiac or rather on to a hideous worldwide conspiracy? Heinlein waits until the very end of this fun story before showing his hand. "Our Fair City" ("Weird Tales"; 1/49) is a very whimsical fantasy that is heavy on the humor. It tells the story of Kitten, a sentient whirlwind (as in spinning current of air) that helps to bring down the corrupt government in a nameless small city. This one really had me chuckling out loud, with its tough talk and outrageous situations. A very charming tale indeed. The collection winds up nicely with the much-celebrated "'And He Built A Crooked House--'" ("Astounding Science-Fiction"; 2/41). In this story, an eccentric architect builds a house in SoCal based on a tesseract, and succeeds in having this structure enter a fourth-dimensional wonderland, where our three-dimensional rules seem to be in abeyance. Things get pretty outre and hallucinatory by the end of this remarkable tale.
Thus ends this very entertaining bunch of fantasies from one of sci-fi's foremost practitioners. By the book's end, most readers will be wishing it were called "12XH," I have a feeling!
August 28, 2022
I feel like there should be an award for being this deep in the weeds with Heinlein, but of course, I'm not reading this out of my own interest or randomness- this is one of my dad's books. What weird things you had in your brain, dad, and now I have some of them in mine too!
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is my all-time favorite Heinlein book and I'll sing its praises, but Heinlein has some stuff that really goes off the rails sometimes. This collection has some interesting ideas in it but most of the stories felt like misses for me. I liked the Hoag story's concept and I liked the codependent intimacy of the main couple in it. The other stories I started to forget almost as soon as read them except for the weird Escher/Flatland style house one.
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is my all-time favorite Heinlein book and I'll sing its praises, but Heinlein has some stuff that really goes off the rails sometimes. This collection has some interesting ideas in it but most of the stories felt like misses for me. I liked the Hoag story's concept and I liked the codependent intimacy of the main couple in it. The other stories I started to forget almost as soon as read them except for the weird Escher/Flatland style house one.
September 9, 2024
4.25* / 5* A collection of excellent short-stories, from fantasy to science-fiction. Although you can “feel” the 50s-60s era in the writing, the stories are very well written and interesting.
My Top3 are:
- The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoaig - about a man who doesn’t know what he does during the daytime and asks a couple of detectives to find out
- “-All You Zombies-“ - about a time-travelling paradox
- “-And He Built a Crooked House-“ - about a tesseract house
I will be definitely be looking for novels written by Heinlein.
My Top3 are:
- The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoaig - about a man who doesn’t know what he does during the daytime and asks a couple of detectives to find out
- “-All You Zombies-“ - about a time-travelling paradox
- “-And He Built a Crooked House-“ - about a tesseract house
I will be definitely be looking for novels written by Heinlein.
May 15, 2017
The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag is a novella by Robert A. Heinlein. It was originally published in the October 1942 edition of Unknown Worlds magazine under the pseudonym of "John Riverside". It also lends its title to a collection of Heinlein's short stories published in 1959.
This 1942 work is an eerie precursor to PKD.
This 1942 work is an eerie precursor to PKD.
April 30, 2014
"All You Zombies" & "And He Built a Crooked House" are worth how dull the other 4 stories are.
June 10, 2021
Of the six shorter stories contained, only two are of note. The Ethan Hawk film "Predestination" is drawn from the entertaining short story "All You Zombies" contained within.
June 19, 2023
Heinlein is an author that I have read only in novel-length works prior to this. His abilities in world-building, stage-setting, and characterization translate well into the shorter form. From the novella-length titular story to the shortest of the short stories, he pulls the reader in and we believe in the time, place, and characters even if we find the story itself a little unbelievable. He gives us a little of everything from straight fantasy to hard science fiction. And, like most collections, he gives us a mix of good stories and not-so-good. ★★★
"The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag": Jonathan Hoag becomes convinced that he must do something terrible during the day. The trouble is, he can't remember anything at all about what it is. He hires Ted and Cynthia Randall, private detectives, to follow him and find out. But what seems like a simple "tail" job turns into a nightmare for the team when their memories of what happens during the investigation don't match.
"The Man Who Traveled in Elephants": John Watts used to be a traveling salesman and his wife, Martha who loved to travel and see new things, would go with him on the road. They loved visiting all the carnivals and festivals and country fairs that they found along the way. Even after John retired, they still traveled, claiming (to those whose curiosity was such that they just had to know why they traveled so much) that now John "traveled in elephants." And now--now Martha is gone and John is keeping the tradition alive by traveling on his own. But then the bus he's on has an accident and he finds himself at the most fantastic festival he's ever seen.
"--All You Zombies--" A time travel story full of all kinds of paradoxes. Most aptly, a jukebox in the bar which features in the story is playing "I'm My Own Granpaw" on what seems like endless repeat....
"They": Our unnamed protagonist is an inmate in a mental hospital. He is sure that he is one of the few "real" entities in the universe and that those around him are trying keep him from others like him and from finding out the truth. Is he just paranoid? Or is there some truth to his apparent delusions?
"Our Fair City": When a corrupt local government takes on a reporter, a newspaper photographer, and an old parking attendant with an unusual pet, they reap the whirlwind--quite literally.
"And He Built a Crooked House": When Quintus Teal, architect, thinks up a new way to build houses--based on the fourth dimension and the idea of tesseracts, he believes it will revolutionize home-building. It will allow large houses to be built on much smaller plots of land and save on building costs overall. He builds his first model--but a couple of earthquakes thoroughly shake up the process.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
"The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag": Jonathan Hoag becomes convinced that he must do something terrible during the day. The trouble is, he can't remember anything at all about what it is. He hires Ted and Cynthia Randall, private detectives, to follow him and find out. But what seems like a simple "tail" job turns into a nightmare for the team when their memories of what happens during the investigation don't match.
"The Man Who Traveled in Elephants": John Watts used to be a traveling salesman and his wife, Martha who loved to travel and see new things, would go with him on the road. They loved visiting all the carnivals and festivals and country fairs that they found along the way. Even after John retired, they still traveled, claiming (to those whose curiosity was such that they just had to know why they traveled so much) that now John "traveled in elephants." And now--now Martha is gone and John is keeping the tradition alive by traveling on his own. But then the bus he's on has an accident and he finds himself at the most fantastic festival he's ever seen.
"--All You Zombies--" A time travel story full of all kinds of paradoxes. Most aptly, a jukebox in the bar which features in the story is playing "I'm My Own Granpaw" on what seems like endless repeat....
"They": Our unnamed protagonist is an inmate in a mental hospital. He is sure that he is one of the few "real" entities in the universe and that those around him are trying keep him from others like him and from finding out the truth. Is he just paranoid? Or is there some truth to his apparent delusions?
"Our Fair City": When a corrupt local government takes on a reporter, a newspaper photographer, and an old parking attendant with an unusual pet, they reap the whirlwind--quite literally.
"And He Built a Crooked House": When Quintus Teal, architect, thinks up a new way to build houses--based on the fourth dimension and the idea of tesseracts, he believes it will revolutionize home-building. It will allow large houses to be built on much smaller plots of land and save on building costs overall. He builds his first model--but a couple of earthquakes thoroughly shake up the process.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
March 17, 2025
I've read a lot of Heinlein's work over the years, to mixed reviews depending on which era of his career it was written or my own life phase when I read it. When I picked this one up in a used bookshop, the publication dates led me to believe I was looking at some early-career juveniles that didn't make it to novel length. Cracking it open, I was pleasantly surprised.
The six stories (well, one novella and five stories) that comprise this collection are radically different from RAH's other works from the 40s/50s that I have previously read. The feature piece, "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag," is not only unlike his other work of the period, it's very unlike anything else of Heinlein's I've ever read. If I had found it under it's original RAH pseudonym, I would never have suspected it was one of his books...it reads more like some of the more "out there" PKD fiction. Mysterious, metaphysical, and unnerving in its plot and implications, it is a fascinating read about which I can say very little without spoiling the plot.
The other stories are similarly "out of character" (or at least out of what I thought was characteristic of Heinlein's writing)...more fantastic and less grounded in scientific jargon and detail than I am used to from him. The lone exception being "And He Built a Crooked House," which is an exceptional investigation of architecture and non-Euclidean geometry. It reads exactly like I would expect a Heinlein story to read -- take a scientific premise and push it into the "real world" and see what happens.
For Heinlein completionists, this is a must-read, and I highly recommend it to anyone that only knows his later post-war fiction. It was RAH like I'd never read him before, and I loved it.
The six stories (well, one novella and five stories) that comprise this collection are radically different from RAH's other works from the 40s/50s that I have previously read. The feature piece, "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag," is not only unlike his other work of the period, it's very unlike anything else of Heinlein's I've ever read. If I had found it under it's original RAH pseudonym, I would never have suspected it was one of his books...it reads more like some of the more "out there" PKD fiction. Mysterious, metaphysical, and unnerving in its plot and implications, it is a fascinating read about which I can say very little without spoiling the plot.
The other stories are similarly "out of character" (or at least out of what I thought was characteristic of Heinlein's writing)...more fantastic and less grounded in scientific jargon and detail than I am used to from him. The lone exception being "And He Built a Crooked House," which is an exceptional investigation of architecture and non-Euclidean geometry. It reads exactly like I would expect a Heinlein story to read -- take a scientific premise and push it into the "real world" and see what happens.
For Heinlein completionists, this is a must-read, and I highly recommend it to anyone that only knows his later post-war fiction. It was RAH like I'd never read him before, and I loved it.
November 24, 2024
I had to take a break after reading "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag" because the novella dazzled me so much I wanted to sit with it for a few days before reading the rest of the short stories in this collection. Not only is "Jonathon Hoag" very suited to my particular tastes, but the way it builds up the mystery and simultaneously reveals information while creating doubt kept me reading until the (admittedly not quite as stellar, but worth it for the journey) ending. I'll definitely be revisiting that one in the future.
The rest of the short stories in this collection are also, on the whole, a delight. I particularly enjoyed the convoluted trans time traveler and the pet whirlwind that helps stop city corruption. I'll definitely have to check out more Heinlein in the future, because if it's as good as this I'm in.
The rest of the short stories in this collection are also, on the whole, a delight. I particularly enjoyed the convoluted trans time traveler and the pet whirlwind that helps stop city corruption. I'll definitely have to check out more Heinlein in the future, because if it's as good as this I'm in.
October 3, 2023
What a bizarre book! I’ve read at least dozens of Heinlein books. He is known for practical SF with strong inclinations of religion and philosophy. This collection is much more psychological and philosophical. I enjoyed Our Fair City and And He Built a Crooked House, both presenting a humorous side. The other stories just seemed odd.
May 22, 2025
solo me leí un relato (gracias, roberto) pero qué buen relato, dios mío. me dio todo lo que un relató de ciencia ficción me puede dar. "all of you, zombies" es uno de los mejores relatos que he leido. corto, pero super conciso. me dio una sensación de 🧍🏻qué está pasando, hasta que todo cobra sentido y el final (la frase final) es buenísima.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ estrellas porque estuvo demasiado bueno
⭐⭐⭐⭐ estrellas porque estuvo demasiado bueno
July 15, 2013
Contains six short stories. Umpleasant professions of Jonathan Hoag; The man who traveled in elephants; All you zombies; They; Our fair city; He built a crooked house. They are an interesting bunch of stories that could lead into great discussions. Some are a little crazy then others.
Umpleasant professions of Johnathan is a boring start with meeting the may characters. I have thought about skipping this story but the ball started rolling.with plenty of twist and turns. Love the ending. I consider 109 pages not a short story. 3 stars.
The man who traveled in elephants. A sweet little story about an old man going on about his life and love. 3 stars.
All you Zombies. Whoo lots and lots of twist in this story. Starts off in a bar. A guy has a story to tell a weird story. First he was a she now he was a he. Plus an orphan. But what happens to the guy his interesting. Not happy about the lack of zombies. 4 stars.
They. Boring really boring. I couldn't read this. I scan all the words and pages but nothing stuck to my brain. I don't even know what the story is about. 1 Star.
Our fair city. A sweet but weird story. A parking attendant and a newspaper report finds a whirlwind name kitten. But the cops don't like her. This gives them trouble. 3 stars.
He built a crooked house. It starts off with discussing what is a cube. How big is it really is and how many sides dose it have. This leads to the house of the future being built. All goes well until they how about to move in.Then the truth of the house is revealed. Their is nothing wrong with being experimental but I don't want to live in that house. 2 stars.
Umpleasant professions of Johnathan is a boring start with meeting the may characters. I have thought about skipping this story but the ball started rolling.with plenty of twist and turns. Love the ending. I consider 109 pages not a short story. 3 stars.
The man who traveled in elephants. A sweet little story about an old man going on about his life and love. 3 stars.
All you Zombies. Whoo lots and lots of twist in this story. Starts off in a bar. A guy has a story to tell a weird story. First he was a she now he was a he. Plus an orphan. But what happens to the guy his interesting. Not happy about the lack of zombies. 4 stars.
They. Boring really boring. I couldn't read this. I scan all the words and pages but nothing stuck to my brain. I don't even know what the story is about. 1 Star.
Our fair city. A sweet but weird story. A parking attendant and a newspaper report finds a whirlwind name kitten. But the cops don't like her. This gives them trouble. 3 stars.
He built a crooked house. It starts off with discussing what is a cube. How big is it really is and how many sides dose it have. This leads to the house of the future being built. All goes well until they how about to move in.Then the truth of the house is revealed. Their is nothing wrong with being experimental but I don't want to live in that house. 2 stars.
October 15, 2021
I liked this anthology better than I was thinking I would. But that was largely because of the first and longest entry.
There were six stories, and I gave them a total of 23 stars. (Two received 5*; three 4*; and one 1*.) This gives an average rating per story of 3.8 stars. And if the rating is weighted by page, the average is still 3.8.
5*:
The Man Who Traveled in Elephants: A very sweet story. I knew exactly how it was going to end less than a third of the way through, but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment.
Our Fair City: You wouldn’t think a story about civic corruption and litter would be light and amusing. It was.
4*:
The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag: I really disliked this story, but I recognize that’s me and not Heinlein. I have a T-shirt with a poster from an old mummy movie, and it has the motto “Eyes That Creep with Terror”. That’s sort of my reaction here. I couldn’t stop reading, though, despite my crawling skin and creeping eyes.
“—All You Zombies—”: I love the paradoxes of time travel. Here the past is the result of the future, and what the present is depends on whom you’re talking to.
“And He Built a Crooked House”: As an erstwhile math major, I appreciated a lot in this story. But the in-story explanation of the math I found merely confusing, and the real-world application suspicious as well as confusing. But it was all the good kind of confusing.
1*:
They: The protagonist’s logic was so flawed as to be a constant annoyance. And the dénouement revealed a situation that I find very unappealing.
There were six stories, and I gave them a total of 23 stars. (Two received 5*; three 4*; and one 1*.) This gives an average rating per story of 3.8 stars. And if the rating is weighted by page, the average is still 3.8.
5*:
The Man Who Traveled in Elephants: A very sweet story. I knew exactly how it was going to end less than a third of the way through, but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment.
Our Fair City: You wouldn’t think a story about civic corruption and litter would be light and amusing. It was.
4*:
The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag: I really disliked this story, but I recognize that’s me and not Heinlein. I have a T-shirt with a poster from an old mummy movie, and it has the motto “Eyes That Creep with Terror”. That’s sort of my reaction here. I couldn’t stop reading, though, despite my crawling skin and creeping eyes.
“—All You Zombies—”: I love the paradoxes of time travel. Here the past is the result of the future, and what the present is depends on whom you’re talking to.
“And He Built a Crooked House”: As an erstwhile math major, I appreciated a lot in this story. But the in-story explanation of the math I found merely confusing, and the real-world application suspicious as well as confusing. But it was all the good kind of confusing.
1*:
They: The protagonist’s logic was so flawed as to be a constant annoyance. And the dénouement revealed a situation that I find very unappealing.
January 23, 2016
This is a collection of 6 short stories that includes:
- The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag
- The Man Who Traveled in Elephants
- "All You Zombies"
- They
- Our Fair City
- "And He Built A Crooked House"
Of the 6, I have actually read the last story in some other SF collection many years ago (the story is about a 4 dimensional house - or a tesseract). However, I have completely forgotten the storyline, so it reads as new.
All these stories are very enjoyable. I have liked Heinlein because his stories doesn't require learning weird languages (like Anthony Burgess "A Clockwork Orange" or Frank Herbert's "Dune"). Also, the narratives are not too complicated, unlike Philip K Dick's stories which were sometimes too avant garde for my liking.
The first story "Jonathan Hoag", a story that implies that the world we are living in is actually a manifestation of some super beings, is the best of the lot. However, "All You Zombies", a time travel story, was very original (the main characters are all the same person from various time periods).
- The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag
- The Man Who Traveled in Elephants
- "All You Zombies"
- They
- Our Fair City
- "And He Built A Crooked House"
Of the 6, I have actually read the last story in some other SF collection many years ago (the story is about a 4 dimensional house - or a tesseract). However, I have completely forgotten the storyline, so it reads as new.
All these stories are very enjoyable. I have liked Heinlein because his stories doesn't require learning weird languages (like Anthony Burgess "A Clockwork Orange" or Frank Herbert's "Dune"). Also, the narratives are not too complicated, unlike Philip K Dick's stories which were sometimes too avant garde for my liking.
The first story "Jonathan Hoag", a story that implies that the world we are living in is actually a manifestation of some super beings, is the best of the lot. However, "All You Zombies", a time travel story, was very original (the main characters are all the same person from various time periods).
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March 8, 2018Heinlein tended to release short stories in different combinations, which makes it difficult to find a particular story. This edition is a reprint (maybe the paperback edition?) of The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag, under the title "6xH"
This mass market paperback is dedicated "To Eugene R Guild"
CONTENTS:
I The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag (This is a novella, running 111pp in this edition.)
II The Man Who Traveled in Elephants (In Carmen Miranda's Ghost Is Haunting Space Station Three, one of the stories is a pastiche of this story eulogizing Heinlein called "The Man Who Traveled in Spaceships.")
III "--All You Zombies--" (I did eventually track down the song "I'm My Own Grandpa"...it pays to have a family who performed old songs).
IV They (an interesting take on a man with solipsistic delusions)
V Our Fair City (CAN a wind eddy develop self-awareness?)
VI "And He Built A Crooked House" (I found the narrowing of the lunacy of the world down to a street address the most amusing part of this. The technical suggestion is interesting, but not that surprising.)
This mass market paperback is dedicated "To Eugene R Guild"
CONTENTS:
I The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag (This is a novella, running 111pp in this edition.)
II The Man Who Traveled in Elephants (In Carmen Miranda's Ghost Is Haunting Space Station Three, one of the stories is a pastiche of this story eulogizing Heinlein called "The Man Who Traveled in Spaceships.")
III "--All You Zombies--" (I did eventually track down the song "I'm My Own Grandpa"...it pays to have a family who performed old songs).
IV They (an interesting take on a man with solipsistic delusions)
V Our Fair City (CAN a wind eddy develop self-awareness?)
VI "And He Built A Crooked House" (I found the narrowing of the lunacy of the world down to a street address the most amusing part of this. The technical suggestion is interesting, but not that surprising.)
September 24, 2013
Always love Heinlein's ideas but soemtimes i find that he does not deliver in being able to tell a decent/entertaining story. I enjoyed this book again for its ideas but less so on its execution. The final story is actually the best told and best idea in terms of sci-fi. The first one, which is actually a novella is quite interesting but in the end a lot of the stuff that happens is never really explained. So its a bit frustrating with him sometimes because I find he weaves a decent story but cannot end it in a satisfying way. Overall decent read but nothing to get too excited about.
February 11, 2014
You can't have six equally good short stories in a single book, can you? That's why I only give this book four stars, rather than five which The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag would deserve on its own. The Sons of the Bird are some of the scariest characters I've yet encountered, and they can't even hold a candle to Jonathan Hoag himself.
The other stories aren't bad at all, They in particular, but I can't help wishing Heinlein had written more Hoag and less Lazarus Long in his later years.
The other stories aren't bad at all, They in particular, but I can't help wishing Heinlein had written more Hoag and less Lazarus Long in his later years.
February 25, 2012
This reminded me of why I liked early Heinlein so much. A wonderful collection of six short stories, all but the last of which ("And He Build a Crooked House") I'd never before read. That in itself was a real pleasure!
These stories were all written in the 40's and 50's and definitely have that atmosphere about them - the portrayal of women feels especially dated - but they're terrific nonetheless. A good read!
These stories were all written in the 40's and 50's and definitely have that atmosphere about them - the portrayal of women feels especially dated - but they're terrific nonetheless. A good read!
November 27, 2021
4.5/5 stars for concepts I've never read before. minus .5 because little loose. couldve lost some pages.
6 short stories by heinlein. one about a man with amnesia, an elephant salesman in love with his wife, a woman who became a man and whose baby was taken a way, a weird psychiatrist who like travels through time super fucked up, a whirlwind named kitten who brings down a corrupt politician, and an architect who makes a tesseract house that folds in on itself .
6 short stories by heinlein. one about a man with amnesia, an elephant salesman in love with his wife, a woman who became a man and whose baby was taken a way, a weird psychiatrist who like travels through time super fucked up, a whirlwind named kitten who brings down a corrupt politician, and an architect who makes a tesseract house that folds in on itself .
October 23, 2020
Let's pick 5 of Heinlein's worst older stories and jam them in a book with one clever story that is typical for the era but totally off base for The Dean.
Heinlein didn't just teach me to love sci fi when I was 12, he taught me to love reading period. This collection wouldn't have made that happen.
Heinlein didn't just teach me to love sci fi when I was 12, he taught me to love reading period. This collection wouldn't have made that happen.
July 25, 2015
I tracked this down to read "All You Zombies" (which is a story way ahead of its time!) and found a couple of other cool short stories, most notably "The Man Who Traveled in Elephants" and "-And He Built a Crooked House." Like most collections, the stories are rather hit or miss, but those 3 make this small book worth seeking out.
February 17, 2016
Contains six short stories:
1. The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag
2. The Man Who Traveled in Elephants
3. "All You Zombies"
4. They
5. Our Fair City
6. "And He Built a Crooked House"
Of all of them, I like maybe #6 the best, because I like to tell other people about it. It's the story of a man who decides to built a tessaract house, and it was very interesting.
1. The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag
2. The Man Who Traveled in Elephants
3. "All You Zombies"
4. They
5. Our Fair City
6. "And He Built a Crooked House"
Of all of them, I like maybe #6 the best, because I like to tell other people about it. It's the story of a man who decides to built a tessaract house, and it was very interesting.
May 28, 2018
A novella & 5 short stories from the golden age of science fiction. The novella is the best of the lot & starts the book with the short stories entertaining & thought provoking if a bit beyond believability.
One either is Heinlein fan & reads everything ones comes across of his work or is not and misses the work of the greatest science fiction writer & Asimov's only rival
One either is Heinlein fan & reads everything ones comes across of his work or is not and misses the work of the greatest science fiction writer & Asimov's only rival
May 2, 2019
Six of the best from the Dean of Golden Age sf&f. The ultimate time-travel paradox story, a sentimental journey through Heinlein's beloved world of the carnie, and stories more weird and whimsical than one might expect from this solid writer of hard sf. "And He Built a Crooked House" is one of my favourite short stories of all time.
February 6, 2020
some great and memorable stories. "And He Built a Crooked House" is about a house which falls in on itself and becomes a tesseract. "All You Zombies" was the most interesting. It contains only one character who time travels and meets himself several times, becoming both his own mother and father.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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September 24, 2018A collection of six short stories written between 1941 and 1959. Also published as The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag after by far the longest - over 100pp. - of the stories contained therein. Not remembered at all.
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October 6, 2019Bought this in a used book store because I liked the cover (a different weird cover than shown on Goodreads). Kinda liked some of the stories, but not enough that I expect to reread them.
I'm going to put this in a Little Free Library and let the weird cover attract someone else.
I'm going to put this in a Little Free Library and let the weird cover attract someone else.
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