Didn't want to muddle David LaPell's thread about sci-fi mags, so started this.

I read a considerable amount of sci-fi in my teens, favoring the work of the late Robert A. Heinlein.

My favorite was his, "Tunnel in the Sky." It involved a survival test for high school and college students, taken on another planet, wild and unforgiving to the unwary.

I first encountered the metric system in the hero's knife blade, which measured 21CM, about eight and a third inches. And his sister, from the Corps of Amazons, sounded pretty hot, if a little aggressive. But she'd have to be. The wilderness survival tale, noting that humans are the most dangerous animal to us, usually, and the issues that come with politics and manipulation made an impression on me.

Did anyone else here like, "Tunnel in the Sky" or other Heinlein books?

Discuss other sci-fi authors, too.

I too read a lot of science fiction back in the day, Heinlien's "Stranger in a Strange Land" was one of my favorites as well as "Farnhams Freehold". However I have to say that I read a lot more Issac Asimov, still one of my all time favorite writers.

I read a fair amount of Heinlein in my youth. I may have read Tunnel in the Sky, I'm not sure. But the one that sticks is Farnham's Freehold.

Also a lot of Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, and Philip K. Dick. Then Harlan Ellison ( A Boy and his Dog was a great novella, and even better movie), Roger Zelazny, Philip Jose Farmer. More recently, I have read William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, John Shirley, Vernor C. Vinge. There are lots of others, oo, but those are the names that spring to mind.

Sometimes I will go into a book store, pick up something that looks interesting, and realize about ten pages into it that I have read it before. It usually seems to happen with scifi, but last month I bought a Lee Child that I only read about six months before. So I might pick up Tunnel in the Sky only to find I read it 50 years ago.

"Stranger in a Strange Land" was a favorite, but I liked Isaac Azimov more. His "I Robot" started a whole genre.

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Texas Star,

You have touched a cord with me. I have many of his books in paperback and a few in hardback. I do not know if I have every book, but I would only be missing a few.

He was one of my favorite authors growing up. I have read "Starship Troopers" more times than I can count. The movie was horrible, but the lessons from the book shaped many of my values.

I loved how he tied so many early books in the "The Lives of Lazurus Long".

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I have read many of his books also. I liked the movie version of "Starship Troopers" too.

Fond memories from my childhood...thanks

Had Denise Richards and those scary bugs!

I have a pretty extensive library which includes most, if not all of Heinlein's works.
Besides those already mentioned:
Time for the Stars
The Rolling Stones
The Menace from Earth
Tunnel in the Sky
Beyond this Horizon
The Puppet Masters
Methuselas Children
Those are just the ones I can read on the shelf while sitting at my desk.

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I've read most of the aforementioned, and include "Dune" as a favorite, along with Asimov's Foundation series. [Although I urgently disagree with his world view/philosphy.]

"Ender's Game" is a classic series, with a surprise ending that just shocked me...never saw it coming.

Not much new really floats my boat now, though, and it seems that SciFi peaked more than 20 years ago.

Len

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How about For Us, the Living? Heinlein's first book, unpublished until after his death.

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I grock it, man. Thou art God.

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The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is probably my favorite book of all time, followed by Huxley's (misspelled I think) A Brave New World.

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If Sci-Fi books are a childhood thing then I'm still a child. Starship Troopers (proof positive of my assertion that the book is ALWAYS better than the movie), Farnham's Freehold, Stranger in a Strange Land, Time Enough for Love, Friday, The Past through Tomorrow anthology. Jerry Niven, Larry Pournelle, Cordwainer Smith, Isaac Asimov. The list goes on almost forever.

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


Yeah, I'm a big Heinlein fan.

Good call on, "Friday." Remember those Eyes that snooped on people? The new drones being used by cops are just their predecessors!

And I felt for her. Friday, my favorite "creche baby"!

"An armed Society is a polite society"

"TANSTAAFL" There ain't no such thing as a free lunch

The society Heinlein advanced in "Starship Troopers" would have kept us out of the drek we are in today.

I love that quote. I think I first read it in Jeff Cooper's column. We as a society certainly seem to believe that it takes a specialist to do just about anything these days.

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i like Heinlein, Zelazny and most of the 60's era sf writers.
My HS math teacher introduced me to Andre Norton. I read her work for years without knowing she was a woman.
One I seldom hear mentioned is Clifford Simak, a great writer and a true gentleman . I really liked City.
I never cared much for Harlan Ellison. He's a jerk in real life and it shows in his writing.
Isaac Asimov is of course an icon. His stories were great but his writing was stilted and awkward. I've tried several times to get into the Foundation novels, but I just can't get past the first few chapters.

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Having read most, if not all, the aforementioned books, I would suggest something slighly off the traditional beaten sci-fi track for someone looking for sci-fi with a healthy dose of comedy and quite alot of imagination.

That would be the Mission Earth series by L.Ron Hubbard. Most of Hubbard's books are pre-Dianetics and pre-Scientology. In fact, Hubbard is one of America's most prolific writers. The Mission Earth series is a decology and each paperback is like 3-4" thick, so pack a lunch. At any rate, Mission Earth is half sci-fi and half satire. It helps if you have a firm memory of the sixties.

Personally, I like sci-fi serials. I will read even mediocre sci-fi if it's a serial. However, my classical sci-fi education hasn't been negelected even if it's a one-off.

Officer Gris signing off!
CIA (Combined Informtion Apparatus)
Rocknecenter Family Spi

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I have always been a big fan of the "Known Space" series of Larry Niven.

I read a lot of Sci-Fi as a youth - my local library branch couldn't get them in fast enough to suit me. Arthur C. Clarke has been one of my favorite authors, and "The Songs of a Distant Earth" really struck a chord with me. Scenario - pilgrimages from a doomed Earth when the Sun was going nova. Not too far fetched to believe it may become necessary at some point in time. Heck, it may not take an exploding Sun to make the Earth uninhabitable - we might make that possible through our own stupidity via nuclear holocaust in our lifetimes...

John

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No one has mentioned one of my favorites, Keith Laumer. His "Retief" books are hilarious!

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I think I`ve read about everything Heinlein wrote.

Anyone who like science fiction and firearms would like L. Neil Smith`s books.

How about Harry Harrison? Technicolor Time Machine. Make Room, Make Room.

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The Mote in God's Eye

A Canticle for Leibowitz

Went away from science fiction to military history and other things.

Forbidden Planet

Blade Runner

I've read Heinlein and others since, but I started with Ray Bradbury in junior high and he's still my favorite. Somewhere I have a compilation of his short stories. It's about the size of that giant dictionary from the libraries of our childhoods. I bought it at a used book store, brought it home and it disappeared. Someone may have "put it away" for me. I need to find that....

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Retief of the "Corps Diplomatice"? I'm a big fan! I like Hienliens books too. Buuuuut although I agree with most of his ideas I wish he'd quit beating the reader to death with them.

Absolutely. It was the first Niven/Pournelle book I ever read, and has been re-read many times. Not as often as Starship Troopers, but you get my meaning.

I've read every sci-fi story or novel Robert Heinlein wrote including (unfortunately) "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathon Hoag." Most of them I've read several times and I'm currently on about my 30th reading of "Stranger in a Strange Land." I think the first sci-fi book I ever read was in the fourth grade and it was Heinlein's "Time For the Stars." Asimov, Bradbury, Le Guin, Sturgeon and so many more. Asimov's Foundation series which he eventually connected with his Robot series was great, Bradbury's "R is for Rocket", Van Vogt's "The World of Null A" and of course Le Guin's "The Left Hand of Darkness." Doc Smith, Clarke and yes Hubbard did have some great work before he went off the deep end. If you haven't done so, read some John Varley who is currently, to me anyway, the only person that can come close to Heinlein. In fact one of Varley's recent books was described as the book Robert Heinlein would have written if he lived under today's Homeland Security. Someone mentioned Andre Norton and I read many of her books also. I also had the great fortune to meet her at a book signing for a collection of short storied she helped edit.

I was recently in Barnes and Noble and picked up a copy of The Foundation Trilogy they had on sale. I sent it to my 8 year old grandson who is an avid reader thinking that in a couple of years he might get into it. My son told me the other day that he was on chapter 6 of Foundation. Made Grandpa proud.

"Beware of strong drink. It can cause you to shoot at tax collectors...and miss." RAH

CW

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I'm a TV SciFI guy. Not books. But one of the few SciFi books I have read was Tunnel In The Sky. Loved it.

Musta been 40 years ago. But I remember it.

I read "Stranger in a Strange Land" in (IIRC) 1975. Been one of my favorites ever since.

"Farnham's Freehold," "Time Enough for Love," "The Past Through Tomorrow" are some of my favorites. He was always a little risque but toward the end he was getting ... well...

My wife really liked "The Cat Who Walks Through Walls."

I always thought Stranger would have made a good miniseries.


Watch out for the stobor...

I've been reading Robert Heinlein since I was knee high to a horned hopper. I remember reading some of his books 20 years later and seeing things that I was too young to understand the first time.

Arthur Clarke and Isaac Asimov were also childhood through current day favorites. I got to meet both of those gentlemen years ago. If I had been able to meet Heinlein it would have been a Science Fiction trifecta.

A (somewhat) more modern writer is David Drake. His military science fiction is top notch.

Does anyone remember Leigh Brackett and "The Book of Skaith" series? Eric John Stark (aka N' Chaka) was a great character.

Classic "pulp" science fiction is one of my favorite types. Books written by authors no one has ever heard of or that you find our wrote a lot under a pseudonym.

David

Time Enough for Love!!! Is one of my favorite novels.
I am a reader, not much TV over the years.
I read ~ 2 books a week. Have done this for years.
I think I have read every Robert A. Heinlein book.

I also love everything from Philip José Farmer. The River World series is great.

If you are new to good SF check out Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, they have written some great reads together.

The Ringworld series (1970–2004), by science fiction author Larry Niven is a great place to start with SF.

ERB- With Tarzan and John Carter got alot of stuff started.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Better belive old Sam Colt made men equal.

A lot of great books!!!

Guy22

One I'm partial to is a book written in 1947 or 49, not quite sure, "Earth Abides" by George Stewert. It's the first book I remember reading about a disease killing off all but a few, and the struggle to survive. Kind of led the way for other authors like Stephen King, "The Stand" although "Earth Abides" doesn't incorporate the supernatural as others do. If you haven't read it, give it a try.

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Just found this.

Books - Baen Books

" Always store beer in a dark place."
Many years ago, the penguins were trying to figure out why little Johnny just didn't care about school. Then one day Sister Mary Jane gave him a short story called 'Frost and Ice' by Ray Bradbury.
That's the day little Johnny learned there was something a LOT better than TV.
Here's one no one listed. "JANNISSARIES" by Jerry Pournelle.

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On a more current sci-fi topic. I started with the John Carter stories. I've read them several times. The current movies, while doing an excellent job of character development completely omitted the story of A Princess of Mars, repairing the last atmosphere processor on Mars. Then substituted a new story of their own. They did, however, sucessfully step around Burrough's obvious bigotry.

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I can remember reading Heinlein as a kid and arguing with some of his concepts while reading. And even at a young age, I could recognize a lecher when I read one. Even so, I always enjoyed his books and sought out his stuff I hadn't read. Methusalah's Children and Farnham's Freehold have been mentioned. My favorite author was A.E. Van Vogt with Slan, the Linnan Empire books, The Weapon Makers, Null-A, etc. Van Vogt had a lot of detractors, but there was no one more original or more influential.

The Lensman series by E. E. "Doc" Smith. Good reads, all.

ECS

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Seems a lot of the Sci Fi/Fantasy writers got that way as they aged.
Heinlien, L. Ron Hubbard, Piers Anthony just to name a few.

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My bookshelves are bulging with books, courtesy of "Farnham's Freehold"...

"That old saw about the early bird only shows that the worm should have stayed in bed."

These were all precious parts of my own reality in those years now long behind .....

Heinlein was first & foremost, and of course later Niven etc.

And the late 40s-early 60s pulp magazines....

Azimov of course was most enjoyable and my much-anticipated dose "Through Time and Space with Ferdinand Feghoot"

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The movie of this was really good, with a nice cast. Came out about 1975, but doesn't seem "dated." The outfits and people were much more tastefully done than this cover.

I like that M-27, though, if that's what it is.

I remember reading the book but with a different story line in which you described. From what I recall, Earth and humanity were under occupation from an alien race. Before the occupation, scientist created an artificial intelligence which watch and waited until the time was ripe to rebel.

I was never much of a Heinlein or Azimov fan. Heinlein was too 'touchy feely' for me and Azimov was a chemist who often played physicist. I do enjoy reading real physicists like Gregory Benford and David Brin. I guess that's why Ender's Game - the 3rd book in the trilogy was too weird.

Some of the books I did enjoy:

Bolo by Keith Laumer
HeeChee series by Federik Pohl
anything by Andre Norton
Lensmen series by Doc E.E. Smith
Dune series by Frank Herbert
Radix by A.A. Attanasio

a French story, The Ice People by Rene Barjavel

I'm just picking this as a starting point, so please don't take it as a personal comment.

Heinlein wrote in one of his books that he hated "Stranger in a Strange Land". He only wrote it, and it was only as long as it was, because he desparately needed money.

That aside, I'd say that it's almost as hard to pick a favorite Heinlein story or book as it is to pick a favorite Smith & Wesson.

It would be far easier to list the books of his I didn't particularly like. Which would mostly be material he wrote from about 1970 or so on and not all of it.

By that point Heinlein became "uneditable". Which meant that he was so famous and his books such instant best sellers that no editor dared suggest that a book or story needed to be shortened, cleaned up, made a bit more clear, etc...

His earlier stuff was much better, although in some ways it's dated. It's still readable. Most of his earlier books were considered "Juveniles" in the publishing industry and mostly were timed for release at the start of the Christmas shopping season. Juveniles or not, and I read most of them when I was a juvenile, although not first editions, they were well crafted, based on solid science, and are still almost 50 years after I first started reading them, readable.

In fact, I just finished Starship Troopers. The book is nothing like the series of craptastic movies.

"Tunnel in the Sky" is also good, as is "Glory Road".

Libertarians love "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress".

The Future History series of books set the standard for future universe books that still stands.

Sorry for rambling, but I can carry on about Heinlein like some people here can carry on about S&W revolvers.

And I like Azimov and Sturgeon too, as well as Clark.

I think I still have my copy of "Earth Abides".

Yeah, I was a science fiction geek as a kid. Which is sadly why I get so many of the inside jokes on "The Big Bang Theory".

I'll stop now before I totally bore everyone to tears.

And no, I don't participate in even one science fiction forum.

Pournelle and Niven are probably the current writers who are closest to how Heinlein wrote. In "Footfall" they even pay a small tribute to him.

Great writers individually but especially when they collaborate.