|
The Past Through Tomorrow
''The Past Through Tomorrow'' is a collection of science fiction stories by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, first published in 1967, all part of his ''Future History''. Most of the stories are parts of a larger storyline about the future rapid collapse of sanity in the United States, followed by a theocratic dictatorship, a revolution, and the establishment of a free society that does not save the pseudo-immortal Lazarus Long and his Howard Families from fleeing Earth for their lives. Most editions of the collection include a timeline showing the chronology of the stories (including stories never written, such as "The Stone Pillow", which was to occur during the period of the theocracy), times of birth and death of the significant characters, and commentary by Heinlein. The specific short stories included vary with the edition, but typically include: * "Life-Line", 1939; a month before "Misfit" * " Misfit", 1939 * "The Roads Must Roll", 1940 * "Requiem", 1940 * If This Goe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fixup
A fix-up (or fixup) is a novel created from several short fiction stories that may or may not have been initially related or previously published. The stories may be edited for consistency, and sometimes new connecting material, such as a frame story or other interstitial narration, is written for the new work. The term was coined by the science fiction writer A. E. van Vogt, who published several fix-ups of his own, including ''The Voyage of the Space Beagle'', but the practice (if not the term) exists outside of science fiction. The use of the term in science fiction criticism was popularised by the first (1979) edition of ''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'', edited by Peter Nicholls, which credited van Vogt with the creation of the term. The name “fix-up” comes from the changes that the author needs to make in the original texts, to make them fit together as though they were a novel. Foreshadowing of events from the later stories may be jammed into an early chapter of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Searchlight (short Story)
"Searchlight" is a very short science fiction story by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, about a little blind girl whose spaceship crashes on the Moon. The search for her takes advantage of her prodigious musical ability to locate her. It was originally written in 1962 as part of an advertisement for Hoffman Electronics. Heinlein says that because it was so short it was much harder to write than writing novels. Perhaps because of this, it was the last short story Heinlein wrote; the remaining quarter-century of his career was devoted to writing novels and non-fiction essays. "Searchlight" is anthologized in ''The Worlds of Robert A. Heinlein ''The Worlds of Robert A. Heinlein'' is a collection of science fiction short story, short stories by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, published in 1966. It includes an introduction entitled "Pandora's Box" that describes some of the difficult ...'', a collection of short stories published in 1966 and his '' Expanded Universe'' in 1980 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Menace From Earth
"The Menace From Earth" is a science fiction short story by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, first published in the August 1957 issue of ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction''. Plot summary The story is set in the near future, when the Moon is colonized with people living in underground cities. The "menace" of the title is a glamorous woman tourist who visits the Moon colony. She is assigned a young guide named Holly, a 15-year-old girl and aspiring starship designer who is the first-person narrator. Holly's best friend Jeff develops a crush on the "groundhog" visitor, Ariel. As Jeff spends more time with Ariel, Holly becomes jealous and begins to doubt his friendship. Living in an underground city on the Moon, Holly and Jeff's hobby is flying with strap-on wings in a great cavern, made possible because the gravity field is one sixth the strength of Earth's and the air pressure in the cavern is kept high enough. Ariel wants to try flying, and Holly, in order not to a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Man Who Sold The Moon
"The Man Who Sold the Moon" is a science fiction novella by American author Robert A. Heinlein, written in 1949 and published in 1950. A part of his ''Future History'' and prequel to "Requiem", it covers events around a fictional first Moon landing in 1978 and the schemes of Delos D. Harriman, a businessman who is determined to personally reach and control the Moon. Plot Delos David "D. D." Harriman, "the last of the Robber Barons", is obsessed with being the first to travel to—and possess—the Moon. He asks his business partner, George Strong, and other tycoons to invest in the venture. Most dismiss Harriman's plans as foolhardy: Nuclear rocket fuel is scarce as the space station that produces it blew up, also destroying the only existing spaceship. The necessary technology for a chemical-fueled rocket stretches the boundaries of current engineering. The endeavor is both incredibly costly and of uncertain profitability. One skeptic offers to sell "all of my interes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Delilah And The Space Rigger
"Delilah and the Space Rigger" is a science fiction short story by American writer Robert A. Heinlein. One of his Future History stories, it originally appeared in ''Blue Book'' in December 1949 and was reprinted in his collection, ''The Green Hills of Earth'' (and subsequently ''The Past Through Tomorrow''). "Delilah and the Space Rigger" is one of Heinlein's stories with a typically strong, smart, capable (for the American science fiction market of the time) female protagonist. Plot summary Brooks McNye, a communications engineer, wangles a job as a radio technician (concealing her first name, Gloria) and joins the all-male crew of construction workers building a space station. On arrival, she is immediately confronted by "Tiny" Larsen, the hard-boiled construction superintendent, who had not realized she was female. He does not want women "sniffing around my boys" and orders her returned on the next shuttle, only to be forced by circumstances to keep her. Larsen is constantly p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Black Pits Of Luna
"The Black Pits of Luna" is a science fiction short story by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, about a Boy Scout on a trip to the Moon and his novel way of finding his lost brother. Included as part of his Future History, it originally appeared in ''The Saturday Evening Post'', January 10, 1948,(pp. 30-31, 80, 82, 84; illustrated by Fred Ludekens) and was collected in ''The Green Hills of Earth'' (and subsequently ''The Past Through Tomorrow''). See also *"Searchlight (short story) "Searchlight" is a very short science fiction story by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, about a little blind girl whose spaceship crashes on the Moon. The search for her takes advantage of her prodigious musical ability to locate her. It was ori ..." References External links * 1948 short stories Short stories by Robert A. Heinlein Science fiction short stories Short stories set on the Moon Scouting in popular culture Works originally published in The Saturday Evening Post {{1940 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gentlemen, Be Seated!
"Gentlemen, Be Seated" is a science fiction short story by American writer Robert A. Heinlein. It was first published in the May 1948 issue of '' Argosy'' magazine. It was later included in two of Heinlein's collections, ''The Green Hills of Earth'' (1951), and ''The Past Through Tomorrow'' (1967). Plot summary The story tells of a visit to a tunnel on the surface of the Moon which goes awry when a pressure seal fails, trapping three men (a supervisor, a reporter, and a tunnel worker). The title of the story derives from the way they plug an air leak while awaiting rescue: by sitting on it. The phrase "Gentlemen, Be Seated!" is the opening line of the interlocutor in a traditional minstrel show. It was also, at the time the story was written and while Heinlein attended, the opening line for all classes at the military and naval academies (as well as classes for officers at the various service schools) in the United States. The story might have been inspired by an episode in "B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Long Watch
"The Long Watch" is a science fiction short story by American writer Robert A. Heinlein. It is about a military officer who faces a ''coup d'état'' by a would-be dictator. Originally titled "Rebellion on the Moon", the story originally appeared in an edited version in the December 1949 ''American Legion Magazine''. site: Robert A. Heinlein - Archives It also featured in April 1955 ''Nebula Science Fiction Number 12'', illustrated by John J. Greengrass. It appears in Heinlein's short story collections ''The Green Hills of Earth (short story collection), The Green Hills of Earth'' and ''The Past Through Tomorrow''. While it is included in collections of Future History (novel), Future History stories and appears on Heinlein's timeline chart, [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ordeal In Space
"Ordeal in Space" is a science fiction short story by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, originally published in '' Town & Country'', May 1948. It is one of Heinlein's Future History stories, and appears in his collection ''The Green Hills of Earth''. Plot summary A spaceship's crewman is called to repair an antenna while his ship is still under spin. He is unable to hold on, despite supreme effort; he drifts away from the ship and has far too much time to ponder things. When he returns to Earth, he is unable to work as a spaceman and has a fear of heights. After living in fear and sadness for a time, he must face his troubles while rescuing a kitten stuck on the 35th-floor ledge of a building. Heinlein includes a variant verse to the hymn ''Eternal Father, Strong to Save'', dedicated "to those who venture into space," in the story. Originally titled "Broken Wings", the story was rejected by ''The Saturday Evening Post''. A reading of this story was broadcast on BBC Radio 7 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Green Hills Of Earth
"The Green Hills of Earth" is a science fiction short story by American writer Robert A. Heinlein. One of his Future History stories, the short story originally appeared in ''The Saturday Evening Post'' (February 8, 1947), and it was collected in ''The Green Hills of Earth'' (and subsequently in ''The Past Through Tomorrow''). Heinlein selected the story for inclusion in the 1949 anthology ''My Best Science Fiction Story''. "The Green Hills of Earth" is also the title of a song mentioned in several of Heinlein's novels. The Rhysling Award for speculative fiction poetry awarded by the Science Fiction Poetry Association (SFPA) is named for the blind poet Rhysling in “The Green Hills of Earth.” Rhysling (crater) on the moon was named by Apollo 15 astronauts. Capcom Joe Allen on Earth summoned David Scott and Jim Irwin, , with the words "As the space poet Rhysling would say, we're ready for you to 'come back again to the homes of men on the cool green hills of Earth.'" who q ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
It's Great To Be Back!
"It's Great to Be Back!" is a science fiction short story by American writer Robert A. Heinlein. One of his Future History stories, it was first published in ''The Saturday Evening Post'' in the July 26, 1947 issue and later reprinted in ''The Green Hills of Earth'' (and subsequently ''The Past Through Tomorrow''). Plot summary A physical chemist and his wife (the MacRaes), who have been in residence in Luna City on the Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ... for some time, spend much of their time volubly regretting having ever left Earth. When this attitude results in social conflict with "Loonies" who love their home, the pair feel isolated, misunderstood, and put-upon. They decide to return "dirt-side", only to discover that the Earth of their imaginations bears ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |