The Heinlein juveniles are the

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

novels written by

Robert A. Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein (; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) 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 accu ...

for Scribner's young-adult line. Each features "a young male protagonist entering the adult world of conflict, decisions, and responsibilities." Together they tell a loosely-connected story of space exploration. Scribner's published the first twelve between 1947 and 1958, but rejected the thirteenth, '' Starship Troopers''. That one was instead published by Putnam. A fourteenth novel, ''

Podkayne of Mars ''Podkayne of Mars'' is a science-fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, originally serialised in '' Worlds of If'' (November 1962, January, March 1963), and published in hardcover in 1963. The novel features a teenage girl name ...

'', is sometimes listed as a "Heinlein juvenile", although Heinlein himself did not consider it to be one. The intended market was teenage boys, but the books have been enjoyed by a wide range of readers. Heinlein wanted to present challenging material to children, such as the firearms for teenagers in '' Red Planet''. This led to "annual quarrels over what was suitable for juvenile reading" with Scribner's editors. In addition to the juveniles, Heinlein wrote two

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

about Scouting for boys and three short stories featuring Puddin', a teenage female protagonist, for girls.

Beginning of the Scribner's association

When Heinlein returned to writing after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, he sought to diversify beyond "the pulps". In 1946, Heinlein told his agent that his "own propaganda purposes will be best served by writing a series of boys' books." Virginia Heinlein, '' Grumbles from the Grave'', p. 41. This would simultaneously broaden the audience for science fiction and also put Heinlein into a steady, lucrative market.Thomas D. Clareson and Joe Sanders, The Heritage of Heinlein: A Critical Reading of the Fiction, McFarland 2014, p. 63. Heinlein had already had success as a writer of short fiction for the sf pulp magazines; the juveniles established him as a novelist for major publishers. To prepare for the task, he analyzed samples of several popular series for boys, probably including

Tom Swift Tom Swift is the main character of six series of American juvenile science fiction and adventure novels that emphasize science, invention, and technology. First published in 1910, the series totals more than 100 volumes. The character was ...

, "

Roy Rockwood Roy Rockwood was a house pseudonym used by Edward Stratemeyer and the Stratemeyer Syndicate for boy's adventure books. The name is most well-remembered for the ''Bomba the Jungle Boy'' series. Series The following series used the Roy Rockwood ps ...

", and Carl H. Claudy's stories for ''

The American Boy ''The American Boy'' was a monthly magazine published by The Sprague Publishing Co. of Detroit, Michigan from November 1899 to August 1941. At the time it was the largest magazine for boys, with a circulation of 300,000, and it featured action sto ...

'' magazine. By September, Heinlein's agent was able to report that the YA editor at Scribner's,

Alice Dalgliesh Alice Dalgliesh (October 7, 1893 – June 11, 1979) was a naturalized American writer and publisher who wrote more than 40 fiction and non-fiction books, mainly for children. She has been called "a pioneer in the field of children's historical fi ...

, had liked Heinlein's draft of the first book. He had also shown her a list of contemplated sequels. In early 1947 Heinlein signed the contract with Scribner's for the first book and was having the revised draft typed; by midsummer he had planned the second book. Heinlein went on to submit a book per year to Scribner's for a dozen years.

Novels written for Scribner's

* '' Rocket Ship Galileo'' (1947) * '' Space Cadet'' (1948) * '' Red Planet'' (1949) * '' Farmer in the Sky'' (1950) * ''

Between Planets ''Between Planets'' is a juvenile science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, originally serialized in '' Blue Book'' magazine in 1951 as "Planets in Combat". It was published in hardcover that year by Scribner's as part of the ...

'' (1951) * ''

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

'' (also known as ''Space Family Stone'', 1952) * ''

Starman Jones ''Starman Jones'', a 1953 science-fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, features a farm boy who wants to go to the stars. Charles Scribner's Sons published the book as part of the Heinlein juveniles series. Plot summary Max Jones works the fami ...

'' (1953) * ''

The Star Beast ''The Star Beast'' is a 1954 science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein about a high school senior who discovers that his extraterrestrial pet is more than it appears to be. The novel was originally serialised, somewhat abridged (as ''Star Lum ...

'' (1954) * ''

Tunnel in the Sky ''Tunnel in the Sky'' is a juvenile science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, published in 1955 by Scribner's as one of the Heinlein juveniles. The story describes a group of students sent on a survival test to an uninhabited ...

'' (1955) * '' Time for the Stars'' (1956) * ''

Citizen of the Galaxy ''Citizen of the Galaxy'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, originally serialized in ''Astounding Science Fiction'' (September, October, November, and December 1957) and published in hardcover in 1957 as one of t ...

'' (1957) * ''

Have Space Suit—Will Travel ''Have Space Suit—Will Travel'' is a science fiction novel for young readers by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, originally serialized in ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (August, September, and October 1958) and published by Sc ...

'' (1958) * '' Starship Troopers'' (1959) (rejected by Scribner's, published by

Putnam's ''Putnam's Monthly Magazine of American Literature, Science and Art'' was a monthly periodical published by G. P. Putnam's Sons featuring American literature and articles on science, art, and politics. Series The magazine had three incarnation ...

) Reviewers are divided on whether '' Starship Troopers'' should be listed with the others. SF writer Jo Walton argues that it "is best understood" as one of the juveniles. Other reviewers limit the juveniles to only the books actually published by Scribner's.

Organization of the series

The novels are "stand-alone": they do not share any characters and do not form a strict chronological series. The later novels are not sequels to the earlier ones. They nonetheless tell a story of space exploration.

Jack Williamson John Stewart Williamson (April 29, 1908 – November 10, 2006), who wrote as Jack Williamson, was an American science fiction writer, often called the "Dean of Science Fiction". He is also credited with one of the first uses of the term '' gen ...

, "Youth Against Space: Heinlein's Juveniles Revisited", in ''Robert A. Heinlein'' (1978), ed by Joseph D. Olander and

Martin H. Greenberg Martin Harry Greenberg (March 1, 1941 – June 25, 2011) was an American academic and anthologist in many genres, including mysteries and horror, but especially in speculative fiction. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned ov ...

James Gifford wrote "It is not often recognized that he juvenilesare a reasonably consistent 'Future History' of their own".

wrote: "The books, taken together, tell an epic story of the expansion of mankind across the planets of our own Sun and the stars beyond. ... a generally consistent story of the future conquest of space. The first, ''Rocket Ship Galileo'', begins in a backyard shortly after World War II, with three boys testing a primitive rocket motor. The last, ''Have Space Suit—Will Travel'', ends with the triumphant return of its young hero from the Lesser Magellanic Cloud... Nobody has written a more convincing and inspiring future human epic." Another reviewer explains: ''

'' recapitulates the earlier books, as the protagonist first struggles to get to the Moon, then travels to the limit of the Solar System, and eventually gets to another galaxy, where he integrates Earth into an intergalactic society.

Reception

Groff Conklin Edward Groff Conklin (September 6, 1904 – July 19, 1968) was an American science fiction anthologist. He edited 40 anthologies of science fiction, one of mystery stories (co-edited with physician Noah Fabricant), wrote books on home improvemen ...

wrote in 1955 that "Nobody but nobody can beat Heinlein in the writing of teen-age science fiction".

wrote: " ninspiring theme of space conquest unifies the dozen Scribner's titles." A literature review in 1985 called the juvenile books "classics in their field" that "have stood the test of time," continuing "even more than a quarter of a century after they were written, these novels are still 'contemporary,' and are still among the best science fiction in the YA range." (Excerpted here: https://muse.jhu.edu/article/248378/pdf) A ''Wall Street Journal'' reviewer said in 2014 that Heinlein "lavished so much skill and imagination on these books that today they are regarded as the defining masterpieces of old-school sci-fi."

End of the Scribner's association

''Starship Troopers'' was submitted as a juvenile for Scribner's. Heinlein told his agent that he wrote it "omitting all cleavage and bed games, such that Miss Dalgliesh can offer it in the same list in which she has my other books." But he also said "I anticipate that alglieshis not going to like parts of this book." The publisher did reject it. Heinlein told his agent he was "irked" by the rejection: Heinlein ended his association with Scribner's. Putnam published the novel in 1959.

Scouting stories for boys

* " Nothing Ever Happens on the Moon", 1949 * " Tenderfoot in Space", 1958 The Scouting stories, originally printed in the

Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded ...

magazine '' Boys' Life'', were part of Heinlein's effort to diversify beyond pulp science fiction. ''Farmer in the Sky'', which also had a strong connection to Scouting, was serialized in ''Boys' Life'' under the title "Satellite Scout". Heinlein considered writing another Boy Scout story called "Polar Scout" in conjunction with a planned trip to Antarctica in early 1964, with the goal of releasing a collection of Scouting-related stories as a juvenile book. The trip did not take place and the author never wrote "Polar Scout".December 28, 1963, '' Grumbles from the Grave'', p. 192-193.

Puddin' stories for girls

* " Poor Daddy", 1949 * " Cliff and the Calories", 1950 * " The Bulletin Board", 1951 Upon delivery of one of his early juveniles, his editor at Scribner's wished someone would write stories for girls. Heinlein took this as a challenge and wrote a short story for girls. The story, a first-person tale featuring Maureen "Puddin'", appeared under the byline "R. A. Heinlein" in ''Calling All Girls'' magazine. He wrote two more, and planned four additional stories with the goal of publishing a collection titled ''Men Are Exasperating'', but he never wrote any more and the Puddin' stories have never been collected in one volume.

Podkayne of Mars

Heinlein wrote "I grew so fond of Maureen rom the Puddin' storiesthat I helped her to get rid of that excess weight, changed her name to 'Podkayne,' and moved her to Mars (along with her unbearable kid brother)."''Expanded Universe'', p. 354. Heinlein felt that a particular ending for ''Podkayne of Mars'', published in 1963, was dramatically necessary to the story. Early readers hated it, however, and he reluctantly changed it. In 1995 the book was rereleased with both the published and original endings. Podkayne's categorization as a "Heinlein juvenile" is unclear. Some reviewers list it with the juveniles, Alexei Panshin, ''Heinlein in Dimension'' and it is narrated by a teenager, but Heinlein himself did not regard it as a "juvenile".March 10, 1962, '' Grumbles from the Grave'', p. 86.

Ties to other works

Heinlein wrote a few

series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used in ...

of linked stories and novels. Three of the juveniles are connected to his

Future History A future history is a postulated history of the future and is used by authors of science fiction and other speculative fiction to construct a common background for fiction. Sometimes the author publishes a timeline of events in the history, whil ...

. Hazel Stone of ''The Rolling Stones'' also appears in ''

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress ''The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress'' is a 1966 science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein about a lunar colony's revolt against absentee rule from Earth. The novel illustrates and discusses libertarian ideals. It is respected for i ...

'', '' The Number of the Beast'', and ''

The Cat Who Walks Through Walls ''The Cat Who Walks Through Walls'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, published in 1985. Like many of his later novels, it features Lazarus Long and Jubal Harshaw as supporting characters. Plot summary A writer s ...

''. ''Space Cadet'' is set after "

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 ...

", which appears on Heinlein's Future History chart. The protagonist of ''Farmer in the Sky'', Bill Lermer, plays the song "

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 collecte ...

" on his accordion; the song is featured in the story of the same name from Heinlein's Future History. ''Farmer'' also refers to the "Space Patrol," the interplanetary peace-keeping organization described in ''Space Cadet''. The

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...

of ''Red Planet'' seems to be the Mars of ''

Stranger in a Strange Land ''Stranger in a Strange Land'' is a 1961 science fiction novel by American author Robert A. Heinlein. It tells the story of Valentine Michael Smith, a human who comes to Earth in early adulthood after being born on the planet Mars and raised by ...

''; Jack Williamson writes that "The

Martians Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, has appeared as a setting in works of fiction since at least the mid-1600s. It became the most popular celestial object in fiction in the late 1800s as the Moon was evidently lifeless. At the time, the pred ...

in this story have a special interest, because they are the educators of Valentine Michael Smith ndthey display the same appalling powers that Smith brings back to Earth." ''

'' mentions a recently established lunar base and an "infant Luna City", possible early references to what Heinlein developed into the lunar outpost of his Future History and the lunar colony of ''The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress''. Other juveniles do not as a whole integrate easily into those series. For example, the timeline for interstellar travel in ''Time for the Stars'' does not fit into the Future History. Neither does the

Arachnid Arachnida () is a class of joint-legged invertebrate animals (arthropods), in the subphylum Chelicerata. Arachnida includes, among others, spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites, pseudoscorpions, harvestmen, camel spiders, whip spiders and vinegar ...

War from ''Starship Troopers'', nor the appearance of the advanced civilization in the Lesser Magellanic Cloud from ''Have Space Suit—Will Travel''. Some of the juveniles which do not integrate with each other, nevertheless share similar elements of setting. The

of several of the books (''Red Planet'', ''Between Planets'', ''The Rolling Stones'', and ''Time for the Stars'') has indigenous, intelligent (even dangerous) life, but they are not necessarily the same

in each book.

References

External links

Heinlein's Juveniles: Still Contemporary After All These Years

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heinlein Bibliographies by writer Bibliographies of American writers Children's literature bibliographies Children's science fiction novels Science fiction bibliographies Works by Robert A. Heinlein