Grasping for the Wind

Yesterday's Tomorrows

Locus has published online Graham Sleight's article on Robert Heinlein, of whom he says "he wasn't a writer but a prophet."

It's not difficult to imagine that as a piece of self-description. Rereading Heinlein's stories now in conjunction with those of his contemporaries in Astounding — "Doc" Smith, say — is to be struck by how much he was in command, right from the start. He somehow found, or brought into being, a language for describing the future so much more sophisticated than anything else that had been seen. How could you not pledge allegiance to it? Watching his emergence in those first few stories must have been like seeing an adult walking into a room full of children.

It's a good essay, and will introduce you to the must reads of Heinlein's career.

Posted by John on August 22, 2007 10:57 AM | Posted to Science Fiction
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