Robert Anson Heinlein was born on July 7th, 1907 and died aged 80 on May 8th, 1988. He was an American science fiction writer who earned the moniker "the dean of science fiction writers". At the time, he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre and set a standard for scientific and engineering plausibility, helping to raise the genre's standards of literary quality.
Heinlein was one of the first science fiction writers to break into mainstream magazines in the late 1940s and was one of the best-selling science fiction novelists for many decades. Even now, he, Asimov, and Clarke are often considered to be the "Big Three" of science fiction authors.
A notable writer of science fiction short stories, Heinlein was one of a group of writers who came to prominence under the editorship of John W. Campbell, Jr. in his Astounding Science Fiction magazine. Astounding Science Fiction gave rise to many prodigious talents, many of whom still write today.
Within the framework of his science fiction stories, Heinlein repeatedly addressed certain social themes: the importance of individual liberty and self-reliance, 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.
In 1974, Heinlein was named the first Science Fiction Writers Grand Master. He won four Hugo Awards and fifty years after publication, three of his works were awarded "Retro Hugos", given retrospectively for works that were published before the Hugo Awards came into existence.
In his fiction, Heinlein coined words that have become part of the English language, including "grok" and "waldo", and popularized the terms "TANSTAAFL" and space marine. He also described a modern version of a waterbed in his novel The Door Into Summer, though he never patented or built one. Several of Heinlein's works have been adapted for film and television.
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Greats of Science Fiction
Non-FictionThis collection of writer profiles aims to showcase the history and lives behind some of the greatest Science Fiction writers the genre has seen. From the early 'greats' and 'masters' of the Science Fiction world to some of the 'genre shakers' who h...
