It is not clear how Heinlein got from this germ to the story he eventually did write up as his first story, “LifeLine.” Switching it from pure fantasy to science fiction may have suggested the pulp gadget-story format, which is typically about the inventor and his invention. Heinlein began in a way that would become…
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For the ninth year in a row, the Society will raffle off a complete set of the Virginia Edition in September, 2025. All you have to do is join or stay a member! A $45 Regular membership is all it takes to enter. The rules follow: Eligibility: “Regular” members who join or renew their…
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The casual Saturday “at homes” Robert and Leslyn had started for political purposes gradually changed over the course of 1939 into a writers’ group for the local science-fiction professionals. If anything, the changeover of personalities could only have sharpened the sense of being involved in something purposivful and progressive: socializing with writers instead of politicians…
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Since late in 1944, Nelson Eddy’s recording of “The Ballad of Rodger Young” had been playing on the radio, and that song became intensely meaningful to Heinlein. Young, an infantry private, had been killed on July 31, 1943, in the campaign for the Solomon Islands. He had been a runt—five feet two inches—and so nearly…
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By the end of January (1956) he (Heinlein) was generating a new “adult” book. He had an engineer/inventor on a bender because his wife dumped him to marry a rich man. But the elements weren’t coming together quite right, and he kept turning them over in his mind, changing a bit here and a bit…
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Balticon 59 took place May 23-26, 2025 at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel. The Society had its “usual” presence with a fan table and stalwarts Betsey Wilcox, Will Hamilton, and Ty Arnold travelling in. We had local members Beatrice & Ursula Kondo, Herb Gilliland, and John Tilden to complete the “staffing” of the fan table.…
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Sharon Lee, novelist, is the 2025 winner of the Robert A. Heinlein Award. The award is bestowed for outstanding published works in science fiction and technical writings that inspire the human exploration of space. This award is in recognition of Ms. Lee’s body of work of over thirty-eight novels and short stories. A majority of…
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Recently, a member of The Heinlein Society board of directors received the following email. Since THS has a scholarship program, it only seems logical to share information about internship programs. I can’t imagine a more fitting internship for a Heinlein fan! We have launched our application for the National Air and Space Museum’s 2025 Summer…
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William Shatner (Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore) to Appear at the National Space Society’s Annual International Space Development Convention Famed Star Trek actor, celebrity, and private astronaut William Shatner will appear at the National Space Society’s 2024 International Space Development Conference (ISDC) in May. Mr. Shatner will be accepting the Robert A. Heinlein Memorial Award, which…
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Tom Doherty, founder of TOR Books and Chair of Tom Doherty Associates, publishing under the Tor, Forge, Tordotcom, Starscape, Tor Teen, and Nightfire imprints, is the 2024 winner of the Robert A. Heinlein Award. The award is bestowed for outstanding published works in science fiction and technical writings that inspire the human exploration of space.…
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Balticon 57 May 26-29, 2023 The Society had a wonderful time at 2023’s Balticon, held again at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel. Balticon, run by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society and many volunteers, is a very reader/writer/artist-centric convention. The Heinlein Society has maintained a presence at Balticon for almost its entire existence. Since THS has a…
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What I am Reading 12.0 By Betsey Wilcox Heads up: The next “The Thursday Murder Club” book from Richard Osman, and “Starter Villain” by John Scalzi, are scheduled for publication Sep 19, 2023. John Scalzi – “The Android’s Dream”; Narrated by Wil Wheaton, Audible, HC, PB, Kindle Yes, I have read…
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Society Vice President Ken Walters was recently featured on episode 81 of Since The World’s Been Turning. The podcast that discusses the points mentioned in Billy Joel’s song, We Didn’t Start The Fire. While the topic of discussion was nominally the book Stranger in a Strange Land, the podcast touches on most of Heinlein’s biography. …
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John Scalzi, novelist and internet personality, is the 2023 winner of the Robert A. Heinlein Award. The award is bestowed for outstanding published works in science fiction and technical writings that inspire the human exploration of space. This award is in recognition of Mr. Scalzi’s body of work of 16 novels and numerous short stories.…
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I received the sad news today that David Crosby had passed away. It will be easy to find out about his musical career culminating with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, the first “super group.” What most people don’t know is that David Crosby was a lifelong fan of Robert A. Heinlein. He commented in an…
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December 1947 was a tough time for Robert and Ginny. Robert’s divorce from Leslyn was not final, so the only way they could be together was on the road. He invested some of his dwindling cash in a tiny house trailer he nicknamed the Gopher Hole, which he joked was formerly a piano box! They…
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WorldCon chose not to sponsor a blood drive this year. For the convenience of those expecting to Pay It Forward by donating blood The Heinlein Society and Virgin Hotels, a block away from the Hyatt, will have a blood drive on Sunday. Schedule your appointment early as the drive is open to the public before…
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Citizen Of The Galaxy, a Robert Heinlein novel, has won the 2022 Best Classic Fiction award and will be inducted into the Prometheus Hall of Fame (https://www.lfs.org/). Arguably the best of his “juveniles,” Heinlein’s 1957 novel strongly dramatizes an anti-slavery theme while exploring the meaning of freedom and defending the right to use force in…
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Robert Heinlein was born on 7/7/1907. For a man that has been dead for for over thirty years, he is still having an impact on Science Fiction. The above photo of Robert and Ginny was taken on the front porch of their Bonny Doon home. Please leave us a message with how Robert has impacted…
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David Gerrold Wins 2022 Robert A. Heinlein Award and will attend Balticon 56. David Gerrold, novelist and screenwriter, is the 2022 winner of the Robert A. Heinlein Award and will attend Balticon 56, May 27-30, 2022. The award is bestowed for outstanding published works in science fiction and technical writings that inspire the human exploration…
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Links Heinlein Sites: Read more about the first Grand Master of Science Fiction on the sites reached by the links below. Please remember that the contents of these links are the responsibility of their owners and represent the opinions and attitudes of the owners and not necessarily those of the Heinlein Society. Site RAH:…
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Dr. Beatrice Kondo of Johns Hopkins University was recently interviewed for a Writers and Illustrators of the Future Podcast discussing Biotechnology and Science Fiction. What you may not know is that Beatrice met Robert Heinlein at a young age through her father, noted astrophysicist and science fiction author, Dr. Yoji Kondo. Beatrice has been a…
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On August 1st, 2020, The Heinlein Society celebrates our 20th anniversary. Our founding members; Virginia Heinlein, Bill Patterson, Art Dula and three others started our long journey on that date. So far, we have shipped almost 30,000 Heinlein / SF books to active military personnel and veterans around the world. We have sponsored blood drives…
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“THIS I BELIEVE” by Robert A. Heinlein Robert A. Heinlein wrote these words in 1952 and delivered them to a national radio audience in a broadcast interview by Edward R. Murrow. His wife, Virginia Heinlein, read them when she accepted on his behalf NASA’s Distinguished Public Service Medal on October 6, 1988, awarded him posthumously.…
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By Caroline Seals and Keith Kato With deep sadness we report that science fiction icon and Director on The Heinlein Society’s Board of Directors, Dr. Jerry Pournelle, passed away Friday, 8 September 2017, during a mid-afternoon nap. He and Larry Niven had just returned from DragonCon in Atlanta, GA, and in his final blog entry…
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