Robert A. Heinlein- I wish he’d been a Christian
Robert A. Heinlein- I wish he’d been a Christian.
Heinlein, my favorite author as an unsaved young man, is a cautionary tale. Imagine what such a genius might have produced, had his writing have been informed by a biblical worldview!
Let me explain.
I’m in the middle of a stack of Christian-made fantastical novels- many of which you really should run out and read. Right now. Really, really exciting stuff.
But- you’ll have to wait for the next newsletter to find out about them. 🙂
Because, at a recent get together of Christian authors, I was in conversation with a new friend (hey Zachary!) who had just read Heinlein’s The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. For the first time. Ever.
In that conversation we talked about what a master the man was, and how (sadly) so few of his books could, in good faith, be recommended to another adult Christian without content warnings. I’d add that, in many cases, my conscious would dictate that I warn the reader to steer clear altogether. (Don’t you wish for a Christian author of Heinlein’s talent and prolificity?)
In the case of some books, a reader might fast forward through the occasional content-rated scene — as long as they kept their “world view” and “unstated assumption” armor strapped firmly in place. In the case of others, the rot is set too deep, and there is no morsel one might safely sample without violating the admonition to “guard your heart and mind”. Some things really can’t be unseen.
It should go without saying (but I’ll say it here anyway) that most books which one might recommend to an adult with caveats would have to be considered off-limits altogether for the younger reader. Adults, at least those who stand on the firm foundation of a Biblical worldview, might more safely withstand the wiles of the enemy. Younger people, whose abstract reasoning abilities are neither fully developed nor fully trained; are more susceptible to sophistries, unstated assumptions, or outright lies . . . pleasant lies, well crafted lies, and so easily assimilated. I may yet publish the blog post I’ve started a million times, but have not yet completed, entitled How reading “great literature” helped make me a militant atheist.
As a very, very, inappropriately young reader, I discovered Heinlein, and devoured everything he wrote. Sadly, without any such guidance or worldview. I’d like to save others from the same mistake, without placing all of his work off-limits. Much of it deserves no such fate.
So I left that conversation motivated to create my own list of Heinlein’s work, with “content warning levels” for each. Here it is! I hope it’s helpful.
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Rocket Ship Galileo, 1947
YA hard sci-fi, and obviously an early, somewhat clumsy, work- but thrilling to me as an aspiring young would-be astronaut. Suitable for all readers.
Beyond This Horizon, 1948
A Sci-fi novel in the vein of Brave New World, Truly visionary- Reads like a prophesy of issues and events from today’s newsfeed- including genetic engineering and UBI. But carries a content warning. Heinlein’s bent toward eastern spiritual mysteries rear its head in this story, including a belief in reincarnation and ESP.
Space Cadet, 1948
YA hard sci-fi, much deeper and more polished that Rocket Ship. Suitable for all readers. Some political posturing. Belay that- he does that in all his works, so take that as a given. 🙂
Red Planet, 1949
YA hard sci-fi, very well written and suitable for all readers.
Sixth Column, 1949
Hard sci-fi. One of my favorites as a young reader, and suitable for all ages
Farmer in the Sky, 1950
Juvenile/YA hard sci-fi and suitable for all ages
Waldo and Magic, Inc., 1950
Adult Fantasy. Waldo is a great story with the content warning that the entire premise depends on a New Age understanding of the multi-verse and untapped human capacities. Magic, Inc. is wholly based on, and full of, occult magical practices- presented as completely benign. Extreme caution.
Between Planets, 1951
YA (edging toward adult) hard sci-fi, suitable for all ages
The Puppet Masters, 1951
Hard Sci-fi, later released in movie form and a truly great story- but with a caveat. There are two versions; the original release has some mildly rated sexual content. In the later, expanded release, the same content is not mild. Go with the early release, and that with guidance.
The Rolling Stones, 1952
YA Hard Sci-fi, suitable for all ages.
Starman Jones, 1953
YA (edging on adult) hard sci-fi which can be enjoyed by adults, suitable for all ages
The Star Beast, 1954
YA Hard Sci-fi, suitable for all ages.
Tunnel in the Sky, 1955
YA (edging on adult) Hard Sci-fi, suitable for all ages. One of my favorites.
Double Star, 1956
YA (edging on adult) Hard Sci-fi, suitable for all ages, but with a mildly rated romantic interest. Interesting for the appearance of an unreliable narrator.
Time for the Stars, 1956
YA Hard Sci-fi, suitable for all ages. Cautions include: ESP dominates the storyline, but with more of a “fantastical” bent than the New Age flavor of later novels. Protagonist ends up marrying his own great-great grandniece. Probably benign enough, if I didn’t already know of Heinlein’s later literary deviancy. As it is- makes me cringe- but that’s probably just me.
Citizen of the Galaxy, 1957
NA (edging on adult) Hard Sci-fi, suitable for all ages and one of my favorites.
The Door into Summer, 1957
Adult hard sci-fi. Warnings include portrayal of a nudist colony and Heinlein’s advocacy for free love, which grows even stronger in his later works. But a good story, aside from these flaws.
Have Space Suit, Will Travel, 1958
Juvenile/YA, suitable for all ages. The first of Heinlein’s that I read.
Methuselah’s Children, 1958
Adult hard sci-fi. Warnings include opening scenes portraying casual, unmarried sex. Yet, I still love the story.
The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathon Hoag, 1959
Adult Fantasy. A mind-bending, and suitable for mature readers (it may be a bit scary for younger readers not familiar with darker forms of suspense). The only guarded caveat would be the presentation of the creation/fall/and post-millennial universe, which is at odds with the biblical view. In short, Heinlein has created his own theology with this one.
Starship Troopers, 1959
YA Hard Sci-fi, suitable for most ages. Notable for introducing the idea of powered armor, and arguably marks the birth of military sci-fi. Much better than the movie.
Stranger in a Strange Land, 1961
Adult hard sci-fi. And such a waste. What could Heinlein have blessed the world with had he been a Christian? Instead, we got this incredible, epic masterpiece which I can’t, in good faith, recommend to anyone.
Free love, communal utopianism, eastern mysticism, and the belief in untapped godlike powers innate in the human mind are so interwoven into this story that they can’t be avoided. One might say they are the story. The concept which the book pushes with missionary zeal, namely “Thou art God”, should give the shivers to anyone with any shred of biblical understanding.
I once loved this book, when I was an atheist. Now I can say only this- sometimes even great art isn’t worth the territory one must walk through to approach it.
Avoid this one.
Podkayne of Mars, 1963
YA Hard Sci-fi, suitable for most ages
Orphans of the Sky, 1963
YA/Adult Hard Sci-fi, suitable for most ages except some R rated violence and cannibalism.
Glory Road, 1963
Adult Fantasy. An Alice-in-Wonderland tour of alternate universes inhabited by strange and exciting worlds. Would be a great, if only not for the constant X rated content, including pedophilia. Pass- the content is too pervasive.
Farnham’s Freehold, 1964
Adult post-apocalyptic Fantasy. Would be a good story, if not for the sexual content and defense of marital infidelity. Seeing a pattern here? On the other hand, this was the book which taught me how to make ersatz dynamite, so maybe a wash?
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, 1966
YA Hard Sci-fi. One of my favorites of all time, and envisions Artificial General Intelligence at a time when computers were dumber than your first smart phone. Content warning- sexual mores on the moon are non-existent. It’s a free-for-all out there. Be prepared.
The Past Through Tomorrow, 1967
YA Hard Sci-fi. This is a collection of short stories, classic Heinlein, and all, with few exceptions that I recall (such as Methuselah, which is rated separately here) are suitable for all readers with no content warnings.
I Will Fear No Evil, 1970
Adult Dystopian Sci-fi. Another great story needlessly ruined by pervasive sexual content and New Age metaphysics. Difficult to separate the tares from the wheat with this one. Avoid it.
Time Enough For Love, 1973
Adult Hard Sci-fi. Another book which could have been a greatest of all time, if every page had not been needlessly steeped in sexual perversion. Sadly, best to avoid it.
The Number of the Beast, 1980
Adult Sci-fi fantasy. And not a good book, even if the content warnings weren’t so high. Avoid it for both reasons.
Friday, 1982
Adult Hard Sci-fi. A real adventure and would be a fun book, if not for the pervasive content. I’m going to save my fingers and start using ctrl-c. Sorry, not a good enough story to warrant wading through the muck.
Job, a Comedy of Justice, 1984
Adult Fantasy. Not recommended for anyone- unless you’d like to enjoy (vicariously, of course) a pleasant weekend partying in Texas with Satan, going to and rejecting heaven (full of the narrow-minded and crotchety and no fun at all), and instead preferring hell, which is presented as a pleasant place . . . the place everyone would go, given the choice.
After Job, I couldn’t follow where Heinlein was leading- too cringy even for (at the time) a confirmed atheist; so for Heinlein’s works after 1984 I can only say:
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls, 1985
Avoid it
To Sail Beyond the Sunset, 1987
Avoid it
For us, the Living: A Comedy of Customs
Avoid it
So, to recap, though some of Heinlein’s work still merits attention, none of it can be classified as Christian; so my epic search for great fantastical Christian fiction for adults– (adult males? Please?) -continues apace . . . and still unrequited.
