What do you recommend to a reader who is new to Heinlein?
2y 5mon ago by lemmy.world/u/pixelmeow in the_heinlein_society
I like to recommend Methuselah’s Children because it’s where we meet Lazarus Long. The beginning of the Future History, although Lazarus did meet Pinero.
What do you recommend and why?
The very first Heinlein book I read was The Cat Who Walks Through Walls. It featured Lazarus Long, and I went on to read many of his books.
Starship Troopers is a quick read, well worth it.
Stranger in a Strange Land is an all time classic novel, a MUST read.
Time Enough for Love
Have Spacesuit will Travel
Anything really.
It’s hard not to recommend “Starship Troopers” It is a very tight little book which is foundational for a bunch of other good sci fi.
One of his short stories from '41 "By his bootstraps" is a great time travel paradox.
And The moon is a Harsh Mistress solid story and a great into to orbital mechanics...
In my opinion, his earlier stories were alot easier to read. To this day I still recommend Starship Troopers and Citizen of the Galaxy, not just to anyone new to Heinlein, but anyone looking for a good story to read.
I like his early 50s-60s work (some were written for youth):
The Star Beast
Tunnel in the Sky
Starship Troopers
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
And then there is the whole Lazarus Long saga, which contains some controversial sexual ideas (incest/pedo). IMO the first books in the saga are better.
Depends entirely on their age and tastes. But if I know nothing of them, Double Star. It's quality without being too pushed in any particular direction.