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Robert A. Heinlein

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Robert A. Heinlein

Pen Names: Anson MacDonald（Pseudonym used for some early short stories）, Lyle Monroe（Pseudonym used for some short stories）, John Riverside（Occasional pseudonym）, Caleb Saunders（Limited-use pseudonym）, Simon York（Used for a few works）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1907-07-07 （Butler, Missouri, U.S.）
Died
1988-05-08 （Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, U.S.） age 80
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Religion
Agnostic / non-religious
Residence History
Kansas City, Missouri (childhood) → Annapolis, Maryland (United States Naval Academy) → Colorado Springs, Colorado (long residence) → Bonny Doon, California → Santa Cruz, California → Carmel-by-the-Sea, California (place of death)

Career

Occupations
Author, Aeronautical engineer, Naval officer
Active Years
1939-1988
Affiliations
Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA), Heinlein Society (founded by his wife, Virginia Heinlein)
Memberships
Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA)
Influenced By
Rudyard Kipling, H. G. Wells, Upton Sinclair, Alfred Korzybski (general semantics), P. D. Ouspensky, Ayn Rand (influence on certain individualist themes)
Influenced
Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Larry Niven, Ray Bradbury, Marc Andreessen, Elon Musk
Nominations
Nebula Award nominee (The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress), Nebula Award nominee (Friday), Nebula Award nominee (Time Enough for Love), Nebula Award nominee (Job: A Comedy of Justice)

Education

United States Naval Academy
Engineering (equivalent)
Degree: Bachelor-equivalent in engineering (Academy did not confer degrees at the time)
Period: 1925–1929
Year of Graduation: 1929
Country: United States
The Academy did not formally confer degrees at the time; he completed the engineering curriculum.
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Graduate classes in mathematics and physics (brief attendance)
Period: 1934（短期）
Country: United States
Attended briefly; left before completing a degree.

Awards

SFWA Grand Master
1974
Organization: Science Fiction Writers of America
Result: Winner
Hugo Award (Best Novel): Double Star
1956
Work: Double Star
Category: Best Novel
Organization: World Science Fiction Society (WSFS)
Result: Winner
Hugo Award (Best Novel): Starship Troopers
1960
Work: Starship Troopers
Category: Best Novel
Organization: World Science Fiction Society (WSFS)
Result: Winner
Hugo Award (Best Novel): Stranger in a Strange Land
1962
Work: Stranger in a Strange Land
Category: Best Novel
Organization: World Science Fiction Society (WSFS)
Result: Winner
Hugo Award (Best Novel): The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
1967
Work: The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
Category: Best Novel
Organization: World Science Fiction Society (WSFS)
Result: Winner
Locus Award (All-Time Favorite Author)
1973
Organization: Locus Magazine
Result: Winner
Locus Award (All-Time Best Author)
1988
Organization: Locus Magazine
Result: Winner
Inkpot Award
1977
Organization: Comic-Con International
Result: Winner
Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award (Eisner-related)
1985
Organization: Comic-Con International / Eisner Awards
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Stranger in a Strange Land

1961 Science fiction (social/speculative novel) 408 pages

A human raised on Mars, Valentine Michael Smith, returns to Earth and challenges social norms and organized religion, exploring themes of liberty, individualism, and human nature.

Individual libertyCritique of organized religionCross-cultural understanding
Adaptations
  • [Drama / various attempted adaptations (not a major canonical film)] Stranger in a Strange Land (various stage/screen adaptation attempts)

Starship Troopers

1959 Science fiction (military SF / philosophical novel) 263 pages

Set in a society where citizenship is earned by federal service, it follows Johnny Rico's development and examines duty, citizenship, and military society.

Citizenship and civic dutyMilitary ethicsIndividual vs. society
Adaptations
  • [Film] Starship Troopers (film) / Paul Verhoeven (1997)

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

1966 Science fiction (political/ revolutionary novel) 382 pages

A lunar colony's revolt for independence; explores themes of self-government, individual liberty, and political theory.

Revolution and self-governanceFreedom and responsibilityRole of government

Time Enough for Love

1973 Science fiction (philosophical novel) 624 pages

Through the long-lived Lazarus Long, the novel examines freedom, love, family, ethics, and the meaning of life.

Longevity and life philosophyIndividualismSexuality and family

The Door into Summer

1957 Science fiction (time travel / elements of hard SF) 288 pages

An engineer's tale involving cold sleep and time manipulation; mixes technical ideas with personal drama.

Time manipulationInvention and engineeringStarting life anew

Adaptations

  • Destination Moon (story/script contribution; technical adviser)
  • Starship Troopers (1997 film adaptation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Blend of hard-SF technical detail with social and political speculationFrequent use of indirect expositionDidactic long passages and dialogical exposition
Recurring Motifs
The competent man archetypeIndividualism and self-determinationQuestions of liberty, civic duty, and political systemsSexual liberation themesSpace exploration and frontier ethos

Health

  • Pulmonary tuberculosis
    1934（長期入院および療養）
    Led to discharge from the Navy; lengthy hospitalization influenced his inventions/ideas (e.g., waterbed).
  • Peritonitis
    1970年代初頭（重篤、長期回復）
    Life-threatening attack requiring extended recovery and treatments; after recovery he resumed writing.
  • Transient ischemic attacks (TIA)
    1977–1978（数回）
    Episodes of reversible neurologic dysfunction contributing to fatigue and health decline.
  • Blocked carotid artery (underwent carotid bypass)
    1978頃（手術）
    Surgical treatment revived his energy and he resumed publishing novels.
  • Emphysema and heart failure (cause of death)
    1988（死去時）
    Cause of death in 1988 (died in his sleep).

Legacy

Robert A. Heinlein is one of the foremost 20th-century American SF authors, often counted among the "Big Three." He combined technical rigor with provocative social and political ideas, influencing generations of writers, technologists, and proponents of space exploration. He coined or popularized terms such as grok and waldo, and received numerous honors.

Museums

  • Robert A. Heinlein Archives (held at McHenry Library) McHenry Library, University of California, Santa Cruz

Academic Societies

  • Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA)
  • Libertarian Futurist Society (several works in Prometheus Hall of Fame)

Archives

  • University of California, Santa Cruz - Robert A. and Virginia Heinlein Archives (holding)

In Popular Culture

  • Popularized terms such as "grok", "waldo", and "space marine" into broader culture
  • Influenced figures in space and technology sectors (e.g., Elon Musk cited influence)
  • Work influenced counterculture movements and neopagan groups (e.g., Church of All Worlds)

Quotes

  • A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.
    Source: Time Enough for Love (1973)
  • Pay it forward — instead of paying someone back, pass the kindness on to another.
    Source: Referenced in Between Planets (1951)

Trivia

  • Coined or popularized words such as "grok" and "waldo".
  • Developed the idea of a waterbed during hospitalization for tuberculosis.
  • Enlisted in the Missouri National Guard by lying about his age in his teens.
  • Published under multiple pen names.
  • Broke into mainstream magazines (e.g., The Saturday Evening Post), helping bring SF to a broader audience.