The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Robert A. Heinlein (1907-1988) was one of the most influential SF writers of any era (four of his 31 novels won Hugos, and he was the first to receive the Science Fiction Writers of America Grand Master Award). The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein gives newer SF readers and fans a less-known side of his work and opportunity to savor crisp sentences filled with telling detail, sardonic observations of character, and engrossing tales.

The stories, originally published in the 1940s and '50s, showcase Heinlein's science-fictional approach to fantasy. Though magic works and the supernatural underlies ordinary life, the reader is always firmly anchored in a lawful reality. The setting is the USA, sometimes in the mid-20th century, sometimes in a near future, always featuring very American characters. It's just that the salesman sells elephants and encounters fictional characters and ghosts ("The Man Who Traveled in Elephants"), the reporter covers a sentient whirlwind that collects old newspaper ("Our Fair City"), and the bartender is a time-traveling recruiter ("All You Zombies"). The ambitious, young California architect builds a house where doors and windows open on many places--but not to the outside he came in from ("And He Built a Crooked House"). And the paranoid patient's reality is saner than you think ("They"). The three novellas: "Magic, Inc.," "Waldo," and "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag" are vintage Heinlein; the last is a Lovecraftian tale of an amnesiac who hires PIs to find out what he does all day--what they uncover isn't illegal but is supernaturally evil, and Hoag is neither perpetrator nor victim.

These stories feel a bit old-fashioned, but no one ignited the sense of wonder in readers better than Heinlein. This collection offers a golden opportunity to sample a master at his best. --Nona Vero --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Heinlein didn't write fantasies; he wrote hard sf. Or, to be more precise, he wrote adventure stories grounded in credible scientific speculation. Even the wonderful stories collected here feature his trademark cool reasoning, though each also depends on the inexplicable. The oldest of them is his small masterpiece, "Magic, Inc.," about a Mafia-like group hitting up honest businesspersons for protection against black magic and one honest man's sojourn to hell to put the universe right. The novella hasn't dated at all; the passage of time has only enriched it. Besides "Magic," two more novellas appear, "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag" and "Waldo." The latter introduced the concept of remote sensing, now a staple of hard sf, and its exploration of life under weightless conditions is as fresh as ever. Then there are four short stories, one of which, "The Man Who Traveled in Elephants," features Heinlein in a rare sentimental mood. Superb stories--old friends, really--that are well worth the book's price. John Mort --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books (May 17, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312875576
• ISBN-13: 978-0312875572
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #93,704 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent stories, *but*..., December 31, 1999

By	Allan Rousselle (Somewhere along I-90, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein (Hardcover)

These are some of my favorite stories by RAH. "All You Zombies...", "They", and "Hoag" are particular favorites.

Caveat emptor, however: this is merely a repackaging of two paperback collections: Waldo and Magic, Inc. and The Unpleasant Profession of Johnathan Hoag (also sometimes published as 6xH). If you can find those two volumes, you'll save yourself a few bucks. Use what you save to pick up Friday, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Puppet Masters, Stranger in a Strange Land, or one of Heinlein's many other masterpieces....

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Collection, If You Don't Already Have This Stuff, May 26, 2001

By	VoodooLord7 (Oklahoma, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein (Hardcover)

As has already been pointed out by other reviewers, this books is an omnibus containing the contents of two previous Heinlein collections, The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathon Hoag and Waldo & Magic Inc. in their entirety. So, should you buy this if you already have those two books? No, not unless you are a Heinlein obsessive who must have every book with his name on it. However, if you've never had the pleasure of reading those two books (especially Hoag, a very underrated collection, and possibly my favorite Heinlein book EVER), then you should most definately pick this up. The Hoag novella is a classic mix of fantasy and horror, and just begs to be read in one setting. "They" is one of Heinlein's best short stories, a paranoid, but all-too-realistic horror story of solipsism (one of RAH's pet interests.) And He Built A Crooked House is a neat "gimmick" short story that you will be the better for having read. "Our Fair City" may not be earth-shattering in plot or scope, but it is worthwhile and, in fact, quite hilarous. "All You Zombies" is a semi-disturbing time paradox tale. Rounding out the collection are two other novellas: Waldo, a unique early Heinlein tale that you will probably enjoy; and Magic Inc., a fairly interesting story that is quite different from anything else he ever wrote. This collection, in total, contains all of Heinlein's works that would normally be classed in the "fantasy" category (aside from Glory Road), and is definately worth picking up if you've never read the stories it contains before.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein, November 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein (Hardcover)

Read any of the stories contained in this book and you'll be convinced that Robert A. Heinlein is the master of the genre. I first had the pleasure (or displeasure) of meeting the Sons of the Bird in the paperback 6 X H and I was immediately Hooked on Heinlein. Once you start any of these stories, you'll find it all but impossible to break away. Suspense, romance, terror and a whole lot of fun finally all together under one cover.