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The Green Hills of Earth

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This collection is fifty years old and, yes, the tales, with their atomic rockets and homegrown aliens in our own solar system, have dated. But most of the stories are still worth reading with one genuine classic and a couple of near-classics.

The stories are built around two general themes: workaday life in a future where space travel is common and genuine heroism.

On the workaday side is "Delilah and the Space Rigger", a tale about how the only woman on a space construction project affects her hundreds of male co-workers. "Space Jockey" moves a common situation, the strains work can place on a marriage, into the future when a rocket pilot must decide whether to quit his job or possibly leave his wife. In "Gentlemen, Be Seated", a moonquake puts some lives at risks in the tunnels under Luna City. It's work of an unusual sort in "'-We Also Walk Dogs'". It shows the inner workings of General Services, a company whose boast, that no job is too large or too small, is put to the test when the laws of physics have to be modified for an alien trade conference.

A couple of other stories are not built around work per se but still feature domestic matters. "The Black Pits of Luna" concerns a tourist from Earth, a small boy, getting lost on the moon's surface. Its juvenile narrator foreshadows the young adult science fiction novels Heinlein later wrote. The ironically titled "It's Great to Be Back" features a family returning to Earth after three years stay on the moon. The old planet doesn't live up to their cherished memories.

It's work of a grim sort in the near-classic "Logic of Empire" about slavery and colonial exploitation on Venus. It doesn't end happily and, by this point in Heinlein's Future History, Prophet Nehemiah Scudder looms on the horizon.

Tales of heroism figure in the rest of the collection's stories. The hero of "Ordeal in Space" has to retire after picking up a debilitating case of acrophobia when he saves a luxury space liner from destruction. He finds a cure in an unlikely place. "The Long Watch" is another almost classic. In it, one man foils a military coup that threatens Earth.

The undisputed classic here is "The Green Hills of Earth", a biography of the blind poet Rhysling. Part Homer, part Robert Burns, and part Rudyard Kipling, he travels through space and to Venus and Mars and recites some pretty good poetry before meeting a tragic end.

Robert Heinlein was writing great science fiction before a lot of people even knew what it was. The Green Hills of Earth features ten early short stories from the 1940s; all of these stories are set in outer space, but these are more sociological and entertaining than technical in the way of hard science fiction. In "Delilah and the Space Rigger," the head of the space station construction project is horrified to discover that his new engineer is a woman. His fear of having one woman working among a crew of 200 men is never alleviated, but the modern-day Delilah makes good use of her undeniable engineering skills to win a victory of sorts in the end. "Space Jockey" is basically a story of a space pilot and his stay-at-home wife. It basically explores the issues of a traditional marriage in which the husband is away from home more than either partner would like for him to be. These two stories' treatment of women is far from sexist in my opinion. "The Long Watch" and "Gentlemen, Be Seated" are stories of bravery and heroism. In the first, a spaceman risks his radiation-vulnerable life to stop a military coup from taking place, while the second describes the heroism of three men trapped in a tunnel collapse in Luna City. "The Black Pits of Luna" is a story of a normal family whose youngest son (referred to lovingly as "the brat") wanders off by himself on a tour of the moon. The search for the little guy offers us some clues as to what sorts of qualities a space man should have (as well as the qualities of individuals who should never have been allowed on the moon to start with).

"It's Great to be Back" is enjoyable yet wholly predictable. After three years on the moon, a couple absolutely yearns to go back home to earth, only to find that their idea of home has changed immensely during their sojourn in Luna City. "-We Also Walk Dogs" is probably the most singular story in this collection. General Services basically serves any request made by its customers, offering a service borne of the old tradition of walking dogs for rich folks. Their commitment to do whatever job needs to be done is put to the ultimate test when a bureaucrat asks them to make hay with the laws of gravity in order to pave the way for an ultra-important international business meeting on earth. "Ordeal in Space" is another hero story-"Mr. Saunders" is a space hero who has become deathly afraid of heights as the result of a terribly frightening yet heroic ordeal above the earth. He is so afraid of heights that he can't even look up at the sky without getting queasy. When he reluctantly accepts a dinner invitation and ends up spending the night in an apartment 35 stories above the ground, the meowing of a kitten stuck out on the ledge challenges him to overcome his fears. As an acrophobic person myself, it was all I could do to get through some of Heinlein's realistic descriptions of the heights involved in this kitten rescue mission. "The Green Hills of Earth" is the story of the unofficial poet laureate of outer space, but I found it to be the only slightly disappointing story in the book. Finally, "Logic of Empire" rounds out the collection. Humphrey Wingate gets into a heated discussion about the reality of indentured servitude on Venus, refusing to see it as a modern form of chattel slavery. When his friend asks him to put his money where his mouth is, he has the great misfortune of being very drunk. Upon awakening, he finds himself on a ship bound for Venus, where he quickly develops a brand new standpoint on the subject of Venusian servitude.

These are all great stories which the passage of time has not hurt one iota. Set in a science fiction setting, they are all essentially stories of people and their interaction with one another. Any fan of Heinlein or science fiction in general is missing a rare treat if he/she overlooks The Green Hills of Earth.

This is a collection of ten short stories, all set in the not too distant future, but somehow the characters all maintain a 1950's feeling about them. It's quite a small book, which makes each of the stories quite short too, good for young and old. When you compare this against some of Heinlein's novels, it simply doesn't have the breadth or the complexity of the novels, but then, I suppose how could it?

The style is fairly simple and to the point. The stories all have a beginning, middle and end. Some short stories, by other authors, seem to start somewhere in the middle of some crisis, and leave you there to figure it out. Not this, each story explains itself right from the beginning, and you know what's going on all the time.

The themes of the stories range from what would happen if a woman went to work among an all male crew assembling a space station (yes, I know! Shocking!), to how one man had a traumatic experience being left floating in space and ended up with terminal vertigo. Another tells the story of how a family long to go home to earth from their job on the moon, but find themselves instead longing to go "home" to the moon again. As you can see, fairly innocent stuff.

But what is good about this book, is to see what a man who clearly thought about the future and science predicted for the future. At this stage in Science Fiction's development, atomic rockets were all the rage, the moon was called "luna", anyone who stayed on earth and who didn't want to go out into space was obviously some form of backwards trogladyte, colonies on mars and venus were commercial and politically viable, and several forms of alien life had been discovered all over the solar system. The characters are very obviously nineteen fifties in their behaviour, although "modern" at the same time, really totally different from actual behaviour nowadays. You can almost visualise the men still wearing hats indoors, and the women wearing high heeled shoes and nylon stockings with seams up the back. But enough of my fantasising! (Mmmm, nylons...)

If you're a budding fan of sci-fi, then get this book. It'll give you a good idea of where things were in the early days, and from one of the greats too. If you're only just getting into it, then leave this 'till later, but do get it eventually. For veterans, this is a good nostalgia piece, great for train or plane rides, as you can dip in and out as you please.

This volume contains 10 of Heinlein's Future History stories written during the 1940's.

The first, 'Delilah and the Space Rigger' (1949) concerns the arrival of women's liberation on a construction site in space.
'Space Jockey' (1947) describes the problems of long distance relationships.
'The Long Watch' (1948) sometimes being a hero means being in the wrong place at the right time
'Gentlemen, Be Seated' (1948) a journalist discovers what it takes to survive on the moon up close and personal
'The Black Pits of Luna' (1947) some children should be neither seen nor heard
'It's Great to be Back' (1946) a young couple learns that home is where the heart is
'-We Also Walk Dogs' (1941) a very enterprising group of business people tackle some very surprising problems
'Ordeal in Space' (1947) a grounded spaceman faces his demons aided by a most surprising ally
'The Green Hills of Earth' (1947) the life and times of the poet laureate of space
'Logic of Empire' (1941) two wealthy young businessmen investigate the colonial problem

These stories laid a very solid foundation to the Future History stories. Many of the characters and/or incidents described return in later stories in this series making this a good place for a newcomer to RAH's work to begin or provid background for anyone who has read the later stories.

This is a nice volume which collects some of Heinlein's Future History books. Personally, I find the collection 'Past Through Tomorrow' to be a better collection of Heinlein's short Future History stories, but of course you could always go with the shorter books if you don't want to deal with a really thick book. This collection features some nice classics, my personal favorite being 'Delilah and the Space Rigger' as well as 'We Also Walk Dogs'. With Heinlein, you can't go wrong with this book. Enjoy!

The Green Hills of Earth (1951) is the second SF collection in the Future History series, following The Man Who Sold the Moon. It contains ten short stories published in magazines between 1941 and 1949.

- Delilah and the Space-Rigger (Blue Book, 1949) tells about the building of Space Station One.

- Space Jockey (SEPost, 1947) describes a routine flight from Earth orbit to Luna, until a passenger visits the control room.

- The Long Watch (American Legion, 1949) recounts the deeds of Lieutenant John Ezra Dahlquist, junior bomb officer of Moon Base.

- Gentleman, Be Seated (Argosy, 1948) reveals the hazards of moonquakes.

- The Black Pits of Luna (SEPost, 1948) explains the rescue of a tourist on the moon.

- It's Great to Be Back (SEPost, 1947) exposes the irritations and hazards of Earth.

- "--We Also Walk Dogs" (Astounding, 1941) divulges the methods of General Services.

- Ordeal in Space (Town & Country, 1948) depicts a man who spends too much time outside a spaceship.

- The Green Hills of Earth (SEPost, 1947) discloses the origins of the final song composed by Rhysling, Blind Singer of the Spaceways.

- Logic of Empire (Astounding, 1941) examines the work contract system on Venus.

These stories show the genius of the author and expose his optimism. They foretell many of the goals and issues of the space program. Yet his schedule is entirely too rapid compared to the actual events. He seems to have based his timeline on the rapid industrial progress in WWII. Nonetheless, privatization of space has finally begun, so maybe we will eventually catch up to his Future History timeframes.

The next collection in the series is Revolt in 2100. Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Heinlein fans and for anyone else who enjoys classical tales from the Golden Age.

-Arthur W. Jordin

This collection of Future History stories was first published in 1951, and it consists of 9 short stories and one novella which were originally published between March of 1941 and December of 1949. The collection itself was recognized by fans in the Astounding/Analog All-Time Polls in 1952 and 1956 where it ranked 8th and 17th respectively. The stories in this collection are chronological with respect to Heinlein's Future History. These are some of the classic stories from Heinlein's early writings. This is definitely a must read for anyone who likes Science Fiction.

"Delilah and the Space-Rigger" was originally published in "Bluebook" in December of 1949. It is the story of what happens when a woman, Gloria Brooks McNye, is hired as a replacement radio technician for what had been an all-male crew building a space station.

"Space Jockey" was first published in "The Saturday Evening Post" on April 26, 1947. It is the story of Jake Pemberton whose job (space pilot) is causing stress on his marriage.

"The Long Watch" was first published in "American Legion Magazine" in December of 1949. This is the story of Johnny Dahlquist, who tries to prevent Colonel Towers from staging a coup and taking control of the Moon and Earth. This is one of two stories from this collection that have been recognized by fans in the long term. It was recognized in 1971 on the Astounding/Analog All-Time Poll of Short Fiction where it tied for 30th. Then in 1999, it tied for 33rd on the Locus All-Time Poll for Short Stories.

"Gentlemen, Be Seated!" was first published in "Argosy" in May of 1948. This is the story of a journalist, Jack Arnold, who during a visit to Lunar City he goes to check out a mining operation when he is looking for a story. He is trapped in a tunnel when an accident isolates him and two others from the rest of the base.

"The Black Pits of Luna" was first published in "The Saturday Evening Post" on January 10, 1948. The story is about the Logan family who is visiting the Moon. The youngest son disappears when they are touring the surface of the Moon. It is written from the point of view of the elder of the two sons.

"It's Great To Be Back!" was first published in "The Saturday Evening Post" on July 26, 1947. It is the story of Allan and Josephine MacRae who are eager to return to Earth after spending a few years on the Moon. Once they get to Earth, they find things are not as good as they remembered.

"-We Also Walk Dogs" was first published in "Astounding" in July of 1941 under the pseudonym Anson MacDonald. In this story, General Services is offered a large contract to create a meeting environment on Earth for an important government meeting. The catch is how can they counter the effects of gravity for those attendees from lower density environments?

"Ordeal In Space" was first published in "Town & Country" in May of 1948. It is the story of a space hero who is suffering from acrophobia after an incident in space. He tries to create a simple life for himself on Earth, when a stray cat forces him to confront his fear.

"The Green Hills Of Earth" was first published in "The Saturday Evening Post" on February 8, 1947. It is the story of Rhysling, the Blind Singer of the Spaceways, who lost his sight saving a ship and then spends years bumming rides and singing his songs. He decides eventually to return to Earth, and then another incident results in his greatest work. This is one of the classic stories of Science Fiction. In 1971, it was tied for 2nd on the Astounding/Analog All-Time Poll for Short Fiction, and in 1999 it rated 10th on the 1999 Locus All-Time Poll for Short Stories.

"Logic of Empire" is the novella that was first published in "Astounding" in March of 1941. In this story, two wealthy friends argue about whether or not the working conditions on Venus could be considered slavery. When they wake up, they discover that after getting drunk, they have signed on for a work assignment on Venus to settle the bet.

I got this book thinking it was a novel. It isn't. It is, instead, a collection of loosely connected Heinlein short stories from the 1940's.

This collection is comprised of mildly amusing little tales from Heinlein's early days. Amusing and pleasant, but not really compelling. There wasn't anything here that I just couldn't put down. The characters are thin, the plots pretty linear and predictable. From both a sociological and a technological standpoint, they're also rather dated. The stories have a certain charm, however, and are good in that they are simple, personal tales that avoid coming across as apocalyptic -- a practice that should be followed more often by contemporary writers. For readers interested in the sci fi genre, THE GREEN HILLS OF EARTH is a solid example of classic sci fi short stories.

I grew up in the 50s and 60s reading Robert A.Heinlein and this series of golden age Sci-Fi short stories is from my favorite Heinlein period. All the stories take place in the 21st century and are told looking back from the 22nd century as if historical in nature.All the stories are somewhat related and take place in a future where large scale corporate commercial space travel,interplanetary politics and commerce is the norm. This is an era of large human colonies,mining operations,etc on the Moon,Mars,Venus,the moons of Jupiter and where huge space freighters,ore ships and cruiseliners navigate the spaceways crewed by space-age versions of Merchant Marines.My favorite character is Rhysling,the radiation blinded spaceship engineer who bums around the solar system writing bawdy songs,beautiful poetry,singing & playing accordian in seedy spaceport bars in ports of call like Venusburg,Luna City and Drywaters,Mars.He becomes his generation's Mark Twain/Rudyard Kipling/Bob Dylan by singing songs like "Spacesuit Built For Two" and "The Green Hills of Earth". Then there's the two drinking buddies who get shanghied into 6 years of hard labor and indentured servitude in the swamps of Venus and the hero who gives his life to save Earth from a military coup/nuclear missle crises on the Moon.This is a future that according to Heinlein's timeline should be happening right now but unfortunately is not,as it's a helluva lot more interesting than what we've got.For something written in the late 1940s,Heinlein's vision holds up very well though because it is informed by hard science,full of amazing characters,wry humor and timeless human philosophy.There's more stories to this series than those found in this book and all can be had if you look around for Heinlein's "The Past Through Tomorrow" collection. All this stuff is out of print for a long time now but thanx to the internet and Amazon one can still find pretty much anything for a few dollars nowadays.

I was working on the Shuttle Program when the Challenger was lost, and I borrowed a poem from this book as my tribute to the Crew:

The Green Hills of Earth

Let the sweet fresh breezes heal me
As they rove around the girth
Of our lovely mother planet
Of the cool, green hills of Earth.

We've tried each spinning space mote
And reckoned its true worth:
Take us back again to the homes of men
On the cool, green hills of Earth.

The arching sky is calling
Spacemen back to their trade.
ALL HANDS! STAND BY! FREE FALLING!
And the lights below us fade.

Out ride the sons of Terra,
Far drives the thundering jet,
Up leaps a race of Earthmen,
Out, far, and onward yet --

We pray for one last landing
On the globe that gave us birth;
Let us rest our eyes on the fleecy skies
And the cool, green hills of Earth.

--Robert Heinlein