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Off the Main Sequence

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All things have a history. Science fiction has an illustrious modern history, with roots in Verne and Wells. There was a time when science fiction meant scantily clad women and tentacled monsters. All that changed with John Campbell and Robert Anson Heinlein.

Heinlein had a firm belief in the individual. Yet, he also believed in a strong military. Heinlein also had a good science and engineering education. Heinlein disliked a government that interfered in the everyday affairs of people, and Heinlein, having grown up in the Midwest, had a distrust of people with "religious" motivations. All these characteristics show up in Heinlein's novels and stories, and are well represented in this collection.

I am amazed at Heinlein's prescience. He stated in "On the Slopes of Vesuvius," written in 1947, that New York was an inevitable target. How well we know that considering the events of 9/11. Heinlein did a marvelous job of describing the first landing on the moon in "Destination Moon," from 1950. "Jerry Was a Man" from 1947 predates Pierre Boulle's "Monkey Planet," more commonly known as "Planet of the Apes," by a substantial amount. Heinlein even wrote a story called "Free Men" in 1947 that describes a United States subjected by a foreign power, with his focus on the men fighting back as guerillas. His story is significantly better than the much later movie "Red Dawn."

Heinlein's short stories extended well beyond unintentional predictions of the future. Heinlein enjoyed stories of time travel and the possible paradoxes of time travel. The convolutions in "All You Zombies" are a treat for any fan of time travel stories. "Elsewhen" is another clever story that mixes time and space, and the ending of this short story foreshadows the novel "Time Enough for Love." "By His Bootstraps" bears some similarity to "All You Zombies," with a different outcome.

Heinlein also seemed to like stories about extrasensory perception (e.s.p.). "Lost Legacy" is a marvelous alternative reality story that has echoes in television shows like "Charmed." "Project Nightmare" describes how a disbelieving government uses such talents to save the nation, in spite of disbelief. "Gulf" takes things a step further, predicating the existence of a new race of men with intellectual capabilities well beyond the average.

Stories of harder science fiction are in this book also, as you would expect. "The Year of the Jackpot" describes a mathematical prediction of events that lead to a tragic end. "Water Is for Washing" is an almost mundane story that combines man's hubris with the actual configuration of southern California around the Salton Sea. "Sky Lift" provides a poignant reminder that man may remain noble in space, and that space is a dangerous place. "Universe" and "Common Sense" are actually one story describing what we currently think will be the most feasible way of traveling to another solar system.

I was surprised and pleased that "A Tenderfoot in Space," written in 1958 for "Boy's Life," is included in this collection. Heinlein was known for his juvenile books, and this story is an excellent example of that category of book.

There are many more stories that encompass multiple dimensions, aliens, metaphysics, the past, the future, and just about everything else. Heinlein was a remarkable writer with incredible subject breadth.

I find it interesting that some modern readers describe Heinlein's stories as "cliche." In fact, the cliche's were frequently created because of Heinlein's stories. In a way, Heinlein's stories have become a victim of their success. But, remember this, and remember it well: These stories (or cliches) began here.

Heinlein also receives credit for introducing the words "waldo," "grok," and TANSTAAFL, or "there ain't no such thing as a free lunch," a variation on "there's no such thing as a free lunch," popularized by Milton Friedman. Heinlein originally used this term in the 1967 novel "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress." The first use of TANSTAAFL in economics literature came in a 1971 book by Edwin G. Dolan.

Heinlein was one of the big three in science fiction, the other being Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke. Reading these stories, that range from very short to novelette in length, I remember being young in the 60s and discovering Heinlein's marvelous books for the first time. While things have changed much in the intervening time, Heinlein's influence on science fiction and on writing in general can never be overestimated.

While there are some weak stories in this collection, even those are thought provoking and may just provide you with an interesting perspective. Fans of classic science fiction and Robert A. Heinlein will love this collection. Enjoy!

Robert A. Heinlein is was the Great Dean of Science Fiction and one of the Big Three writers of the field along with Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke. This book contains the early stories of his that do not fit into his Future History series.

Some of the stories in this book are among the best short stories in all science fiction.

"They" is probably the best single story in the book. It explores paranoia and solipsism to a very scary if logical conclusion. It is, in my opinion, the single best short written by Heinlein.

Among the other stories here is "Solution Unsatisfactory". It anticipated the nuclear stalemate and the Cold War that came at the end of World War Two. This is all the more impressive when you consider that the Manhattan Project was top secret at the time. Heinlein even predicted the United Nations in the story, along with its large scale weakness... but then, the League of Nations had the same issues.

Also of note are "Universe", "By His Bootstraps", "Gulf", "-And he Built a Crooked House-" and "-All You Zombies". All are very much worth reading today.

This book nicely complements the book "The Past Throught Tomorrow". That book collects all the short stories of Heinlein's Future History series.

This is a great book that should be on the shelves of anyone who likes science fiction.

RAH, over the years has been accused of just about every political incorrectness that has come over the horizon, everything from militarism and sexism to racism. Oddly enough, the very evidence to correct every one of these impressions is there in his work. The most critical and important facts that help explain Heinlein in context are "where" and "when." RAH is from the deepest midwest, Missouri, and grew up with World War I. Prohibition, the Depression, a failed career as a Naval Officer due to lost health, and a lost political campaign colour his experience. This is his background. It helps define not only who he was, but what he rebeled against and the metaphors that he employed to give meaning to the world he experienced But, more important than all this, Heinlein was a writer who was aware of his audience(s) and wrote to entertain (and maybe tweak their thinking a little). More over, some of his most important years of writing were spent under a contract that demanded politically juveniles from him. Still despite his publisher's censors, he slid works like Podkayne of Mars past them. Another fact of great importance that readers and critics seem to perpetually forget about their favorite writers, is that those same writers, just like the readers - and perhaps unlike the critics - are human beings. They grow, mature, think, and change their opinions. You cannot simply toss a label at a writer and expect it to both stick AND be meaningful. It useless and meaningless for instance to say Heinlein was "militaristic" without expounding the point to where either the fact is acceptably demonstrated or the fallacy exposed. Heinlein admired the soldiers and officers that compose "the military." They are people who for some reason or another have volunteered or have been drafted into placing their lives on the line for principles. But did Heinlein admire the politicians and government bureauocrats that frequently misuse the military, spending lives and treasure for little discernible reason beyond illusory WMDs? Hardly. Heinlein's definition of an honest politician is one that stays bought. He would have appreciated the definition of a statesman as a politician so propped up by conflicts of interest that he can't fall down. He was explicitly against the draft and expresses repeatedly low opinions of many aspects of military thinking, and he was immensely antiauthoritarian. He not only wrote Starship Troopers - a "militaristic" novel with a Phippino protagonist - but also Stranger in a Strange Land, not only Space Cadet but The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Off The Main Sequence provides access to some of his very best short fiction. Read it, read the subtexts, think about it, and form your own ideas about Heinlein based upon that thought.

Off the Main Sequence (2005) is a collection of SF short stories that are unrelated to the Future History series, with one exception. This book includes an Introduction, a Foreword, an Editor's Note, and twenty-seven stories. The short stories are presented in order of first publication or, in two instances, the completion dates. First collection or anthology reprints are indicated by the number within brackets.

Stories:

* Successful Operation (1940) tells of a surgical procedure performed on a dictator [6].

* "Let There Be Light" (1940) describes the development of power from light panels [1]. A future history story left out of The Past Through Tomorrow.

* --And He Built a Crooked House-- (1941) recounts the perils of a futuristic house [4].

* Beyond Doubt (1941) exposes political ploys in ancient Mu [8].

* They (1941) conveys a tale of paranoia and conspiracy [4].

* Solution Unsatisfactory (1941) anticipates the problems with nuclear weapons [5].

* Universe (1941) involves a young man on a generation ship far into its voyage (incorporated into Orphans of the Sky).

* Elsewhen (1941) illustrates a multidimensional universe [2].

* Common Sense (1941) continues the story in Universe (incorporated into Orphans of the Sky).

* By His Bootstraps (1941) takes a man back and forth through time [3].

* Lost Legacy (1941) considers a possible result of discovering psionic powers [2].

* "My Object Sublime" (1942) reveals a potential means of achieving invisibility (not previously reprinted).

* Goldfish Bowl (1942) examines an anomaly within the Pacific Ocean [3].

* Pied Piper (1942) presents an off-beat way to prevent a war (not previously reprinted).

* Free Men (1946) depicts a country overrun by the enemy [5]. This tale is obviously a predecessor to Sixth Column.

* On the Slopes of Vesuvius (1947) is about nuclear proliferation [6].

* Columbus Was a Dope (1947) incongruously argues the impracticality of exploration [3].

* Jerry Was a Man (1947) addresses the legal definition of humanity [2].

* Water Is For Washing (1947) relates the horrifying experiences of a man who feared water [3].

* Nothing Ever Happens On the Moon (1949) covers scouting on Luna [6].

* Gulf (1949) is about an agent who is captured by the opposition [2].

* Destination Moon (1950) is a novelette version of the movie script [9].

* The Year of the Jackpot (1952) projects the cycles of the sun [3].

* Project Nightmare (1953) divulges the use of psionics in warfare [3].

* Sky Lift (1953) depicts an emergency voyage to Pluto [3].

* A Tenderfoot in Space (1956) is about a boy and his dog [7].

* --All You Zombies-- (1959) is a convoluted fiasco [4]. Talk about killing your own grandfather!

Collection reprints:

[1] The Man Who Sold the Moon (1950).

[2] Assignment in Eternity (1953).

[3] The Menace From Earth (1959).

[4] The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag (1959).

[5] The Worlds of Robert A. Heinlein (1966).

[6] Expanded Universe (1980).

[7] Requiem (1991).

Anthology reprints:

[8] Beyond the End of Time (1952).

[9] Three x Infinity (1958).

More information about these stories is contained in the Introduction. The Foreword presents a short biography and history of his writings. Additional data about the collection itself is included in the Editor's Note.

These stories reveal the ability of this SF writer to foresee future developments. Although details differ, he had an uncanny vision of the way that history and technology were heading. His most serious errors were due to an optimistic attitude toward technological development; he should have known that the politicians would drag their feet.

"Solution Unsatisfactory" predicted the problems that led to the Cold War. The first hints of later developed technology are displayed in ""Let There Be Light"" and ""My Object Sublime"". And a possible future technology -- slower-than-light generation ships -- was introduced in "Universe" and "Common Sense".

This collection lists the initial magazine publication for each story. This review indicates the first reprint in a prior collection by the author or in an anthology. In some cases, however, a story has not been previously reprinted in any prior publication.

The collection includes three stories that the author would rather have forgotten: Beyond Doubt, "My Object All Sublime", and Pied Piper. He called them "stinkeroos". None were included in his prior collections.

Unfortunately, this book does not contain "The Menace From Earth" (1957), although other works from that collection are included. "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag" (1942) is also not contained herein since it is fantasy, but SF works from that collection are included.

This book contains some of the most famous short stories in science fiction, including "By His Bootstraps" and "--All You Zombies--", THE definitive time travel stories. These works span many SF themes and make a great introduction for anyone who has not previously read any science fiction. Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Heinlein fans and for anyone else who enjoys reading SF stories from the golden age.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Heinlein wrote many short stories, especially during the early part of his career. You will find some superb short stories here. However, some are so-so. This variance is due, mostly, to the long elapsed time since some of these short stories were written. On the whole, I do recommend this collection. However, you probably will do yourself a favor if you only read one per sitting.

If you walk into a bar, once per week, for one drink per visit; you will get a very different experience than if you try to down 10 or 12 drinks in one visit. Reading these stories can have similar effects. If you try to down it all in a weekend, it may be much like hitting your own head several times with a two by four. Take it slower and savor some of these and you will have a much better and a very likable experience.

Perhaps the greatest science fiction writer of all-time, Robert A. Heinlein is still known and revered for his Future History short story series, interlocking tales set in the same fictional universe. However, he wrote approximately as many SF short stories that were not part of the series. He published many under pseudonyms to keep the Future History distinct, and a few are indeed well below their level. That said, many are at least as good, most are on their level, and a couple may even be his best short stories. Remarkably consistent quality aside, their main feature is diversity. The Future History is impressive for sketching a fictional universe on such a grand scale, but these are notable for using a wide variety of themes, settings, and characters. It soon becomes clear that Heinlein invented or popularized several science fiction subgenres, including time travel paradox, multi-generation spaceship, post-World War II alternate universe, etc. His imagination's sheer reach is truly mind-boggling, but as always, especially early in his career, his true strengths were characterization and readability. Heinlein repeatedly insisted that, no matter how strong writers' didactic purposes, they must never forget that they are writing a story and that their primary goal should always be to entertain. He follows his own advice marvelously; a master of grabbing attention almost immediately, his stories draw us in and rarely let go. They are engrossing, suspenseful, and often humorous - in a word, entertaining. Even better is his characterization, which stands out all the more for being SF's proverbial weak point. Too many SF writers let science dominate to the point that the story becomes dry and characters are mere cutouts used to advance ideas. Heinlein never does this; his characters are lifelike, believable, and likable. He makes sure to establish this immediately, quickly gaining sympathy and interest. SF continues to suffer these perennial faults, but Heinlein's characters still stand as some of the genre's best and most memorable. Yet this never kept him from introducing weighty matter; his writing is nearly always thought-provoking about a range of subjects from science to theology to government. Adding to both this and characterization is his ever-excellent dialogue, another area that much SF either handles almost comically badly or hardly even bothers to try. His dialogue has great verisimilitude but is also some of the wittiest this side of Oscar Wilde - again, simply entertaining. Heinlein also vividly dramatized some of his pet philosophical interests, such as solipsism, in ways that made them seem both interesting and real. Another major contribution was greatly expanding the SF definition to include sciences previously underused or ignored, primarily social/"soft" sciences like sociology, psychology, political science, etc. Thus, though his high literary standards veered him away from the hard SF that some prefer, his science is accurate, and his information and are projections often revelatory.

Though he continually reiterated that he was not making prophecies, one of the most striking things about these stories is how prophetic they were. Several show moon landings well before they were even thought conceivable by most, but this is common for early science fiction - though Heinlein was unusual in showing a breakdown in government participation leading to private efforts, as is now belatedly the case. More interestingly, "`Let There Be Light'" foresees alternative energy, but the most incredible is "Solution Satisfactory." Written seven months before America even entered WWII, this amazing story predicts not only the country's entrance and an Allied victory but a weapon very similar to the atomic bomb well before one had even been tested, much less known to the public. It is used to end the war, but the astounding prophecy does not even end here. Heinlein somehow had the insight to foresee the Cold War, describing an almost unbelievably similar conflict between the U.S. and Soviet Union and even predicting brinksmanship. 1953's "Project Nightmare" returns to the subject and also sheds light on the government's use of psychics. Facts like these make the stories well worth reading historically as well as artistically; those interested in SF's development will of course be fascinated, but stories like "Solution" will be interesting even to historians.

Many believe that Heinlein's later work loses all or most of these qualities, degenerating into preachy, heavy-handed pet projects with Heinlein disappearing up his own catharshole. However, all his strengths coalesce in these pristine early works, which still rank among SF's best and surely always will.

One thing that had always made the stories hard to appreciate was the impossibility of reading them in one place. They were first published under a number of pseudonyms in a variety of periodicals ranging from pulp SF to mainstream publications like Boys' Life and The Saturday Evening Post. Most were eventually republished in a half dozen or so collections. Some were not reprinted until after Heinlein's death; there were even three he was adamant about never republishing. Thus, though the Future History is conveniently collected in the classic single edition The Past through Tomorrow, his other SF stories were widely dispersed - some out of print, several to the point of obscurity.

Until now. This great omnibus brings the stories together for the first time. Fans have been wanting such a book for decades, and it is ideal for those just getting into Heinlein. There are twenty-seven stories over more than seven hundred and fifty pages, ranging from some of Heinlein's earliest works to his last short stories. Off the Main Sequence essentially includes all Heinlein SF stories not printed in The Past through Tomorrow. A few works not included there but generally thought part of Future History are present, but the vast majority are unrelated. These were previously spread out among the collections Expanded Universe, The Man Who Sold the Moon, The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag, Orphans of the Sky, Assignment in Eternity, The Menace from Earth, Requiem, etc. Several of these collections are even here in full here. The convenience of having such widely distributed stories in one place is obvious enough to make many fans buy the book; reading them together makes one appreciate them anew and in new ways.

However, the real treat for fans is the long-delayed reprinting of the three stories Heinlein sold to periodicals early in his career but refused to republish. He made clear that he did not want them out even posthumously, and his wife, who survived him fifteen years, ensured this. Her death removed the last obstacle, and here they are seen for the first time by any but the most diehard fans and critics. Heinlein thought them embarrassingly bad, and they are indeed well below par for him. Yet they are not on the whole as bad as he implied. Only one ("My Object All Sublime") is horrific, clearly the worst story he ever wrote. The less said of it, the better. "Beyond Doubt" is the best - only decent but better than his lowest story tier. It deals with several classic Heinlein themes, primarily the folly of scientific certainty, and is told in an interesting and somewhat unusual way. The prose is very substandard, and the near absence of characterization and dialogue seems distinctly non-Heinlein. There is a reason for this; it is actually written by someone else based on Heinlein's outline and edited by him. It is thus notable in being, as far as I am aware, his only co-written work, and its genesis is even more interesting. Someone dared Heinlein at a party to come up with a story outline on the spot, and it was the result. As this suggests, he essentially tossed off the outline, which is not one of his best, but the story is still readable. The third "new" work is "Pied Piper," which is also decent and readable and has more classic Heinlein touches than the other two. It even has the potential to be quite good but is undercut by an abrupt and unfulfilling ending. One almost feels that Heinlein held it back for political/philosophical rather than quality reasons, as it espouses a pacifistic tendency running very contrary to most of his work. These stories add very little to Heinlein's canon, but diehards will want this book if only to say they have read and own all Heinlein's published works. They are great extras, especially as many thought they would never come out. Those who believe authorial intent should always be paramount will of course be disturbed at the clear breach of Heinlein's wishes. The stories are certainly far from his best but so minor that little or no harm will be done to his literary reputation. Blasphemous as their inclusion may be to some, Heinlein's stature is now such that all he wrote is of historical and critical value, and most will be glad for the stories, however little their inherent worth.

Few complaints can be made about this collection. As for the writing, some of it is dated - not only in the way SF inevitably is because of unforeseen technology, etc., but also for factors betraying time of writing. Heinlein is rightly known for strong female characters, and his views on sexual equality were very advanced; his work was even chosen as recommended reading by the Women's Liberation movement. Even so, some of his female characters lean a little too far toward 1950s stereotypes. Their interaction with male characters, especially in dialogue, also sometimes comes across as transparent imitations of period films. Heinlein did this intentionally, and it was surely a large part of what made his stories plausible and popular, but it now sometimes makes them seem stuck in a 1950s time warp despite SF trappings. This limits some of them on literary terms but makes them, if anything, even more interesting historically. His best stories, of which this has several, are of course free from these limitations.

As for the collection itself, it is hard to argue with the generous amount of material, which ranges from some of Heinlein's best and most famous ("By His Bootstraps," "Gulf," "--All You Zombies--," etc.) to some of his most obscure. It is possible to quibble with the selection. Future History aside, this leaves out the handful of mainstream stories available in Expanded Universe and Requiem. It also excludes the small number of fantasy stories collected in volumes like The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag, The Menace from Earth, and Waldo & Magic, Inc. Anyone wanting all his short works in two volumes will thus be disappointed, but the subtitle - The Other Science Fiction Stories of Robert Heinlein - makes this clear. That said, there is some crossover with The Fantasies of Robert Heinlein, the third major omnibus, because editor Andrew Wheeler wanted to make a case for them as SF. I think this is legitimate, even if others might make different choices. Finally, the stories are printed chronologically, which is ideal in my view considering their great variety and lack of continuity. Some may wish they had been arranged otherwise, but it causes a continuity problem only with "Universe" and "Common Sense," the two-part series first collected in Orphans of the Sky, which here are separated by a few stories.

There are other bonuses, primarly an Introduction by noted SF author Greg Bear and a Foreword by Michael Cassutt. These give interesting background, including much biographical and historical material, plus comments on Heinlein's influence and current status. Little will be unfamiliar to fans and critics, but the personal commentary is valuable, and the whole does an excellent job of setting the stories up for the uninitiated. There is also an editor's note justifying Wheeler's choices. Additionally, we get full bibliographic information for the original publications, which many will appreciate. Finally, while not the cheapest that could have been made, the book itself is very high quality; the strong binding will easily survive what should be many repeated readings and browsings.

All told, anyone unfamiliar with Heinlein's non-Future History shorts could do no better than buying this. Those who have not read him at all or only very little would be best served by first reading The Past through Tomorrow and perhaps a few novels, but this should be an early stop. The dedicated must decide for themselves if they need this, but I was more than satisfied and think all others will also be. Simply put, this belongs on every SF fan's bookshelf.

There are only two: Heinlein and Zealazny. A wonderful collection of his amazing mind. I could not recommend more. I love it.