Requiem: and Tributes to the Grand Master [Mass Market Paperback]

Robert A. Heinlein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 1994

Requiem is a compelling celebration of Robert A. Heinlein and his vision, containing many new and uncollected works by the Grand Master of science fiction, including two major novellas: Destination Moon, which was made into the famous George Pal film, and Tenderfoot in Space. There are contributions from such luminaries as Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Silverberg, Spider Robinson, and Gordon R. Dickson, as well as an introduction by Virginia Heinlein.

Heinlein was the pre-eminent science fiction writer of the twentieth century. Requiem reveals the story of Heinlein's passion for space exploration-his glory and his dream.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Robert Heinlein wrote about the future because the future is where all of us will live. He made footsteps big enough for a whole country to follow. And it was our country that did it...We proceed down a path marked by his ideas. That's legacy enough for any man. He showed us where the future is." -Tom Clancy

"A powerful tribute to the late Robert A. Heinlein." -Booklist

"Half the people in the space program, today and this past half century were lured in by Robert Heinlein and those who followed his path...He was admired and envied for more than half a century by the brightest human beings on Earth." -Larry Niven

About the Author

Robert Anson Heinlein was educated at the University of Missouri and the U.S. Naval Academy. After serving as a naval officer for five years, he retired for health reasons and began publishing SF in 1939. Considered the dean of American SF writers, Heinlein was loved and emulated during the half century that he wrote SF. He wrote dozens of novels and short stories, including Double Star, Stranger in a Strange Land, and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, all of which won Hugo Awards. Heinlein was the recipient of the First Grand Master Nebula in 1975, and he was the guest of honor at three World SF Conventions: in 1941, 1961, and 1976. He has repeatedly been voted "best all-time author" in readers' polls. Robert A. Heinlein passed away in 1988.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Tor Science Fiction (August 15, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812513916
• ISBN-13: 978-0812513912
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #431,846 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robert A. Heinlein, four-time winner of the Hugo Award and recipient of three Retro Hugos, received the first Grand Master Nebula Award for lifetime achievement. His worldwide bestsellers have been translated into 22 languages and include Stranger in a Strange Land, Starship Troopers, Time Enough for Love, and The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. His long-lost first novel, For Us, the Living, was recently published by Scribner and Pocket Books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A catharsis for Heinlein fans, January 4, 2000

By 

Jay Rudin - See all my reviews

This review is from: Requiem: and Tributes to the Grand Master (Mass Market Paperback)

This collection of Heinlein's little-known work and various tributes to Heinlein is a must-read for all Heinlein fans (though not recommended to any others). All three of his WorldCon guest of honor speeches are included, as is the original "Destination Moon". "This I Believe" is inspiring, non-fictional, and should be required reading for those who think they can know Heinlein's beliefs from his fiction. With the exception of "Requiem" itself, the Heinlein stories are the ones never before compiled, and so are the weakest part of the book. The idea that any of Heinlein's stories could be the weak part of any book should tell you how well-written the rest is, including tributes by Tom Clancy, Arthur C. Clarke, Spider Robinson, etc. Larry Niven's story "The Return of William Proxmire" alone is worth the price of the book.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute must for RAH fans, March 23, 2002

By 

Bill R. Moore (New York, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Requiem: and Tributes to the Grand Master (Mass Market Paperback)

If you are a fan of Robert A. Heinlein, and have read most of his works, then I reccommend this book unceasingly to you. It has 200+ pages of never-before-published Heinlein fiction (as well as the short title story - one of the man's best, and the one that also shot him to fame.) These include two novellas: Tenderfoot In Space - written for Boy's Life, and Destination: Moon - Heinlein's story version that would lead to the script and movie of the same name. Also included are two stories he wrote for girls (!), his remembrance of the filming of Destination Moon, a short poem, and the text of three speeches he made at the World Science Fiction Convention, where he was Guest of Honor an unprecented three times. Also included is are the proceedings of NASA's Heinlein Expedition, where he received (posthumously) their Distinguished Public Service Medal, their highest civilian honor awarded. This includes a reading of his inspirational piece "This I Believe" (which I had read at a local meeting of ours) by his wife, Virginia Heinlein, and several short speeches by such people as Tom Clancy and Jerry Pournelle. The heart of the book for many, though, will be the third section, in which many of Heinlein's famous contemporay writers (as well as an editor and a Navy colleague) write their remembrances of the man. It's very poignant and humbling to see world-famous writers speaking of Heinlein in such highly reverent terms - almost as if they were speaking of God Himself. This goes some way towards showing what an incredible man Heinlein was, and what a tremendous influence he had on the field of science fiction. To see Arthur C. Clarke himself - the only writer, along with Asimov, who you'll ever see mentioned in the same breath as the Grand Master - waxing rememeric on the man is a testament to RAH's vision and integrity. Poul Anderson's piece is particularly memorable. Larry Niven contributes the only fiction piece (a small masterpiece, incorporating Heinlein as a major character), and the long defense of Heinlein by Spider Robinson makes for extremely interesting reading. This is an absolute must-read for anybody who considers themselves a Heinlein fan. It's an incredible book, and shows what an incredibly tremendous influence had on the field of SF, and on the 20th century in general. I gladly put it on my bookshelf, and I'm not afraid to admit - as Arthur C. Clarke does in a blurb on the cover - that I cried while reading it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stranger in His Own Land: A Phenomenal Tribute to Heinlein, January 2, 2003

By 

Jamie C. Roberts (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Requiem: and Tributes to the Grand Master (Mass Market Paperback)

Yoji Kondo, an accomplished NASA scientist (and SF writer) in his own right, brings honor to the writings and philosophies of Robert A. Heinlein, a groundbreaking, sometimes controversial science fiction writer who always left his readers thinking.

This tribute, lovingly assembled by Kondo, brings together some of Heinlein's fantastic fiction with the impressions of his many admirers.

Kondo was so loyal a friend that he spearheaded a successful campaign to have a Martian crater named for Heinlein. That gesture -- and this impressive collection of fiction and accolade -- is a testament not only to Heinlein, but also to his many fans.