Customer Reviews

Past Through Tomorrow Future History Stories

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I too, agree that Robert Heinlein's works are masterpieces in their own right. I'm young, so I have barely begun to delve fully into the world of RAH, but I love all of the books I've read so far, especially the Past Through Tomorrow volume. My father had it high on a bookshelf, and after discovering it and devouring its contents, that 1967 copy just fell apart. My goal: To find another copy, one that is stronger, and perferably in hardcover!
I must admit though, the first novel I ever read of Heinlein's was Double Star, and it holds a special place in my heart. Since then, I've loaned it to a friend and am now desperately searching for another copy, just like the one I had before. Big Clue: Never loan any book you love to another person; if you really want them to read it, buy them their own copy!
I think my favorite thing about the Past Through Tomorrow Future History Stories is how they are all interconnected, and how RAH mapped that out for his readers as well. I love things like that! Definately a book to buy in hardcver and keep on your shelves for years to come. If you haven't started already, go hunt down a copy for yourself!

John W. Campbell, editor of the sci-fi magazine "Analog" coined the term "future history" about the chain of characters and stories written by Robert A. Heinlein. It's a brilliant term, because Heinlein literally created a fictional history of an entire people, from Earth, to early space travel, to settling the moon, to moving out among the stars.

This book, astonishingly out of print, contains many of Heinlein's best short stories and novellas, filling in the gaps for his major novels such as "Time Enough for Love" and "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress."

Heinlein apparently kept a complicated character-and-time chart in his study. This book has a copy of the chart, plus the award-winning stories and short fiction.

Included here: "Methuselah's Children"--the beginning of the story of the Howard Families that is taken up in the sweeping novel "Time Enough for Love." You'll also find stories that explain the founding of Luna City, pioneering space travel, and the revolution against the theocracy begun by Nehemiah Scudder.

If you are a Heinlein fan, this is a great book to have--fills out the gaps in his complete works. If you aren't a Heinlein fan, start with "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" or "Starship Troopers" to find out how great Heinlein's science fiction is.

... and incredibly out of print. I found this book in a big pile of sci-fi books including Frank Herbert, Pohl, Asimov, etc. Together with it, there was Stranger in a Strange Land, and they were both the best in the pile :). My girlfriend was also a sci-fi fan: I got the 'Stranger' and she got the 'Past' in the idea that we'll share them. Unfortunately, when we separated I had read only half of the anthology. Since then, my first question to every clerk in every used book shop I enter is: "Do you have Heinlein's 'Past through Tomorrow?'"

It's a possible set of improbable future events from the perspective of a writer interested in equal measure in the well-being of the human society and in the development of the individual. It avoids paradoxes pragmatically, by applying them to themselves in amusing Turtle vs. Rabbit solutions; it's full of no-nonsense characters who are excellent role models and passive educators. Like most of Heinlein's work that I read, it's spanning the spectrum of emotions from hysterical laughter to the occasional tear. The technology depicted may get outdated, but the juice of humanity that Heinlein injected in all his work will always remain a wish and hope for the future.

It tied me to a chair in an office for the few precious hours before I had to return the book to my ex-girlfriend. I wonder why nobody reprints it: look at all the good marks it gets!!!

The book is used, looks used and all of its working parts are in order. The pages are yellowed and the spine slightly creased but the stories are just a fresh today as when I first read this book as a young teen. It is very fun to read about the contraptions Heinlein thought up 60-70 years ago that are common place today such as lights that turn on automatically as people enter and exit a room or time pieces kept accurate by radio (public television). A fun and well written series of short stories.

If you want to buy the Future History Stories written by Robert Heinlein, this is the version to buy. It has all 4 volumes in one big book. The 1975 Berkely Medallion edition has all 4 volumes encompassing 21 stories. Includes: Roads Must Roll, The Man Who Sold the Moon, The Green Hills of Earth, Misfit, The Black Pits of Lune, Requiem, Space Jockey, Life-Line, Blowups Happen, Delilah and the Space-Rigger, The Long Watch, Gentlemen Be Seated, Its Great to Be Back, We Also Walk Dogs, Searchlight, Ordeal in Space, Logic of Empire, The Menace From Earth, Coventry, and Methuselah's Children.

I'm surprised there are only two other reviews on this book. It is a collection of stories that forms the backbone of Heinlein's primary Future History. Although the majority of the stories are quite old (I can't remember for sure, but I think none came out after the sixties, and most are from the forties and fifties), they form, together, one of the first coherent glimpses of the power of Science Fiction to detail a potential future, one that can show us what might happen, for good or for ill, and entertain us along the way.

I've read this book about eight times from cover to cover, so often that I don't read it any more because it's burned into my mind.

Robert Heinlein is best known for his novels like Starship Troopers, Stranger in a Strange Land, Friday, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, etc. I list of his great novels being too long to list here.

But he started out writing short stories in Astounding Science fiction (later to be renamed Analog) for John W. Campbell, Jr. This book contains what is called Heinleins Future History stories. Many of his novels fit into this future history as well. But it all began with the short story "Life-line", which was first published in 1939. Is it a great story? By itself, we probably wouldn't call it a great story. But it was the first by RAH.

Follow-up short stories like "The Roads Must Roll", "Blowups Happen", "Requium", "The Great Hills of Earth", "The menace from Earth" and "Methuselahs Children" are all also included here. All great short stories set in the Future History.

This book does have a little overlap with Heinlien's later Expanded Universe collection, but it isn't a lot. Both are worth reading, and re-reading.

Heinlein was made the first Grand Master of SF by the Science Fiction writers of America. An honor that this book shows him to be well deserving of.

Highly recommended book.

This should be required reading for Heinlein newbies. I read my first RAH book (The Green Hills of Earth) about 1971, at the age of 11. I knew that I was on to something!

This book is a logical starting point. If you aren't a RAH type of reader, you should know by "The Roads Must Roll!" Obviously, this bold stab at the future takes on a different meaning now than it did in the 40's and 50's. I'll tell you what, though: It's the way the future SHOULD have turned out!

When you finish this vast volume, proceed on into Glory Road, followed by Starman Jones, Starship Troopers, The controversial farnham's Freehold, SIASL, Friday, and finally the piece de resistance: The Door Into Summer. At this point, you'll either fear to tackle an unread RAH piece for fear of destroying the mystique that has been built into your mind of this troubled genius of a writer, or you will be ravenously eager to devour any words that his hand penned. Either way, it all starts with the Future History series.

"I wonder why nobody reprints it: look at all the good marks it gets!!! "

Fantastic book, but holds way too much in the way of stories that can be (and are) printed and sold seperately.
It's unfortunate for new Sci-Fi fans, very hard to find a decent paperback copy somewhere. Mine is so worn, I need to rebind it.

I first read this book back in the late 60's while in high school. I purchased it as a gift for my husband as he was a Heinlein fan but never read this one. I am convinced that Heinlein could see the future,especially with the persecution of the Howard families and the evil Prophet. Little things that are now today commonplace. And Lazarus Long is one of my favorite reoccuring characters. If you are just starting to read sci fi, I suggest you read this one first as it whets your appetite for more.