The Joplin Globe reports that Missouri lawmakers have inducted science fiction writer Robert Heinlein to the Hall of Famous Missourians to a cheering crowd of fans who call themselves "Heinlein's children."
State Rep. T.J. Berry says Heinlein encouraged others to "strive for the stars, for the moon" and "for what's next." Donors to the Heinlein Society and the Heinlein Prize Trust paid for a bronze bust of Heinlein, which will be displayed in the House Chamber at the Capitol where it will join 45 other Missourians honored with busts in the hall including Mark Twain, Dred Scott and Ginger Rogers, as well as more controversial Missourians such as Rush Limbaugh.
"Our devotion to this man must seem odd to those outside of the science fiction field, with spaceships and ray guns and bug-eyed monsters," Heinlein Society President Keith Kato said. "But to Heinlein's children, the writing was only the beginning of doing."
(Score: 3, Insightful) by NotSanguine on Thursday August 25 2016, @09:10AM
Oh, but who are the bad guys? I've always seen it as a satirical criticism of the system more than of the bugs. So if it is referring to nazis/jews (which it isn't particularly, for reasons you seem to touch on) then it's anti-nazi.
I don't know about that. I think Heinlein just wanted to bang on about the importance of an electorate who want governance for the common good, (timely now, if you ask me) personal responsibility, and poke those kinder, gentler (don't beat your kids, "we ain't gonna study war no more"), pop-psychology do-gooders in the eye.
What's more, if the Arachnids had any real Earth analog, it would have been China and the USSR (Starship Troopers was published in 1959, at the height of the cold war).
More than anything else, Starship Troopers was a thinly-veiled attempt to glorify the military. Hell, when I was a kid, Starship Troopers made me want to join the Marines when I was old enough. Thankfully, I saw the light by the time I was eighteen.
But then, that's not so surprising, since Heinlein was an Annapolis graduate and a career Navy man.
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Thursday August 25 2016, @10:44AM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 25 2016, @03:51PM
It's one of those movie adaptations where the movie is good, the book is good, but they have little to do with each other except superficial details (other examples that come to mind are What Dreams May Come or I Am Legend's latest film attempt).
If you haven't seen it yet, Starship Troopers 3: Marauder is worth a watch. It's not Verhoeven, but it does a good enough job capturing the original's tone.
(Score: 2) by NotSanguine on Thursday August 25 2016, @07:04PM
The film, as I and others noted, bears only a cosmetic resemblance to the novel.
In fact, I found the movie almost nauseating.
Given that as a reader, I'm the director of my own internal movie, whereas, movie adaptations generally reflect the prejudices and vision of the screenwriters and director.
Also, such adaptations of novels I've read tend (IMHO) to be quite deficient, since the format doesn't allow for much internal dialogue and usually rip out huge sections which strongly inform the storytelling. In some cases, like Starship Troopers the movie bears little resemblance to the novel.
Interestingly, the 1994 adaptation [wikipedia.org] of The Puppet Masters [wikipedia.org] was relatively true to the novel.
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Friday August 26 2016, @09:29AM
I suspect I'd not get more than 10 pages into the book, if even that much - I'm way too visually stimulated, I want to be pamperred by the full experience created at the hands of professionals, I'm not prepared to invest the effort into creating my own sights and sounds; if I'm doing that, I may as well do the storyline too (and I am a lucid dreamer who can often control and direct my own dreams, so this is sometimes a reality).
Not personally appreciating a book doesn't mean that I don't respect Heinlein for his influence in the field, and I am happy that he's being rewarded by this memorial. Artists (from all of the creative fields, from music to visual arts, to literature) are too often under-appreciated. Where's Dick's one? Come on, Illinois, up your game!
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by NotSanguine on Saturday August 27 2016, @07:36AM
I suspect I'd not get more than 10 pages into the book, if even that much - I'm way too visually stimulated, I want to be pamperred by the full experience created at the hands of professionals, I'm not prepared to invest the effort into creating my own sights and sounds; if I'm doing that, I may as well do the storyline too (and I am a lucid dreamer who can often control and direct my own dreams, so this is sometimes a reality).
Different strokes for different folks. By all means, don't read the novel. More for me! :)
Not personally appreciating a book doesn't mean that I don't respect Heinlein for his influence in the field,
I never even considered that you were dissing Heinlein. But now that you bring it up, I considered it, and I see no reason to think you were disrespecting anyone about anything.
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Saturday August 27 2016, @02:32PM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by deadstick on Thursday August 25 2016, @01:10PM
since Heinlein was an Annapolis graduate and a career Navy man
Annapolis yes, career no. Tuberculosis ended his Navy service after five years.
(Score: 2) by NotSanguine on Thursday August 25 2016, @06:36PM
Yes, you're right. I forgot about that. My mistake.
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr