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I once read an article by him about a trip he and his wife took to Moscow back in the 1960's/70's. Judging by transportation, housing, and just the number of people on the streets he and his wife concluded that there was no way in hell Moscow supported the then-official population estimate of 8,000,000... iirc, he was saying it was 1.5 million, tops. Does anybody remember this article and does anybody know if he was onto (or on) something?
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Wasn't he the one who made a bet with Ron L. Hubbard whether or not he could start a religion?"The world is too small in Vorarlberg". Austrian ex-vice-chancellor Hubert Gorbach in a letter to Alistar [sic] Darling, looking for a job...
"Let me break this down for you, fresh from algebra II. A 95% chance to win 5 times means a (95*5) chance to win = 475% chance to win." Wiglaf, Court jester or hayseed, you judge.Comment
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I think that was Asimov, not Heinlein.Comment
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No, it was Heinlein.
Stranger In A Strange Land reflects on this in some parts.No, I did not steal that from somebody on Something Awful.Comment
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Yeah, that's what he said : he was a fascist.Originally posted by TCO
Go Navy, beat slugs! He was an anti-communist.
"An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind" - GandhiComment
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Serious question: I'm willing to accept that Heinlein was a fascist, seeing as the only book of his I've read is Starship Troopers, but based on that book alone how do you people reach the conclusion that he's a fascist?"Paul Hanson, you should give Gibraltar back to the Spanish" - Paiktis, dramatically over-estimating my influence in diplomatic circles.
Eyewerks - you know you want to visit. No really, you do. Go on, click me.Comment
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Heinlein is a decent writer, but Asimov is in his own league - just his creation of robots would do it alone.(\__/) 07/07/1937 - Never forget
(='.'=) "Claims demand evidence; extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence." -- Carl Sagan
(")_(") "Starting the fire from within."Comment
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I actually prefer Heinlein. Asimov had good ideas and decent plots, but his writing and dialogue was sloppy most of the time, to say the least.
I've read Starship Troopers and yea, the book sounds quite fascist. Maybe he had a dual personality? Anyway, I've read interpretations of the book that make it less weird (in comparison with his other books that is) but it was kinda forced and I don't remember it anyway.Brought to you by Firelad, AKA King of the FairiesComment
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He was pissed off when he wrote the book and wanted to jam it up the ass of those who were peaceniks with the Soviets. He was against the nuclear test ban treaty which Eisenhower signed (or some executive action of such.) He wanted to look the commies in the eye and beat em with a stick. Just like REagan. That's what worked. Not the wimpy accomdation crap or Carter and the like.Comment
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But Troopers can be a bit hard to take for some...Comment
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After reading Starship Troopers, I was seriously considering demanding that anyone who volunteers for the military have their right to vote taken from them.:PBlog | Civ2 Scenario League | leo.petr at gmail.comComment
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Careful about critizing Heinlein. Lazarus Long and Andy Libby could be lurking.
"I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration somehow you're not patriotic. We should stand up and say we are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration." - Hillary Clinton, 2003Comment
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J. Michael Stracynski is still better than all of 'em put together (he's the guy who originally created "Babylon 5").-30-Comment
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Heinlein must ahve been on something to think that moscow held only 1.5 million people. If antying, one is most likely to undercount urban dwellers, not make 6.5 million up. (of course, did heinlein know the city limits by which that number was established?)If you don't like reality, change it! me
"Oh no! I am bested!" Drake
"it is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong" Voltaire
"Patriotism is a pernecious, psychopathic form of idiocy" George Bernard ShawComment
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1.5 million? Considering that it's now a city of at least 13 million (and many others uncounted), I agree with GePap.
Re Heinlein, I like some of his work.
I came upon a barroom full of bad Salon pictures in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. It was the institution of the "free lunch" I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt. Remember this if ever you are stranded in these parts. ~ Rudyard Kipling, 1891Comment
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