[geeks] e.e. smith "lensman" series

[Michael A. Turner]

	On the subject of Heinlein, if you have not had the chance go pick
up the "New" Version of stranger in a strange land do so immediately. Story
apparently goes like this. Heinlein writes scathing commentary on modern
society and it's idiotic foilibles in 1960's. Publisher won't touch it with
a ten foot pole. Makes him cut out 1/3 of the book before it is published.
Book becomes classic, loved by English teachers around the world because
stuff if left hanging , a lot for interpretation for them to brow beat their
kids with and to use to teach their brand of politics. 
	Skip ahead to 1990 after Heinlein has died. Widow is getting all the
trademark issues worked out. Gets a call from Heinlein's archivist and asks
which version of the book she wants to continue with. She is of course
surprised to find out their are two versions of the book. She then reads the
other version and has it published instead of the edited one. with all the
missing content intact and replaced. 
	I have read both versions. Stranger old kind of irked me as I felt
their was something I was net getting/missing. I read stranger new shortly
after it came out and finally I grokked it. So if you have not read the new
version I suggest that you get it, it's like a whole different book. 
	Also key in reading Heinlein is to remember that at one point he was
contracted to write one "boys" story a year and one "adult" book a year, so
that is why you see books like "got space suit, will travel" and "the
rolling stones" next to books such as "time enough for love". The great
thing is that he kept all books in the same timeline he originally wrote so
you see these boys book characters popping up in later works such as "Number
of the beast". My personal favorite, since we are sharing, is "J.O.B. a
comedy of justice". 

Michael A. Turner
Systems Engineer
WHRO
michael.turner at whro.org
http://www.whro.org


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Will Mc Donald [mailto:wmcdonald at ntlworld.com]
> Sent: Monday, April 15, 2002 4:08 AM
> To: geeks at sunhelp.org
> Subject: Re: [geeks] e.e. smith "lensman" series
> 
> 
> From: "Bill Bradford" <mrbill at mrbill.net>
> > On Mon, Apr 15, 2002 at 08:26:51AM +0100, Will Mc Donald wrote:
> > > I've read some of them. The characters crop up in some 
> Heinlein books too,
> the
> > > Lazarus Long stories.
> >
> > I *loved* the Lazarus Long stories.  first Heinlein I ever 
> read.  I went on
> > to read most of the rest.  I even managed to do a research 
> paper in my
> college
> > English class.  We had to do a report about a subject of a 
> book from a
> famous
> > author.
> 
> I've read a fair bit of Heinlein, can't say how much of his 
> total output but
> it's probably a sizeable proportion. Must remember to see how 
> much stuff he
> actually wrote.
> 
> > I picked "Friday" by Heinlein.  Did the report on genetic 
> engineering.
> 
> Good book. As is Number of the Beast. But then you probably 
> already know this.
> :)
> 
> > My lesbian man-hater professor said that Heinlein wasnt a 
> famous author!
> > She went to two other professors, who just laughed at her.  
> I got a B+ on
> > the paper (it was an A+ paper, but she had a grudge because 
> I managed to
> > get it in under her guidelines).
> 
> I can see why Heinlein would incense her, there a strangely 
> misogynistic
> streak in his writing. Or at least what could be construed as 
> such by people
> with narrow outlooks. He created some amazingly strong, 
> independant female
> characters but in the end they all just wanted to have babies 
> and be Good
> Little Wives [tm].
> 
> Will.
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