A Political History of SF

[mikebailey at speakeasy.net]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dave Monroe [mailto:monropolitan at yahoo.com]

> I reread in teh past year or so both Starship Troopers
> and Starner ina Strange Land (the expanded ed., this
> time). The former I think still holds up, despite my
> ideological queasiness about it, but I've even less
> tolerance for SIASL now. The (not-so-)cryptofascist
> underbelly of hippiedom, apparently. But I still
> recall fondly Heinlein's The Rolling Stones ...
> 

The Rolling Stones is teh cool...

(so is Alfred Bester's short fiction, and also Delaney's -- "cleansing the palate for Pynchon")

however, my impression of the 2 other books is exactly opposite what you said: Starship Troopers glorifying militarism...which to me is the essence of fascism, or at least an essential component (the authoritarian personality wouldn't hold much sway without a strong armed service) -- you can't be a citizen without being a soldier, and the notion of completely irredeemable enemies who need exterminating is played up, which may or may not be true as to alien species but is called "genocide" here and now on earth...
(from an Amazon review: "This book actually IS required reading for Naval Officers." --- sheesh)

SIASL for me shows Heinlein "projecting a world" - playing with the notions of government and religion, human nature, the role of the writer.  Gosh, I think it's his most un-fascist book, showing perhaps the individual is able to elude his government's efforts to repress him, but his Church will eat him.
Or something.  How can that be fascist?