Robert A. Heinlein : Science Fiction Master

One was the "hard" science elements of his writing. That made his stories believable in my mind. Heinlein is responsible for elevating the respectability of the genre because of the high level of science and engineering plausibility present in his works. The science and the higher literary quality of his writing raised the bar for all sci-fi authors back in the 1940's. Heinlein was the first writer to get his work published in mainstream magazines like the Saturday Evening Post.

The other thing was the themes that came up in all of his books. His characters discussed a wide range of topics that explored ideas about individual liberty, self reliance, and a person's obligation to society. They examined the influence of organized religion on culture and government, as well as the influence of space travel on the human race. I identified most with the discussions that focused on the tendency of societies to repress non-conformist thought. The relationships of the members of the Howard Families were fascinating and compelling to my 20 something year old mind. Talk about a "what if?" The difference between love and lust were illustrated for me by these characters in ways that I had never thought of.

Heinlein's prolific 49 year long career spawned 32 novels, 59 short stories, and 16 collections of works. As if that wasn't enough, his work continued to be published after his death in 1988. 3 nonfiction books, 2 poems, 1 novel, 4 collections, and an unusual "collaboration" with Spider Robinson ( S.R. wrote a novel using a story outline written by R.A.H. ) make up his posthumous works. 4 Hugo Awards, 3 "Retro" Hugo's, and a Grand Master Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Science Fiction Writers of America are proof that he was a legendary author of the genre.

A few of Heinlein's ideas moved beyond the realm of fiction.

The waterbed was first suggested by RAH as a way of neutralizing the effects of high g-forces during spaceflight.

The waldo (a remote manipulator) is also one of his ideas

He didn't bother to patent either one of them.