Stranger in a Strange Land

by Robert A. Heinlein

• published ("edited" or "cut") in 1961
  
• book was conceived in 1949 (as "Gulf" for J.W. Campbell, Jr.)
  
• original working title was The Man from Mars
  
• suggested titles (from Heinlein) include:
  
  • The Heretic
    
  • The Sound of His Wings
    
  • A Sparrow Falls
    
  • Born Unto Trouble (Job 5:7)
    
  • That Forbidden Tree (Milton)
    
  • Of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:17)
    
  • No one actually remembers where the title "Stranger in a Strange Land" comes from
    
• It won the Hugo in 1962.
  
• Hardcover sales were poor, trade ok, paperback excellent
  

2. Characters

• Gillian (Jill) Boardman
  
• Ben Caxton
  
• Valentine Michael Smith
  
• Captain Van Tromp
  
• Dr. Mahmoud (Stinky)
  
• Dr. Nelson
  
• Jubal Harshaw
  
• Miriam
  
• Dorcas
  
• Anne
  
• Larry
  
• Duke
  
• Sec. General Douglas
  
• Agnes Douglas
  
• Alexandra Vesant (Allie, Becky Vesey)
  
• Archangel Foster
  
• Supreme Bishop Digby
  
• Senator Boone
  
• Patty Paiwonski
  
• Dawn Ardent
  
  

3. Issues (or Heinleinian opinion?)

• Anthropology
  
  • nature vs. nurture
    
  • competitiveness of man
• Biology
  
  • bipolarity
    
    • human
      
    • Martian
      
  • Martian Life Cycle
    
  • control of one's body
    
  • inherent instincts (re: cannabalism)
    
• Sex (as separate category?)
  
  • polygamy
    
  • bisexuality
    
    • female
      
    • male
      
  • homosexuality
    
• Religion
  
  • monotheism
    
  • cults
    
  • agnosticism
    
  • atheism
    
• Politics
  
  • flapper system
    
  • Larkin decision
    
• Philosophy
  
  • of life? (Jubal is primary proponent)
    
  • of man? (not shape, etc.)
    
• Law
  
  • concept of bastardy and civilized laws
    
• Feminism
  
  • How does Heinlein characterize his women?
    
    • Dorcas, Miriam, and Anne have no last names
      
    • Keep note of all clothing references
      
    • hair references
      
      • hair length of Mike in hospital
        
      • Mike's whiskers inhibited
        
    • 2 females in "power" positions only. There are no female doctors at Jill's hospital
      
      • Dr. Mary Jane Lyle Smith (deceased)
        
      • Agnes Douglas (wife of Gen. Sec. Douglas)
        • see uncut for her reasons
          
    • Beckey Vesey can't handle multiplication tables.
      
    • Jill can't deal with the Big Bosses (pg 83)
      
    • all women have maternal instinct... (pg. 75)
      
    • utility and beauty be combined (pg. 81)
      
    • a dim view of males being reared by females (pg. 94)
      
    • quote on pg 211 raising girls
      
    • timid eagerness of a bride brought to bed (236)
      
    • this is not a time when women have the vote (pg. 465, uncut)
      
• Linguistics
  
  • Martian and mental "maps"
    

4. Important concepts

• Water Brotherhood / Nest
  
• Fair Witness
  
• grok
  

6. Random oddballs

• a "nigger" necktie (pg. 517, uncut)
  
• random intro stuff, like persecuting the white minority in south africa
  
  

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