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| View Larger Image | Stranger in a Strange Land
by Robert A. Heinlein
| | List Price: | $16.95 | | Price: | $11.53 | | You Save: | $5.42 (32%) |  | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours | | | | | Sales Rank: | 6005 | | Studio: | Ace Trade | | | Binding: | Paperback | | Number Of Pages: | 528 | | Publication Date: | October 01, 1991 | | Publisher: | Ace Trade |
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Book Description
This is the epic saga of an earthling, Valentine Michael Smith, born and educated on Mars, who arrives on our planet with many psi powers, including the ability to take control of the minds of others—and complete innocence regarding the mores of man. |
Amazon.com
Stranger in a Strange Land, winner of the 1962 Hugo Award, is the story of Valentine Michael Smith, born during, and the only survivor of, the first manned mission to Mars. Michael is raised by Martians, and he arrives on Earth as a true innocent: he has never seen a woman and has no knowledge of Earth's cultures or religions. But he brings turmoil with him, as he is the legal heir to an enormous financial empire, not to mention de facto owner of the planet Mars. With the irascible popular author Jubal Harshaw to protect him, Michael explores human morality and the meanings of love. He founds his own church, preaching free love and disseminating the psychic talents taught him by the Martians. Ultimately, he confronts the fate reserved for all messiahs. The impact of Stranger in a Strange Land was considerable, leading many children of the 60's to set up households based on Michael's water-brother nests. Heinlein loved to pontificate through the mouths of his characters, so modern readers must be willing to overlook the occasional sour note ("Nine times out of ten, if a girl gets raped, it's partly her fault."). That aside, Stranger in a Strange Land is one of the master's best entertainments, provocative as he always loved to be. Can you grok it? --Brooks Peck |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 539 reviews)
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This is the greatest???? 
With books like "Ender's Game," "Dune," The "Foundation" books, and "Rendezvous with Rama" how can anybody claim this is the greatest sci-fi novel ever written? Aside from a mostly undescribed trip to Mars, aliens, and superpowers in a human, I don't even see how this could be considered sci-fi in the first place. After reading it, I looked at the copyright date: 1961. Then I thought, "What, did this start the hippie free-love movement????" Sure enough, it did.
Sure, Heinlein wrote it to stimulate some critical thought. And his goal was apparently to have you question conventional social mores. But to me, the new life described is a bit extreme, and depends totally on the influence of an almost magical messiah-type figure from another planet. In other words, it is against human nature. The result sounds fun, but it would be anarchy and unsustainable en masse.
I give it 2 stars, because I thought it was overrated, though relatively well-written. I'll concede it's part of the sci-fi canon, but I recommend other titles for "best!"
August 05, 2008 | |
Excelent Read... 
This book is absolutely amazing. Draws you in from the very first page, and after reading it, it leaves you with no questions, but a very insightful look into human nature.
Once you pick it up you will find it hard to put it down to do things like sleep or go to work.
August 04, 2008 | |
It was okay... 
For it's time I could see why it started such a stir, but it wasn't the mind altering experience I thought it would be. A good read if you can pick it up for free, but I don't know I'd buy my own copy.
July 31, 2008 | |
Mindblowing, if you can grok it.
This novel is an absolute masterpiece. As with any great Science Fiction [this is the rare hard fiction variety], paradigms dissolve to explore humanity, spirituality and other topics on levels normally taboo to mainstream minds. This novel may be read on a multitude of layers for those minds open enough to see them.
If you liked this novel, then The Veil of Eden [www.veilofeden.com] will impress you as well: coming to Amazon.com in July.
July 02, 2008 | |
Decent
When I heard this was a sci-fi standard, I felt rather obligated to read it. But going through it, I just was not captivated. Oh, it was alright, to be sure, but I did not get the hoopla. Was it a trend setter pushing the boundary? Introducing socially controversial issues like sexuality? Part of the problem as well is that the original critically heralded book was way trimmed down from what I read. Researching this point I found there is a disagreement as to which is superior, that perhaps the cut version was actually superior.
I'll check out another of Heinlein's books, I got a long list to go through first of other authors, I try to limit myself to only one author to get through as many different and diverse as I can, and having two sons certainly does not lend itself well to the situation.
June 26, 2008 | |
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