Re: Baen Books in the 1990s

Lynn McGuire

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Feb 4, 2016, 5:10:26 PM2/4/16

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On 2/4/2016 3:30 PM, William December Starr wrote:
> At MITSFS today I signed in a returned-via-the-bookdrop copy
> of Heinlein's FARNHAM's FREEHOLD. It's the 1994 Baen Books
> paperback, and on the cover right below the title it says:
>
> Science Fiction's Most
> Controversial Novel
>
> Seriously? It isn't even remotely the *author's* most
> controversial novel, let alone all of science fiction's.
>
> (Yeah I know: Jim Baen's been dead for almost a decade now so
> maybe I should stop bitching about stuff like this. Naah.)
>
> -- wds

Nope, not anywhere near as controversial as _Stranger in A Strange Land_ or _Sixth Column_. I am not touching "Time Enough For Love_
or _I Will Fear No Evil_.

However, we should be eternally grateful to Jim Baen for republishing most of Heinlein's awesome catalog in trade paperback. Sadly,
many of them are out of print again.

Lynn

Will in New Haven

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Feb 4, 2016, 6:06:40 PM2/4/16

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Judging from actual, you know, controversy, TROOPERS is his most controversial novel by a lot.

--
Will in New Haven

MajorOz

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Feb 4, 2016, 8:58:02 PM2/4/16

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Agreed.

Some will say his best vs. his worst.

Or the most groundbreaking

But, "controversial" means, to me, partisans arguing about what this means or that means or was it HIS voice or Rico's voice or glorifying nazism or advocating dedication.....or....

So....yeah....Troopers is the most controversial.

djinn

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Feb 4, 2016, 9:56:35 PM2/4/16

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People who haven't even heard of FF have opinions on Starship Troopers, so yeah, ST is easily more controversial.

William December Starr

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Feb 4, 2016, 11:14:05 PM2/4/16

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In article <n90i36$4nj$1...@dont-email.me>,

Lynn McGuire <l...@winsim.com> said:

> On 2/4/2016 3:30 PM, William December Starr wrote:
>
>> of Heinlein's FARNHAM's FREEHOLD. It's the 1994 Baen Books
>> paperback, and on the cover right below the title it says:
>>
>> Science Fiction's Most
>> Controversial Novel
>>
>> Seriously? It isn't even remotely the *author's* most
>> controversial novel, let alone all of science fiction's.
>

> Nope, not anywhere near as controversial as _Stranger in A Strange
> Land_ or _Sixth Column_. I am not touching "Time Enough For Love_
> or _I Will Fear No Evil_.

Actually, I was thinking of STARSHIP TROOPERS. That's the one that
seems to cause the most arguments that I've been aware of anyway.

-- wds

Michael Black

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Feb 5, 2016, 7:03:18 PM2/5/16

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On Thu, 4 Feb 2016, djinn wrote:

> People who haven't even heard of FF have opinions on Starship Troopers,
> so yeah, ST is easily more controversial.
>

If more people knew about Farnham's Freehold, there might be a fuss.

Memory says I wasn't that comfortable with it when I first read it, which
would have been in the seventies as a teenager. I was just going through
the Heinlein books, it was just another title. And I can't remember what
was icky about it, I don't reread it as much as some of his books, but
when I do I think "well this is okay, I should have reread it sooner".

I think it's some of the sex that would upset people, rather than the
cannibalism, but I'm not certain.

Michael

MajorOz

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Feb 5, 2016, 10:31:59 PM2/5/16

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It was written during the rise of (modern defined) liberalism, and made the horrifying allegations that...

Logic should trump emotion

Old guys could get frisky with young things

People sometimes need to sacrifice

...and worst of all

Blacks could be as nasty as whites

So....the literary set trashed it.

Lynn McGuire

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Feb 8, 2016, 1:18:09 PM2/8/16

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On 2/5/2016 10:16 PM, William December Starr wrote:
> In article <n92rl2$jhk$3...@dont-email.me>,
> Lynn McGuire <l...@winsim.com> said:
>
>> On 2/5/2016 12:27 AM, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
>>
>>> Unfortunately though it's just not a very good book.
>>
>> OK, you are speaking for yourself here.
>
> And for me too.
>
> -- wds

Blasphemy! Stone the critic!

Just kidding.

Lynn