Robert Heinlein’s Hugo Award-winning all-time masterpiece, the brilliant novel that grew from a cult favorite to a bestseller to a science fiction classic.Raised by Martians on Mars, Valentine Michael Smith is a human who has never seen another member of his species. Sent to Earth, he is a stranger who must learn what it is to be a man. But his own beliefs and his powers far exceed the limits of … exceed the limits of humankind, and as he teaches them about grokking and water-sharing, he also inspires a transformation that will alter Earth’s inhabitants forever…
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Really makes you think about our society and culture.
There aren’t enough superlatives to describe how amazing this book is, imo.
I’ve read and reread this book many times since I was a teenager. The characters are compelling and the storyline is unique.
Heinlein at his best. Only after you Grok this book can you really appreciate all the subtle undertones as Heinlein rakes the human race across the coals. Heinlein uses this book to point out the failures of humanity and the road to redemption. A fantastic read!
Just read it.
There are two versions of SIASL. One is the original published version which has about 40% edited out. The later one includes that 40%.
Heinlein did a phenomenal job of editing, picking and choosing every word. This makes the first version much superior to the later bloated, wheezing, self-involved version that came out later.
The first version is worth reading. It has not aged well. But it is a seminal work in the field. The later version is not worth the electrons its printed on.
A classic by one of the giants of science fiction
has a strange premise but is a very good read
One of my all time favorite books. Thought provoking.
I love science fiction and a huge fan of Heinlein’s contemporaries. He is an excellent writer, but I just can’t get past the casual misogyny.
I fell in love with Heinlein books when I read Friday. This is just was good. Gives a look at what an alien might go through acclimating to earth customs.
Great book never read anything like it before.
I’ve read it several times over the years. My attitude has changed from supportive to annoyed, to just fun fiction if you don’t take it seriously. Reminds me of the cult of scientology and their leader Hubbard. Don’t be fooled by its cultish ending.
I was thinking one-day that I wanted to re-read this book and then it showed up the next day on BookBub. Love synchronicity!
Heinlein still rocks, even though some of the attitudes and vernacular are dated and not ” p c” it still makes me think and question our commonly held beliefs and customs.
That is a prime reason that I read science and speculative fiction.
The story was fresh in 1966 when I was 19, but not so much now. During the age of Aquarius, the nudity, sex, and promiscuity were considered normal – 40+ years later the story is no longer fresh, nor exciting or titillating. This is a good book to have not re-read years later – perhaps the rosy glasses of youth would have retained the fun in the story, versus, the banality elicited today.
Perhaps it’s the view from maturity that prevents the enjoyment of the story, or just a changed life view – but at any rate, I’m unable to recommend the book.
Old school youth fiction.
This is a classic. You can’t go wrong reading this. Certainly a 1930s, 1940s flavor.
Classic later Heinlein. Great when you “grok” it.
R.A.H. Creates the best people and stories.
Dated, but in it’s time so original and ground breaking. Nothing like it before.