Science Fiction

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Lemmy World Rules

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Robert Heinlein's form letter response to people who wrote to him (lemmy.world)

submitted 9 months ago by FlyingSquid to c/sciencefiction

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[–] FlyingSquid 11 points 9 months ago (3 children)

When the idea is "if you get gang raped, just lie back and enjoy it," I think that says something about the person.

[–] NoRodent 18 points 9 months ago

(×) I don't discuss my colleagues' works or my own. A novelist writes from
many viewpoints; opinions expressed even by a first-person character are not
necessarily those of the author. Fiction is sold as entertainment, not as fact.
(×) Please do not write to me again.
                        Sincerely yours,
                                         Robert A. Heinlein, by ____

[–] [email protected] 12 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Not always. If it was a constant them then yes, but Heinlen was complicated. It’s like saying Stephen king likes to murder people.

[–] half_built_pyramids 7 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

It's okay to think rapey stuff is bad.

I haven't read this story, and it is ironic that Heinlein's list makes a point about the characters viewpoint not being the author's.

~~I'm~~ In that same point he also goes on to say that fiction is entertainment. It's also okay to like rapey entertainment I guess is the argument your making. Maybe you'd like the sword of truth books. Or some stephen r donaldson.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago

I haven’t read that book, so I can’t comment on it.

Starship troopers is all fascism but Heinlen wasn’t a fascist.

His books were to make you think or explore a topic.

[–] blackbelt352 4 points 9 months ago

That idea is also a very common thing in Ayn Rand's writing too, which he's said he was quite influenced by her writing in an interview in the mid 70s.