Showing results by author "Robert A. Heinlein" in All Categories

In a distant galaxy of colonized planets, the atrocity of slavery is alive and well. Young Thorby was just another bedraggled orphan boy sold at auction, but his new owner, Baslim, is not the disabled beggar he appears to be. Adopting Thorby as his son, Baslim fights relentlessly as an abolitionist spy. When the authorities close in on Baslim, Thorby must find his own way in a hostile galaxy. Joining with the Free Traders, a league of merchant princes, Thorby must find the courage to live by his wits and fight his way up from society's lowest rung.

Robert A. Heinlein's Gentlemen, Be Seated! is a gripping and suspenseful science fiction short story that highlights themes of ingenuity, survival, and the indomitable human spirit in the face of disaster. Originally published in 1948, this classic tale exemplifies Heinlein's ability to blend technical realism with high-stakes adventure. Set in a near-future lunar colony, the story follows an experienced space reporter and a group of lunar workers who find themselves in a life-threatening situation when a structural failure causes a dangerous air leak in an underground tunnel.

The Green Hills of Earth blends Heinlein's characteristic exploration of human nature with a lyrical examination of the costs of space exploration and the human desire for connection to home. The story also delves into the role of art and poetry in expressing the deeper emotions and longings of those who venture into the unknown. This short story is a masterful exploration of the tension between adventure and sacrifice, reminding listeners of the emotional costs of leaving behind everything that is familiar in the pursuit of new frontiers.

This collection features four classic, dramatized Robert Heinlein stories: "Universe", "Requiem", "The Green Hills of Earth", and "The Roads Must Roll".

Robert A. Heinlein's The Black Pits of Luna is an exciting and suspenseful science fiction short story that explores the dangers of space exploration, the resilience of the human spirit, and the thrill of adventure beyond Earth. First published in 1948, this classic tale showcases Heinlein's ability to craft realistic yet gripping narratives set in the expanding frontier of space. The story follows a young boy who, while on a family trip to the Moon, gets separated from his group during a guided tour of the lunar surface.

We Also Walk Dogs is a science fiction short story by American writer Robert A. Heinlein. One of his Future History stories, it was first published in Astounding Science Fiction (July 1941, as by Anson MacDonald) and collected in The Green Hills of Earth (and subsequently The Past Through Tomorrow).

Requiem is a short story by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, a sequel to his science fiction novella The Man Who Sold the Moon, although it was in fact published several years earlier than that story, in Astounding, January 1940. The story was also performed as a play on October 27, 1955, on the NBC Radio Network program X Minus One. It is also the first story in the retrospective Requiem: New Collected Works by Robert A. Heinlein and Tributes to the Grand Master.

Life-Line is a short story by American author Robert A. Heinlein. Published in the August 1939 edition of Astounding, it was Heinlein's first published short story. The protagonist, Professor Hugo Pinero, builds a machine that will predict how long a person will live. It does this by sending a signal along the world line of a person and detecting the echo from the far end. Professor Pinero's invention has a powerful impact on the life insurance industry, as well as on his own life.

Let There Be Light is a science fiction short story by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, originally published in Super Science Stories magazine in May 1940 under the pseudonym Lyle Monroe. It is the second story in his Future History and was included in the first collection, The Man Who Sold the Moon, but was omitted from the omnibus collection The Past Through Tomorrow. This story draws on Heinlein's early leftist ideas, and makes references to George Bernard Shaw's The Apple Cart.

Robert A. Heinlein's Searchlight is a gripping and suspenseful science fiction short story that highlights the power of human ingenuity and technological advancement in overcoming life-threatening challenges. First published in 1962, this tale is a testament to Heinlein's ability to blend hard science with emotional depth. The story revolves around a young blind girl, an exceptionally talented pianist, who becomes lost on the Moon after an accident during a lunar expedition.

Engineers create conveyor-belt-like roads, the only way to keep the congested future moving. But now a strike is shutting it all down. Based on a story by Robert Heinlein, this episode of X Minus One originally aired on January 4, 1956.

A dying tycoon wants to live out his final days on the Moon. Based on a story by Robert Heinlein, this episode of Dimension X originally aired on September 22, 1951.

X Minus One premiered in April 1955 on NBC and ran until January 1958. Like its predecessor series, Dimension X, X Minus One featured stories by the greatest names in modern science fiction: Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Clifford Simak, Robert Bloch, and many more.

Robert A. Heinlein's Space Jockey is a gripping short story that offers a realistic and human perspective on space travel. First published in 1947, this tale explores the challenges faced by commercial space pilots in a future where spaceflight has become routine but remains physically and emotionally demanding. The story follows Jake Pemberton, a seasoned pilot navigating the vast emptiness of space while balancing the pressures of his job with the strains of family life back on Earth.

X Minus One premiered in April 1955 on NBC and ran until January 1958. Like its predecessor series, Dimension X, X Minus One featured stories by the greatest names in modern science fiction: Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Clifford Simak, Robert Bloch, and many more.

Humans occupy the lower decks of a space ark; mutants control the upper decks. But is there life beyond? Based on a story by Robert Heinlein, this episode of Dimension X originally aired on August 2, 1951.

Après la grande guerre atomique de la fin du XXe siècle, le monde ne fut plus que chaos et désordre. Pour éliminer les hordes barbares qui s'étaient formées, les survivants durent remettre leur sort entre les mains de l'armée. Un siècle plus tard la civilisation, arrivée à l'âge des étoiles, reste dirigée par les militaires. Dans cet univers, Johnnie Rico s'engage le jour de ses dix-huit ans dans l'infanterie spatiale. Il ne sait pas quel sort terrible attend les fantassins qui, sur les mondes lointains, vont devoir affronter les armées arachnides.

X Minus One premiered in April 1955 on NBC and ran until January 1958. Like its predecessor series, Dimension X, X Minus One featured stories by the greatest names in modern science fiction: Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Clifford Simak, Robert Bloch, and many more.

Based on Robert Heinlein's classic story of "Noisy" Rhysling, a blind space-traveling singer who longs to return to Earth, this episode of X Minus One originally aired on July 7, 1955.

X Minus One premiered in April 1955 on NBC and ran until January 1958. Like its predecessor series, Dimension X, X Minus One featured stories by the greatest names in modern science fiction: Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Clifford Simak, Robert Bloch, and many more.