Sunday, May 15, 2011

Books read in 2011: No. 21 - Grumbles from the Grave

by Robert A. Heinlein
edited by Virginia Heinlein

Started: May 11
Finished: May 14

Notes: I wouldn't say Heinlein is one of my favorite authors, but he is one I've enjoyed greatly over the years and I have high respect for him, especially his diversity of stories and styles, though nearly all within the realms of science fiction or at least speculative fiction. I'm often interested in how other writers work, and this is a book that to some extent focuses on that. This is a collection of letters and other notes from Heinlein, compiled by his wife after his death in 1988, as sort of a final memoir.

Mini review: An interesting read. The majority of the letters here are between Heinlein and his agent, though a number are between Heinlein and editors, or between Virginia Heinlein and others. There are glimpses into Heinlein's personal life, and just a tad of a look into his political interests. There is quite a bit here about Heinlein's working habits as a writer and his experience and interests in engineering and the military. True fans will want to read this. Writers could also learn much from this.

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