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Article: Heinlein and the Cold War: epistemology and politics in the Puppet Masters and Double Star.(Robert A. Heinlein)(Critical essay)
- Article from:
- Extrapolation
- Article date:
- March 22, 2008
- Author:
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In an essay written the same year as Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein argued for a definition of science fiction as "realistic speculation about possible future events, based solidly on adequate knowledge of the real world, past and present, and on a thorough understanding of the nature and significance of the scientific method" ("Science Fiction: Its Nature, Faults and Virtues" 28). The genre's focus, he continued, should be "preparing our youngsters to be mature citizens of the Galaxy" (61). Heinlein's definition is striking for its characterization of the galaxy and the role of humanity within it. In other words, the mysteries of space exploration, in this ...