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Want to read a classic science fiction book from the 1950s? If so,
maybe you should try reading The Door into Summer
by Robert A. Heinlein. There's "long sleep", suspended animation, for a one way trip to the future. Imagine waking up in the year 2000! Gosh! (OK, I'll admit this book is a bit dated, but it was written over forty years ago in 1957) And there's also the classified science of temporal displacement or time travel... Robert A. Heinlein was one of the most popular science fiction writers ever. Most of his books are still in print today. He wrote such classics as Stranger in a Strange Land, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Friday, and (for you sci-fi movie junkies) Starship Troopers |
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I read this book for the first time in 2000, and
found it entertaining. I enjoyed Heinlein's first person, chatty,
writing style. The book starts out good, drags a bit in the middle, but picks up nicely
at the end. Perhaps it helps to read this book as a time capsule from the 1950s. Heinlein's depiction of the year 2000 has little correspondence with our reality, and his speculations are often humorously off the mark. Some situations and dialog in the book are dated. A few remarks can be considered politically incorrect. Take this into account if such things significantly decease your reading pleasure. |
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"...While
still a kitten, all fluff and buzzes, Pete had worked out a simple philosophy.
I was in charge of quarters, rations, and weather; he was in charge of
everything else. But he held me especially responsible for weather.
Connecticut winters are good only for Christmas cards; regularly that
winter Pete would check his own door, refuse to go out it because of that
unpleasant white stuff beyond it (he was no fool), then badger me to open
a people door. He had a fixed conviction that at least one of them must
lead into summer weather."
quote from The Door into Summer - Robert A. Heinlein <- Check out the year 2000 outfit on this 1959 paperback! |
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The book starts in 1970 with Dan Davis --- engineer and founder of Hired Girl,
Inc., a growing company that makes household robots --- looking for his own door into summer. His
former business partner, Miles Gentry, and his former fiancée, Belle Darkin, the company
secretary, have conspired together to take over his business.
an was too trustful, perhaps too naive. He shouldn't have assigned company stock over to Belle as an engagement gift. He should have seen that Belle was lying when she said she liked his cat. Things get nasty when Dan confronts Miles and Belle. They put Dan into the Long Sleep, ship him off to 2000 A.D., to get rid of him. Fortunately Dan mailed his Hired Girl stock to Ricky at Girl Scout camp. Dan wakes up in the year 2000 and finds things not quite as expected. He searches for Miles, Belle, and Ricky. Then he discovers a way to make it so Belle and Miles don't get away with their schemes after all. |
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Some things in Heinlein's year 2000, but not ours.... The Six Weeks War, a nuclear war circa 1970 Movies are called 'grabbies' , robots are prevalent Short term marriage contracts Gold is cheap, there's a Luna Shuttle Sticktite (velcro?) closure seams on clothing Meat grown in tanks, NullGrav, traveling on "Ways" Denver is the National Capitol Some things in Heinlein's year 2000 and ours... "Do babies come out of test tubes?" Gold is no longer a basis for money The Panic of '87 (The Stock Market took a hit that year) "For ten dollars you can get a very satisfactory dinner...if you are careful..." Drawing machine Drafting Dan, sounds like computer CAD "Universal checkbook system...a cybernet", sounds like ATMs |
