a822b0fa   
   XPost: rec.arts.sf.written   
   From: seawasp@sgeinc.invalid.com   
      
   Bill Patterson wrote:   
   > On Sep 29, 12:43�pm, William Hyde  wrote:   
   >> On Sep 29, 2:13�pm, Bill Patterson  wrote:   
   >>   
   >>   
   >>   
   >>> ok -- but, again, those were not the terms of the original question.   
   >> I came a bit late to the thread, but going to older posts I can't   
   >> actually find an "original question". �But if it has anything to do   
   >> with Heinlein starting points, you want a fun story, and one low on   
   >> the "now I tell you how the world should be run" scale.   
   >>   
   >> If I wanted to introduce an adult to Heinlein, the choice of book   
   >> would depend on the individual. �Double star, maybe, or Moon, or even   
   >> a lighter work like "The puppet masters". �Never Stranger, and never   
   >> ST. �And seven times seven not TNOTB.   
   >>   
   >> William Hyde   
   >   
   > In very brief, the original poster represented himself as a neofan in   
   > the classic definition who had apparently never been exposed to the   
   > idea that Heinlein was a significant figure in the field, and he   
   > asked, paraphrasing "who is this Heinlein guy and why is he important   
   > enough that people are talking about him so much?"   
      
   	No, paraphrasing it was "I see RAH is or was apparently important. What   
   RAH would you recommend I start with?"   
      
   	Your phrasing implies that the original poster cares about WHY the   
   author was important, and your subsequent discussion implies that they   
   should be starting with "significant" books.   
      
   	My reaction would be "first find out if he produces stuff fun to read"   
   and then, if he does, you can probably discover for yourself what was   
   significant. Or not.   
      
   	I would never introduce anyone to RAH by trying to select "significant"   
   books. Only the books that I think by their nature would grab you by the   
   throat and force you to read them, if you were at all likely to enjoy   
   Heinlein at all.   
      
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