After reading (and enjoying) Starship Troopers and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress,I wanted to continue reading Robert Heinlein’s notable works. This time, I went for Stranger in a Strange Land. It’s an essential part of the Sci-fi genre, and it was good to explore it. It was also satisfying to see the word ‘grok’ in its original context (even if the new AI model has tainted the word).
I found the first of the book to be absolutely captivating. It felt like Heinlein at his best, and had everything I loved about his other books. The politics and political manoeuvring was sharp and dynamic, the characters are varied and interesting. Jubal Harshaw felt very similar in style to the Professor in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. I particularly enjoyed how the characters navigated the return of Valentine Michael Smith (the Man from Mars, and titular stranger). It provides a good focal point to explore those questions about society, religion, and human nature.
The second half loses a little momentum. I read the original, unabridged version, which was released posthumously. I wonder if the second half was where more content was cut down for the initial publication. The point Heinlein makes about religion, the church and commune become clear fairly early, and so it doesn’t really develop. Perhaps it’s because what was provocative in the 1960s (free love, polyamory, critiques of organised religion) isn’t quite so today. These concepts are more widely discussed, if not universally accepted!
The book doesn’t really grapple with the darker realities of cults, particularly those centred around sex and charismatic leaders. There’s no real exploration of exploitation, consent, or how vulnerable people can be preyed upon, themes that feel glaringly absent from a modern perspective.
Still, there’s something about reading a book that was controversial sixty years ago and finding it tame today. Whether that speaks to Heinlein’s foresight or to the book’s cultural impact (or both), it’s worth the read simply to understand that evolution.
Peter R. S. Thomas 