Stranger in a Strange Land

A human child born on Mars and raised by Martians is brought back to Earth as an adult, and turns out to be both legally the owner of a planet and psychologically not a human being. The first half is political — who controls him — and the second half is religious: he starts a church, teaches people to grok, and the novel becomes Heinlein’s argument with American sexual and religious convention, conducted at length and with very little embarrassment.

Context: a16z list Heinlein for using science-fiction premises “to deeply examine social constructs, and to poke & prod at the norms of his day,” and name this book as the example. They also note how hard he is to pin down — “a libertarian, a socialist, a supporter of the military, a staunch opponent of racism and sexism, and an advocate for free love” at different moments — while rarely being preachy. Kyle has already read Starship Troopers, the first of the three Heinlein titles on the list.

Connections

• a16z Infra Reading List — where this is listed, in the classics tier.
• Robert A. Heinlein — the author.
• Starship Troopers — the Heinlein Kyle has read, and close to this book’s political opposite.
• The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress — the third Heinlein title on the list.
• Religion — the back half of the novel is a founding narrative.
• Utopia — and the Nest is a deliberate attempt at one.
• Science Fiction — the genre.