Worth a read, but not impressive. ( )

After watching the movie Predestination I wanted to read this the story the movie was based upon. The movie surprisingly follows the plot fairly close with just an added subplot of a bomber who's chased by the narrator. ( )

Half of a book that's been among my very favorites for a half-dozen decades. These are outside Heinlein's "Future History," which freed him to write some really odd/interesting stuff. Crooked House and Our Fair City are particular favorites; they're not just among Heinlein's best work but among the best short stories I've ever read.

Now I'm off to reread The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag, which was about half of the original book. I really don't understand why they've clipped the book, but at least the combined price is reasonable. ( )

Re-read 6/2/18:

Nostalgia hits again. :) Thinking about doing a lot more Heinlein reads fairly soon. :)

Original Review:

I had to reread this after just watching Predestination on which it was based. I was impressed with the movie but even more so with the story. I guess I picked up more nuances this time. It was all the more impressive because of how the character study really played out and what wasn't said but could be deduced. I think I can thank the movie more for that aspect, although one storyline hadn't existed in the short story.

Even so, very impressive ideas and a minimalist style that was so understated that I'm not too surprised I missed it the first time. Preferred some of his other short stories more, but maybe I need to revisit them all and see how my grown-up-self takes them.

What can I say? It was tight and impactive and so very easy to see how it informed the later third of his novels in both strangeness and, dare I say it, incestuousness? Absolutely, but I'm of a mind that Heinlein is still the Grandmaster and should retain the title forever, regardless of the kinds of stunts he has been known to play. After all, he's not merely informative and didactic. He's one hell of a storyteller. ( )

All You Zombies, by Robert Heinlein


I was inspired to read this as it was the basis for the film Predestination. In Predestination, the guy who goes back in time is trying to find a killer who also seems elusive, as if he too is using time to do his bombing and terrorism.

The story by Heinlein is a bit less violent, a bit more humane and a lot more interesting.

Read it, very cool look at what might be.


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