Attention SF geeks

[kengr]

(mostly old time fans will get this)

Ok which one is supposed to be Delos D. Harriman? Jeff Bezos or Richard Branson?

Comments

[chanter1944]

I know I'm missing a reference here, but all I can think of is the Harriman who was Enterprise-B's disaster of a captain, during her tragicomedy of a shakedown run. My vote, in that case, is Bezos, the twerp who thinks money=wisdom.

[kengr]

Heinlein's Furure History stories. Harriman was the guy was the driving force behind the first Moon Landing. That was in the story The Man Who Sold the Moon.

He at least gets mentioned in a few other stories, but as I recall, the only other one he appears in is Requiem.

[chanter1944]

Aha. That explains it; I was put off Heinlein by Starship Troopers. For all I know, Trek's Harriman is a nod to Heinlein's.

[kengr]

Well, you might like some of Heinlein's earlier stuff. Some folks draw the line at Starship Troopers, others draw it later (I Will Fear No Evil is what I peg as the low point).

The Juveniles and the older Future History stuff are generally considered to be halfway decent if not great. And many of the short stories are excellent.

Though a lot of people don't realize that the shorts they are objecting to are not "the same old idea" but the *first* stories to use those ideas. For example All You Zombies and By His Bootstraps are the source of those particular time-travel ideas.

[acelightning73]

Most people I've discussed Heinlein with lost it at Podkayne of Mars

[acelightning73]

Go read Time Enough For Love Or even Stranger in a Strange Land. Or even Have Space-Suit - Will Travel.

[stickmaker]

Ever notice the parallels between _Requiem_ and the subplot and ending of _Space Cowboys_?

[kengr]

Don't think I've seen Space Cowboys..

On the other hand Robert Vaughan's character in Battle Beyond the Stars has a some resemblances in his fate.

ps. a number of local fans refer to Battle Beyond the Stars as "John Boy in space" :-)