Stranger in a Strange Land

Robert Heinlein is considered one of the major figures in the early days of American science fiction. With a background in aeronautical engineering, Heinlein was one of the first writers in the genre to emphasize scientific accuracy in his work, and he is often credited as the “dean” of hard science fiction. This knowledge of engineering is evident early in the narrative in Heinlein’s descriptions of “free-fall orbits” and “bounce tubes.” The crew of the Envoy is carefully selected according to a range of scientific skills—biochemistry, astrophysics, electronic engineering, semantics—that someone with a background in science would deem necessary.

Heinlein, famously, had other interests: politics and religion chief among them, and those interests inform the narrative. As a staunch libertarian, he had little patience for political meddling in the private affairs of citizens. “Government! Three fourths parasitic and the other fourth stupid fumbling” (“33 of the Best Robert Heinlein Quotes on Liberty, Politics, and Culture.” Foundation for Economic Education, 10 Feb. 2023). Heinlein’s Federation government is a corrupt hierarchy in which prominent players make power grabs and trample on individual rights to maintain their influence. The government and its “S.