Blogcritics: Comments on The Voice of RAH: Heinlein's First Novel

Comment by Eric Berlin

Tue, 21 Dec 2004 00:51:38 EST

On Writing is a great story in of iteself, a great read, and a great toolchest for writers to dig through. King actually pushed stories out to publishers and editors at an early age. But you're right in that he made damned sure that they looked good. I absolutely love his theory on the phases of writing: the closed-door phase and the open-door phase. As soon as I adopted this strategy, my first novel began to (finally) take shape. Eric Berlin Dumpster Bust: Miracles from Mind Trash http://dumpsterbust.blogspot.com

Comment by DrPat

Mon, 20 Dec 2004 21:12:36 EST

Stephen King is one of those who has withheld from publication his flawed early work. In On Writing (an excellent resource for the would-be writer, IMHO), he discussed at some length the responsibility of the writer not to burden his editors, publishers or readers with his "first drafts".

Comment by Eric Berlin

Mon, 20 Dec 2004 16:02:45 EST

I find it fascinating to learn of the origins and influences of popular or historic writers. For example, Stephen King wrote five novels and easily 100 short stories before Carrie was published in the 70s. As a writer, I find that tidbit both encouraging and horrifying. Think what you want about Mr. King (and I love his work) but bro was and is prolific.

Comment by DrPat

Mon, 20 Dec 2004 15:48:07 EST

Yep, similarity of style. These are common stylistic failings for first-time novelists - especially those who have a message to push. Some writers publish their (heavily-edited) first novels after they have reached that stage where the publisher will take anything under the "great name". Others publish under a pseudonym. Some, like Heinlein and H.G. Wells, go their grave with these first-born manuscripts buried in their files. And some, like Ayn Rand, publish ASAP. (I'll have to do a post or two on the greatness and great flaws of Rand's work.)

Comment by Eric Berlin

Mon, 20 Dec 2004 12:45:07 EST

I believe you do point out several connections between the two writers: their preachy styles, the political content, the penchant of characters to speechify. In any case, there is about a 15 year gap in my brief Rand fixation (Atlas Shrugged works as a Great American Novel for its first 500 or so pages, at least for a 15-year-old reader, before it breaks down into wonky talk) and my discovery of Heinlein as a guy you better get-off-your-ass and read if you ever want to write fiction that even breathes near the term Sci Fi (read that in a book on writing by the great Orson Scott Card, actually). Again, I thought this was an outstanding post: I learned a lot from it.

Comment by DrPat

Mon, 20 Dec 2004 10:34:50 EST

Eric, the connection is likely no closer than the similarity of titles. Ayn Rand's first novel, We the Living, was published in 1936 and certainly might have been on a politically-inclined ex-naval engineer's reading list. My copy is the first mass-market paperback from 1956, but there is nothing to say RAH might not have purchased the (relatively-obscure) hard-cover novel. I really meant to point out the similarity of style, as these two writers first began to find their authorial voices. Certainly, their subsequent novels diverged widely in style, if not so widely in philosophy.

Comment by SFC Ski

Mon, 20 Dec 2004 05:25:59 EST

Thanks for the tip.

Comment by Eric Berlin

Mon, 20 Dec 2004 00:27:47 EST

Thanks for such an intelligent and well researched post on RAH. I learned a lot as a casual fan and never would have realized the RAH-Rand connection. Heinlein has been on my "I really need to read more stuff by..." for a few years now. I've read several of his short stories, but have been told that "Stranger in a Strange Land" is a great, perhaps quintessential, place to start. Eric Berlin Dumpster Bust: Miracles from Mind Trash http://dumpsterbust.blogspot.com