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17 unusual facts about Robert A. Heinlein


Arthur M. Dula

Art Dula is literary executor for the major science fiction writer, Robert A. Heinlein.

Basic English

In his story "Gulf", science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein used a constructed language called Speedtalk, in which every Basic English word is replaced with a single phoneme, as an appropriate means of communication for a race of genius supermen.

Bootstrap paradox

The term "bootstrap paradox" refers to the expression "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps"; the use of the term for the time-travel paradox was popularized by Robert A. Heinlein's story By His Bootstraps.

Bruce Pennington

Pennington's works have largely featured on the covers of novels of the likes of Isaac Asimov, Clark Ashton Smith and Robert A. Heinlein, adopting both science fiction and fantastical themes.

Charles W. Lyon

Lyon cross-filed, running in both the Republican and Democratic primaries, and secured his re-election by defeating future Richard Nixon campaign manager Murray Chotiner in the Republican poll, and narrowly beating Robert A. Heinlein (who subsequently turned to writing science fiction) in the Democratic contest.

Eight Worlds

These are attributed to "Valentine Michael Smith", the "leader" of a group of idealists known as the "Heinleiners", and whose pseudonym is an obvious homage to Heinlein and his novel Stranger in a Strange Land.

Fifth column

Robert A. Heinlein's science fiction novel Sixth Column (1949) describes the work of a "sixth column", a hidden resistance movement fighting an oppressive occupying force of Asians on American soil.

Fifth International

Science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein mentioned a Fifth International in several of his depictions of the future.

Freemartin

The Robert A. Heinlein novel Beyond This Horizon lists "the clever and repulsively beautiful pseudo-feminine freemartins" as one of the genetically-engineered specialist types of humans that were created in the "Empire of the Great Khans" (chapter 2).

Jackie Estrada

In addition to having edited nine of the Con’s program books over the years, she helped start the Robert A. Heinlein annual blood drive, created the position of pro liaison, and created (and was the first coordinator of) artists’ alley at the Comic-Con.

Kenji Tsuruta

During his formative years in university as a student of optical science, Tsuruta, who had initially wanted to be a photographer, had been inspired by the works of numerous science fiction authors, such as Robert A. Heinlein, and manga artists, such as Yukinobu Hoshino and his manga Sabertooth Tiger, which had inspired him to create manga.

Live fire exercise

In some fictional scenarios, such as the training of the soldiers in Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers, a small fraction of the ammunition shot at the soldiers during exercises is real, and the shots are fully aimed.

Samuel Edward Konkin III

Konkin was editor and publisher of the irregularly-produced New Libertarian Notes (1971–1975), the New Libertarian Weekly (1975–1978), and finally New Libertarian magazine (1978–1990), the last issue of which was a special science fiction tribute featuring a Robert A. Heinlein cover (issue 187, 1990).

Something Good for Your Head

The title and lyrics are based on the Robert A. Heinlein science fiction novel that was widely popular among the San Francisco youth culture in the mid-1960s.

Spierig brothers

Their next film, Predestination, based on the science fiction short story "—All You Zombies—" by Robert A. Heinlein and co-written and co-directed by the twins, is scheduled for filming in January 2013.

Swope Park

The park is featured prominently in the fictional works of Robert A. Heinlein, who grew up in and around Kansas City.

The Polite Society

The society name and idea come from a quote by Robert A. Heinlein who wrote: "An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life".


A. T. Mann

Mann graduated from the Cornell University College of Architecture in 1966 and worked as an architect for Gruzen & Partners, Davis Brody Associates, and Robert A. M. Stern in New York City and The Architects' Collaborative (TAC) European office in Rome.

Calvin's Case

Robert A. Williams, Jr. argues that Edward Coke used this occasion to quietly provide a legal sanction for the London Virginia Company to dispense with affording Native Americans any rights as they settled in New England.

First Yale Unit

First Yale Unit members Robert Lovett and Artemus Gates became commandants of the Army and Navy air corps, respectively.

Francis Evans Cornish

He ran as an opponent of premier Robert A. Davis's ministry (which was primarily supported by francophones), and defeated his sole opponent, Robert Hastie, by a margin of 92 votes to 65.

Frank J. Dodd

The crowded field of 13 Democratic candidates included U.S. Representative James Florio, U.S. Representative Robert A. Roe, Newark Mayor Kenneth A. Gibson, Senate President Joseph P. Merlino, Attorney General John J. Degnan, and Jersey City Mayor Thomas F. X. Smith.

Galen Hall

University president Robert A. Bryan forced Hall's resignation in the middle of the 1989 season during another investigation of possible NCAA rule violations.

Gondour

Gondour is a fictitious republic created by Mark Twain in his short story "The Curious Republic of Gondour", and popularized by Robert A. Heinlein and his heirs.

Henlein

Robert A. Heinlein Award, for "for outstanding published works in science fiction and technical writings to inspire the human exploration of space."

High Breeze Farm

Local artist Robert A. Fletcher plans to release a book in October 2013 featuring stories related to him by farmer Luther Barrett, accompanied by Fletcher's illustrations.

High Justice

Pournelle's view of corporate mega-projects is similar to that of Robert A. Heinlein as expressed in stories such as The Man Who Sold the Moon, or more recently in the work of Tom Clancy.

Hogan Hall

It was converted into an undergraduate residence in 1994, then renovated in 2000 with the completion of a new entrance connecting it to Broadway Hall, designed by Robert A. M. Stern.

Howard Thurston

Thurston is also mentioned in two novels by Robert A. Heinlein: Time Enough for Love and To Sail Beyond the Sunset and in the novel "The Best Team Ever" by Alan Alop and Doc Noel (ISBN 978-1935098027).

International Typographical Union

Newspaper publishers called for aid from the authors of the law, U.S. Senator Robert A. Taft (R - Ohio) and Congressman Fred A. Hartley, Jr. (R - New Jersey) The ITU and Woodruff Randolph won in Chicago.

Koko Kondo

In 1955, both appeared on the popular television program This Is Your Life where they were placed in the uncomfortable position of meeting with Captain Robert A. Lewis, copilot of the Enola Gay, which dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

Lake Hefner

It is named after Robert A. Hefner, who served as mayor of Oklahoma City from April 11, 1939 to April 8, 1947.

Loglan

This has been thought to make it suitable for humancomputer communication, which led Robert A. Heinlein to mention the language in his science fiction novel The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (1966), and as a fully-fledged computer language in The Number of the Beast (1980).

Louisiana Highway 110

Longville, at the height of the logging boom, was the site of one of the largest sawmills in Louisiana founded by Robert A. Long.

Project ARTEMIS

Robert A. Frosch, in his capacity as Technical Director of Hudson Laboratories (Columbia University), was Technical Director of the project.

Raymond Wieczorek

He served five terms as mayor of Manchester in the 1990s before being defeated in the 1999 election by Democrat Robert A. Baines.

Religious studies

The concept of lived religion was popularized in the late 20th century by religious study scholars like Robert A. Orsi and David Hall.

Robert A. Alexander

Alexander was sent to study in England, where he earned a degree at Trinity College, Cambridge.

Robert A. Altman

Altman is known for having several former high level members of the Democratic Party of his acquaintance including Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe,Former United States House of Representatives Majority Whip Tony Coelho, and Former Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell of Maine.

Robert A. Baruch Bush

Together with Joseph Folger of Temple University he is the originator, and best known advocate, of the transformative model of mediation.

Robert A. Cerasoli

Robert A. Cerasoli is a former member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, the former Inspector General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the former Inspector General of the City of New Orleans.

Robert A. Clifford

Rachel Barton Pine, an internationally acclaimed violinist, was dragged almost 300 feet along the tracks of a commuter rail train when the doors of the train closed on her bags, pinning her to the doors.

Robert A. Dressler

The city commission, under his leadership, passed laws forbidding open alcoholic containers on the beach side of State Road A1A and overnight parking on the beach.

Robert A. Green

He was not a candidate for renomination in 1944 to the Seventy-ninth Congress, but was an unsuccessful candidate for the Florida gubernatorial nomination.

Robert A. Hefner

In May 1941, the chief of engineers of the United States Army named the base the Midwest Air Depot, now called Tinker Air Force Base.

On October 18, 1945 the city council voted unanimously to name the reservoir Lake Hefner.

Robert A. Holekamp

By the time of Holekamp’s death, Holekamp Lumber operated six lumberyards (St. Louis, Maplewood, Affton, Webster Groves, Kirkwood, and Gray Summit), and the company would remain in business until the mid-1980s.

Concerned about the spread of foulbrood disease among bees in Missouri, Holekamp proposed a bill and successfully lobbied both houses of the Missouri State Legislature to pass a law to address the epidemic.

Robert A. Loftus

As mayor, Bob Loftus presented the Keys to the City of Pittston to Admiral Thomas Hinman Moorer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Robert A. Maxwell

On December 28, 1885, he was appointed as Superintendent of Insurance by Governor David B. Hill to take office on January 1, 1886, and remained in this office until February 1891 when he was succeeded by James F. Pierce.

Robert A. McDermott

Topics on which he has written or lectured include the evolution of consciousness, the spiritual mission of America, classic and modern spirituality and spiritual masters (East and West), Sri Aurobindo, and Rudolf Steiner and Anthroposophy.

Robert A. Millikan House

The Robert A. Millikan House is the former home of American physicist Robert A. Millikan, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1923.

Robert A. Oden

Oden then served in administrative positions, first as headmaster of The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut from 1989 to 1995, and afterwards as president of Kenyon College from 1995 to 2002, when he accepted the presidency at Carleton College.

Robert A. Rushworth

Rushworth was a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, and in 1975 received the SETP's James H. Doolittle Award for "outstanding accomplishment in technical management or engineering achievement in aerospace technology".

Robert A. Wild

On September 25, 2013, it was announced that Wild would become interim president of Marquette University effective October 16, 2013, through August 2014, upon the resignation of Rev. Scott Pilarz.

Robert A. Zarnoch

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Judge Zarnoch graduated with a B.A. in English from Loyola College in Maryland in Baltimore in 1967 and from American University, M.A. in journalism in 1969.

Robert Bryan

Robert A. Bryan, American university professor and university president

Robert Costa

Robert A. Costa, American politician and member of the Maryland House of Delegates

Robert Lovett

Robert A. Lovett (1895–1986), United States Secretary of Defense

Rudolf Rahn

In the early 1970s Rahn sent a letter to Robert A. Graham, one of the editors of the Acts and Documents of the Holy See related to the Second World War, which was published in 1991 by the Italian magazine 30 Giorni, stating that a German plot to kidnap Pope Pius XII had existed, but that all documents relating to it had been destroyed or lost.

Tokyo Sogensha

It and its spin-off Sōgen SF Bunko since 1991, are Japan's oldest existing sci-fi bunkobon label, publishing over 600 books until April 2013 including the works of Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, J. G. Ballard, Philip K. Dick, Lois McMaster Bujold, Vernor Vinge, James P. Hogan, Kim Stanley Robinson, Robert Charles Wilson, and Greg Egan.

Ultra-wideband

Ultra-wideband (also known as UWB, ultra-wide band and ultraband) is a radio technology pioneered by Robert A. Scholtz and others which may be used at a very low energy level for short-range, high-bandwidth communications using a large portion of the radio spectrum.

Who Rules America?

In his introduction, Domhoff writes that the book was inspired by the work of four men: sociologists E. Digby Baltzell, C. Wright Mills, economist Paul Sweezy, and political scientist Robert A. Dahl.