Past Through Tomorrow

This is the first Heinlein book I ever read, and I have never looked back since. A fantastic collection of thought-provoking and interconnected stories made for a very excellent read.

This is a collection of all the Future History stories beginning with 'Life-Line', RAH's first story written in 1939 through 'Methuselah's Children' which introduced Lazarus Long and the Howard Families which appear so prominently in his later works. RAH's Future History, for those unfamiliar with the series, describes an alternative history of earth, particularly America. The stories begin during the 1930's and feature a society very much like the history with which we are all familiar. As the stories progress they build on each other and increasingly depict a society very different from ours, a permanent colony in the Moon has been established in the 1970's, Mars and Venus are colonized by the early 21st century while back on earth America falls to a religious dictator. This is an excellent place to begin reading RAH's work and is definitely a volume that belongs in the permanent collections of any Heinlein fan. Many of these stories have appeared in other collections including: THE MAN WHO SOLD THE MOON, THE GREEN HILLS OF EARTH, REVOLT IN 2100 AND METHUSELAH'S CHILDREN and others.

If you're looking for a great Sci-Fi read that will take you out of this world, than you should read this great book by Robert A. Heinlein called, "The Past Through Tomorrow, The Future History Stories." It's such an intricate book full of short stories that interlace nicely with eachother. Heinlein is one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time. If you want to read more books by him, you should check out Stranger in a Strange Land as well. Boy, are both books great.

I too, agree that Robert Heinlein's works are masterpieces in their own right. I'm young, so I have barely begun to delve fully into the world of RAH, but I love all of the books I've read so far, especially the Past Through Tomorrow volume. My father had it high on a bookshelf, and after discovering it and devouring its contents, that 1967 copy just fell apart. My goal: To find another copy, one that is stronger, and perferably in hardcover! I must admit though, the first novel I ever read of Heinlein's was Double Star, and it holds a special place in my heart. Since then, I've loaned it to a friend and am now desperately searching for another copy, just like the one I had before. Big Clue: Never loan any book you love to another person; if you really want them to read it, buy them their own copy! I think my favorite thing about the Past Through Tomorrow Future History Stories is how they are all interconnected, and how RAH mapped that out for his readers as well. I love things like that! Definately a book to buy in hardcver and keep on your shelves for years to come. If you haven't started already, go hunt down a copy for yourself!

... and incredibly out of print. I found this book in a big pile of sci-fi books including Frank Herbert, Pohl, Asimov, etc. Together with it, there was Stranger in a Strange Land, and they were both the best in the pile :). My girlfriend was also a sci-fi fan: I got the 'Stranger' and she got the 'Past' in the idea that we'll share them. Unfortunately, when we separated I had read only half of the anthology. Since then, my first question to every clerk in every used book shop I enter is: "Do you have Heinlein's 'Past through Tomorrow?'"It's a possible set of improbable future events from the perspective of a writer interested in equal measure in the well-being of the human society and in the development of the individual. It avoids paradoxes pragmatically, by applying them to themselves in amusing Turtle vs. Rabbit solutions; it's full of no-nonsense characters who are excellent role models and passive educators. Like most of Heinlein's work that I read, it's spanning the spectrum of emotions from hysterical laughter to the occasional tear. The technology depicted may get outdated, but the juice of humanity that Heinlein injected in all his work will always remain a wish and hope for the future.It tied me to a chair in an office for the few precious hours before I had to return the book to my ex-girlfriend. I wonder why nobody reprints it: look at all the good marks it gets!!!