Robert A Heinlein (> Main Page)

Somebody discovers an oracular computer and and pretty soon everyone is in the consulting business. I am no longer sure how this ties in with TANSTAAFL (there ain't no such thing as a free lunch). My personal dystopian favorite is still 'Moondocks' by Arno Schmidt. Cold War (inured to it) Biedermeier. Synoptic: Not much seems to go on. There is certainly no highflung (we hold the higher ground) freedom fighting. The state of mind is epitomized by 'il faut cultiver son jardin'. The divided backyard in the sky comes with plenty of black humor. Whatever grows naturally. (text click, the BASTEI-LÜBBE cover)

As a first impression, the serious Scotchman at a hen party. The semi transparency of the limbs hints at spectral visitors.

This is probably the best known cover of Starship Troopers. The centurion look is hardly out of place. Heinlein's sympathy for doughty professionals shines through. Per aspera ad astra.

A cantankerous old man, mogul by profession, gets a new lease on life. Some sex change complications (trace amounts of a previous occupant are still present - stranger in a strange body). Some cheerleader secrets are revealed. It is not what you say but how you say it (up to a point). Somewhat flippantly, substantial chunks of the material seem to be lifted either out of a chemist shop's (blood group lore) or a confession story magazine (teenage pregnancies). The telenovella serialization of the Kinsey reports.

The wanderlust party has just robbed a phoenix nest (sort of). The egg does now double duty as flashlight.

The 'J' (fiddlestick) of the James Warhola monogram can be just made out under the stern end 'N' of Heinlein. Stylistic clues: the complementary facial expressions. A good stylistic reference picture is the cover of 'The Sorcerers Aerie' by Paula Volsky.

There is grokking and there is grogging (soaking and spirit sharing in a higher proof sense). There is also kissing.

Beware of interconnected mirrors and down draggers. The resourceful hero uses shoe polish (or something reasonably close) as counter charm. A word of warning, parents may not always buy the cover story. - A good conduct hostage (foreground) has just been mind wiped.