Grumbles from the Grave
Encyclopedia
Grumbles from the Grave is a posthumous 1989 autobiography of science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...

 collated by his wife Virginia Heinlein
Virginia Heinlein
Virginia "Ginny" Heinlein , born Virginia Doris Gerstenfeld, was the third wife of Robert A. Heinlein, a prominent and successful author once known as one of the "Big Three" of science fiction .Born to George and Jeanne Gerstenfeld, Virginia was raised in Brooklyn and had one brother, Leon...

 from his notes and writings.

Background

The work is the closest that Heinlein, an ex-naval officer and prominent science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 writer, came to writing an autobiography. The book contains a wide range of correspondence, notes and memoirs edited by Heinlein's wife Virginia, and was published a year and a half after his death.

Contents

Beginning with a short biography of Robert by Virginia, the bulk of the book consists of excerpts of correspondence from the period from 1939 to 1970, from when he began writing science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 until the onset of his first major illness. There is considerable information provided into how the 13-year gestation of Heinlein's famous novel Stranger in a Strange Land
Stranger in a Strange Land
Stranger in a Strange Land is a 1961 science fiction novel by American author Robert A. Heinlein. It tells the story of Valentine Michael Smith, a human who comes to Earth in early adulthood after being born on the planet Mars and raised by Martians. The novel explores his interaction with—and...

evolved. Additionally there is the original postlude to Podkayne of Mars
Podkayne of Mars
Podkayne of Mars is a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, originally serialised in Worlds of If , and published in hardcover in 1963...

and a discussion of cuts made to his novel, the Red Planet
Red Planet (novel)
Red Planet is a 1949 science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein about students at boarding school on the planet Mars. It represents the first appearance of Heinlein's idealized Martian elder race...

.

Legacy

Grumbles from the Grave is notable for the insight it provides into Heinlein's writing process (and the editorial/publishing process with which he was often at odds). In addition to writing, it also contains evidence of his philosophy as applied to his life and personal opinions. There is much detail to interest readers familiar with Heinlein's fiction and people interested in the history of the science fiction field.

Awards and honors

The book was a finalist for the 1990 Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...

 for Best Non-Fiction Book.

Selected quotes

  • "How long has this racket been going on?" — Heinlein's remark after receiving a $70 US check for his first published story on page 3.
  • "I expect this to be my last venture in this field; 'tain't worth the grief" — Heinlein's response to attempts to censor his juvenile novel Red Planet
    Red Planet (novel)
    Red Planet is a 1949 science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein about students at boarding school on the planet Mars. It represents the first appearance of Heinlein's idealized Martian elder race...

    for language, violence, and references to reproduction among Martians on page 53.
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