Off the Main Sequence
Encyclopedia
Off the Main Sequence: The Other Science Fiction Stories of Robert A. Heinlein (ISBN 1-58288-184-7) is a collection of 27 Robert A. Heinlein
short stories, including three that Heinlein never collected in book form.
Previously uncollected
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...
short stories, including three that Heinlein never collected in book form.
Table of contents
- "Introduction" by Greg Bear
- "Foreword" by Michael Cassutt
- "Editor's Note" by Andrew Wheeler
- "Successful Operation" (as "Heil") by Lyle Monroe, Futuria Fantasia, April 1940
- "Let There Be LightLet There Be Light (short story)“Let There Be Light” a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein, originally published in Super Science Stories magazine in May 1940 under the pseudonym Lyle Monroe...
" by Lyle Monroe, Super Science Stories, May 1940 - ""—And He Built a Crooked House—"", Astounding StoriesAnalog Science Fiction and FactAnalog Science Fiction and Fact is an American science fiction magazine. As of 2011, it is the longest running continuously published magazine of that genre...
, February 1941 - "Beyond Doubt" by Lyle Monroe & Elma Wentz, Astonishing Stories, April 1941 (*)
- "They", UnknownUnknown (magazine)Unknown was an American pulp fantasy fiction magazine, published from 1939 to 1943 by Street & Smith, and edited by John W. Campbell. Unknown was a companion to Street & Smith's science fiction pulp, Astounding Science Fiction, which was also edited by Campbell at the time; many authors and...
, April 1941 - "Solution UnsatisfactorySolution Unsatisfactory"Solution Unsatisfactory" is a 1940 science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein. It describes the US effort to build a nuclear weapon in order to end the ongoing World War II, and its dystopian consequences to the nation and the world....
" by Anson MacDonald, Astounding, May 1941 - "UniverseUniverseThe Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
", Astounding, May 1941 - "ElsewhenElsewhenElsewhen is a novella by Robert A. Heinlein, concerning time travel and parallel universes. It is collected in the 1953 book Assignment in Eternity but was first published in 1941 in Astounding Science Fiction....
" (as "Elsewhere") by Caleb Saunders, Astounding, September 1941 - "Common Sense", Astounding, October 1941
- "By His BootstrapsBy His Bootstraps"By His Bootstraps" is a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein that plays with some of the inherent paradoxes that would be caused by time travel. It was originally published in the October 1941 issue of Astounding Science Fiction under the pen name Anson MacDonald...
" by Anson MacDonald, Astounding, October 1941 - "Lost LegacyLost LegacyLost Legacy is a novella by science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein. It was collected in the book Assignment in Eternity ....
" (as "Lost Legion") by Lyle Monroe, Super Science StoriesSuper Science StoriesSuper Science Stories was an American pulp science fiction magazine published by Popular Publications from 1940 and 1943, and again from 1949 to 1951. Popular launched it under their "Fictioneers" imprint, which they used for magazines paying writers less than one cent per word...
, November 1941 - "“My Object All Sublime”" by Lyle Monroe, Future Fiction, February 1942 (*)
- "Goldfish BowlGoldfish BowlGoldfish Bowl is a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein, first published 1942, and collected in one of Heinlein's anthologies, The Menace from Earth....
" by Anson MacDonald, Astounding, March 1942 - "Pied Piper" by Lyle Monroe, Astonishing StoriesAstonishing StoriesAstonishing Stories was an American pulp science fiction magazine, published by Popular Publications between 1940 and 1943. It was founded under Popular's "Fictioneers" imprint, which paid lower rates than Popular's other magazines. The magazine's first editor was Frederik Pohl, who also edited a...
, March 1942 (*) - "Free MenFree Men"Free Men" is a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein, which originally appeared in the Heinlein collection, The Worlds of Robert A. Heinlein and later collected in Expanded Universe...
", The Worlds of Robert A. HeinleinThe Worlds of Robert A. HeinleinThe Worlds of Robert A. Heinlein is a collection of science fiction short stories by Robert A. Heinlein published in 1966.It includes an introduction entitled "Pandora's Box" that describes some of the difficulties in making predictions about the near future...
, 1966 - "On the Slopes of Vesuvius", Expanded UniverseExpanded UniverseThe term Expanded Universe is generally used to denote the 'extension' of a media franchise with other media...
, 1980 - "Columbus Was a DopeColumbus Was a Dope"Columbus Was a Dope" is a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein. It was first published in the May 1947 issue of Startling Stories. It later appeared in two of Heinlein's collections, The Menace from Earth , and Expanded Universe .In the story, bar patrons and a bartender debate...
", Startling StoriesStartling StoriesStartling Stories was an American pulp science fiction magazine, published from 1939 to 1955 by Standard Magazines. It was initially edited by Mort Weisinger, who was also the editor of Thrilling Wonder Stories, Standard's other science fiction title. Startling ran a lead novel in every issue;...
, May 1947 - "Jerry Was a ManJerry Was a ManJerry Was a Man is a short story by Robert A. Heinlein. It is about an attempt by a genetically modified chimpanzee to achieve human rights...
" (as "Jerry Is a Man"), Thrilling Wonder StoriesWonder StoriesWonder Stories was an early American science fiction magazine which was published under several titles from 1929 to 1955. It was founded by Hugo Gernsback in 1929 after he had lost control of his first science fiction magazine, Amazing Stories, when his media company Experimenter Publishing went...
, October 1947 - "Water Is for WashingWater is for Washing"Water is for Washing" is a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein, first published in Argosy and based on the premise that an earthquake had catastrophically shattered the range of alluvial deposits separating the Imperial Valley from the Gulf of California, precipitating a tidal wave...
", ArgosyArgosy (magazine)Argosy was an American pulp magazine, published by Frank Munsey. It is generally considered to be the first American pulp magazine. The magazine began as a general information periodical entitled The Golden Argosy, targeted at the boys adventure market.-Launch of Argosy:In late September 1882,...
, November 1947 - "Nothing Ever Happens on the MoonNothing Ever Happens on the Moon"Nothing Ever Happens on the Moon" is a science fiction short story written by Robert A. Heinlein and published in April and May 1949 in Boys' Life, a magazine of the Boy Scouts of America, who jointly hold copyright with Heinlein, dated 1976...
", Boys' LifeBoys' LifeBoys' Life is the monthly magazine of the Boy Scouts of America . Its targeted readership is young American males between the ages of 6 and 18.Boys' Life is published in two demographic editions...
, April 1949 - "GulfGulf (Heinlein)Gulf is a novella by Robert A. Heinlein, originally published as a serial in the November and December 1949 issues of Astounding Science Fiction. It concerns a secret society of geniuses who act to protect humanity...
", Astounding, November 1949 - "Destination MoonDestination Moon (story)"Destination Moon" is a short story by science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein, first published in Short Stories Magazine, September 1950.The story is an adaptation of his screenplay for the film Destination Moon in 1950...
", Short Stories, September 1950 - "The Year of the JackpotThe Year of the JackpotThe Year of the Jackpot is a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein, first published 1952, and collected in one of Heinlein's anthologies, The Menace from Earth....
", Galaxy Science FictionGalaxy Science FictionGalaxy Science Fiction was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by an Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break in to the American market. World Editions hired as editor H. L...
, March 1952 - "Project NightmareProject NightmareProject Nightmare is a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein, first published in Amazing Stories, May 1953, and reprinted various collections, including The Menace from Earth.-Synopsis:...
", Amazing StoriesAmazing StoriesAmazing Stories was an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction...
, April/May 1953 - "Sky LiftSky LiftSky Lift is a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein, first published 1953, and collected in one of Heinlein's anthologies, The Menace from Earth....
", ImaginationImaginationImagination, also called the faculty of imagining, is the ability of forming mental images, sensations and concepts, in a moment when they are not perceived through sight, hearing or other senses...
, November 1953 - "Tenderfoot in SpaceTenderfoot in Space"Tenderfoot in Space" is a short story by Robert A. Heinlein, serialized in Boys' Life magazine in May, June, and July 1958. The original working title was "Tenderfoot on Venus" when it was written in 1956. It was extensively cut according to orders by the magazine editor for its published form. ...
", Boys' Life, May 1958 - "All You Zombies—", Fantasy & Science FictionThe Magazine of Fantasy & Science FictionThe Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction is a digest-size American fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House and then by Fantasy House. Both were subsidiaries of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Publications, which took over as publisher in 1958. Spilogale, Inc...
, March 1959
Previously uncollected