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From: mtj@duke.UUCP (Mark T. Jones)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers,talk.politics.misc
Subject: Re: Heinlein's panegyric for the Bomb
Message-ID: <8536@duke.duke.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 9-Sep-86 10:16:37 EDT
Article-I.D.: duke.8536
Posted: Tue Sep  9 10:16:37 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 10-Sep-86 05:38:01 EDT
References: <1071@hoptoad.uucp>
Reply-To: mtj@duke.UUCP (Mark T. Jones)
Organization: Duke University, Durham NC
Lines: 21
Xref: linus net.sf-lovers:15118 talk.politics.misc:14

In article <1071@hoptoad.uucp> tim@hoptoad.uucp (Tim Maroney) writes:
>Because you demanded it, pilgrim, herewith the quotes proving Heinlein's
>support for nuclear war.  These are taken from "Ghastly Beyond Belief",
>an anthology of bad and embarrassing science fiction excerpts.
>

The fact that a character in a novel holds or seems to hold a belief does
not necessarily mean that the author himself holds that belief.  There are
many rascist remarks and attitudes in Mark Twain's novels, but he himself
was not a rascist.  Also, a quote by itself has very little value, you can
back up anything you want by taking small excerpts from a book.  So I do
not think that these two quotes *prove* that Heinlein supports nuclear war.
If Heinlein himself said (and not one of his characters) that he supports
nuclear was (no rational human being does and I believe Heinlein to be
rational) then you would have proof.  

Maybe we could discuss some of the good things in SF, rather than try to
pick on those we don't like.  I sure would appreciate any good tips on
new books and new authors.

--Mark Jones