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The Green Hills of Earth (short story collection)
Encyclopedia
The Green Hills of Earth is a collection of science fiction
short stories
by Robert A. Heinlein
published in 1951, although it includes short stories published as early as 1941. The stories are part of Heinlein's Future History
. The title story is the tale of an old space mariner reflecting upon his planet of birth. According to an acknowledgement at the beginning of the book, the phrase "the green hills of Earth" is derived from a C.L. Moore story.
The short stories included in the book The Green Hills of Earth are as follows, in the order they appear in the book.
and McComas
described the collection as "an outstanding book," noting that the "slick" stories published in non-genre magazines included "classics in a new form." . P. Schuyler Miller
noted that most of the contents were "simple stories of human reactions."
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...
short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by 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...
published in 1951, although it includes short stories published as early as 1941. The stories are part of Heinlein's Future History
Future History
The Future History, by Robert A. Heinlein, describes a projected future of the human race from the middle of the 20th century through the early 23rd century. The term Future History was coined by John W. Campbell, Jr. in the February 1941 issue of Astounding Science Fiction...
. The title story is the tale of an old space mariner reflecting upon his planet of birth. According to an acknowledgement at the beginning of the book, the phrase "the green hills of Earth" is derived from a C.L. Moore story.
The short stories included in the book The Green Hills of Earth are as follows, in the order they appear in the book.
- "Delilah and the Space RiggerDelilah and the Space Rigger"Delilah and the Space Rigger", a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein, is one of his most explicitly feminist-themed short stories...
" (1949; originally published in Blue BookBlue bookBlue book or Bluebook is a term often referring to an almanac or other compilation of statistics and information. The term dates back to the 15th century, when large blue velvet-covered books were used for record-keeping by the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Government :* At the European...
) - "Space JockeySpace Jockey (short story)"Space Jockey" is a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein. Part of his Future History series, it originally appeared in The Saturday Evening Post, April 26, 1947, and was collected in The Green Hills of Earth .The story is set in the near future...
" (1947; originally published in The Saturday Evening PostThe Saturday Evening PostThe Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
) - "The Long WatchThe Long Watch"The Long Watch" is a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein. It is about a military officer who faces a coup d'état by a would-be dictator....
" (1949; originally published in The American Legion Magazine) - "Gentlemen, Be Seated!Gentlemen, Be Seated!"Gentlemen, Be Seated!" is a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein. It was first published in the May 1948 issue of Argosy magazine...
" (1948; originally published in Argosy Magazine) - "The Black Pits of LunaThe Black Pits of Luna"The Black Pits of Luna" is a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein about a Boy Scout on a trip to the moon and his novel way of finding his lost brother...
" (1948; originally published in The Saturday Evening PostThe Saturday Evening PostThe Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
) - "It's Great to Be Back!It's Great to Be Back!"It's Great to Be Back!" is a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein. One of his Future History stories, it was first published in The Saturday Evening Post in the July 26, 1947 issue and later reprinted in The Green Hills of Earth ..A physical chemist and his wife , who have been in...
" (1947; originally published in The Saturday Evening PostThe Saturday Evening PostThe Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
) - "—We Also Walk Dogs" (1941; originally published in Astounding Science Fiction)
- "Ordeal in SpaceOrdeal in Space"Ordeal in Space" is a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein, originally published in Town & Country, May 1948. It is one of Heinlein's Future History stories and appears in his collection, The Green Hills of Earth....
" (1948; originally published in Town & CountryTown & Country (magazine)Town & Country, formerly the Home Journal and The National Press, is a monthly American lifestyle magazine. It is the oldest continually published general interest magazine in the United States.-Early history:...
) - "The Green Hills of EarthThe Green Hills of Earth"The Green Hills of Earth" is a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein, and the title of a song, "The Green Hills of Earth", mentioned in several of his novels...
" (1947; originally published in The Saturday Evening PostThe Saturday Evening PostThe Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
) - "Logic of EmpireLogic of Empire"Logic of Empire" is a science fiction novella by Robert A. Heinlein. Part of his Future History series, it originally appeared in Astounding Science Fiction , and was collected in The Green Hills of Earth .Two well-off Earth men are arguing about whether there is slavery on Venus, and one of them...
" (1941; originally published in Astounding Science Fiction)
Reception
BoucherAnthony Boucher
Anthony Boucher was an American science fiction editor and author of mystery novels and short stories. He was particularly influential as an editor. Between 1942 and 1947 he acted as reviewer of mostly mystery fiction for the San Francisco Chronicle...
and McComas
J. Francis McComas
Jesse Francis McComas was an American science fiction editor. McComas wrote several stories on his own in the 1950s using both his own name and the pseudonym Webb Marlowe....
described the collection as "an outstanding book," noting that the "slick" stories published in non-genre magazines included "classics in a new form." . P. Schuyler Miller
P. Schuyler Miller
Peter Schuyler Miller was an American science fiction writer and critic.-Life:Miller was raised in New York's Mohawk Valley, which led to a life-long interest in the Iroquois Indians. He pursued this as an amateur archaeologist and a member of the New York State Archaeological Association.He...
noted that most of the contents were "simple stories of human reactions."