Stranger in a Strange Land

By: Robert A. Heinlein

Narrated by: Christopher Hurt

Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

Stranger in a Strange Land is the epic saga of an earthling, Valentine Michael Smith, born and educated on Mars, who arrives on our planet with “psi” powers—telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, telekinesis, teleportation, pyrolysis, and the ability to take control of the minds of others—and complete innocence regarding the mores of man.

After his tutelage under a surrogate father figure, Valentine begins his transformation into a kind of messiah. His exceptional abilities lead him to become many things to many people: freak, scam artist, media commodity, searcher, free love pioneer, neon evangelist, and martyr.

Heinlein won his second Hugo Award for this novel, sometimes called his “divine comedy” and often called his masterpiece. This Blackstone audiobook is the “as published” version, read from an Ace paperback published in 1987. The full, uncut text was not made available until 1991.

©1961 by Robert A. Heinlein (P)1996 by Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

• Hugo Award, 1962

simply perfect

excellent narration did this amazing, beautiful story Justice. grok in fullness, brother.

there are few books I'd say that changed me, but this one did.

Best Sci-fi on the market

What did you love best about Stranger in a Strange Land?

How Heinlein can sprinkle his ideologies and political ideas through the eyes of his characters without sounding preachy or overbearing.

What did you like best about this story?

There isn't anyone to root for or against once you understand Mike's philosophy. It actually brings comfort to those who search for a purpose.

What does Christopher Hurt bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The accent that Hurt can do for Jubile, the cadence in his voice and the infliction he gives is spot on.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I would have if I had the time!

Loved this book!

Such an amazing story. I didn't want it to end. I totally grok'ed it.

Thou is god.

Strange land indeed

This story is not nearly as good as when I first read it in the 70s. Now it seems very dated. Most of the story wasn't about Smith but about Jubal (Heinlein). He goes on and on spouting his free love philosophy. That was cool in 1969, now it is nonsense.

Worth reading and re-reading

Read this over thirty years ago and just finished it again. I still recommend this story

Philosophy of the 20th century

The book felt very much like author’s own philosophical points of view about the world during the 20th century. In the 21st century, thoughts expressed in this book may no longer be current. I was hoping otherwise, hence 3 stars.

outstanding

The book is a testament to the evolution of the human psyche. Audio was excellent.

Wonderful

This was a wonderful story and extremely well read! I'm now a fan of Christopher Hurt!

Dated but enjoyable

Wow kinda weird and heavily dated but I did enjoy the story and agree with much of the basic philosophy infered. As weird as it may be at times it is still an accurate depiction of human behavior and mass hysterical, depravity of any understanding or logic. " Drink deep, Thou art GOD!"

a good book full of philosophy I encourage.

full of philosophy that everyone should know, full of philosophy that perhaps I already knew. the story is interesting but ends abruptly, and as it was touted to me to be something that I had never heard before, it was something that I already knew instinctively. But there are many who perhaps do not know these lessons and I highly encourage everyone to listen. if we could only view each other as the beings of thought and knowledge that we are then we could begin to understand each other on a deeper level and begin to interact with each other as divine. for we are all a part of the all and we are all a piece of the everything. We are all a piece of the creator.