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

Beakermadness

Sixties era misogyny at its height. First half is interesting. Second half is male sexual fantasy. I found it disgusting, and I'm a man.

strange, limited, and preachy

RAH has a strange fascination with group sexuality and orgies, also a part of his other book, the Moon is a Harsh Mistress, that is all the more strange today because of its trans- and especially homophobia. It contains the quote "9 times out of 10 a rape is the womans fault." So for all of its liberating and libertine rhetoric it reveals itself to be just as much a part of the times as any other book, maybe moreso. It gets preachy at too many parts, but it is not especially clear exactly what the moral is; vaguely condescending.

Superb book, excellent narration

A classic piece of science-fiction that really captures the spirit of the day and age when it was written. If you want to know where the hippies came from, you might conclude Mars was a big influence.

The narrator is absolutely superb.

Magnum SciFi Opus of 1960s is Still Very Powerful

Robert A Heinlein was a master craftsman. It's hard to imagine a science fiction novel from 1961 that still packs this kind of punch. I won't trivialize the story by trying to give a detailed literary review, but I will mention a few of the themes that stand out to me.

1) Heinlein was a big fan of libertarian social values - nudity, group marriages, free love - and this novel is probably the quintessential example. In looking at this story 53 years later, when we have to deal with AIDS and other incurably tangible refutations of the 60s social revolution, you have to see this more as "fantasy" than as "science" fiction. I remember the idealistic 1960s, but from 21st century its a decade that now seems quaint and dangerously idealistic.

2) RAH shrewdly skewers religion (the "Fosterites" in this book may be made up, but the portrayal seems to lampoon the essence of television evangelical religiosity). He also uses a number of discussions of Martian practices to expose unpleasant biblical contradictions and the hypocrisies within our dominant social mythologies.

3) And finally his behind-the-scenes view of government power seems to ring frighteningly true.

I really enjoyed this book. Highest rating.

Mind blowing, in it's time.

What made the experience of listening to Stranger in a Strange Land the most enjoyable?

Listening to this old classic was a eye opening look into the old days of open marriage and overwhelming sexism. I loved the idea of human potential. I remember this book shifting our culture back in the 60's and 70's when it was popular to "grok" things in hopes that our limiting understandings are enough in this world. The book was mind blowing in it's time.

What did you like best about this story?

As always, Heinlein portrays the rugged and stubborn individualist at his best and against all odds.

Which character – as performed by Christopher Hurt – was your favorite?

Jubal Harshaw was best portrayed by Christopher Hurt's performance.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The old time sexism of the book was infuriating. It is good to remember what it was like back in the day and to be glad it is not like that any more. Of course Heinlein was jumping way outside the sexism box with his ideas about love, sex and jealousy. Cave men could only paint on the cave wall. The cave wall was the foundation for art, but new ideas are difficult to portray unless one can develop the technology to build framed and gesso'd canvasses. Heinlein does a remarkable job setting forth his painting of amazing futuristic societal ideas on the background of his 1950's cave-like society.

Any additional comments?

Stranger in a Strange Land is a good listen for realizing how far we have come and how far we have to go and for an attempt at grokking our human potential.

Wish I read this classic earlier

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

Excellent performance by the narrator, wonderful story. Classic story, though I just onderstood it in the last chapters. But maybe that's me being slow in understanding, I loved it that way...

What other book might you compare Stranger in a Strange Land to and why?

There's nothing to compare this book with IMHO. It's a classic and now I know why. If you don't know yet, listen to this audiobook and you'll know.

Any additional comments?

A classic. Must have read, must have listened to. My life is now complete. I love you.

Wonderful, but sadly abridged.

It would be great if Audible could produce an unabridged version of Stranger in a Strange Land, preferably narrated and not a multi cast reading.

Strange teenage porn

Starts well and spends 39 chapters degenerating. Hardly worth trying to write 15 words about.

twilight zone feel with ageless meaning

this book though fictional and sci-fi related is packed with meaning and contradictions and other things to ponder on as the book flies past u with it's set it Stone words and stories. I'm not one to re read a book but I feel as though this one will be due to it being so enjoyable and thought provoking. I don't yet grock in fullest, but waiting is. drink deep my brothers, thou art God

classic Heinlein s a Master

What a book. Genre changing or perhaps creating. A must read. Don't wait to experience this classic.