Book Review: Stranger in a Strange Land

Title: Stranger in a Strange Land
Author: Robert A. Heinlein
Genre: Sci-fi; Classic
Year Published: June 1, 1961

Date Started: June 7, 2023
Date finished: July 24, 2023

What I like about classic sci-fi is that you not only get the voice/style of the author, but you also get the ethical and moral storytelling of that period. These classics take you out of the modern mind and forces you to experience what “time” was like in that period. It’s something I love experiencing because it allows me to see how we as a species have changed/grown through time…and sometimes, not.

Stranger in a Strange Land is about a man named Valentine Michael Smith who goes by the name Michael. Michael is a human raised on Mars who has returned to earth. The doctors/scientists want to study him and won’t allow him to talk to other humans. He doesn’t speak very much English, so communication is difficult. However, he learns quickly, but the doctors refuse to allow him to advance. They continue to treat him like a young child or someone who’s not very bright. Michael eventually makes conversations with a nurse. He’s even fallen in love with her, and he tells her, but she realizes that he’s a Martian and probably doesn’t understand humans. Later, she thinks about it and decides to give Michael a chance. She starts to talk to him like an adult human and a connection begins to form between them. Michael really takes a liking to her so when an incident occurred where she was in danger, Michael used his magic ability to protect her. The doctors learn of this incident and want to study him more and want him to do his magic again, but he couldn’t due to lack of communication. He just wasn’t understanding what exactly the doctors wanted. The doctors decide to continue to teach him English and the American culture. Later, news gets around about his ability and that he was a Martian. Some people are afraid of him and want to get rid of him. A lot of commotion occurs within the last few chapters of the book and eventually leads to a sad outcome.

This story reminded me of Jesus, Martin Luther King Jr., the Messiah, or just someone who could make a big difference in the world. Not that Michael was supposed to be that (the messiah), but that he was someone different and unique with great possibilities. The story paints humans as we are: envious, fearful, non-believing/non-trusting, curious, and also curious in a way that we want to take things down/take that person down to prove something and usually negatively. We don’t really allow anyone to try because we already assume that they are bad based on them being different or that because we can’t relate to them, we can’t trust them…on and on.

Overall, this was an enjoyable story. If you only pay attention to the sci-fi of the story, it’s a fun read, but if you are able to look deeper, you can see the similarities in that fiction world and our world today. It’s pretty bizarre, especially that this book was written so long ago.

Who should read this book: If you’re fascinated by the underlying literary storytelling of Heinlein or just want a well-written sci-fi story to read, this one’s for you.