4. 4. In late 1930s, Heinlein & wife broke with a close friend when that friend made anti-Jewish remarks.
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Replying to @HeerJeet
5. One stain on Heinlein's record is 1941 Yellow Peril novel Sixth Column (about Pan-Asiatic takeover of USA).
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6. Mitigating or complicating racism of Sixth Column is that Heinlein got the plot from editor John W. Campbell & tried to tone it down.
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7. Trying to tone racism of plot, Heinlein did introduce (problematically of course) "good" Japanese-American, Frank Roosevelt Matsui.
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8. But aside from (or in addition to) Sixth Column Heinlein in late 1940s & 1950s almost always tries to have multi-ethnic cast.
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9. This is very notable in juvenile (young adult) books Heinlein wrote. He insisted to agent that he be allowed to have Jewish characters.
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10. The 1950s juveniles were far ahead of time in having African American main characters, notably in Star Beast & Tunnel in the Sky
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11. One of the cast of Tunnel in the Sky is an African-American girl of Zulu descent. Very provocative anti-colonial statement.
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12. Samuel Delany has written about shock (and joy) he felt as teen reading Starship Troopers & realizing Juan Rico is non-white Filipino.
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Replying to @HeerJeet
13. So how the hell did Heinlein end up writing Farnham's Freehold (1964) about future ruled by Black Muslim cannibals?
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14. One thing is that at least in intent (bu not in execution) Farnham's Freehold was meant to be anti-racist book, Swiftian in nature.
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Replying to @HeerJeet
15. Swiftian satire dangerous tool for so blunt a writer as Heinlein.
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16. If Heinlein wrote "A Modest Proposal" many of his readers would have started a baby-eating cult.
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