Robert Heinlein's Influence on Engineering Students

I just finished reading part one of an extensive biography of Robert Heinlein (1907-1988), one of the premier authors of "hard" science fiction of the last century. The book, titled "Robert A Heinlein: In Dialogue With His Century", by William H Patterson, Jr., is a detailed study of Heinlein's work, placed in the context of the time and circumstances of his activities.

Heinlein was a graduate of the US Naval Academy (class of 1929), a time before the academy was allowed to offer B.S. degrees, and so he was, from that standpoint, not an "engineer". However, the intense and practical training offered at the academy stood him and his classmates in good stead when it came to the matters involved in operating and maintaining a ship.

In addition to his Navy service, Heinlein was a politician, student of astronomy, and engineer (during World War II). His writing influenced at least one generation (probably more) of young people who became engineers and scientists, and helped us get to the moon in 1969. He also was the first to describe in his writings such devices as the portable telephone (Space Cadet - 1948). Things like that got many of us thinking about what might be possible. His first published story, "Life-Line", described what might happen if a person knew when he was going to die. He also had a unique take on time travel (backwards only), but found a way to go forward by using another technology.

His series of books for boys, published in the 1940's and 1950's certainly entertained and excited me with possibilities. In particular, 1957's "The Door Into Summer" showed what one bright, talented engineer might be capable of doing, if given just a few key resources.

While some of Heinlein's writing might appear dated today, his stories still appeal to those who have some faith in technological progress, in spite of the difficulties that we've encountered, and will continue to encounter, along the way. I'd recommend those stories to any and all who want to encourage our young people to pursue careers in the STEM fields. Science isn't magic, it's filled with real possibilities, and Heinlein's work brings out the best in those and the characters he created to deal with them. I wish he were still here to add to the collection. Meanwhile, I await with eager anticipation, the second volume of Mr. Patterson's biography.