10 Best Robert Heinlein Books

Stranger in a Strange Land

This is an award-winning novel by Robert Heinlein. It is a brilliant novel that has grown in popularity over the years, becoming a bestseller and then solidifying itself as a classic science fiction novel.

This novel follows Valentine Michael Smith. He is a human who was raised on Mars by Martians. He has never seen a member of his species before until he is sent to Earth where he has to learn what it means to be a man. 

However, his powers and beliefs exceed those of humankind, and he begins to teach them about water-sharing and grokking. During his time on Earth, he inspires a transformation that will impact life on Earth forever.

This is a fantastic novel by Heinlein and one that highlights his strong storytelling ability. 

Starship Troopers

This is a slightly controversial bestseller by Heinlein. It is an award-winning novel that follows a recruit who is going through one of the toughest boot camps in the universe to battle mankind’s enemy. 

Johnnie Rico is this recruit, and he never intended to join up. The story follows him trying to get through the extremely tough training, which is the hardest thing he has ever experienced.

He is aware that everyone is one step away from the war between the Arachnids and Terran Federation. 

Everyone in this boot camp will have to fight if the training doesn’t kill them first! This is a classic novel if you are looking for a great adventure.

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

This is considered to be one of Robert Heinlein’s greatest novels. It has become a classic science fiction novel. It explores the themes of responsibility and political freedom. 

This novel follows a revolution in a lunar colony that was supported by a supercomputer. It is a story of humanity and technology that sees a group of men and women dealing with the ever-changing world. 

The main themes of this novel are free will and technology, which are just as important today as they were upon publication of this novel. 

This novel is thought-provoking and is one of Heinlein’s most insightful pieces of literature.

The Notebooks of Lazarus Long

This is a great novel that explores the well-known character of Lazarus Long. He is the perfect character to show you what it is like to live forever and travel the world (If you like books with themes of travel, check out Travels With Herodotus). 

This is one of the best series by Heinlein, and in the 5 books in this series, you will never be left without excitement. 

In each of these novels, you will learn lots more about Lazarus Long as he explores the world and slowly becomes disillusioned. 

The world in which Lazarus lives is during a time when genetic experiments are popular, and those who are being experimented on are known as the Howard Families. Many of these abilities are suspended, apart from Lazarus’.

This story shows what it is like to be immortal and live forever. It is one of Heinlein’s best works! 

The Puppet Masters

This novel is set in the summer of 2007 when the sun is shining and children are playing in the street.

However, there has been an invasion of slug-like creatures that are attacking the world. 

They take over humans by attaching themselves to people’s backs and taking over their nervous systems.

This allows them to use humans as a puppet, and Earth is thrown into chaos. It is up to a few agents to save the world. 

In this novel, Sam, Mary, and the Old Man head to Iowa to investigate this case. We follow their attempts to save the world.

When the three of them are attacked, they manage to escape, but Sam has been taken over by a slug. The slug then uses Sam’s knowledge to help them with the invasion. 

This is a great novel by Heinlein which has since been turned into a sci-fi movie.

Friday

Friday is a great novel by Heinlein. Friday is a secret courier who has been employed by a man. He is known as ‘Boss’, and he gives her some dangerous cases.

These cases will take her across the world to Canada and New Zealand. She is thrown into these cases, and her skills and wit allow her to get out of some sticky situations.

Friday is an artificial person (AP), and her success has been written into her DNA. However, she has fewer rights than other biologically born humans.

She is one of the most engaging characters that Heinlein has created, and this novel is rich with female empowerment!

This is one of the best novels by Heinlein, and it was well ahead of its time!

Door Into Summer

This is a very successful novel by Heinlein. It is set in 1970 when the protagonist, Dan Davis, created an invention that will change his life. He creates a household robot that will be able to do a lot for him.

Dan is very happy when his invention works, and his robot performs very well. However, this doesn’t last long when his fiancé steals his research and leaves Dan broke and without a robot.

If you want to know what happens to Dan after this, read this Heinlein novel! 

Double Star

Double Star is a great novel that many of Heinlein’s fans consider one of his best works. This is a very simple story that follows Lawrence Smith, also known as Lorenzo the Great. He is an actor who is seen to be wasting his life in bars. 

When Smith encounters a space pilot, he finds himself involved in a conspiracy on Mars. This has global consequences, and if Smith does not succeed in his mission, it would result in a war.

This novel, along with some of Heinlein’s other works, has shaped science fiction (If you like sci-fi themes, also check out Bad Monkeys). They are well worth a read.

Job: A Comedy of Justice

This novel follows Alexander Hergensheimer who, after firewalking in Polynesia, changed his name to Alec Graham after he started to see the world differently. Now, natural disasters are following him everywhere.

He has experienced an impossible iceberg and a double earthquake. He finds himself attempting to save the world when it seems like Armageddon is near.

This is a great novel by Heinlein, and it is certainly worth a read.

Starman Jones

In this early novel by Heinlein, we see Max Jones, a hardworking man, find his escape in his beloved astronomy books. 

When reality comes crashing down on his troubled home life, he finds himself on the road. He then embarks on an unexpected adventure when he is taken away on a spaceship as a stowaway. 

The story follows him as he attempts to use his skills and knowledge to survive. This is a fantastic story and one that is filled with adventure. Heinlein’s early work is great, and it is worth giving some of these novels a read.