Stranger in a Strange Land (Remembering Tomorrow)

Stranger in a Strange Land is a 1961 science fiction novel by American author Robert A. Heinlein. It tells the story of Valentine Michael Smith, a human who comes to Earth in early adulthood after being born on the planet Mars and raised by Martians. The novel explores his interaction with—and eventual transformation of—terrestrial culture. The title is an allusion to the phrase in Exodus 2:22. According to Heinlein, the novel's working title was The Heretic. Several later editions of the book have promoted it as "The most famous Science Fiction Novel ever written".

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Average rating: 6

3 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

TanguiDom
May 22, 2025
2/10 stars
Definitely ranking in the worst books I’ve read. Heinlein just can’t stop himself from preaching any chance he gets and always for way too long. This also may be the most sexist book I’ve read. Maybe 5% of this is worth reading, and I would never recommend this book to anyone.
I don’t know what they were smoking in the 60s when they kept giving him awards, but I’ve yet to enjoy a single one of his books. Clifton’s “They’d Rather Be Right”, allegedly the “worst of the Hugos” is a better version of this book without the endless pontificating.

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