Stranger in a Strange Land

Stranger in a Strange Land tells of Valentine Michael Smith, born during & the only survivor of the 1st mission to Mars. He’s raised by Martians & arrives on Earth an innocent. He’s never seen women & has no knowledge of Earth’s cultures or religions. But he brings turmoil with him, as he’s legal heir to an enormous financial empire, not to mention de facto owner of planet Mars. With the irascible popular author Jubal Harshaw to protect him, Michael explores human morality & the meanings of love. He founds a church, preaching free love & disseminating the psychic talents taught him by Martians. Ultimately, he confronts the fate of all messiahs.
The impact of Stranger in a Strange Land was considerable, leading some children of the ’60s to set up households based on Martian water-brother nests. Heinlein pontificated through his characters, so readers must be willing to overlook the occasional sour note–“Nine times out of ten, if a girl gets raped, it’s partly her fault.” That aside, Stranger in a Strange Land is one of his best entertainments, provocative as he always loved being.–Brooks Peck (edited)