Robert A. Heinlein (1907-1988)

Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction author, engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accuracy in his fiction and was thus a pioneer of the subgenre of hard science fiction. His published works, both fiction and non-fiction, express admiration for competence and emphasize the value of critical thinking. His plots often presented provocative situations which challenged conventional social mores. His work continues to have an influence on the science fiction genre and on modern culture more generally.

Quotes

The power to tax, once conceded, has no limits; it contains until it destroys.
How you behave toward cats here below determines your status in Heaven.
A fool cannot be protected from his folly. If you attempt to do so, you will not only arouse his animosity but also you will be attempting to deprive him of whatever benefit he is capable of deriving from experience. Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.
Premenstrual Syndrome: Just before their periods women behave the way men do all the time.
A pessimist is correct oftener than an optimist, but an optimist has more fun - and neither can stop the march of events.
Remind me to write an article on the compulsive reading of news. The theme will be that most neuroses can be traced to the unhealthy habit of wallowing in the troubles of five billion strangers.
The United States has become a place where entertainers and professional athletes are mistaken for people of importance.
Each man is his own prisoner, in solitary confinement for life.
Nobody has ever seen an electron. Nor a thought. You can't see a thought, you can't measure, weigh, nor taste it- but thoughts are the most real things in the Galaxy.
A poet that reads his verse in public may have other nasty habits.
The greatest productive force is human selfishness.
Luck is a tag given by the mediocre to account for the accomplishments of genius.
Of all the nonsense that twists the world, the concept of 'altruism' is the worst. People do what they want to do, every time.
Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than any other factor, and the contrary opinion is wishfull thinking at its worst. Breeds that forget this basic truth have always paid for it with their lives and freedoms.
Stupidity cannot be cured with money, or through education, or by legislation. Stupidity is not a sin, the victim can't help being stupid. But stupidity is the only universal capital crime: the sentence is death, there is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.
Theology is never any help; it is searching in a dark cellar at midnight for a black cat that isn't there. Theologians can persuade themselves of anything.
I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.
Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards.

Writing