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The whole notion of presenting "plot summaries" is not only childish, but very likely a violation of copyright laws and rules. It is unencyclopedic, too, and I don't think that it should be done at all. 74.249.79.103 ( talk) 01:27, 29 September 2008 (UTC)
"Inability to get lost"? That happened in Glory Road, but I don't think it happens in Starman Jones. Michael Hardy 01:33 Apr 27, 2003 (UTC)
I wonder though... early on in the book "IIRC", Jones said "Praise Allah!" [or something Allah...(I think)]. I was wondering if maybe he intended for Jones to be black, but the editors cut it out? Shonsu 08:40, 3 December 2005 UTC
Suggestions:
The list of Heinlein novels belongs in the Heinlein page, not in the article on any one novel.
"Heinlein - like many other science fiction writers of the time - had a weak grasp of Special Relativity's statement of the impossibility of acclerating (sic) to the speed of light." I don't believe this is true. First of all, there is no mention that the ship had to reach the speed of light before entering the congruence. Secondly, in Time for the Stars (written a few years later), Heinlein demonstrates a reasonably good layman's understanding of special relativity.
I deleted the Rags to Riches section as original analysis, after giving the main contributor plenty of time to respond to my objection or provide sources (fan reviews are not acceptable). Clarityfiend 17:51, 13 March 2007 (UTC)
"The "transitions" that transport a ship from one star system to another are effected by accelerating the ship until it reaches precisely the right location and reappears at a "congruent" location that may be hundreds of light years away in ordinary space. The idea of "congruence", nicely explained by Max using a folded scarf, is sound mathematics (though it is not known physics)."
The above statement in Literary significance and criticism is a bit wrong.
This section of the novel and the "worry hole" expositions are quite extraordinary. It's not that "star gate" concepts had been rare in prose science fiction by 1953. Heinlein's extrapolation of multiply-connected topology ( Homotopy was a known mathematical concept in 1953) for star flight is the height of sophistication. Though the Einstein-Rosen "bridge" (see wormhole), had been known since the 1930s, it's mysterious diffusion into SF is quite extraordinary. It is hard to know if Heinlein had first-hand knowledge of it, though knowing the people he knew, it is not a surprise. One notes there is indeed a computer in the star ship's control room, never fully described, but the man-machine interface shades more towards the "man". Here we get a superb example of modern SF's clever verisimilitude that is realized in the modern physics of General Relativity of the 1960's and 1970's and even to the present ideas of Interstellar Travel. Even though the technological realization of the process described is some what problematic, the clever use of physics, the starship "Asgard" is a "field effect" ship (a common idea in SF by the 1950) but used by Heinlein to great effect. The "Asgard" can apparently do nearly 30 gravities (of acceleration) while maintaining a one g environment inside. It never exceeds the speed of light, though one needs to be near it to cross a "congruency". When the "Asgard" makes a bad transition, Heinlein even discusses the idea of the multiverse - this is amazing. Heinlein must have been extrapolating from parallel universe theory because the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics would not be presented for four more years! So the basic mathematics and physics existed in 1953 for Heinlein to make his extrapolations and is even better defined these days see faster-than-light, its the technology that is unknown and may lay so or may be in the far, far, distant future. -- aajacksoniv ( talk) 13:51, 1 September 2008 (UTC)
The line "(The trucker who gives rides to down-and-out hitchhikers is a recurring element in Heinlein's books.)" seems like original research and not particularly valid. Anyone agree/disagree? -- Rydra Wong ( talk) 05:45, 25 February 2009 (UTC)
A very minor point, but Eldreth suddenly becomes Ellie after two mentions. I know they are the same person, but my copy of the book, an ancient paperback with the great Worry Hole drawing on the cover, is falling apart from too many readings. A HeinNewb might not know. 159.169.242.3 ( talk) 22:03, 23 July 2009 (UTC)
Did anyone else notice that the young woman called Ellie Coburn becomes Ellie Coburg in the translation into German? 50.188.46.248 ( talk) 03:18, 2 July 2015 (UTC)
This article is rated Start-class on Wikipedia's
content assessment scale. It is of interest to the following WikiProjects: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The whole notion of presenting "plot summaries" is not only childish, but very likely a violation of copyright laws and rules. It is unencyclopedic, too, and I don't think that it should be done at all. 74.249.79.103 ( talk) 01:27, 29 September 2008 (UTC)
"Inability to get lost"? That happened in Glory Road, but I don't think it happens in Starman Jones. Michael Hardy 01:33 Apr 27, 2003 (UTC)
I wonder though... early on in the book "IIRC", Jones said "Praise Allah!" [or something Allah...(I think)]. I was wondering if maybe he intended for Jones to be black, but the editors cut it out? Shonsu 08:40, 3 December 2005 UTC
Suggestions:
The list of Heinlein novels belongs in the Heinlein page, not in the article on any one novel.
"Heinlein - like many other science fiction writers of the time - had a weak grasp of Special Relativity's statement of the impossibility of acclerating (sic) to the speed of light." I don't believe this is true. First of all, there is no mention that the ship had to reach the speed of light before entering the congruence. Secondly, in Time for the Stars (written a few years later), Heinlein demonstrates a reasonably good layman's understanding of special relativity.
I deleted the Rags to Riches section as original analysis, after giving the main contributor plenty of time to respond to my objection or provide sources (fan reviews are not acceptable). Clarityfiend 17:51, 13 March 2007 (UTC)
"The "transitions" that transport a ship from one star system to another are effected by accelerating the ship until it reaches precisely the right location and reappears at a "congruent" location that may be hundreds of light years away in ordinary space. The idea of "congruence", nicely explained by Max using a folded scarf, is sound mathematics (though it is not known physics)."
The above statement in Literary significance and criticism is a bit wrong.
This section of the novel and the "worry hole" expositions are quite extraordinary. It's not that "star gate" concepts had been rare in prose science fiction by 1953. Heinlein's extrapolation of multiply-connected topology ( Homotopy was a known mathematical concept in 1953) for star flight is the height of sophistication. Though the Einstein-Rosen "bridge" (see wormhole), had been known since the 1930s, it's mysterious diffusion into SF is quite extraordinary. It is hard to know if Heinlein had first-hand knowledge of it, though knowing the people he knew, it is not a surprise. One notes there is indeed a computer in the star ship's control room, never fully described, but the man-machine interface shades more towards the "man". Here we get a superb example of modern SF's clever verisimilitude that is realized in the modern physics of General Relativity of the 1960's and 1970's and even to the present ideas of Interstellar Travel. Even though the technological realization of the process described is some what problematic, the clever use of physics, the starship "Asgard" is a "field effect" ship (a common idea in SF by the 1950) but used by Heinlein to great effect. The "Asgard" can apparently do nearly 30 gravities (of acceleration) while maintaining a one g environment inside. It never exceeds the speed of light, though one needs to be near it to cross a "congruency". When the "Asgard" makes a bad transition, Heinlein even discusses the idea of the multiverse - this is amazing. Heinlein must have been extrapolating from parallel universe theory because the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics would not be presented for four more years! So the basic mathematics and physics existed in 1953 for Heinlein to make his extrapolations and is even better defined these days see faster-than-light, its the technology that is unknown and may lay so or may be in the far, far, distant future. -- aajacksoniv ( talk) 13:51, 1 September 2008 (UTC)
The line "(The trucker who gives rides to down-and-out hitchhikers is a recurring element in Heinlein's books.)" seems like original research and not particularly valid. Anyone agree/disagree? -- Rydra Wong ( talk) 05:45, 25 February 2009 (UTC)
A very minor point, but Eldreth suddenly becomes Ellie after two mentions. I know they are the same person, but my copy of the book, an ancient paperback with the great Worry Hole drawing on the cover, is falling apart from too many readings. A HeinNewb might not know. 159.169.242.3 ( talk) 22:03, 23 July 2009 (UTC)
Did anyone else notice that the young woman called Ellie Coburn becomes Ellie Coburg in the translation into German? 50.188.46.248 ( talk) 03:18, 2 July 2015 (UTC)