“No matter what I said they insisted on thinking of God as something outside themselves. Something that yearns to take every indolent moron to His breast and comfort him. The notion that the effort has to be their own . . . and that the trouble they are in is all their own doing . . . is one that they can't or won't entertain.”

American science fiction author, engineer, and naval officer

Robert A. Heinlein was an American science fiction author, engineer, and naval officer. He is known as a major figure in twentieth-century science fiction, and is sometimes called the “dean of science fiction writers.” He was among the first writers to stress scientific accuracy in fiction, helping shape hard science fiction. His fiction and nonfiction often praise competence, encourage critical thinking, and place characters in situations that test conventional social values. His influence remains visible in the genre and in wider culture.