This pseudo-utopia emerged from an earlier eugenic focused society that actually modified the genetic structure of humans - in short, creating certain traits instead of selecting traits already existing in the gene pool: “Romantic writers of the first days of genetics dreamed of many fantastic possibilities - test-tube babies, monsters form by artificial mutation, fatherless babies, babies assembled piece by bit from a hundred different parents. In short, prospective parents choose the sperm and ova from a bank depending on a desirable genetic makeup instead of genetically manipulating the sperm and ova. The genetic technician eliminates in the laboratory the strains which formerly were eliminated by simple natural selection” (25).
This future Earth is governed by a doctrine of eugenics: “To keep the race strong as it is and to make it stronger requires careful planning. The world Heinlein creates and the snappy dialogue (as always) between characters are the most appealing aspects of the work. If anyone knows more about this period in his writing career I’d love to know… I suspect this type of oversight influenced Heinlein’s decision to publish solely juveniles for almost two decades afterwards (well, and the market). Campbell, who first published the work in Astounding - who compelled him to integrate it into the plot. David Brin points out that the tagline was the brainchild of Heinlein’s editor - John W. Unfortunately, Beyond this Horizon is plagued by an utterly contrived first half and a frustrating tagline that governs Heinlein’s world-building - “an armed society is a polite society.” The second half is remotely more readable but I was so disenchanted by that point that I was desperate for the conclusion.
Interesting tangent: Starship Troopers (1959) was originally conceived as a juvenile but rejected by his normal publisher due to its more serious content. Heinlein’s second published novel and one of the few non-juvenile works he published until the late 50s and early 60s. (Sandy Kossin’s cover for the 1960 edition)īeyond This Horizon (magazine publication 1942, novelized 1948) was Robert A.
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