The Notebooks of Lazarus Long

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Too young to fight in the First World War, but destined to lead the first successful expedition to another star system, the (literally) immortal Lazarus Long is the most popular and enduring character created by Robert A. Heinlein, author of numerous New York Times best sellers. He starred in Heinlein's most popular novels, including Methuselah's Children, Time Enough For Love, The Number Of The Beast, To Sail Beyond The Sunset and others. The oldest living member of the human race due to his unique genes, Long has been a pioneer on eight planets, survived wars and lynch mobs, and explored most of the galaxy. His adventures have given him a breadth of experience distilled through the irony of an immortal viewpoint. But there is nothing pompous about Long's reflections on the human condition. As the noted editor and critic David G. Hartwell has observed, "Lazarus' comments are acute, lively and intelligent." And here they are, compiled in one beautifully designed trade paperback, filled with illuminations and illustrations by renowned Science Fiction artist Stephen Hickman, for the delight of the millions of Heinlein fans around the world.

56 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,1978

About the author

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Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction author, aeronautical 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 posed 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.
Heinlein became one of the first American science-fiction writers to break into mainstream magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post in the late 1940s. He was one of the best-selling science-fiction novelists for many decades, and he, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke are often considered the "Big Three" of English-language science fiction authors. Notable Heinlein works include Stranger in a Strange Land, Starship Troopers (which helped mold the space marine and mecha archetypes) and The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. His work sometimes had controversial aspects, such as plural marriage in The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, militarism in Starship Troopers and technologically competent women characters who were formidable, yet often stereotypically feminine—such as Friday.
Heinlein used his science fiction as a way to explore provocative social and political ideas and to speculate how progress in science and engineering might shape the future of politics, race, religion, and sex. Within the framework of his science-fiction stories, Heinlein repeatedly addressed certain social themes: the importance of individual liberty and self-reliance, the nature of sexual relationships, the obligation individuals owe to their societies, the influence of organized religion on culture and government, and the tendency of society to repress nonconformist thought. He also speculated on the influence of space travel on human cultural practices.
Heinlein was named the first Science Fiction Writers Grand Master in 1974. Four of his novels won Hugo Awards. In addition, fifty years after publication, seven of his works were awarded "Retro Hugos"—awards given retrospectively for works that were published before the Hugo Awards came into existence. In his fiction, Heinlein coined terms that have become part of the English language, including grok, waldo and speculative fiction, as well as popularizing existing terms like "TANSTAAFL", "pay it forward", and "space marine". He also anticipated mechanical computer-aided design with "Drafting Dan" and described a modern version of a waterbed in his novel Beyond This Horizon.
Also wrote under Pen names: Anson McDonald, Lyle Monroe, Caleb Saunders, John Riverside and Simon York.

Community Reviews

Rating(3.8 / 5.0, 59 votes)
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59 reviews All reviews
March 26,2025
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Dieses seltene Buch enthält Zitate und Aphorismen aus Robert A. Heinleins Future History-Reihe, d.h. aus den Romanen "Methuselah's Children"[1941/58], dt. "Die Ausgestoßenen der Erde [1967]") und Time Enough for Love [1973], dt. "Die Leben des Lazarus Long" [1976]. Es sind kurze Zitate, die manchmal lustig, manchmal bedeutungsvoll sind aber immer Heinleins Haltung in seiner Schaffensperiode zeigen. Eine wahllose Auswahl zeigt was ich damit meine:
n  ...Wenn es nicht in Zahlen ausgedrückt werden kann, ist es keine Wissenschaft, es ist eine Meinung.n

n  Es ist seit langem bekannt, dass ein Pferd schneller laufen kann als ein anderes - aber welches? Unterschiede sind entscheidendn

n  Es gibt keine schlüssigen Beweise für ein Leben nach dem Tod. Aber es gibt keinerlei Anzeichen dafür. 
Sie werden es bald wissen - warum sich also darüber ärgern?
n

n  Wenn Sie wahlberechtigt sind, dann tun Sie dies. Möglicherweise gibt es keine Kandidaten und keine Maßnahmen, für die Sie stimmen möchten. Es gibt jedoch bestimmte Maßnahmen, gegen die Sie stimmen möchten.n

n  Religion ist eine Krücke für Menschen, die nicht stark genug sind, um sich ohne Hilfe dem Unbekannten zu stellen.n

n  Wer sich nicht mit Mathematik auseinandersetzen kann, ist nicht ganz menschlich. Bestenfalls ist er ein erträglicher Untermensch, der das Tragen von Schuhen gelernt hat.n

Hier zeigt sich die ganze Bandbreite von Heinleins denken, einerseits liberal, andererseits extrem konservativ..
Aufgemacht ist dieses Bändchen von Illustrationen von Heinlein-Fan D.F. Vassallo, der den Wust der Aphorismen (die man übrigenz im Internet vielfach präsentiert werden).
Allerdings muss man sagen, dass dieser Band nur für absolute Heinlein-Fans einen Mehrwert bedeutet...
March 26,2025
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A fun, short read. It's basically a book of quotations from the fictional character Lazarus Long, who appears in some of Heinlein's sci-fi novels. There are some clever lines and interesting observations throughout.
March 26,2025
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how would your view of things change if you lived longer? makes you value the time you have even more
March 26,2025
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Um livro apenas de frases, um tanto quanto envelhecidas.

Não espere mais histórias sobre Lazarus Long. Tratam-se apenas de frase, a maioria, para mim, sem grande utilidade ...
March 26,2025
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Quippy, but mostly cynical. Nice calligraphy, though.
March 26,2025
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Okay, but I found out I had already read it.

"The Notebooks of Lazarus Long" is also included in Heinlein's novel "Time Enough for Love", and that is what I would suggest you read instead.
























March 26,2025
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It is a compilation of sayings of Lazarus Long who is an immortal from the works of Robert Heinlein. This book has many of the sayings illustrated by a master calligrapher. From time to time, I do enjoy reading the sayings of others. My hopes are that some wisdom that they impart can make my own journey a little richer.
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