For Us, the Living (Robert A Heinlein)

[Dave]

A New, Old book...

Robert A. Heinlein's first novel "For Us, the Living", was never published, and the original manuscript destroyed. It was thought that all other copies were lost or destroyed, and that none now remained.

However, there are now rumours that it has been sold to Scribner's and Pocket Books. Apparently, copy was found recently and given to the Heinlein Society, which turned it over to Heinlein's literary estate, and which subsequently sold at auction. No publication date has yet been announced, but it could be before the end of 2003.

It was thought that Heinlein could have written the book as early as 1937, with the most likely dates being between late 1938 and April 1939. The title is a quote from 'The Gettysberg Address' by Abraham Lincoln.

Sources:
http://billscontent.com/2003_07_01_heinlein_archive.htm
http://www.locusmag.com/2003/News/News07Log4.html

[SilverCaladan]

sounds really interesting. does anyone know what the book is actually about? like the back summary or something... but the title is very provacative and i would like to know before i go insane guessing

[captainneelix]

Sounds like a great find. I hope it comes to print. Heinlein has been my favorite author for years.

[Tabitha]

Slashdot, via the Heinlein Society is reporting that this lost book is finally to come to print, some info follows:

For those of us who thought there would never again be another new Heinlein novel, the impossible has become reality . "For Us, the Living," is a brand new, never before published novel by Robert A. Heinlein. It is going into print now for the first time and will be in bookstores by the end of November, 2003.






"For Us, the Living" was written by Heinlein about 1938-9, before he wrote his first sf short, "Lifeline." The novel, "For Us, the Living," was deemed unpublishable, mainly for the racy content. So racy is/was the content that in the 1930s the book could not even have been legally shipped through the US mail! For this reason, after a few publisher rejections, the novel was tabled by Heinlein, but the content was mined for his later stories and novels. A fellow named Nehemiah Scudder even appears in "For Us, the Living." It's important to point out that according to those favored few who have thus far read this long lost Heinlein novel, it did not go unpublished because it was bad--they say it's quite good, though clearly a first novel by the author (it has a two and a half page footnote!). It was unpublished because the mores and culture of the time would not allow it.

......

Virtually no changes have been made to the manuscript from Heinlein's original draft. The book, Robert James said, was not a first draft but a polished final draft. Only a very few minor edits and spelling corrections were made. There will be a foreword by Spider Robinson and an afterword by Robert James.

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The money earned by this novel will be going to directly and substantially support Heinlein's dream, and the dream we, Heinlein's Children, share. Earnings will be going to the advancement of human exploration of space. When you purchase "For Us, the Living" you are also contributing, in a real and meaningful way, the furtherment of this dream. Yet again, Heinlein 'pays it forward.'

Exciting!

[SilverCaladan]

*eyes light up* yay thats only two months from now!