Bear’s Book Blog

Back in the ’50s when Stranger in a Strange Land was first released, much of its content was considered unpublishable in that current social environment. I admit that while that is what the introduction said, having read half the book so far, I do not see exactly what they are referring to. Sadly, this could be because I am a creature of this culture today with its complete lack of mores and shame. Then again, it could be because I have only reached the halfway point.

So, having reached only the halfway point, your question is why am I commenting now on the book? It has become a bathroom book. You know the kind. It sits on a shelf in the bathroom and when you are in there for ten or so minutes you will knock out a page or ten. Boring is too simplistic a term and while unfair, it has to be applied to a book that you have no particular urge to finish. I will finish Stranger in a Strange Land if for no other reason than that I share Mike the Man from Mars’ inability to grok much of what passes for human intelligence. That determination is one of plodding, grim need to finish what I start, not a passion to see what happens (as in Rose Madder, The Stand) nor an infatuation with the leading lady (as in Freckles, Bag of Bones, or IT.) It is instead simply that I wish to finish that for which I pay.

Stranger in a Strange Land, unabridged edition is difficult to  call boring even while it is because it is an interesting book. An example would be its authors clear hostility towards organized religion of all kinds and ilks as embodied in its treatment of the Fosterites. I am uncomfortable with attacks on religions because I am a Christian and am outraged at the current societal attacks on all things Christian while being muslim gets you all kinds of special privileges. Then I look around at what laughably calls themselves religions of faith while they wallow in the heresies of social justice and collective salvation.

Perhaps that is the attraction to a Christian, conservative, capitalist libertarian such as myself to this book. Religions in general have become willing tools of the collectivist state in its battle to define rights as those belonging to groups, rather than individuals; they have joyfully become missionaries in the war to declare salvation to be not a function of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and a gift but instead as a reward for your willingness to throw yourselves on the altar of social justice and to live like paupers rather than enjoy the blessings God has bestowed on your labors yourself. Stranger in a Strange Land sheds some small amount of  light on the mercenary, nihilistic, cynical character of those men and women who lead such religions.

-Timothy Lynn Singleton 12:58AM, Sunday, 18th of July, 2010