On one of the greatest days for human freedom in recent memory, as Iraqis, delirious with joy and disbelief that they can finally sincerely cheer in the streets as a tyrant's statues fall, Spider Robinson is compelled to write an essay describing just how much the twenty-first century sucks.

Pieces like this really make me miss Poul Anderson and Bob Heinlein.

Well, that was interesting. I've never read a Spider Robinson book, and now I can pretty safely say, I don't think I ever will. I don't need to agree with an author's politics to enjoy their work, however, I'm concerned about the total lack of common sense or critical reasoning evident here.

The Berlin Wall "dropped as though it were no more than a pile of bricks and stones" and the Soviet Union "its cards without firing a shot." As if those things just sort of happened on their own one day, suprising everyone. I particularly like the line, "Peace in the Mideast seemed just around the corner, thanks to the patient diplomatic efforts of a well-informed, articulate and creative U.S. president."

His implications are clear. The collapse of the Soviet Union and East Germany just happened on their own. Under Clinton, we had pending Mid East peace, dot com wealth, no deficits, a great economy, and hell, under Clinton, terrorists even FAILED at blowing up the WTC.

So then we elect a "halfwit" and terrorists succeed at destroying the WTC, the dot com bubble collapses, we go to war and wind up with SARS. It's all George Bush's fault!

Unbelievable. It's like reading a DemocraticUnderground posting.

Bob

Boy, I can't wait to get home and fisk this one.

Bob, I made the mistake of reading "Starmind" when it was serialized in Analog a few years back. I figured, here was a big-name famous SF writer who I'd never gotten around to reading, let's see what he can do.

It was a godawful hack job. PC cliches strung together with a supernatural/mysticism (rather than science) theme. How it even got published in Analog is beyond me. The letter here is pretty much consistent with what the story led me to expect re:his politics.

Heinlein would kick this guys ass if he was around. How can a guy who writes scifi be so damned down on the future? Overinflated Canadian twit!!

He says terrorists were "...bearded buffoons who squabbled and shot ineffectually in all directions in films." Just after he talked about the first attack on the WTC. It looked pretty effective to me. Just because they failed doesn't mean there was no effect. Some people were killed in the first attack, not 3000+, but those families were no less affected.

He thinks Tim McVeigh acted alone, did he read Jayna Davis' book about Middle Eastern involvement in that bombing?

He wanted legalized marijuana and free health care. Is that his idea of a good future? I support reform of our drug laws but understand the consequences of "free" health care.

He says states held the illusion of having power at the end of the 20th century. Well we had it, still have it and how does that equal what powers the provinces have up there, eh?

Spider Robinson has never been too tightly wrapped, but he's a good writer when he sticks to light comedy (i.e. the Callahan stories). When he tries to do something serious, the logic holes are severely distracting.

But I didn't realize until now that he was a flat out idiot.

We "replaced" Clinton because of his sexual escapades? Jeez, Spider, could you at least understand the law?

Ironically, Spider wrote one of the best-ever defenses of Heinlein, "Rah, Rah, R.A.H.!", in 1980.

IMHO this essay was obviously written somewhat tongue in cheek. At least he mentioned the FBI in the proper context. ;)

Having read the "Callahan's Cross-time Saloon" stories, I think it's fair to say that Robinson's politics are definitely left-of-center. Which is fine, but I wish he'd stop living in 1969.

Case in point being (if memory serves me) a story called "The Time Traveller" from the Callahan "universe". An American comes home to the US of 1973 having languished for a decade in some South American prison, only to find the country seeming changed beyond all recognition from what he remembered it being in 1963. His disorientation leads into a life of crime, which ends with his attempt to rob Callahan's Place. Callahan and his crew manage to talk sense into the man, and he repents.

Unfortunately, Robinson is like his character in the story-- he "went to sleep" circa 1973, has woken up in 2003, and doesn't like what he sees.

I wish the man would get a clue.

Near as I can tell from reading his stuff on and off for the last 25 years or so Spider's politics are libertarian, he and Robert Heinlein knew each other and you won't find a greater fan of Heinlein's work than Spider. You will find many Heinlein tributes in Spider's works and do yourself a favour and read "The Free Lunch". If you liked "Red Planet", "Podkayne of Mars" and "Have Spacesuit, Will Travel" you'll recognise the style. Spider is pro space, pro nuclear power and definitely not a bleeding heart. You don't have to agree with all his political views.

Near as I can tell from reading his stuff on and off for the last 25 years or so Spider's politics are libertarian, he and Robert Heinlein knew each other and you won't find a greater fan of Heinlein's work than Spider.

You sure wouldn't know it from this editorial. Bob would string him up by the ears after reading it.

Fisking complete: http://www.lamarssociety.org/archives/000454.html