phosfate

I just read the "preferred ending" version of Podkayne of Mars, in which he snuffs Poddy for no good reason. This is followed by an essay in which Heinlein blames her death on her mother for not bringing her up properly, and on Podkayne for wanting to be a spacer when she grew up and not a housewife or rich guy's arm candy. Rather than blaming, say, the sociopath brother who actually killed her with a suitcase nuke (don't ask where he got it, we'll be here all day), the criminals who kidnapped both of them and were planning to murder them, or the politician uncle who took two children along with him on a grand tour while obviously aware that pretty much everyone in the solar system were gunning for him.

Nope, it's Mom's fault for being a highly skilled engineer who helped make Mars habitable, rather than staying home with the womb-fruit.

Currently reading The Autobiography of James T. Kirk on my phone. Normally I would not even admit to this, because it is actually worse than it sounds and is mainly an exercise in finding Easter eggs for TAS fans.

So, this is not a recommendation. I am only telling you this because at one point the Guardian of Forever is described as a big donut. You need to know that.