The Color of Utopia

Posted by Earl in A Walk Through the Forrest with Earl Roesel, Books, Latest News on January 2nd, 2010

One of the qualities that has traditionally been associated with science fiction is its vision of a future in which individuals of all races, colors and classes might live in harmonious bliss. Gene Roddenberry was quick to make this a prime aspect of his Star Trek series; Rod Serling similarly espoused the evils of racial bias in many of his heavily allegorical Twilight Zone screenplays.Forry said more than once that Robert Heinlein was his favorite science fiction author. Heinlein is an interesting case, appearing to be at once a strict conservative and a visionary utopian. His book Starship Troopers has been criticized as envisioning a fascist society with a military elite at the top of the social structure. Some even draw parallels between the Terran Federation’s war on extraterrestrial insectoids and Hitler’s quest to racially purify Europe. These negative characterizations (brilliantly skewered in the 1997 film adaptation) must, however, be balanced by the fact that men and women of all races and walks of life feature as Heinlein’s heroes in the story. In addition, according to Forry, Heinlein himself bore not a single racist bone in his body.

FJA spoke at length about Heinlein’s tolerance and, more generally, the racial tensions that occasionally sprouted up in early science fiction fandom:

“I’d nicknamed the first convention in New York the Nycon, bringing the NY and Con. The second one I named the Chicon. Here in Denver a fan named Donald A. Wolheim suggested called it the Denvention. That immediately caught on and was for years hence what all the fans referred to as the Denvention. The day that Heinlein and his wife arrived in Denver and got established in the hotel where the convention would take place, I among others was invited up to their room for a little socialization and light drinks. There was a black man who delivered the drinks and little munchies to Heinlein’s room and I was very impressed that Heinlein treated him like a normal human being. He asked the man’s name and thanked him personally. At that time Negroes were not held in very much esteem; if they got a job at all it was shining shoes or as the comic relief in movies.

Some years later Heinlein demonstrated that he had no bad feelings about Jews, because he and his wife were invited to be guests of honor at a dinner. Everything was going swimmingly when one of the guests told a Jewish joke that was a put-down for Jews. This was quickly followed by a number of the banquet participating, each telling dirty Jewish jokes. Finally Heinlein could stand it no more. He was a pure goy but he rose from the table, took his wife’s hand, saying, ‘It is evident that you are not aware that my wife and I are Jewish!’ He took her by the hand and walked out of the house, leaving the whole table full of people in a shambles who felt they’d done a terrible thing. I don’t know if that tale has ever been told; I don’t recall seeing it in print. Perhaps you, that person now reading my autobiography, will be aware for the first time of Heinlein’s very decent attitude.”