Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein is considered a classic of science fiction. Winner of numerous science fiction awards, Heinlein's novel explores the spiritual journey of Valentine Michael Smith, a Martian who is brought to Earth and taught the ways of humans. During his journey, Mike, as he is affectionately called, learns about sex, religion, and politics, among many other social institutions, and notices the flaws in the human way of thinking. It introduces humans to the Martian set of beliefs, a set of beliefs that seem to align with the countercultural movement of the 1960s. This is a testament to Heinlein's brilliance, and yet, despite being described as an award-winning masterpiece, there are many flaws in Strange in a Strange Land, especially in the plot structure. Although Heinlein's novel ends up exploring Mike's spirituality and maturity, it begins as a novel of political intrigue and conspiracies, and these two plots are never seamlessly joined together. That is to say, Strange in a Strange Land is a classic for its masterful embodiment of 1960s counterculture, from the glorification of sex and sin to the critique of politics and traditional religious institutions, but it is flawed in its disjointed plot, solutions quickly to complicated problems. problems in the plot and its long and meandering dialogue between characters. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayThe element of Stranger in a Strange Land that most embodies the spirit of the countercultural movement is the glorification of sex, not because all young people in the 1960s were promiscuous but because this glorification implied a freedom of expression that mirrored that of the young people of the countercultural movement. Heinlein's novel does not depict sex as something sinful, despite the fact that religion plays an important role in the narrative. Rather, sex is shown as something beautiful that should be explored and used to create greater connections between each other. In Mike's church, for example, you can have sex with whoever you want, male or female, single or not, alone with another person or in a large group. Mike sums up Heinlein's views on sex best when he says, “Male-female is the greatest gift we have: romantic physical love may be unique on this planet. If it is, the universe is a poorer place than it could be” (419). He then goes on to describe the union formed through sex as “a lovely and perfect thing” (420). This is in complete contrast to how the society Heinlein lives in views sex. In the 1960s, sex was something that was extremely repressed, meant to only be shared between married couples, so Heinlein introduced the idea of ​​having sex shamelessly to have a deeper connection with someone, even if you weren't necessarily married (or who will ever marry) was revolutionary. It was the kind of forward-thinking, progressive thinking we've come to expect from science fiction novels. Because science fiction novels are so different from the real world, they can describe such radical ideas without consequences; Furthermore, this aspect of the genre places science fiction in the perfect position to be a medium through which authors can make social commentary on the real world, a fact that Heinlein takes great advantage of. A strong emphasis on social commentary and satire that Heinlein adds to Stranger in a Strange Land is the other brilliant aspect of his work. The novel is full of criticism of social institutions on Earth, including politics. The process of satirizing the society in which Heinlein lives isfacilitated by the character of Mike. For a time, Mike observes the Earth from an objective, almost academic point of view, while trying to learn everything he can about humans. The lens of an objective outsider provides the perfect channel for Heinlein to poke fun at the flawed institutions that are so widely accepted by humans. Take the political institution, for example. The political system has always been extremely imperfect, yet it is such an important part of everyday life. Political agents cannot be taken at face value. This is best described in chapter 9, which is from the perspective of Joseph Douglas and his wife Agnes. In this chapter it is revealed that Douglas, the most powerful man in the world, lets his wife make most of the political decisions. For example, it was Agnes who suggested having a fake Man from Mars to speak to the press, yet when Douglas points out that the failed plan was her idea, she says, “I didn't make it up. And don't contradict me” (73). Douglas, who seems so powerful, is not at all and is actually very submissive to his wife, sometimes even worrying about being a disappointment to her. Adding further to Heinlein's satirical commentary on the hidden workings of politics is the fact that most of Agnes's political decisions are made based on one of the least factual approaches possible, astrology. When Mike disappears, Agnes goes to see an astrologer who tells her that "young Smith's absence is a necessity... The important thing is not to take drastic action" (79). Heinlein's purpose in using the example of astrology is to show that even political leaders who appear so wise and powerful may not actually be acting on the best sources of information. The public believes they are acting for the common good, but sometimes the figures that people admire don't actually make the decisions, and sometimes those decisions are made without much evidence that they will actually work. Politicians often hope and pray, like the rest of America, that their decisions don't become catastrophic. Tying this back to the counterculture movement, Heinlein's use of satire emulates the attitude of young people in questioning the status quo. Young people are the first to realize that traditional thinking is flawed and that people should ask questions of the institutions that are so easily accepted. Heinlein's genius is that he channels that questioning attitude and presents it in a way that makes not only young people question their society, but anyone who reads his novel. It cannot be argued that Heinlein has a great mind in pointing out society's flaws so creatively. As a social commentator and satirist, Heinlein is phenomenal. As a storyteller and novelist, he is not so skilled. Take story structure for example. For much of the first half, Stranger in a Strange Land appears to be a story of political intrigue. There are elements of politicians trying to deceive Mike and there is a kidnapping aspect to that. The level of suspense is high and it looks like the novel will be a thrilling read at that point. And then, in the second part, all this suspense collapses and the novel becomes more philosophical with the introduction of Jubal. The true plot of the novel slowly reveals itself to be a coming-of-age story for Mike, a journey through his exploration of spirituality. The main conflict of the novel is raised by Jubal in chapter 12 when he says, "We have a personality untouched by the psychotic taboos of our tribe – and you [Jill] want to turn him into a copy of every fourth-rate conformist in this frightened land !” (105). Much of this novel yes.