Writer’s legacy strong

HAVING just become the only writer ever to collaborate with Robert Heinlein on a novel, I feel an obligation to compliment Scott Timberg on “Robert Heinlein’s Future May Be Past” [Dec. 9]. He did a very nearly perfect job.

But not quite perfect.

Although every opinion expressed by Timberg is malicious nonsense -- and he neglects to mention recent news items related to Mr. Heinlein (the new half-million dollar Heinlein Trust Prize, his huge and successful 100th birthday celebration last summer, his first new novel in nearly 20 years just released this month, etc.) -- I discovered one statement of fact that was not false (“Still, hard-core admirers remain”), and one quotation from someone who has actually published in the field and doesn’t say a single silly thing (Thomas Disch).

Please exercise more care in future; these small flaws marred an otherwise perfect piece of comedy.

Spider Robinson

Vancouver

Robinson is the co-author with Robert A. Heinlein of “Variable Star” and a winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards.