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Glory Road
E. C. "Scar" Gordon was on the French Riviera recovering from a tour of combat in Southeast Asia , but he hadn't given up his habit of scanning the Personals in the newspaper. One ad in particular leapt out at him:
"ARE YOU A COWARD? This is not for you. We badly need a brave man. He must be 23 to 25 years old, in perfect health, at least six feet tall, weigh about 190 poun
...more
"ARE YOU A COWARD? This is not for you. We badly need a brave man. He must be 23 to 25 years old, in perfect health, at least six feet tall, weigh about 190 poun
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
October 1st 2004
by Tor Books
(first published January 1st 1963)
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So American service man gets wounded and badly scarred in a heroic act no one sees....he leaves the service intent on "bumming around" a while and meets, "HER". And "SHE" is frankly a WOMAN, she also turns out to be an/the Empress of the multiverse.
Good read, not typical Heinlein fare. I read it the first time in the late sixties and it's still on my shelf (well a new edition, but the same novel :-) ). I list this as one of my favorites.
Heinlein runs (in my opinion of course) a little hot and c...more
Good read, not typical Heinlein fare. I read it the first time in the late sixties and it's still on my shelf (well a new edition, but the same novel :-) ). I list this as one of my favorites.
Heinlein runs (in my opinion of course) a little hot and c...more
When I picked up my copy of "Glory Road," I was met with a cover depicting a buxom woman in tights, a dwarf and a guy dressed like Robin Hood battling what appears to be a fire-breathing dinosaur and a blurb proclaiming this one of the "best SF novels of all-time." And I thought to myself--this is precisely why some people don't take science-fiction as a literary genre seriously. Covers like this that depict such absurd scenes really can put off the serious intellectuals who look down their nose...more
Jul 22, 2012
Jeff Yoak
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-2009,
audio-collection
This novel bleeds into fantasy, unusual for Heinlein, even though he keeps star gates around for shuffling our hero off to other worlds. By my taste, once you're wielding a sword and taking on dragons, science fiction is a stretch. :-)
Though not one of Heinlein's great character novels, I still sympathized with the character. I can't say what's great about it. Its plot doesn't have the punch of the early novels. The characters aren't as strong as most of the later ones. But it is a page-turned,...more
Though not one of Heinlein's great character novels, I still sympathized with the character. I can't say what's great about it. Its plot doesn't have the punch of the early novels. The characters aren't as strong as most of the later ones. But it is a page-turned,...more
Review of Glory Road -- This is science fiction from one of the early masters of the genre. I picked it up once when I had a coupon from Borders largely on the recommendation of a blogger I liked, who cites it as his favorite book of all time and, in fact, has taken many elements of his on-line persona from the book.
Our hero (literally) is E.C. "Scar" Gordon (aka "Easy," aka "Oscar"), an American unwinding on the French Riviera after his tour of duty in Vietnam. He's taken to reading the persona...more
Our hero (literally) is E.C. "Scar" Gordon (aka "Easy," aka "Oscar"), an American unwinding on the French Riviera after his tour of duty in Vietnam. He's taken to reading the persona...more
I first read this book sometime in the late '60s or early '70s,when I was in my pre-teens or early-teen years, and it was one of my favorites. I was mesmerized by Heinlein's style and characters, and especially by the sardonic view of life that infuses the narrative.
I read my old paperback copy of the book over and over, but somewhere over the decades I lost track of it. When Audible added the audio version to its collection, I jumped at the chance to buy it again.
I worried that the novel might...more
I read my old paperback copy of the book over and over, but somewhere over the decades I lost track of it. When Audible added the audio version to its collection, I jumped at the chance to buy it again.
I worried that the novel might...more
Recently reread this. I was a huge fan of Heinlein growing up - one of the great influences on me as an author. Yet, coming back to it now, twenty years later, and as a writer, I find myself deconstructing it more. I guess once you construct something, you find yourself looking at how others build theirs as well.
I still like the narrative structure, a style he used quite often in his career. The tongue in cheek dropping of what was then pop-culture references is something I've even emulated in m...more
I still like the narrative structure, a style he used quite often in his career. The tongue in cheek dropping of what was then pop-culture references is something I've even emulated in m...more
I read this book when I was an adolescent and it moved me enormously, so much I'm embarrassed about it now. A life of adventure, great physical prowess, being the hero of a lovely damsel. How could a sort of well built, average looking (but maybe a little bit good looking) guy resist the journey into fantasy, where he is everything anyone could ask for? This book is the story of fulfillment, of justification of all our KISAS. (Knight In Shining Armor Syndrome) How many men, young and old, don't...more
Ah, Heinlein, nobody spins an adventure tale like Heinlein. Glory Road is a departure from Heinlein's hard-SF roots, into a distinctly twisted take on the monomyth, as a young, down-at-the-heals veteran is recruited by an dimension-hopping princess for a dangerous Quest. Dragons are slain, perils braved, and our hero goes toe-to-toe with the Eater of Souls. But this book is really about a lot more than heroism, with long meditations on sex, marriage, government, and all the rest. As a novel, it'...more
What an enjoyable book! I'm not a reader of fantasy but this was a good story. Easily readable. It's as if E.C. (Oscar milord) Gordon is telling me this story.
He's a young man who left the army after the Southeast Asia Unwar (he was a military advisor but was in combat all the time). He wanders around trying to find out what to do. He thinks about going to University in Heidelberg but learns the GI Bill does not apply to him. Bummer. He travels to France and lives on a French beach. While there...more
He's a young man who left the army after the Southeast Asia Unwar (he was a military advisor but was in combat all the time). He wanders around trying to find out what to do. He thinks about going to University in Heidelberg but learns the GI Bill does not apply to him. Bummer. He travels to France and lives on a French beach. While there...more
I read this on the recommendation of my Father, who talked it up pretty big. It's a pretty good adventure based upon an attractive - if common - premise: an anonymous man finds out he's the chosen one and receives an array of cool weapons and takes on a bunch of enemies and wins the girl. The last part of the book moves into a political setting, where Heinlein plants some of his pet-theories about gender relations and the State. I remember these parts the least.
I just recently discovered Heinlein with
Starship Troopers
. After reading Glory Road, I’m forced to once again ask myself why I didn’t get around to exploring Heinlein's works earlier.
He’s just so good.
I put a lot of emphasis on voice, and Heinlein’s is great. His prose just seems very . . . confident, I guess. Like, I never get the impression that he had to struggle while he was hunched over a typewriter. Everything just flowed out, and it was all good, because that’s the way Heinlein does thi...more
He’s just so good.
I put a lot of emphasis on voice, and Heinlein’s is great. His prose just seems very . . . confident, I guess. Like, I never get the impression that he had to struggle while he was hunched over a typewriter. Everything just flowed out, and it was all good, because that’s the way Heinlein does thi...more
***slight spoiler alert***
Wow. One of the few times I've been willing to abandon a book. The first couple of chapters were actually quite awesome as I got a time-capsule look at the culture of 1963 and was impressed with how little things had changed...the perception of the world displayed by the character could have been torn straight from conversations I've had with folks my age. Then it got weird...Alice in Wonderland-y weird. What I had hoped was going to be a homage to Burroughs pulp advent...more
Wow. One of the few times I've been willing to abandon a book. The first couple of chapters were actually quite awesome as I got a time-capsule look at the culture of 1963 and was impressed with how little things had changed...the perception of the world displayed by the character could have been torn straight from conversations I've had with folks my age. Then it got weird...Alice in Wonderland-y weird. What I had hoped was going to be a homage to Burroughs pulp advent...more
This book was a decidedly entertaining bit of light fantasy with hints of sci-fi. I've heard people bash this book because it is sexist. I disagree but see how they could reach the conclusion. In addition to being in the Fantasy genre, this book is a boy's fantasy: man goes on an action adventure with a beautiful woman and a loyal sidekick. Given that premise, the sexuality of both the beautiful woman and the hero are mentioned from a time to time (in ways that might have been racy when the book...more
This was different from the usual Heinlein fare and closer to fantasy than sci-fi. It actually has a strong fairy tale feel to it. The hero is a Vietnam vet drawn into another universe on a quest to save a princess. There are dragons and a dark tower and everything. One thing I thought clever about the book was that it looked into the happily ever after part of the story. What does the hero do once he saves the damsel in distress? Apparently he gets bored after a few months of marriage and takes...more
Sep 16, 2012
Michael
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
science-fiction,
fiction
A bittersweet adventure tale told in the first person. Classic Heinlein, but not one of his best. Some have characterized this as Heinlein's foray into the fantasy genre, but it is science fiction. The inclusion of a hero with a sword and technology indistinguishable from magic does not equate to fantasy.
I read this partly because it appeared on the Goodreads list of fencing fiction that I maintain. The presence of fencing was interesting, but unrealistic considering the weapon the protagonist...more
I read this partly because it appeared on the Goodreads list of fencing fiction that I maintain. The presence of fencing was interesting, but unrealistic considering the weapon the protagonist...more
great adventure, generally just a fun fantasy/sci-fi novel. the only real drawback (other than his seemingly bizarre obsession with spanking women) is that for the last 60 pages or so, it seems like heinlein just gave up. the adventure is over, and the hero spends the last pages whining about wanting to go on another adventure. boo to that. but, up until then, great fun and well worth your time.
Aug 08, 2007
Julie
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-2006,
read-since-august-2006
Of course I had heard of Heinlein, but this was my first exposure to one of his books. It occasionally reads like bad adolescent fantasy, but I think there's something worth reading here. It's a somewhat silly book, and I kept picturing Heidi Klum as Star, which was distracting. It's also a very short read, so even if you consider it a waste of time, it doesn't waste that much.
For some people Science Fiction is one thing and Fantasy another, and never the twain shall meet. These people are idiots. Never mind that if you gathered all these people in a single room (depressingly large) with the assignment of writing definitions for exactly what falls in each category there would soon be bloodshed, in my opinion the two are inextricably linked. Anyway, if you are one of the aforementioned blowhards, you won't like this book.
Glory Road is the tale of E.C. "Scar" Gordon, a...more
Glory Road is the tale of E.C. "Scar" Gordon, a...more
Glory Road is a 1963 Scifi/fantasy yarn from Heinlein. It begins as an unabashed homage to Burroughs' John Carter series, and never lives up to that amazing series. The story centers around an aimless Vietnam vet named E.C. (later Oscar) who is bumming around Europe after his service. While killing time on a picturesque French island, he meets a beautiful and mysterious woman. Quickly, he finds himself transported to another universe, along with the woman, whom he names Star, and her assistant/b...more
An incredibly tension free picnic in the woods with your creepy, nudist/free-love aunt and uncle (both in their sixties with lots of warts and liverspots).
In re-reading Heinlein, who was a favorite in my teens, I've enjoyed being provoked and entertained by a fellow who at his best was able to tell a good story while also holding forth on his pet hobby-horses. But Heinlein doing fantasy was extremely slack and seems to indulge his worst impulses to come to a dead stop and pontificate. There is n...more
In re-reading Heinlein, who was a favorite in my teens, I've enjoyed being provoked and entertained by a fellow who at his best was able to tell a good story while also holding forth on his pet hobby-horses. But Heinlein doing fantasy was extremely slack and seems to indulge his worst impulses to come to a dead stop and pontificate. There is n...more
Robert A Heinlein wrote some of the most entertaining Science Fiction in the English language. But he never seemed to have much enthusiasm for doing outright heroic fantasy - to the extent that this is the only novel he ever did in this line.
I think that's rather a shame. Judging by this work, if he'd stuck with the genre he could have done some really lip-smacking stuff, maybe up there with his hard core SF.
This epic quest, featuring characters named "Scar" and "Star" was certainly a good sta...more
I think that's rather a shame. Judging by this work, if he'd stuck with the genre he could have done some really lip-smacking stuff, maybe up there with his hard core SF.
This epic quest, featuring characters named "Scar" and "Star" was certainly a good sta...more
Robert A. Heinlein is best known for his science fiction, of course, but he did write some fantasy, too. Glory Road is a science fantasy story which was originally serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in 1963 and published as a novel later that year. Glory Road was nominated for, but did not win, a Hugo Award for Best Novel.
Evelyn Cyril Gordon, known by his army buddies as “Scar,” has finally been sent home from Southeast Asia after too many tours of duty. After wandering...more
Evelyn Cyril Gordon, known by his army buddies as “Scar,” has finally been sent home from Southeast Asia after too many tours of duty. After wandering...more
I'm just under a hundred pages in, and I don't see myself investing any more time in it.
It started off well. It felt like a 1960's intellectual novel. It felt like a cross between Catch-22 and The Graduate. I think if it continued into the idyllic fantasy lifestyle, nurtured the relationship with the goddess, thrown in some sensible obstacles and tension, and somehow in the end satisfied all young males urges, then this might have been a classic, cutting edge literary work. I liked the first pe...more
It started off well. It felt like a 1960's intellectual novel. It felt like a cross between Catch-22 and The Graduate. I think if it continued into the idyllic fantasy lifestyle, nurtured the relationship with the goddess, thrown in some sensible obstacles and tension, and somehow in the end satisfied all young males urges, then this might have been a classic, cutting edge literary work. I liked the first pe...more
"willing to travel, no family or emotional ties, indomitably courageous and handsome of face and figure. Permanent employment, very high pay, glorious adventure, great danger"
Doesn't every guy wish they had answered a classified like that?
Doesn't every guy wish they had answered a classified like that?
After I Will Fear No Evil I was hesitant to pick up another Heinlein book, but we have so many on our shelves. Heinlein spends too much time emphasizing Star’s inherent femininity, making her cloying and obnoxiously obsequious. However there’s never a point where she seems to need saving and she puts a great deal of energy into broadening her hero’s horizons, expanding his mind. The twist at the end is quite suitably pulled off and definitely worth sticking around for if only because it reveals...more
Oct 01, 2007
Nathan
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone who loves sci fi
If you are a fan of Heinlein, this is one of his most fun, and a great introduction to his writing style. It has that "never know whats coming" feel in a lot of parts, and one of the greatest twists in ANY book i have ever read.
I like most Heinlein's but I don't like fantasy.. I thought this might be good but it didn't do that much for me. Its about a guy (Oscar) that meets a strange woman and is taken by her and pulled through a series of worlds. The woman, Star, had selected him as her hero after countless years of researching heroes on various worlds. I have serious doubts about her research since Oscar to me does not appear to be a hero. Despite the odds, he actually proves pretty good at heroing and comes out of t...more
Fascinating and infuriating in equal measures. I was wrapped up in the adventure even as I was arguing in my head with the opinions of the highly opinionated protagonist.
Possibly my favorite Heinlein.
Possibly my favorite Heinlein.
The only Heinlein fantasy novel is as excellent as anything he writes. As per usual, he takes many of the cliches of the genre and turns them on their head. Very true, funny, and accurate as hell.
Utterly, utterly dreadful.
My contemporaneous review from The Comfy Chair (The Journal of Bar Bore Diplomacy Gaming)
Issue 13: 24th January 2000 AD (Down with the Common Era! – which idiot dreamt that one up?):
"I’ve just been reading Robert A Heinlein’s Glory Road. I understand that the best thing about this book is Alan Dean Foster’s spoof Glory Lane. Alas Glory Lane is out of print; sadly Glory Road is not. Don’t get me wrong, I like a lot of Heinlein’s books and I certainly have no objection to...more
My contemporaneous review from The Comfy Chair (The Journal of Bar Bore Diplomacy Gaming)
Issue 13: 24th January 2000 AD (Down with the Common Era! – which idiot dreamt that one up?):
"I’ve just been reading Robert A Heinlein’s Glory Road. I understand that the best thing about this book is Alan Dean Foster’s spoof Glory Lane. Alas Glory Lane is out of print; sadly Glory Road is not. Don’t get me wrong, I like a lot of Heinlein’s books and I certainly have no objection to...more
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| The first sci-fi book you ever read? | 14 | 36 | May 02, 2013 11:10am | |
| Goodreads Librari...: ISBN 0-425-03783-5 | 2 | 22 | Oct 27, 2011 12:43am |
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American novelist and science fiction writer. Often called "the dean of science fiction writers", he is one of the most popular, influential, and controversial authors of "hard science fiction".
He set a high standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of literary quality. He was the first SF writer to break into mainstre...more
More about Robert A. Heinlein...
He set a high standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of literary quality. He was the first SF writer to break into mainstre...more
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“What did I want?
I wanted a Roc's egg. I wanted a harem loaded with lovely odalisques less than the dust beneath my chariot wheels, the rust that never stained my sword,. I wanted raw red gold in nuggets the size of your fist and feed that lousy claim jumper to the huskies! I wanted to get u feeling brisk and go out and break some lances, then pick a like wench for my droit du seigneur--I wanted to stand up to the Baron and dare him to touch my wench! I wanted to hear the purple water chuckling against the skin of the Nancy Lee in the cool of the morning watch and not another sound, nor any movement save the slow tilting of the wings of the albatross that had been pacing us the last thousand miles.
I wanted the hurtling moons of Barsoom. I wanted Storisende and Poictesme, and Holmes shaking me awake to tell me, "The game's afoot!" I wanted to float down the Mississippi on a raft and elude a mob in company with the Duke of Bilgewater and the Lost Dauphin.
I wanted Prestor John, and Excalibur held by a moon-white arm out of a silent lake. I wanted to sail with Ulysses and with Tros of Samothrace and eat the lotus in a land that seemed always afternoon. I wanted the feeling of romance and the sense of wonder I had known as a kid. I wanted the world to be what they had promised me it was going to be--instead of the tawdry, lousy, fouled-up mess it is.”
—
22 people liked it
I wanted a Roc's egg. I wanted a harem loaded with lovely odalisques less than the dust beneath my chariot wheels, the rust that never stained my sword,. I wanted raw red gold in nuggets the size of your fist and feed that lousy claim jumper to the huskies! I wanted to get u feeling brisk and go out and break some lances, then pick a like wench for my droit du seigneur--I wanted to stand up to the Baron and dare him to touch my wench! I wanted to hear the purple water chuckling against the skin of the Nancy Lee in the cool of the morning watch and not another sound, nor any movement save the slow tilting of the wings of the albatross that had been pacing us the last thousand miles.
I wanted the hurtling moons of Barsoom. I wanted Storisende and Poictesme, and Holmes shaking me awake to tell me, "The game's afoot!" I wanted to float down the Mississippi on a raft and elude a mob in company with the Duke of Bilgewater and the Lost Dauphin.
I wanted Prestor John, and Excalibur held by a moon-white arm out of a silent lake. I wanted to sail with Ulysses and with Tros of Samothrace and eat the lotus in a land that seemed always afternoon. I wanted the feeling of romance and the sense of wonder I had known as a kid. I wanted the world to be what they had promised me it was going to be--instead of the tawdry, lousy, fouled-up mess it is.”
“I was not offended, my love. An insult is like a drink; it affects one only if accepted. And pride is too heavy baggage for my journey...”
—
19 people liked it
More quotes…
This is one of Heinlein's rare Fantasy works. (is there...more
Aug 17, 2012 03:18pm
Aug 17, 2012 03:40pm