The Long Watch

Future History or "Heinlein Timeline" #9

by Robert A. Heinlein

First published in the American Legion Magazine, December 1949 as Rebellion on the Moon
First collected into The Green Hills of Earth and Other Stories, 1951.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

First published December 1, 1949

About the author

Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accuracy in his fiction, and was thus a pioneer of the subgenre of hard science fiction. His published works, both fiction and non-fiction, express admiration for competence and emphasize the value of critical thinking. His plots often posed provocative situations which challenged conventional social mores. His work continues to have an influence on the science-fiction genre, and on modern culture more generally.
Heinlein became one of the first American science-fiction writers to break into mainstream magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post in the late 1940s. He was one of the best-selling science-fiction novelists for many decades, and he, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke are often considered the "Big Three" of English-language science fiction authors. Notable Heinlein works include Stranger in a Strange Land, Starship Troopers (which helped mold the space marine and mecha archetypes) and The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. His work sometimes had controversial aspects, such as plural marriage in The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, militarism in Starship Troopers and technologically competent women characters who were formidable, yet often stereotypically feminine—such as Friday.
Heinlein used his science fiction as a way to explore provocative social and political ideas and to speculate how progress in science and engineering might shape the future of politics, race, religion, and sex. Within the framework of his science-fiction stories, Heinlein repeatedly addressed certain social themes: the importance of individual liberty and self-reliance, the nature of sexual relationships, the obligation individuals owe to their societies, the influence of organized religion on culture and government, and the tendency of society to repress nonconformist thought. He also speculated on the influence of space travel on human cultural practices.
Heinlein was named the first Science Fiction Writers Grand Master in 1974. Four of his novels won Hugo Awards. In addition, fifty years after publication, seven of his works were awarded "Retro Hugos"—awards given retrospectively for works that were published before the Hugo Awards came into existence. In his fiction, Heinlein coined terms that have become part of the English language, including grok, waldo and speculative fiction, as well as popularizing existing terms like "TANSTAAFL", "pay it forward", and "space marine". He also anticipated mechanical computer-aided design with "Drafting Dan" and described a modern version of a waterbed in his novel Beyond This Horizon.
Also wrote under Pen names: Anson McDonald, Lyle Monroe, Caleb Saunders, John Riverside and Simon York.

Reviews

[Jeff Yoak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is a major tear-jerker for me. It's a very short story that takes as long to recover from as it does to read. It's also inspiring. I like heroic and romantic stories, which more often than not leads to at least mostly happy stories, or at least stories with happy endings. If "triumph in defeat" doesn't have some connotation for you, The Long Watch should be an interesting story to check out.

Spoilers follow.

The setting is a lunar base where nuclear weapons are stored and are poised for use. Someone high up in the military chain decides to become leader of the world through seizing them, offering up a few demonstrations, and lording the power the weapons represent over the planet.

Our hero is completely dedicated to his wife and daughter earthside. He's suspected of being apolitical and is brought in to join the new regime. He goes off to think it through but sneaks into the bomb facility, locking himself in. It is too much to hope that he can retain hold of the place until help comes up from Earth. Smashing the "brain" parts of the bombs, their mechanisms, probably isn't enough. Other techies he knows to be cooperating could rig something together that would still allow the bombs to be used. The only way to prevent this from being done is to physically destroy the hemispheres of plutonium so a critical mass reaction can't be rigged.

The pleadings, bribes and threats offered from outside to force him to open the door and the corresponding creation of a "dead man" trigger for an explosion on his side and his need to stall provide a backdrop for discussion. We see the hero's clearcut decision that he'd rather die, or even have his wife and child die, than have them turned over to a dictator. We get to see a value system so deeply integrated that his probably suicidal action is not only rational, but obvious and above question. After reading it, it would be a surprise to hear someone describe his actions as a "sacrafice." Heinlein brilliantly conveys the sense in which it isn't.

[Chaipat Choo · Rating 5 out of 5]

ห้าดาวเต็ม scifi ที่เดินเรื่องชวนติดตามและจบลงอย่างขมขื่น อ่านรอบที่สามก็ยังเป็นเรื่องที่เหนือกาลเวลา สุดยอด

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of his best. Duty, honor, courage? All there in a short story. I read this about once a year because it's so good.

[Glen C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one shaped me as a child. My approach to manhood and my responsibility came of it.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

#8/La larga guardia (1949)

Periodo en que está basada: 1999 y 2009

Nos situamos en la base luna, la cual controla la tierra. El ambiente político está enrarecido, la liga de las naciones unidas ha fracasado (tierra, luna y demás planetas). Ante el supuesto peligro de una nueva guerra mundial e interplanetaria. Se decide tomar las riendas del mando por profesionales científicos seleccionados en vez de políticos, llamados: Patrulla y provocar un ‘golpe de naciones’, así como una masacre multitudinaria en dos ciudades para provocar miedo y conseguir una dictadura con un jefe de gobierno mundial a la cabeza.

En éste relato el teniente Dahlquist ( oficial bombardero de la base lunar) es requerido por el coronel Towers, que le asigna el trabajo de enviar dos cohetes atómicos a rutas específicas de la tierra (por lo anteriormente mencionado), aunque al principio el villano Towers lo reviste de ‘persuadirles de un posible ataque a la luna y evitar una guerra mayor’.A tenor del disparate del coronel, Dahlpquist se encerrará en el arsenal nuclear para evitar que se lleve a cabo ésa barbarie..pero no será tan fácil conseguirlo.

HISTORIA PACIFISTA, CONTRA LA DICTADURA Y LA REPRESIÓN CAUSADAS POR EL MIEDO, Y CONTRA EL MAL ÚSO DE ALGUNAS PERSONAS CON LOS SISTEMAS DE DEFENSA. ¿QUÉ REALMENTE SON NECESÁREOS LOS DE ÉSE CALIBRE? Heinlein, de pasada, nos hace una radiografía del funcionamiento de una bomba nuclear, su funcionamiento y destrucción de manera gráfica y fácil, como es costumbre en él.

Avances y/ o predicciones tecnológicas:
· Coches - cohete

Avances y/ o predicciones sociales:
·Declive de la unión de las naciones unidas (véase como nos va en Europa...)
·Desarrollo de armamento de defensa nuclear en la luna (por qué no pueden, sino...)
· Base lunar que controla la tierra

[Lizabeth Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lieutenant Johnny Dahlquist was approached by Colonel Towers regarding the danger of having politicians in control back on Earth, that the Guard should oversee keeping the planet safe. Towers wants Johnny’s expertise as junior bomb officer in his rebellious group. While Johnny saw his point about the instability of politicians in general, he couldn’t agree to use his bombs to make a point, a point that would lead to the deaths of innocent people. He had to make the bombs unusable, then hold watch until a ship from Earth will arrive in approximately four days.

This story … Heinlein literally reached into my chest and ripped my heart out. My notebook still shows the faint marks of tears. There are many types of heroism. John Ezra Dahlquist is a fine example of doing what is right even when others try to dissuade you. (You should also look up Rodger Young on Google. I was unaware of this Medal of Honor recipient until this story.) 5 out of 5.

[Read Ng · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best of these works so far. I would give it 5 stars.

You know it will not end well for our hero.

There is a reference to Rodger Young here. The same reference as in Starship Troopers.

Have a GoodReads.

[Sebastian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sigue el mismo estilo que los demás, traje de ciencia ficción pero situación que podría suceder en la época en que fue escrito.
La manera en que Heinlein cuenta este relato mejora bastante en comparación con los anteriores, por lo menos a mi parecer lo hace un poco más interesante.
(Tengo que decir que me salteé algunas historias después de leer las sinopsis o algunas paginas porque ya veía que no las iba a aguantar: Ocu­rren ex­plo­sio­nes, Ca­ba­lle­ros, per­ma­nez­can sen­ta­dos y Los ne­gros fosos de la Luna)

[Illusive · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gelesen als Die ewige Wacht

Oberst Powers, Erster Offizier des mit Atomwaffen vollgestopften Mond-Stützpunkts, will sich zum Herrscher der Welt aufschwingen und als Machtdemonstration ein paar Atombomben auf der Erde explodieren lassen. Johnny Dahlquist, Zweiter Bomben-Offizier, will dies verhindern.

Eine Kurzgeschichte von Heinlein aus seiner Future History Reihe und eine Geschichte vor dem Hintergrund ihrer Entstehungszeit.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of Heinlein's best stories, and the best of the "Timeline Series" from early in his career. Basically, a tale of moral courage, intelligence, and sacrifice, told in a very compact and well-written way.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compelling if basic story,

[Forked Radish · Rating 5 out of 5]

RAH ends this story with a bang up or is it a bung up.

[Margie Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some dated references, but like all highline stories, this was excellent.

[Glen Engel-Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heinlein was very concerned about the potential of an atomic war. Given his understanding of that, he wrote a number of stories that tried to convey the absolute pointlessness of pre-emptive strikes and other crazy ideas that ran through the political mindsets of the 1950s. And, in the end, he believed he failed—that nothing he had written had quite captured the minds or opinions of those in charge of the launch commands. I’m not sure what he attributed our ability not to blow ourselves up, as a human race, but I doubt he would have put it under our intelligence. This is a story of a single man who decided to avert the use of those weapons. It’s dated now, but there’s still a power to it, akin to Kim Stanley Robinson’s “The Lucky Strike,” in that the decision has to be made by an individual who realizes that if he doesn’t do this alone, something much worse will occur, even suspecting that making that decision spells doom for the individual even if it saves many more people. That kind of heroism is hard to come by, which may be why it’s often in stories.

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Long Watch by Robert A. Heinlein is one of his short stories in Future History. It involves a military coup starting on the moon (aimed at the Earth) and our protagonist is the one man who is willing to stand against him.

It’s an interesting idea for a story, but sadly, it rushes through the idea. One thing I’ve noticed from Heinlein is he’s able to avoid going straight from Point A to Point B, but actually has the ability to propose alternate solutions that don’t pan out.

Sadly this isn’t done in The Long Watch. This is a very by the book short story while the future he describes never comes to pass in real life, there was a possibility for nuclear weapons to be placed on the moon.

At fourteen pages, this story rushes past the reader. A little more build up, a little more description, and a little less perfection might have made this more enjoyable. But overall I was a little disappointed in the speed and delivery, while the story is solid, I could get into it as much as I wanted to.

[Austin Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I go for my daily walks, usually a 45 minute session, I havve been listening to a complete Heinlein story each walk. While I listened to "The Long Watch", it literally got me teary-eyed. One of the best Heinlein stories I've heard.

This story is found in both "The Green Hills of Earth" (published in 1951, containing 10 Future History stories) all of which was later published in 1967's "The Past Through Tomorrow" (containing 20 Future History stories).

Five stars! Tear-jerking!

[Yennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first read Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, and was very impressed with his writing style. The Long Watch did not disappoint me. It was full of action and tension, and Heinlein kept me reading from the first page on.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1999, an international organization known as the Space Patrol has custody of all of Earth's remaining nuclear weapons. By this time, there is a moonbase.

Was Heinlein giving us a glimpse into the future...or did he know more than we already have?

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving tale about the final frontier and the price of freedom.

[A.N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nuclear story.

[Old Man Aries · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in the American Legion Magazine, December 1949 as Rebellion on the Moon
First collected into The Green Hills of Earth and Other Stories, 1951.