The Maelstrom of Violence

[Bob Butler 54]

I've read the book but not seen the movie.  I've read a lot of Heinlein.  You just have to remember a few things.  He and his wife were never able to have children, which resulted in somewhat odd virile heroines.  He and Schmitz did strong ladies before strong ladies became a thing.  He pushed libertarian politics and perspective fairly hard.  He also came at a time not far beyond the barnstormer, where a lot of people could build a near state of the art aircraft in their garage.  This resulted in a common science fiction shtick that anyone could build a space ship in their garage.  This meshed well with a notion that if you could see the smoke from your neighbor's chimney, it was time to move on.  Inhabitable Earth like planets were a dime a dozen.  The frontier was often endless.

In a way, NASA's space with hoards building craft in huge corporate clean rooms, and people constantly looking over the astronaut's shoulder is far less romantic.  Collin's Carrying the Fire gives a much better notion of space flight as often practiced.  How do you carry fire?  Very carefully.  There are so many things that can go wrong catastrophically.  This could change as technology makes space more familiar, but still now it is a structured environment.

Heinlein lived in a strange place, but he made for fun reading.  The movie, from what I heard, just came from a different strange place.

Can't resist a particular pair of airborne perspectives.

Annotated High Flight

      Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds1 of earth,
      And danced the skies2 on laughter-silvered wings;
      Sunward I've climbed,3 and joined the tumbling mirth4
      Of sun-split clouds5 -- and done a hundred things6
      You have not dreamed of -- Wheeled and soared and swung7
      High in the sunlit silence.8 Hov'ring there,9
      I've chased the shouting wind10 along, and flung
      My eager craft11 through footless halls of air.

      Up, up the long, delirious burning blue12
      I've topped the windswept heights13 with easy grace
      Where never lark, or even eagle14 flew.
      And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
      The high untrespassed sanctity of space,15
      Put out my hand,16 and touched the face of God.

1. Flight crews must insure that all surly bonds have been slipped entirely before aircraft taxi or flight is attempted.
   
2. During periods of severe sky dancing, the FASTEN SEATBELT sign must remain illuminated.
   
3. Sunward climbs must not exceed the maximum permitted aircraft ceiling.
   
4. Passenger aircraft are prohibited from joining the tumbling mirth.
   
5. Pilots flying through sun-split clouds must comply with all applicable visual and instrument flight rules.
   
6. These hundred things must be listed on a Federal Aviation Administration flight plan and approved prior to execution.
   
7. Wheeling, soaring, and swinging will not be accomplished simultaneously except by pilots in the flight simulator or in their own aircraft on their own time.
   
8. Be advised that sunlit silence will occur only when a major engine malfunction has occurred.
   
9. "Hov'ring there" will constitute a highly reliable signal that a flight emergency is imminent.
   
10. Forecasts of shouting winds are available from the local Flight Service Station. Encounters with unexpected shouting winds should be reported by pilots.
    
11. Be forewarned that pilot craft-flinging is a leading cause of passenger airsickness.
    
12. Should any crew member or passenger experience delirium while in the burning blue, submit an irregularity report upon flight termination.
    
13. Windswept heights will be topped by a minimum of 1,000 feet to prevent massive airsickness-bag use.
    
14. Aircraft engine ingestion of, or impact with, larks or eagles should be reported to the FAA and the appropriate aircraft maintenance facility.
    
15. Air Traffic Control (ATC) must issue all special clearances for treading the high untrespassed sanctity of space.
    
16. FAA regulations state that no one may sacrifice aircraft cabin pressure to open aircraft windows or doors while in flight