# Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue with His Century **URL:** **By** David Boaz, William H. Patterson, Jr. **Published:** October 21, 2010 --- William H. Patterson Jr. discusses his biography of Robert Heinlein. Featuring the author William H. Patterson, Jr., Editor and publisher, _The Heinlein Journal_; moderated by David Boaz, Executive Vice President, Cato Institute. Robert A. Heinlein is regarded by many as the greatest science fiction writer of the 20th century. He is the author of more than 30 novels, including _Starship Troopers_, _Stranger in a Strange Land_, and the libertarian classic _The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress_. According to biographer William H. Patterson Jr., Heinlein's writings "galvanized not one, but four social movements of his century: science fiction and its stepchild, the policy think tank; the counterculture; the libertarian movement; and the commercial space movement." This authorized biography, reviewed enthusiastically by Michael Dirda in _The Washington Post_, is the first of two volumes, covering Heinlein's early ambition to become an admiral, his left-wing politics, and his first novels. Heinlein later became strongly libertarian.