The weekend of July 7, 2007 a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Robert A. Heinlein’s birth was held in Kansas City, Missouri (Link: Robert A. Heinlein Centennial). The centennial convention was filled with both remembrances of what Heinlein and his work has brought to us, and a view toward the future he envisioned. Several people from the Heinlein Prize Trust were among the over six hundred attending the event, and among those working to bring us that future.

From the first moment, the Heinlein Centennial had the atmosphere of a gathering of old friends. My husband, Geo Rule, took to calling it “a party with 600 of our closest friends.” One of those close friends commented the convention seemed like those of the Golden Age of science fiction have been described, with a sense of joining together to create a bright tomorrow.

We began the weekend by hearing Bill Patterson, Heinlein Scholar  read from his upcoming biography of Heinlein. This magnum opus work of research and writing will be published and available to the public soon. At the reading we also met, again, Robert James, Ph.D., (the scholar who located the lost manuscript to For Us, The Living) another friend and Heinlein researcher. Between the two of them, Doc James and Bill may have set a record for being on the most number of panels in a single convention, with Doc James edging Bill out for the title.

So packed were the weekend’s panels and events, one always had to choose which to miss. Every session was filled with excellent information and solid discussion and debate. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin gave an inspiring talk. This was followed the next day by Peter Diamandis, winner of the first Heinlein Prize, who promised to be on the moon to welcome NASA when they arrive again. Both made clear the mission of Heinlein’s works is something they understand and embrace.

The Gala celebration was a big, warm family dinner with hundreds of family members in attendance. Famous authors mingled with equally famous scientists and space pilots, all mixing with fans, everyone in sync and having a grand time. The program brought more than a few to tears with the group sing of Green Hills of Earth—we all knew the words, just needed to learn the tune. Spider Robinson had a superman moment when he answered the call, “Is there a guitar in the house?” With wife Jeanne, they talked about the Stardance Project, to which Peter Diamandis offered a ride in the Zero G plane. Lt. Col., Ret., Chuck Coffin served as toast master. This old friend of the Heinleins offered moving words of salute. Jim Gifford’s video presentation of Ginny Heinlein reading “This I Believe” brought a soft gasp of reverence as Ginny’s voice blended with Robert’s original reading, both ending by saying to each other, and to us, “This I believe with all my heart.”

Also at the Gala, The Heinlein Prize Trust’s J. Buckner Hightower announced to the pubic the launch of the Heinlein Archives. This was greeted with enthusiastic applause. Then, and at the informational session Sunday about the online Archives, we heard many comments about what an important step forward this was for research, digital information, and in providing a safeguard—digital immortality—to physical archives collections everywhere.

The Heinlein Prize Trust also spoke over the weekend about other endeavors we are pursuing. Among these are the Flight Into the Future series of contests. The Asian awards were taking place in China this same weekend, coinciding with the first Chinese-language publication of Heinlein’s Tunnel In the Sky, which sold out immediately. The Heinlein Prize Trust is working with educational outreach endeavors with the spacesuit program and lesson plans for Have Spacesuit, Will Travel,  in conjunction with Spaceweek. Lesson plans and study guides are also available in conjunction with the Heinlein Society for Have Spacesuit, Will Travel, Tunnel In the Sky, and Farmer in the Sky. Lesson plans are in the works for Citizen of the Galaxy and The Rolling Stones. The Virginia Edition was also available for ordering at the Centennial, with patrons able to take immediate delivery of the first six books. These editions restore Heinlein’s original texts, and add letters and documents to provide additional information about his books.

We ended our Heinlein Centennial weekend by roaming through the Time Enough For Love/To Sail Beyond the Sunset portion of Kansas City, with a stop at Swope Park. From there we went to Butler, Missouri, Heinlein’s birthplace, to see the home in which he was born, and to visit the Butler Public Library, with its Heinlein Addition endowed by Ginny and the Heinlein Foundation. Jim Gifford, one of the Centennial convention’s organizers, presented the library with the banner that hung over the main hall during the entire event. Upon learning the library had no website, I built them one as a donation, with hosting provided by the Heinlein Prize Trust. We also saw to it they now have a copy of the Virginia Edition, the first six volumes of which arrived to the library on July 30th.

The entire long weekend was a grand celebration and coming together of individuals who are diverse and yet all “Heinlein’s Children”.

Cheers and thanks to the organizers of the Heinlein Centennial convention. And we’ll see you all again:

2107 in Luna City!

Deb Houdek Rule