For Us, the Living
A Comedy of Customs
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For Us, the Living
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Narrated by:
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Malcolm Hillgartner
About this listen
July 12, 1939: Perry Nelson is driving along the palisades when another vehicle swerves into his lane, a tire blows out, and his car careens off the road and over a bluff. The last thing he sees before his head connects with the boulders below is a girl in a green bathing suit, prancing along the shore.
When he wakes, the girl in green is a woman dressed in furs, and the sun-drenched shore has been replaced by snowcapped mountains. The woman, Diana, rescues Perry from the bitter cold and takes him to her home to rest and recuperate. Later they debate the cause of the accident, for Diana is unfamiliar with the concept of a tire blowout and Perry cannot comprehend snowfall in mid-July. Then Diana shares with him a vital piece of information: the date is now January 7, the year 2086.
When his shock subsides, Perry begins an exhaustive study of global evolution over the past 150 years. He learns, among other things, that a United Europe was formed; the military draft was completely reconceived; banks became publicly owned and operated; and in the year 2003, two helicopters destroyed Manhattan in a galvanizing act of war.
But education brings with it inescapable truths—the economic and legal systems, the government, and even the dynamic between men and women remain alien to Perry, the customs of the new day continually testing his mental and emotional resolve. Yet it is precisely his knowledge of a bygone era that will serve Perry best, as the man from 1939 seems destined to lead his newfound peers even further into the future than they could have imagined.
A classic example of the future history that Robert Heinlein popularized during his career, For Us, the Living marks both the beginning and the end of an extraordinary arc comprising the political, social, and literary crusading that is his legacy.
©2004 Robert A. and Virginia Heinlein Trust (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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What listeners say about For Us, the Living
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- John
- 06-04-21
pity
entertaining, like looking at an old almanac otherwise forget sorry to say as the author is one of my favourites
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tony Lane
- 19-02-18
I enjoyed reading this book very much
it made rethink our economy and how we live our lives. Science Fiction definitely but could we live like that for real
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Christopher
- 09-02-11
Fascinating and a riveting listen!!
This book appears to be one not published in the author's lifetime but I am very glad to have the opportunity to listen to it, it is thought provoking and fits in with many things in his other novels.
There's no point in repeating the story, in many ways the plot is secondary. A man appears to die yet lands in the future, it it heaven? Perhaps. Its not really explained how, nor does it matter particularly how he got there.
It gives the author the opportunity to express views of politics, economics and relationships. His recurring theme of being able to love more than one person is vivid and comes across naturally in this setting. It is interesting to examine a world from the view of a stranger but one who has sufficient intellect to appreciate it, that there is continuity in it and can contribute to it from his own knowledge and abilities rather than being obsolete.
Although we are a long way from the 2080s it is disturbing how little the present society has advanced in terms of human relationships, general wisdom, etc. We do not seem on course to meet the vision in this book of greater freedom and an environment run more in line with people's needs.
I found most fascinating the description of economic theory based on equivalent production and purchasing power. There are some tremendously long conversations between characters here, probably making it less saleable as a title at time of production but actually much more interesting.
Finally, Heinlein describes women very well. He shows grace, manners and the feelings they create in others and does not need to describe how they look in detail to show their beauty.
Much more to this than just a Sci-fi story, highly recommended. Perhaps an antidote to George Orwell in some regards. Enjoy!
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- LC
- 28-10-20
Story a bit weak, but nice - interesting economic discussion
The story seemed a bit weak and mainly there as a framework in which to discuss various shortfallings of the 1939 approach to values, economics and relation. The ones on values and religion seemed quite basic so nothing new, but the one on economics was more interesting to me - maybe because I am not very familiar with it.
The story did paint a nice picture of life on the US in late 21st century.
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