/lit/ - Literature

Hullo /lit/, I recently read Stranger in a strange land and thought it very thought provoking. I liked the way it gradually pinned down and dissected every aspect of life society would rather not discuss. Have you read it? what did you take away from it?

This is not the sweeping philosophical work of genius that it was elevated to in the sixties.
This book literally made me sick.
I read the first 100 pages the other day, and got a massive headache. My health has been deteriorating ever since.

A group of six married couples make a voyage to mars. They are never heard from again. It turns out, years later, that one of the couples had a baby who survived while all the others didn't. How he survived is unexplained. Anyways, he comes back to Earth and everyone starts worshipping him. The book proposes retarded ideas that the characters take seriously, such as: the Martian is somehow king of Mars and controls all of its assets since he was born there. And that the existence of the Martian proves there is extra-terrestrial life (even though he's just a human being who was just fucking born on Mars!!!). It only gets worse. The Martian speaks in baby-english which never seems to improve. He can understand when people use big words and correct grammar, but cannot use them himself. The pseudo-word 'grok' and its many forms keep popping up throughout the novel (a whole new culture and there is only one new word contributed?!). It is one of the most forced contrivances I've ever seen. Apparently this word became some focal point for the culture in the 1960's. Those must have been sad times.

The writing makes Jacqueline Susann look like Faulkner.
All the characters speak in the same tone, slightly cynical, slightly acerbic, all-knowing. The characters are categorically flat and uninteresting, expecially the Martian, who has the personality of a taco.

If this can be considered one of the best sci-fi books ever written, that's a sad statement on the genre.

I think it goes without saying how fantastic this novel is. Read it last year for the first time. I ended up with someone's copy although I have no idea who. I take it as a sign I was meant to keep it.