Celebrating Robert Heinlein: A Day to Remember in Butler, Missouri

The Virginia Edition

The assistant, whose name I regret I didn’t ask, was only too happy to open the cabinet for me. He said I seemed like someone who would be respectful of the contents. He was right. I might lust after the contents but I would certainly treat them with great care. After trying several keys, he finally found the one that unlocked the cabinet and left me to explore the contents. I reached in and carefully withdrew the Virginia Edition copy of Starman Jones, the first Heinlein novel I ever read, probably around the age of 12. I’ve always remembered it with great affection.

I’m not someone who fetishes physical books; these days I’m much more likely to buy a Kindle book rather than a physical copy. But this volume was beautiful; leather bound with gilt lettering; bright, acid-free paper; not overly ornate but with a feeling of luxury. I leafed through it and read a page or two.

The Virginia Edition consists of 46 volumes and contains definitive texts of all of Robert Heinlein’s published fiction and non-fiction. These texts are either based on the final versions Heinlein personally prepared or restored to their intended state under the direction of Virginia Heinlein after his death.

The collection also includes 450,000 words of newly selected correspondence, much of it previously unpublished. Each volume features an introduction by the late Heinlein scholar and biographer William H. Patterson, Jr., providing insight into the context in which the works were written. This particular set of the Virginia Edition was donated to the library by some members of The Heinlein Society. My thanks to those members. Without their kindness, I would almost certainly never have had the opportunity of holding and looking through these wonderful volumes.

I put the copy of Starman Jones back in the glass cabinet with great care and withdrew one of the three volumes of Heinlein’s correspondence.

Perhaps surprisingly, these are the volumes I would most like to own. I love reading the letters of my favourite writers, and this selection isn’t available anywhere else, as far as I know. (I’ve read Grumbles from the Grave, a selection of Heinlein’s letters edited by Virginia Heinlein but the three volumes in the Virginia Edition seem to contain many more.) I read one or two of the letters; in one of those, addressed to editor Fred Pohl, Heinlein emphasises that he writes for money. That was true. Fortunately, he was a talented and imaginative writer who, compared to many of his contemporaries in the genre’s early days, displayed a rare sophistication. His stories were immensely entertaining, celebrating rationality and critical thinking, while sometimes pushing boundaries with provocative ideas. His ‘juveniles’, his young adult novels, were packed with the thrills and challenges of space travel and exploration, bringing to life both its joys and miseries—and, above all, they were incredibly good fun. Reluctantly, I put the volume back.

The cabinet contains many other Items of Heinlein memorabilia in addition to the Virginia Edition of his works. I took out a book called The Best of Science Fiction, which, according to a handwritten note pasted into the book, was the first hardcover science-fiction anthology in the English language. It was edited by Groff Conklin and published in 1946.

This particular copy is a rare first edition. The book contains 4 short stories by Robert Heinlein: Solution Unsatisfactory; Blowups Happen; Goldfish Bowl; and Universe. At first glance, it appears to be autographed by Heinlein but closer examination shows it’s not his signature.

There are many other fascinating pieces of memorabilia displayed in the cabinet; if you’re interested, you’ll find photos and details of some of them in my account of my first visit to Butler in December, 2021.

I was aware that I’d left Gwyneth sitting in the main part of the library for nearly an hour at this point and felt I shouldn’t take too much longer, although I’m sure Gwyneth wouldn’t have minded. She’s very patient with my interest in the lives and works of my favourite writers.

I left the Heinlein room and went to the front desk and thanked the assistant once more for allowing me access to the cabinet of treasures.

I mentioned to him that I’d messaged the library a few days earlier asking about opening hours and in the reply I was told to “Ask at the desk and we can get you a couple extra little Heinlein cards.” The assistant immediately went in search of those and brought back the following:

I have to say this was a much more attractive library card than the rather plain one I had been given on my previous visit, delighted as I was to receive that. The assistant also handed me the following:

I thanked the library assistant for his kindness, reminded him to lock up the cabinet in the Heinlein room, and he said it had been nice to have a genuine enthusiast visiting. Gwyneth and I took a couple more photos inside and outside the library and then decided to drive the short distance to the town square before going to Heinlein’s birthplace house on North Fulton Street.

Next: Then and Now