Assignment in Eternity

Assignment in Eternity (2000) ? Robert A. Heinlein Publisher: Baen Books ISBN / Product Code: 076714006997 Condition: Good Sold by: Crappy Old Books Four Adventures in Human Evolution, Parallel Universes and the Disturbing Possibility That the Monkey Might Be Smarter Than You Humanity has always been rather pleased with itself. We have developed language, mastered electricity, explored the solar system and invented machines capable of producing seventeen different varieties of coffee, none of which tastes quite like the coffee we actually wanted. We consider ourselves intelligent, civilised and unquestionably superior to the rest of the animal kingdom, although a brief examination of human history suggests that the evidence for these claims is not entirely conclusive. Robert A. Heinlein, one of science fiction?s most celebrated troublemakers, was never particularly inclined to accept humanity?s flattering assessment of itself. What if ordinary human intelligence represented merely an intermediate evolutionary stage? What if our minds possessed extraordinary abilities we had simply forgotten how to use? What if reality consisted of countless alternative worlds? And, perhaps most awkwardly, what if a genetically engineered animal displayed more humanity than the people legally entitled to call themselves human? Welcome to Assignment in Eternity , a collection of four classic Heinlein stories originally published in science fiction magazines during the 1940s and subsequently brought together in book form in 1953. This 2000 Baen Books edition preserves a particularly entertaining selection of the author?s early speculative adventures, combining espionage, extraordinary mental powers, alternative realities and an unexpectedly serious examination of civil rights. It is vintage Heinlein, which means the characters tend to be extraordinarily competent, the dialogue frequently resembles an intellectual fencing competition, and somebody is usually prepared to explain the fundamental nature of existence while simultaneously escaping from an impossibly dangerous situation. There are four stories here, each exploring a different aspect of what humanity is, what it might become, and whether we should really be trusted with the capabilities we already possess. Gulf ? The Secret Agent Who Discovers That Ordinary People Are Rather Disappointing In Gulf , Heinlein introduces a world of secret agents, dangerous conspiracies and individuals whose mental abilities make the average human being look rather like a confused goldfish attempting to complete a crossword puzzle. The story begins as an espionage adventure involving intelligence operations and a potentially catastrophic threat. But beneath the intrigue lies a considerably more unsettling proposition: certain individuals may represent a new stage in human evolution, possessing intellectual capacities far beyond those of ordinary society. These exceptional people have developed extraordinary methods of thinking and communicating, including a remarkably efficient form of speech known as Speedtalk. It is an intriguing concept, particularly when one considers how much time modern humanity wastes saying things that could have been communicated perfectly adequately by remaining silent. As the protagonist encounters this hidden world of superior intelligence, the adventure develops into an examination of evolutionary difference, human potential and the relationship between those who possess exceptional abilities and those who do not. Naturally, there are also sinister plots, dangerous missions and enough Cold War atmosphere to make everyone suspicious of everyone else. Heinlein clearly enjoyed the idea of unusually capable individuals operating outside conventional institutions, particularly when those institutions were populated by officials who had apparently mistaken bureaucracy for intelligence. It is a recurring theme in his work: the competent individual confronting a world organised largely.…