A while ago, I mentioned Heinlein’s use of indirect exposition, but then I discovered that Eric S. Raymond (one of the fathers of the free software movement) had already written about this in “SF Words and Prototype Worlds” and “Rudyard Kipling Invented SF!” which points out how Heinlein was influenced by Rudyard Kipling (and which, in turn, references “A Master of our Art: Rudyard Kipling considered as a Science Fiction writer” by Fred Lerner.)
In a related vein, Raymond also wrote an excellent essay called “A Political History of SF“. For the record, it should also be pointed out that Raymond has had problematic views on women, much as Heinlein did.
What the hell?
I don’t have any “problematic views of women”. I do have a problem with SJWs using feminism to advance an agenda that is destructive and totalitarian. Some of those SJWs have female genitals, but I’m not giving them a pass for that.