Assignment in Eternity by Robert Heinlein (Review)

Years ago, I heard Tim Keller make the comment that "people are not rational; people are rationalizing."* It set me on a search to find the origins of this idea, which led me to Assignment in Eternity. It turns out my search was a treasure hunt, because I thoroughly enjoyed Robert Heinlein's collection of short stories. Heinlein is an excellent storyteller, and he reminded me why I read a great deal of science fiction when I was younger.

There are four stories within the book: (1) Gulf, (2) Elsewhen, (3) Lost Legacy, and (4) Jerry Was a Man. The stories were published in magazines over an eight-year period, but they fit together neatly in Heinlein’s book. There is a theme of exploring humanity and its characteristics. There are plenty of plot summaries available online, so I’ll merely point out a couple of excerpts I found thought-provoking.

In “Gulf,” an agent learns of a plan to destroy earth while the villain launches her attack from the moon. Here is the exchange between the agents charged with stopping her:

Kettle to Joe: “Doesn’t she know that if the Earth becomes a Nova, the Moon will be swallowed up in the disaster?”

“Crater walls shield her dome from line-of-sight with Earth; apparently she believes she is safe. Evil is essentially stupid, Joe; despite her brilliance, she believes what she wishes to believe. Or it may be that she is willing to risk her own death against the tempting prize of absolute power.”

I spent quite a bit of time thinking about the line, “Evil is essentially stupid.” It dovetails with the original quote that people are rationalizing rather than rational. I don’t think people often consider themselves evil. Yet when something becomes a must-have pursuit, the justification and rationalizing that can take place is remarkable. This risk seems to highlight the importance of not only pursuing virtues but building relationships with people who can check us from our blind spots and weaknesses. Without it, the risk of evil/stupidity seems all the greater.

In “Elsewhen,” a group of college students gain the ability to travel to parallel worlds. Here is the exchange between the professor who teaches the students and the student who is most skeptical:

Howard: “You certainly don’t expect a man to believe in things that run contrary to his good sense without offering any reasonable explanation?”

Doctor Frost: “I certainly do. If he has observed it from his own eyes or ears or gets it from a source known to be credible. A fact doesn’t have to be understood to be true. Sure any reasonable mind wants explanations, but it’s silly to reject facts that don’t fit your philosophy.”

I appreciate the tension of this exchange, and it fits neatly with an idea that Adam Grant focused on in Think Again:

Grant is concerned that people too often fall into three categories of analysis: preacher, prosecutor, or politician. We preach to defend our core values, we prosecute those who disagree, and we politick to convince others of our position. Instead, we need to think like scientists and constantly reanalyze what we know. “When we are in scientist mode, we refuse to let our ideas become ideologies. We don’t start with answers or solutions, we lead with questions and puzzles…we dare to disagree with our own arguments.” We have to begin with the assumption we’re wrong.

The goal of intellectual humility—living in awareness of our own limitations in knowledge—is a freeing way to live and to learn. “Elsewhen” is a great illustration of this principle, and it serves as a reminder of enjoying the mystery and wonder within our lives.

The final two stories, “Lost Legacy” and “Jerry Was a Man” were similarly compelling stories that can simultaneously be used for entertainment or deeper analysis. Both fit within the theme of exploring humanity and do so in an engaging manner. I recommend Assignment in Eternity to anyone who enjoys a good story and chance to think, particularly if you enjoy the science-fiction genre. Heinlein’s insight into humanity and is excellent, and I look forward to reading more of his books.


* The actual quote from Heinlein is “Man is not a rational animal; he is a rationalizing animal.”