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Contents

BAEN BOOKS

TEACHER’S GUIDE TO THE STAR BEAST

BY ROBERT A. HEINLEIN




Contents:



Recommended reading levels:

Heinlein’s young adult or “juvenile” fiction appeals to readers of many ages, from early middle-school readers to adults, and much of his earlier work can also be read by young adults even if they were originally marketed to older readers. For use in the classroom, The Star Beast is probably most appropriate for readers in grades 5-10. The Star Beast has been listed on several recommended reading lists for children and young adults, including those of The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society (“Recommended Reading for Children and Young Adults” by the staff of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, revised December 2007, http://www.lasfsinc.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=95&Itemid=260#RRList) and The Golden Duck Awards for Excellence in Children’s Science Fiction recommended reading list (http://www.sff.net/rff/readlist/goldduckrl.htm).



Biographical information on Robert Heinlein:

Robert Anson Heinlein is considered to be one of the best, if not the best, writers of science fiction of all time. He was a prolific, commercially and critically successful, and at times controversial, contributor to the genre. He was born in Butler, Missouri on July 7, 1907, and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1929. Heinlein served in the Navy during the 1930’s, but was forced to retire from the Navy because of tuberculosis. He decided to try writing and sold “Lifeline”, a short story, in late 1939 in Astounding Science Fiction, which was a “pulp” magazine. These were periodicals published on cheap (pulp) paper that catered to popular tastes for genre fiction (mystery, romance, detective, adventure, horror and science fiction). He was a regular contributor to science fiction pulp magazines for the first several years of his career. He hit his stride as a novelist after World War II, publishing fourteen “juvenile” novels aimed at the young adult market as well as many novels for adults. Some of his most popular works are Double Star (1956), The Door into Summer (1957), Starship Troopers (1959), Stranger in a Strange Land (1961), The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1966), and Time Enough for Love (1973), and four of his novels won the Hugo Award, which is presented at the annual World Science Fiction Convention. Heinlein wrote the screenplays for two movies: Destination Moon (1950) and Project Moonbase (1953), and two of his novels have been adapted into films: The Puppet Masters (book, 1951; film, 1994) and Starship Troopers (book, 1959; film, 1997). His novel Space Cadet (1948) also inspired the television show Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (1950-1955). Heinlein died in Carmel, California on May 8, 1988. For more biographical details, see the following articles:




Suggested class activity:

Have your students read the information on Heinlein above before they begin the book.



For further information on Heinlein and his work:




Background:

Heinlein wrote The Star Beast in 1953. Scribner’s published it in hardcover in 1954, and a slight abridgement was serialized under the title "Star Lummox" in The Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy in the May, June, and July 1954 issues.



Plot Summary:

John Thomas Stuart XI’s great-grandfather was a crewperson on The Trail Blazer, one of the first human starships. After the ship’s second voyage, he brought home a pet the size of a Chihuahua that he had smuggled aboard during a visit to an alien planet. The pet, later named Lummox, is still alive after one hundred years, but has grown to be larger than a hippopotamus. One day Lummox escapes from the Stuart family home and rampages through the neighborhood and the downtown area of the nearest city. Although he does not hurt anyone, he destroys a considerable amount of property. Deciding Lummox is dangerous, the authorities give the local police chief permission to put Lummox down, but he finds that Lummox is really hard to kill. John Thomas rescues Lummox before he can be put to death, and they escape into a nearby mountain range. Meanwhile, an alien starship appears in orbit around the Earth. The aliens demand that the humans return a member of their species who was kidnapped a century earlier or else they will destroy our planet. Eventually, it is determined that Lummox is a member of that alien species and that he is the one for whom they are looking.



Characters




Chapter I—L-Day




Chapter II—The Department of Spatial Affairs




Chapter III—“An Improper Question”




Chapter IV—The Prisoner at the Bars




Chapter V—A Matter of Viewpoint




Chapter VI—“Space Is Deep, Excellency”




Chapter VII—“Mother Knows Best”




Chapter VIII—The Sensible Thing To Do



NOTE: Many editions of The Star Beast omit one page of the original hardcover and magazines versions. It is from this chapter and the passage in which John Thomas is reading the diary. It concerns The Trailblazer’s visit to what John Thomas concludes is Lummox’s home world. Be aware of this in case the students are reading different editions of the text.



Chapter IX—Customs and an Ugly Duckling




Chapter X—The Cygnus Decision




Chapter XI—“It’s Too Late, Johnnie!”




Chapter XII—Concerning Pidgie-Widgie




Chapter XIII—“No, Mr. Secretary”




Chapter XIV—“Destiny! Fiddlesticks”




Chapter XV—Undiplomatic Relations




Chapter XVI—“Sorry We Messed Things Up”




Chapter XVII—Ninety-Seven Pickle Dishes




Reflection and Discussion




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