Waldo & Magic, Inc.

Rating:
Summary: Fantasy for Heinlein Fans
Review: Two of Heinlein's early foray's into fantasy are packaged together in this book. Of the two, "Waldo", with its unique blending of science fiction and fantasy, is much the stronger. The title character, Waldo Farthingwaite-Jones, is a misanthropic young genius who lives in an isolated, gravity-free environment, which he has specially designed to help him overcome his physical challenges. Heinlein makes Waldo's residence and the myriad gadgets in it both believable and fascinating. Almost as interesting is the development of Waldo's personality, as he changes from a rude, temperamental victim, to a strong, self-confident performer. All this by itself might have made for a first-rate science fiction story, but Heinlein has other ideas. His main plot device is a very typical science fiction ploy: Waldo has to fix a problem with some recalcitrant machinery. But the solution Waldo finds is supernatural rather than mechanical, and so the story strays into the realm of fantasy. Of course Heinlein has a very good reason for this; the whole point of his story is to dramatize one of his favorite themes, to wit, that when one's deepest-held convictions don't agree with the facts, one must have the courage to change those convictions. This might be referred to as the Engineer's Creed, and it shows up frequently in Heinlein's work, but this is one of few stories based on it specifically. In this instance, Waldo manages to accept that the impossible is true, and not only solve the technical problem, but solve his personal problems, too. Unfortunately, his answers are so easy that they counteract any emotional impact that the story might have had. From a conceptual standpoint, Heinlein's meld of science fiction and fantasy may have a valid purpose, but in practice, the average reader may find the story's resolution disappointing, while fans of hard science fiction may feel cheated by a problem that has no reasonable solution. "Magic, Inc." is less ambitious, being nothing more than a total fantasy. Heinlein describes a world where magic is a commonly used commodity, although still the province of specialists, and the no-nonsense businessman who narrates the tale gives a breezy reality to magic's various economic, legal, and political ramifications. Other than that, however, the story seems to have little enough to recommend it. Characters come and go with no real development, and many of them are so close to being ethnic and/or racial stereotypes that some of today's reader might take offense. Overall, both stories are pleasant little diversions, but fans of fantasy should not expect any great revelations, while science fiction fans will find relatively little substance. Fans of Heinlein's fantasy may like this one, but other readers aren't really missing much.

Rating:
Summary: PRE-TOLKEIN FANTASY AT ITS BEST!
Review: When I picked up Robert Heinlein, I expected something completely different. He really shows how fantasy and science fiction can be mixed to form an intriguing story line. Both are futuristic in nature but point to the relevancy that magick and the occult has on the society and what it has to offer the people. It is revolutionary in WALDO and a standard in MAGIC, INC. that only a few people are able to possess. Characters in Heinlein's books do not wait in line for special powers, they are instead given allowances out of the norm in a very special way. These must be read to appreciated.