Heinlein

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A prominent American science fiction writer known for his influential works that explore themes of politics, society, and technology
2. An author celebrated for crafting futuristic narratives and philosophical explorations, impacting the genre profoundly
3. A novelist recognized for popularizing science fiction concepts and advocating rational thought through imaginative storytelling

Etymology: Robert A. Heinlein, the American science fiction writer, is the source of this word, and the word itself is simply his surname. It has no older meaning. It entered use as a proper noun, and its main life is in fan and critical circles, where "a Heinlein" or "Heinlein-esque" describes a story with the crisp, competent, self-reliant protagonists and the libertarian-leaning political ideas found in his novels such as "Starship Troopers" and "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress." Heinlein's surname comes from German, ultimately built from elements meaning "small" or "little" and a word for "stone" or "rock," a common pattern in German surnames. Like any family name it was inherited, not coined, so its etymology tells us about his ancestors rather than about his writing.