Yellow Perils of Robert Heinlein
Yellow Peril and other anti-East Asian themes are a recurring but rarely acknowledged feature of the oeuvre of Robert A. Heinlein. Still revered by an overwhelmingly white, male and ideologically libertarian readership, the “Dean” of American Science Fiction made extensive use of threatening, hatefu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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European Association for American Studies
2021-04-01
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| Series: | European Journal of American Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/16749 |
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| author | John Hickman |
| author_facet | John Hickman |
| author_sort | John Hickman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Yellow Peril and other anti-East Asian themes are a recurring but rarely acknowledged feature of the oeuvre of Robert A. Heinlein. Still revered by an overwhelmingly white, male and ideologically libertarian readership, the “Dean” of American Science Fiction made extensive use of threatening, hateful or contemptible images of East Asians in novels that appeared from the 1930s through the 1960s. The contradiction between Heinlein’s self-portrayal as broad minded and unbiased on issues of race and religion and the descriptions of East Asians as menacing and untrustworthy Others that suffuse his fiction has not been systematically investigated until now. Exposing Heinlein matters because he continues to enjoy a large readership and inspires other science fiction authors. The stereotyping expressed in novels like The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and the dehumanization expressed in novels like Starship Troopers continue to shape the social and political attitudes of non-East Asian Americans both in domestic race and ethnic relations and in international affairs. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5e3c99bf3f0c4c42b2f1dd861cebd695 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1991-9336 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | European Association for American Studies |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of American Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-5e3c99bf3f0c4c42b2f1dd861cebd6952025-01-06T09:08:35ZengEuropean Association for American StudiesEuropean Journal of American Studies1991-93362021-04-0116110.4000/ejas.16749Yellow Perils of Robert HeinleinJohn HickmanYellow Peril and other anti-East Asian themes are a recurring but rarely acknowledged feature of the oeuvre of Robert A. Heinlein. Still revered by an overwhelmingly white, male and ideologically libertarian readership, the “Dean” of American Science Fiction made extensive use of threatening, hateful or contemptible images of East Asians in novels that appeared from the 1930s through the 1960s. The contradiction between Heinlein’s self-portrayal as broad minded and unbiased on issues of race and religion and the descriptions of East Asians as menacing and untrustworthy Others that suffuse his fiction has not been systematically investigated until now. Exposing Heinlein matters because he continues to enjoy a large readership and inspires other science fiction authors. The stereotyping expressed in novels like The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and the dehumanization expressed in novels like Starship Troopers continue to shape the social and political attitudes of non-East Asian Americans both in domestic race and ethnic relations and in international affairs.https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/16749Cold Waranti-East Asianimposturexenophobiagenocide |
| spellingShingle | John Hickman Yellow Perils of Robert Heinlein European Journal of American Studies Cold War anti-East Asian imposture xenophobia genocide |
| title | Yellow Perils of Robert Heinlein |
| title_full | Yellow Perils of Robert Heinlein |
| title_fullStr | Yellow Perils of Robert Heinlein |
| title_full_unstemmed | Yellow Perils of Robert Heinlein |
| title_short | Yellow Perils of Robert Heinlein |
| title_sort | yellow perils of robert heinlein |
| topic | Cold War anti-East Asian imposture xenophobia genocide |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/16749 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT johnhickman yellowperilsofrobertheinlein |