What is the unique method of replying to fan letters that Heinlein, the ``eldest of the SF world'', used?

Author Robert A. Heinlein , known for his works such as `` The Door to Summer '' and ``The Moon is the Merciless Queen of the Night,'' is considered an ``elder of science fiction'' as one of the authors who raised the quality of the science fiction genre. It is called. Author Kevin Kelly shows the letter he received when he sent a fan letter to Heinlein, and talks about his unique method of responding.

ct2: Heinlein's Fan Mail Solution
https://kk.org/ct2/heinleins-fan-mail-solution/

Mr. Kelly shows the image below as a reply to a fan letter actually sent by Heinlein.

Heinlein's signature at the top. ``Care of Mr. Lurton Blassingame'' indicates that the letter was addressed to Mr. Lurton Blassingame, who served as Heinlein's copyright agent.

At the top of the text, it says 'Dear Sir/Madam/Ms./Miss,' which indicates that the message was sent to a wide range of people as a standard message rather than to a specific recipient. The reason for this is: ``As the number of letters I receive continues to increase and overflow, I am forced to choose between writing letters and writing novels. I read every single one,' he said.

He then concludes the preface by saying, ``Then, after reading the letter, select an answer from the list below and reply.''Heinlein lists 21 ways to respond to fan letters. I am. According to Kelly, Heinlein's wife, Ginny Heinlein, responded by checking the appropriate answers.

The options are as follows. Although there are no prerequisite questions or explanations for each item, there are a variety of questions, such as those where you simply sent your impressions, those where you received criticism of your work, and those where you were asked for advice regarding writing. It can be inferred that this is assumed.

・Thank you for your kind words. Thanks to you, my daily life has become brighter.

You say you've enjoyed my stories for years, so why did you wait until you hated a story before writing to me? (Why didn't you send me a letter when you liked me, but did you send me a letter when you hated me?)

・``You're Not As Smart As You Could Be'' by Dr. Samuel Renshaw in the Saturday Evening Post on April 17, 1948
``You're Not As Smart As You Could Be,'' says psychologist Dr. Renshaw, ``For example, when tasting coffee or whisky, the comments of an authoritative taster are extremely important, but human 'My senses aren't that great.' Heinlein often cited Dr. Renshaw as someone who helped improve his perceptual precision, which improved the quality of his stories.

・Mark Twain collection “Harper & Brothers Edition ”

-Please do not send books to get autographed. It takes about 30 miles (about 48 km) round trip to the post office, and in many cases the books sent to me don't reach me.

- Story ideas can come from anywhere and from anything. The book `` WRITER'S MARKET '' contains information on how to write a manuscript and a market list for books.

・My agent will handle all the work. Your letter has been sent to the agent.

・I do not discuss my colleagues' work or my own work. Novelists write from multiple perspectives, and even if the characters are written in the first person, their opinions are not necessarily those of the author. Novels are sold as entertainment, not as fact.

・What you want isn't here. Please ask the reference library .

・I don't sell books. All of my books are in print and can be purchased or ordered from bookstores or publishers.

-We receive more than 4 to 5 requests for help with class assignments, term papers, dissertations, etc. every week. I couldn't handle the number of requests, so I decided not to deal with them anymore.

・It is not normal for a student's grade to be influenced by the willingness or ability of a stranger to help them with their homework. Please consult your teacher, principal, or board of education regarding your grades.

-The genre of science fiction is a story that would cease to exist if elements related to science and technology were omitted. For a complete discussion of genres, see my editorial on THE SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL .

・' Who's Who in America 1974-1975 ' is a reference book about writers. (As you can see after reading it) I don't discuss personal life, politics, religion, or philosophy.

・We will answer your questions with ``Yes'', ``No'', ``No comment'', or ``New release from the publisher''.

・Please don't send me a letter again.

・Thank you for the stamped and addressed envelope. This is a rare kindness.

・Due to work pressure, I avoid public speaking, such as interviews, surveys, and radio and TV appearances.

-For legal reasons, I will not read unpublished manuscripts.

・We work very long hours every day all year round, so please stop calling us at home.

・Your letters are very welcome. Full of friendliness and no demands.

・You said that you were not expecting a reply, but I would like to let you know that I was very happy to receive your letter. I wish you a happy voyage across the ocean, following the wind, and through life.

At the end, it concludes with 'Sincerely, Robert A. Heinlein.'

According to Mr. Kelly, by around 1984, Ginny said, ``As computerization had progressed in our home, we no longer used canned texts to reply to fan letters.''