New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, [1947]. Octavo, illustrated by Thomas Voter, cloth. First edition. The importance of this book cannot be overstated, as it is the first published novel (in book form), by one of the major, if not the most, important science fiction writer of post-war America. Heinlein established himself in the field of science fiction during the golden age of Astounding Science Fiction (starting in 1939), he would later introduce a generation of baby boomer children to this literary genre. After World War II, Heinlein's career expanded the reach of the genre by being published in the 'slick' magazines of the period (Saturday Evening Post and others) and he also began a series of juvenile novels to be published by the mainstream firm of Charles Scribner's Sons. Their reach was wide, especially into the library marketplace were many young children would encounter them. This title is "...the first US juvenile sf novel to reflect the new levels of characterization, style and scientific plausibility now expected in the field", "...it was the first in a series that represents the most important contribution any single writer has made to children's SF..." - Clute and Nicholls: The Science Fiction Encyclopedia (1994), p. 554-557. "A pioneering novel that began American mainstream science fiction for children and combined young protagonists, gadgetry, current science, and adventure in such a way that even today the book retains interest." - Anatomy of Wonder (1995) 5-62. George Pal's 1950 film Destination Moon is loosely based on ROCKET SHIP GALILEO. Heinlein co-authored the screenplay and served as a technical advisor to the production, along with German rocket expert Hermann Oberth. Destination Moon, the first of Pal's many sf films, "has great historical importance: its commercial success initiated the sf film boom of the 1950s, after a decade that had contained almost no sf cinema at all. It has interest in hindsight, too, in the partial accuracy with which it anticipated the actual Moon landing of 1969. To this day, Destination Moon stands as a film obvious made by people who knew about science..." - Clute and Nicholls (eds), The Science Fiction Encyclopedia (1994), p. 324.

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, [1954]. Octavo, illustrated by Clifford Geary, cloth. First edition. A young adult science-fiction novel about a high school senior and an extraterrestrial pet.

NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, [1956]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. "Although written and marketed as a young adult novel, this book is a mature treatment of the relativistic time-dilation effect in interstellar travel." Anatomy of Wonder (2004) II-520.

Hicksville, NY: The Gnome Press, Inc., [1959]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. Collects the title story (a short novel) and five shorter tales, including "All You Zombies, " "They, " and "And He Built a Crooked House." "Robert Heinlein's 'They' is, I believe, the most comprehensive of all mind-invasion stories...[it] is the consummate story of invasion and isolation."-Berger, Science Fiction and the New Dark Age, pp. 110-11. "They" is "perhaps the ultimate solipsist fantasy (a man is convinced the world is a puppet show)."-Clute and Grant (eds), The Encyclopedia of Fantasy (1997), p. 460. Barron (ed): Horror Literature 3-84. Bleiler: The Guide to Supernatural Fiction #793. Pringle, Modern Fantasy: The Hundred Best Novels #21, (listed for the title novella).

New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., [1966]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. The novel won the 1966 Nebula award; the earlier short story won the 1960 Hugo award. Filmed twice, the first as "Charly" in 1968 starring Cliff Robertson who won an Oscar for the title role, and again in 2000 as "Flowers for Algernon" in a made for TV film. Anatomy of Wonder (1995) 3-98. Survey of Science Fiction Literature II, pp. 802-06.

Philadelphia: The Chamberlain Press, Inc., 1954. Octavo, cloth. First edition. Signed by Matheson on the title page. The author's first book, a collection of seventeen stories with introduction by Robert Bloch. "...the best of this author's early work..." - Anatomy of Wonder (1995) 3-119. Approximately 650 copies of this book were distributed prior to a flood that destroyed most of the unsold bound copies and later warehouse fire that destroyed the remaining unbound sheets. Anatomy of Wonder (2004) II-719. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 1125.

New York: Simon and Schuster, 1955. Octavo, cloth backed boards. First edition. Signed by Del Rey and Pohl on the front free endpaper: "Lester Del Rey / and / + Fred Pohl / = Edson McCann". Anatomy of Wonder (1987) 3-275A.