Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1947
First Edition, First impression, Signed A Fine condition book with a near fine dust jacket. Boldly SIGNED by Robert Heinlein in vibrant black ink on the title page “Robert Heinlein”. ROCKET SHIP GALILEO was Heinlein’s first published novel, and a hallmark science fiction book described as follows:
ROCKET SHIP GALILEO 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 (eds.), The Science Fiction Encyclopedia (1993), pp. 554-57. “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.
The book is in fine condition with clean black boards still maintaining their original sheen, and green titles to spine with a green rocket ship to front board. The book has sharp corners and no edgewear. The binding is very tight, and square. The end papers are clean with no owner names, no inscriptions and no book plates. The internal pages are clean, and flat with No marks, No bent pages, No foxing and no stains. Beautiful clean book internally appearing as unread. Boldly SIGNED by Robert Heinlein in vibrant black ink on the title page “Robert Heinlein”. Please see detailed images.
The original unrestored dust jacket is in near fine condition with but a few very tiny nicks, and some sunning to the spine. The dust jacket has strong bright vibrant colors and is not price clipped showing the price of $2.00 on the inside flap. Please see multiple images.
An extremely scarce title to find signed, and more scarce in this condition. Presents well on the shelf!
Per L.W. Curry: The importance of this book cannot be overstated. It is the first published novel by a major, perhaps the most important, science fiction writer of postwar America. Heinlein began publishing SF in 1939 during the golden age of ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION. After World War II, he expanded the market for SF genre material, publishing his fiction in upscale magazines of the period (THE SATURDAY EVENING POST, BOY’S LIFE, and others). In 1947 he introduced a generation of postwar young readers to this literary genre with the first of a series of juvenile novels which were published as hardcover books by the renowned mainstream publisher Charles Scribner’s Sons, and later by G. P. Putnam. Their circulation was wide and they could be found in the children’s section of most public libraries of the day. This title is “… the first U.S. 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 (eds). The Science Fiction Encyclopedia (1994), pp. 554-7. “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 (2004) II-515.
