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Robert A. Heinlein

Robert A. Heinlein

Writer · Died May 8, 1988, aged 80 · Butler, Missouri, USA

Robert Anson Heinlein (/ˈhaɪnlaɪn/ HYNE-lyne; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accuracy in his fiction and was thus a pioneer of the subgenre of hard science fiction. His published works, both fiction and non-fiction, express admiration for competence and emphasize the value of critical thinking. His plots often posed provocative situations which challenged conventional social mores. His work continues to influence the science-fiction genre and modern culture more generally. Description above from the Wikipedia article Robert A. Heinlein, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 7, 1907
Died
May 8, 1988 (aged 80)
From
Butler, Missouri, USA
Works as
Writer
Titles
8 on MovieCove · 16 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 15% in 30 days

What are Robert A. Heinlein's films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
35%
Self
29%
Morality
21%
Ideas
9%
Bonds
4%
Society
3%
Survival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 2 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 2

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 3 · Intense 4

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 2 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 0 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 1 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 3 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 2

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Dread
2
Melancholic
2
Thrilling
2
Contemplative
1
Other
3

How their films linger

Fun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet3
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Robert A. Heinlein's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 8 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Robert A. Heinlein's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

16 credits, 8 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Door Into Summer(2021)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars(2017)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Predestination(2014)

    Short Story

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Starship Troopers: Invasion(2012)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles - The Pluto Campaign (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Novel

  • Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 40 episodes · Novel

  • Starship Troopers(1997)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Puppet Masters(1994)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Red Planet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 3 episodes · Novel

  • The Door into Summer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Writer

  • Starship Troopers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 6 episodes · Creator · Original Story

  • The Brain Eaters(1958)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Project Moon Base (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Screenplay · Story

  • Destination Moon(1950)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Citizen of the Galaxy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Novel

  • Starship Troopers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Novel

Career shape

A full career of 13 titles, 11 of them dated from 1950 to 2021.

Biggest box office

The Puppet Masters (1994)

$8.6M worldwide

Highest rated

Predestination (2014)

Midcredits 92nd

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing13 of 13: 12 only writing, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score60thOther crew1 of 13: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1950s2 · crew1980s1 · crew1990s5 · crew2000s1 · crew2010s1 · crew2020s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Robert A. Heinlein's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 44th percentile, the median of all 8; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 40th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

40thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

36thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

84thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 8 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

None of their 8 titles divides audiences: 3 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed2

Most loved · writer

Predestination (2014)

Midcredits 92nd · 82% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 38/100 and the plot and story 45/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Robert A. Heinlein's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 70 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 42 · moderateMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Robert A. Heinlein work with?

People who share at least 2 of Robert A. Heinlein's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Shinji Aramaki shares the most, 2.

Directors

Actors

Composers

Producers