On Feb 1, 8:24 pm, mstem...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(Michael Stemper) wrote:
> In article <1iblgf3.1o0dedpbzcoxsN%acwhe...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>, Andrew
Wheeler writes:
> >Michael Stemper <mstem...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
> >> Andrew's contribution is spot on, although I still can't parse the
> >> phrase: "...what makes is predictive today is what made it true in
1948
> >> when Heinlein wrote it."
>
> >That's because the "is" in "what makes is predictive" is a typo for
> >"it."
>
> Nah, that wasn't the problem. In fact, until I copied and pasted the
> quote, I had read the initial "is" as "it". Even so, I can't interpret
> "what makes it predictive now is what made it true in 1948".
>
> It's predictive now because it was true in 1948? I still don't
understand.
I should have read the entire article through before posting - my
previous post was written under the assumption that the Wheeler quote
was from some post here, as a response to Wright's answer - I'm more
used to see Andrew as a poster, not an interviewee, I guess.
So, now that I read it - I think Andrew was talking about how this was
a character moment, and it was true in 1948 as well as today that kids
in that age attempt to distance themselves from their parents and
limit their interaction to the bare minimum. The mention of a ****table
phone was a nice prediction in itself, but what made it great was
Heinlein's realization that parents would use it to get in touch with
their kids at all hours and that kids might resent that.
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