The complete archive of renowned American science-fiction
writer Robert Heinlein will be made available online, thanks to an
unusual partnership of the University of California-Santa Cruz and the
Heinlein Prize Trust.


Heinlein, who lived in Santa Cruz for two decades, was one of the grand
masters of science fiction. He became a pop icon in the 1960s with the
publication of "Stranger In A Strange Land," one of the most successful
science-fiction novels ever published. He died in 1988.


The entire contents of the Robert A. and Virginia Heinlein Archive -
housed in the UC-Santa Cruz Library's Special Collections since 1968 -
have been scanned in an effort to preserve the contents digitally while
making the collection easily available to both academics and the
general public. The digitization project was the brainchild of Art
Dula, director of the Heinlein Prize Trust.


The first collection released includes 106,000 pages, consisting of
Heinlein's complete manuscripts - including files of all his published
works, notes, research, early drafts and edits of manuscripts. The
documents offer a window into Heinlein's creative process and provide
background and context for his work.


Other collections soon to be added to the online archive will feature
Robert and Virginia Heinlein's business and personal correspondence,
scrapbooks, photo albums, and unpublished works, including
communications with Heinlein's editor and agent.

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