Robert Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land (1961) is considered a classic of the science fiction genre. Heinlein, along with Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov, is regarded as one of the Big Three writers of science fiction’s Golden Age. Stranger in a Strange Land examines themes of cultural otherness, the role of religion in public life, and the link between love and spirituality. Despite mixed reviews upon its release, the novel was awarded the 1962 Hugo Award for Best Novel. In 2012, it was included in a Library Congress exhibit of “Books that Shaped America.”

This guide refers to the Ace Books edition (1987).

Content Warning: The novel contains outdated depictions of gender roles.

Plot Summary

25 years after the first human expedition to Mars—the Envoy—failed to return home, a follow-up mission is sent to discover the fate of the crew. Probes show a thriving Martian society, and the second vessel, the Champion, eventually returns with Valentine Michael Smith, a human by birth but raised by Martians. He is, in fact, “‘more Martian than Man’” (7). While recuperating—and being studied—in the hospital, Smith demonstrates the ability to self-regulate his body functions, slowing them to dangerously low levels. These trances allow him to meditate on his new surroundings. He also develops a bond with nurse Gillian Boardman. When she offers him water, she doesn’t realize she is initiating a sacred Martian ritual that will bind them forever as “water brothers.”

Gillian and her boyfriend, reporter Ben Caxton, suspect that Smith is being held illegally, and when Caxton tries to secure an interview with Smith, he encounters bureaucratic obstructions at every turn. When a live “interview” with Smith and World Federation President, Joseph Douglas, is broadcast, Gillian points out that the interviewee is not Smith. They suspect the government might be monitoring their activities, and after she loses contact with Caxton, Gillian sneaks Smith out of the hospital, eventually smuggling him to Caxton’s friend, Jubal Harshaw. Harshaw, a libertine who lives on a private estate, takes them in and vows to protect Smith from the government. As heir to billions and possessing unexplained powers—he “disappears” two men who threaten them—they fear Smith will be used for nefarious purposes.

With Gillian’s help, Smith acclimates to human society. Meanwhile, Harshaw, acting as Smith’s legal representative, arranges a meeting with Douglas, a truce to prevent further attempts to kidnap his client. At the meeting, Smith requests Douglas to be the executor of his assets, and they agree that Smith is a free citizen. At the meeting, Smith is invited to attend a “Fosterite” religious service. With Harshaw at his side, they witness the spectacle and the mesmerized crowds common to such services.

At Harshaw’s estate, Gillian and Jubal (and his three secretaries) begin to learn more about Martian society and its rituals (cannibalizing the dead is a great honor, for example). Smith and Gillian grow closer, and one night, they consummate the relationship. The next morning, they announce they’re leaving.

After a series of odd jobs, Smith and Gillian find employment as carnival magicians. There, they meet Patricia Paiwonski, the carnival’s tattooed lady. The three develop a close bond—they share water—and Patricia learns that Smith is the Man from Mars. The three of them journey across the country, and during a visit to a zoo, Smith witnesses the social hierarchy of the animal kingdom. Suddenly, he claims to understand humans.

Smith decides that humanity—rife with pain and sorrow—needs enlightenment, and the best way for him to impart his wisdom is via religion. He founds the Church of All Worlds, an institution that preaches happiness and free love. Gradually, his inner circle expands to include Patricia, Gillian, Duke (Harshaw’s former repairman), Caxton, and many others. To his great discomfort, Harshaw is worshipped as the Church’s patron saint. Initiates grow closer by sharing water and love. Eventually, however, the established religious order pushes back against Smith’s “heresy.” During a final showdown in front of Church headquarters, Smith is stoned to death by an angry mob—his followers rejoice at his “discorporation” and consume his flesh in his honor. As the narrative ends, Smith is in Heaven (in Heinlein’s novel, a mundane bureaucracy much like those found on Earth) rolling up his metaphorical sleeves and preparing for more work ahead.