History YMMV / StrangerInAStrangeLand

* MemeticMutation: The word "grok" became a popular slang term after the book came out.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: This book wasn't written to exploit the counterculture movement of the 1960's, but predicted it. Since then, free love has become significantly less shocking and controversial (although something of a DeadHorseTrope). However, Heinlein's publisher pulled it off his "too controversial to print" list and released it to exploit the counter culture movement of the 1960s.

* EnlightenmentSuperpowers: if your mind and spirit have been trained, you get to have superpowers.

** In a ''very'' jarringly racist scene noted by ''WebAnimation/OverlySarcasticProductions'', Jubal tries to excuse the Martian practice of cannibalism to his rightfully {{Squick}}ed out assistant by stating that the assistant's [[TheSavageIndian Native American ancestors]] [[CriticalResearchFailure were cannibals]] and [[InsaneTrollLogic so he shouldn't be "criticizing other cannibals."]]

** In a ''very'' [[UnfortunateImplication jarringly racist]] scene noted by ''WebAnimation/OverlySarcasticProductions'', Jubal tries to excuse the Martian practice of cannibalism to his rightfully {{Squick}}ed out assistant by stating that the assistant's [[TheSavageIndian Native American ancestors]] [[CriticalResearchFailure were cannibals]] and [[InsaneTrollLogic so he shouldn't be "criticizing other cannibals."]]

* MoralDissonance: The protagonists' homophobia makes very little sense with their free-love philosophy. What's more, it's based off concepts the Martians don't have. They handle this by lecturing Michael, presenting their own views as objective truth and the Martians as ignorant. Yet they happily adopt the Martian practice of cannibalism, and don't see anything wrong with Michael killing people who disagree with other parts of his message.

** The book's idea of consent is... rather warped. Both Ben and Jubal get sexually assaulted... [[DoubleStandardRapeSciFi and this is is not portrayed in a negative light]].

* {{Anvilicious}}: In case you didn't get it, Robert Heinlein dislikes mainstream religion (particularly televangelists), likes polyamory and also likes "[[BigBeautifulWoman pleasantly plump]]" women. He also advocates personal development (in a semi-spiritual sense). In this book, [[EnlightenmentSuperpowers if your mind and spirit have been trained, you get to have superpowers.]]

--->'''[[WebAnimation/OverlySarcasticProductions Red]]:''' ''Heinlein'', did you just write your self-insert character being assaulted by your sex cult and frame it like it was a good thing?! (For the record, he said he didn't want to present the story and its values as something he endorsed, but wanted to jar people's preconceived notions and get them to question and think.)

* DesignatedHero: For an AllLovingHero, Michael makes a LOT of people disappear...
* EsotericHappyEnding: Michael's death is entirely irrelevant because he's become an Old One (or possibly an angel) and will exist eternally, and since his cult has eaten him, he's now a part of them all, and they will continue to spread and, in five thousand years from now, save Earth from being destroyed by Martians! Because, at that point, all humans are members of of Michael's cult and have all developed to beautiful, incredibly powerful psychic superhumans. And all those who didn't agree with their message (or were just plain too "inherently wrong" to be considered worthy of "sharing the water with") have either died out or were made to disappear. Which is perfectly fine, because human morals and justice don't apply to any of them. Yay?

-->"They went to the living room; Jill sat at his feet and they applied themselves to martinis. Opposite his chair was a stereovision tank disguised as an aquarium; he switched it on, guppies and tetras gave way to the face of the well-known winchell Augustus Greaves."

** One of the book's main points is that women can and should enjoy sex ([[FairForItsDay controversial back then, due to held-over Victorian beliefs]]). That's fine, but what is not fine is the language used by men to describe these pleasure-loving women. Michael sings a not-very-funny ballad about Jill as a "willing tart" and her friend Dawn as someone who "never shops for pants"; a Jewish man rather improbably greets his wife with the words "you limber Levantine whore".[[note]]It's worth noting that this doesn't even make any sense, as they are all in a group marriage, so she's not a whore.[[/note]]

** In a ''very'' [[UnfortunateImplication jarringly racist]] scene noted by ''WebAnimation/OverlySarcasticProductions'', Jubal tries to excuse the Martian practice of cannibalism to his rightfully {{Squick}}ed out servant by stating that the servant's [[TheSavageIndian Native American ancestors]] [[CriticalResearchFailure were cannibals]] and [[InsaneTrollLogic so he shouldn't be "criticizing other cannibals."]]

--->'''[[WebAnimation/OverlySarcasticProductions Red]]:''' ''Heinlein'', did you just write your self-insert character being assaulted by your sex cult and frame it like it was a good thing?!

->"They went to the living room; Jill sat at his feet and they applied themselves to martinis. Opposite his chair was a stereovision tank disguised as an aquarium; he switched it on, guppies and tetras gave way to the face of the well-known winchell Augustus Greaves."

** The book's idea of consent is... rather warped. Both Ben and Jubal get sexually assaulted... [[DoubleStandardRapeSciFi and this is is not portrayed in a negative light]].

* MoralDissonance: The cult's homophobia seems pretty at odds with their free-love philosophy and rejection of social norms. The strangest part is that it's based off concepts the Martians don't have. They end up lecturing Michael about it, trying to convince him that his views are objectively wrong. Yet they happily adopt the Martian practice of cannibalism, and don't see anything wrong with Michael killing people who disagree with other parts of his message.

--->"They went to the living room; Jill sat at his feet and they applied themselves to martinis. Opposite his chair was a stereovision tank disguised as an aquarium; he switched it on, guppies and tetras gave way to the face of the well-known winchell Augustus Greaves."

** All religions are considered wrong or false, except for Mike's which is pretty blatantly just a sex cult. Also said cult also sees no problem with casual murder of anyone who would go against them, just like the religions of old that the novel rails against used to do.

* EsotericHappyEnding: Michael's death is entirely irrelevant because he's become an Old One (or possibly an angel) and will exist eternally, and since his cult has eaten him, he's now a part of them all, and they will continue to spread and, in five thousand years from now, save Earth from being destroyed by Martians! Because, at that point, all humans are members of of Michael's cult and have all developed to beautiful, incredibly powerful psychic superhumans. And all those who didn't agree with their message (or were just plain too homosexual and thus too inherently wrong to be considered worthy of "sharing the water with") have either died out or were just plain made to disappear. Which is perfectly fine, because human morals and justice don't apply to any of them. Yay?

** The book's idea of consent is... rather warped. Both Ben and Jubal get sexually assaulted... and this is is not portrayed in a negative light.

** In a ''very'' jarringly racist scene noted by ''WebAnimation/OverlySarcasticProductions'', Jubal tries to excuse the Martian practice of cannibalism to his rightfully {{Squick}}ed out servant by stating that the servant's [[TheSavageIndian Native American ancestors]] [[CriticalResearchFailure were cannibals]] and [[InsaneTrollLogic so he shouldn't be "criticizing other cannibals."]]

** In a ''very'' jarringly racist scene noted by ''WebAnimation/OverlySarcasticProductions'', Jubal tries to excuse the Martian practice of cannibalism to his rightfully {{Squick}}ed out servant by stating that the servant's [[TheSavageIndian Native American ancestors]] [[CriticalResearchFailure were cannibals]] and [[InsaneTrollLogic so he shouldn't be "criticizing other cannibals."]]

* {{Anvilicious}}: In case you didn't get it, Robert Heinlein dislikes mainstream religion (particularly televangelists), likes polyamory and also likes "[[BigBeautifulWoman pleasantly plump]]" women. He also advocates personal development (in a semi-spiritual sense). In this book, if your mind and spirit have been trained, you get to have superpowers.
* SugarWiki/FunnyMoments: Not in this book, but in a later Heinlein work, ''Literature/TheNumberOfTheBeast'', [[SelfDeprecation in reference to it]], where one of the characters derides two others for admitting to enjoying ''Stranger in a Strange Land''. They then consider [[ItMakesSenseInContext visiting Heinlein]] to ask him what possessed him to write it.

* ValuesDissonance:
** Jill's ideas on women, homosexuality, and sexism are frighteningly reactionary for such an [[EternalSexualFreedom otherwise progressive]] book. Her CharacterDevelopment consists largely of the more liberal Jubal (and especially Mike) getting her to recognize this and become less prudish (she becomes a model in a carnival "posing show" to abandon her inhibitions). Duke undergoes a similar, if abbreviated arc, and the main conflict of the story is Mike's "church" running headlong into the reactionary values of society.

** Spanking is mentioned or brought up with what Creator/AdamCadre called a "what the fuck is your ''problem''" frequency, which doesn't jibe well with the misogynist tendencies described above.
** One of the book's main points is that women can and should enjoy sex ([[FairForItsDay controversial back then, due to held-over Victorian beliefs]]). That's fine, but what is not fine is the language used by men to describe these pleasure-loving women. Michael sings a not-very-funny ballad about Jill as a "willing tart" and her friend Dawn as someone who "never shops for pants"; a Jewish man rather improbably greets his wife with the words "you limber Levantine whore".[[note]]This doesn't even make sense. They are in a group marriage, so she's not a whore.[[/note]]
** For all the advocation of free love and openness, gay people are still considered outright wrong and terrible.
** All religions are considered wrong or false, except for Mike's which is pretty blatantly just a sex cult. Also said cult also sees no problem with casual murder of anyone who would go against them, just like religions of old used to do.

** For all the advocation of free love and openness, gay people are still considered outright wrong and terrible.

----

** A subtle, psychological example: You can learn telekinesis and other amazing psychic powers but, to do so, you must practice a discipline that will drastically shift your values and way of thinking. If you choose not to learn it, other people will. In the end, people who are hesitant will have to choose whether to give in or to live as a powerless throwback in a world full of superhumans.