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By His Bootstraps

Robert A. Heinlein

First published May 1954
Type Short Fiction
Length Novella

Synopsis

Bob Wilson, while working on his thesis, is visited by "Joe" who appears in his room via a Time Gate. Joe is insistent that Bob go through the Time Gate, and when he refuses, Joe helps him through the Gate himself. When he awakens, he finds himself with Diktor, at least 20,000 years in the future.

Notes

This story was listed as a nomination for the 1941 Retro Hugo Award. It did not have sufficient votes to be a finalist. If it had, it would have been disqualified for being published in 1941.

External Links

Wikipedia

Awards

YearAwardCategoryStatus
2012 Locus Online 20th Century Novella Nominee/Finalist
2016 Retro Hugo Award Best Novella Nominee/Finalist

Publications (37)

Date Publication Publisher Type Page
May 1954 The Giant Anthology of Science Fiction: 10 Complete Short Novels Merlin Press Anthology 225
1959 The Menace from Earth Ambassador Collection
November 1959 The Menace from Earth Gnome Press Collection 50
April 1962 The Menace from Earth Signet / New American Library Collection 39
March 1963 Spectrum Berkley Medallion Anthology 142
1964 Spectrum I Pan Books Anthology 263
1964 Spectrum I Pan Books Anthology 263
October 1964 The Menace from Earth Signet / New American Library Collection 39
October 1964 The Menace from Earth Signet / New American Library of Canada Collection 39
1966 The Menace from Earth Dennis Dobson Collection
1968 The Menace from Earth Corgi Collection 40
July 1970 The Menace from Earth Signet / New American Library of Canada Collection 39
1971 Spectrum I Pan Books Anthology 263
1971 The Menace from Earth Signet / New American Library Collection 39
October 1973 The Menace from Earth Corgi Books / Transworld Publishers Collection 40
June 1975 The Menace from Earth Signet / New American Library Collection 39
June 1975 The Menace from Earth Signet / New American Library Collection 39
October 1978 Classic Science Fiction: The First Golden Age Harper & Row Anthology 279
1979 Classic Science Fiction: The First Golden Age BCA - Book Club Associates Anthology 279
1979 The Menace from Earth Signet / New American Library Collection 39
1979 The Menace from Earth Signet / New American Library of Canada Collection 39
1979 Classic Science Fiction: The First Golden Age Robson Books Anthology 279
July 1979 The Menace from Earth Signet Collection 39
1980 The Menace from Earth Corgi Books / Transworld Publishers Collection 40
November 1980 The Arbor House Treasury of Great Science Fiction Short Novels Priam Books / Arbor House Anthology
December 1980 The Arbor House Treasury of Great Science Fiction Short Novels Arbor House Anthology 100
May 1981 The Arbor House Treasury of Great Science Fiction Short Novels Arbor House / SFBC Anthology 95
1983 The Menace from Earth Corgi Collection 40
May 1987 The Menace from Earth Baen Books Collection 49
May 1987 The Menace from Earth Baen Books Collection 49
April 1989 Worlds Imagined Avenel Books Anthology 100
February 1999 The Menace from Earth Baen Books Collection 49
June 1999 The Menace from Earth Baen Books Collection 49
December 1999 The Menace from Earth Blackstone Audio Collection |39
October 2005 Off the Main Sequence: The Other Science Fiction Stories of Robert A. Heinlein Science Fiction Book Club Collection 231
May 2010 The Green Hills of Earth / The Menace from Earth Baen Books Omnibus |15
November 2010 Creating a Genre The Virginia Edition Collection 333