I Will Fear No Evil

By: Robert A. Heinlein

Narrated by: Anthony Heald

As startling and provocative as his famous Stranger in a Strange Land, here is Heinlein’s grand masterpiece about a man supremely talented, immensely old, and obscenely wealthy who discovers that money can buy everything.

Johann Sebastian Bach Smith was immensely rich—and very old. Though his mind was still keen, his body was worn out. His solution was to have surgeons transplant his brain into a new body. The operation was a great success—but the patient was no longer Johann Sebastian Bach Smith. He was now fused with the very vocal personality of his gorgeous, recently deceased secretary, Eunice—with mind-blowing results! Together they must learn to share control of her body.

Once again, master storyteller Robert A. Heinlein delivers a wild and intriguing classic of science fiction. Written at the dawn of the 1970s, this novel is the brilliantly shocking story of the ultimate transplant.

©1970 Robert A. Heinlein (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Magnificent. A science fiction masterpiece.” ( Galaxy)

An old horndog's swinging fever dream

A bit rough. Heinlein fell seriously ill immediately after writing this draft so it does not have his usual polish. It reads like a stream of consciousness which for many parts it actually is.

SciFi Sex Change Brain Transplant Soap Opera

It like Days of Our Lives set in an alternate present day situation. The parallels with today's society from a past futuristic perspective at incredible.

Another HIT for Heinlein!

If you could sum up I Will Fear No Evil in three words, what would they be?

Usual robust males, independent women Heinlein book, but in this the man becomes a woman, in body at least because of a brian transplant.

What other book might you compare I Will Fear No Evil to and why?

A Stranger In A Strange Land (the expanded version) because it is about alternate, seldon considered ways of looking at and living life.

Have you listened to any of Anthony Heald’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no, but I love the way he reads and the way he separates characters by voice

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

LOVED this book when I read it 30 years ago, love it still

Any additional comments?

Buy any mainstream Heinlein book, and you won't be disappointed.

Not one of Heinlein's best stories

What made the experience of listening to I Will Fear No Evil the most enjoyable?

The narrator did an wonderful job of giving each character a distinct voice and keeping them separate, even when the lines came machine gun style.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

As we approach the end of our lives, we all wish to live it with our greatest loves close to us. But honestly, the ending becomes almost ridiculous.

Not Heinlein's best - but still good

I am an admitted Heinlein fan. I own the entire canon in paper, everything available in e-book format, and everything Audible carries in audio. But this is not his best novel. He wrote it at a low point in his career. The story is still entertaining, but the characters are not his most compelling. So why purchase this book?

Heinlein, as always, provides interesting commentary on our culture. Many of his ideas are coming to pass today. There are creditable observations on how America is moving to a fractured society run by corporate interests and political thugs. Remember that his ideas about the relation of medicine to law were written over 30 years ago. His vision is impressive and thought provoking.

The performance and recording are superb. I was unfamiliar with Anthony Heald until this work. I will seek out his other performances - he's outstanding.

And it's a fun listen. Look, the sex scenes will seem silly. The metaphysical ideas are really out there. But it's still an enjoyable way to spend hours. You won't be bored.

Thank you Blackstone Audio and Audible for adding this masterwork to your collection.