It’s hard to believe that Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was not a hebephile. I for sure believe he was. I suppose I should explain what a hebephile is, for those lucky enough not to have come across the word.
“Hebephilia is the sexual preference for early adolescent children (those roughly ages 11 to 14). Some evidence suggests that hebephilia is a distinct and discernable erotic age preference. But whether it qualifies as a mental disorder is an ongoing source of debate, and some experts argue that an attraction to prepubescent versus pubescent individuals is the key. Attraction to a preteen or teen who is capable of reproducing is itself a valid reproductive behavior, no matter how stigmatized in contemporary society. For this reason, there was much debate as to whether hebephilia belonged in the DSM 5. It was not included”. [https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/hebephilia]
Now there’s a Heinlein book I’d like to draw special attention to, here: “The Door into Summer” [Doubleday, ISBN 0-330-02516-3, OCLC 16365175]. The Door into Summer is a science fiction novel, originally serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction [October, November, December 1956]. It was published in hardcover in 1957. It centres around the ‘hero”, Daniel Boone Davis, and the “woman” who is the love of his life, Frederica "Ricky" Virginia Gentry. The teeny, almost unnoticeable fly in the ointment is that Ricky is a pre-teen. Now certainly nothing untoward happens to start with, then there’s a ton of time travel by various means, and finally, having travelled separately until this point, Dan, aged not-sure-what, but not young, and Ricky, aged twenty-something, meet again and marry. Ah, how sweet!
Bit odd, but OK so far. Except, except; before the final time travel jaunt, Dan goes to meet Ricky at her Girl Scout summer camp. Dan suggests that she takes cold sleep (one of the more boring time travel techniques) until she is 21 so they can meet again then. Ricky asks Dan if he will marry her after their cold sleep and Dan agrees. Did anyone else just throw up, or was that only me?
Now writing a story about a bank robbery doesn’t make one a bank robber, nor does a story about rape make one a rapist, nor a story about hebephilia a hebephile.
But Heinlein keeps on doing it. He can’t stop. Time Enough for Love, and The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress to cite just 2 examples. Peers such as L. Sprague de Camp and Damon Knight have commented critically on Heinlein's portrayal of incest and hebephilia but seem not only to approve of it, but treat the whole think in a light-hearted way.
Well Yuk. Just yuk. No further comment.