The Menace from Earth was published by Gnome Press in 1959 and collects eight Heinlein short stories, most originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and Galaxy. The title story — a first-person narrative by Holly Jones, a teenage girl living on the Moon who designs spacecraft and flies for recreation in the low-gravity caverns — is one of Heinlein’s most charming pieces: a love story disguised as science fiction, narrated by a girl who is too focused on engineering to recognize her own feelings until a beautiful Earth tourist threatens her relationship with her best friend Jeff.
The collection demonstrates Heinlein’s short-fiction range: hard SF (“Sky Lift,” about the physical toll of high-acceleration space travel), alien contact (“Goldfish Bowl,” about the discovery that humanity shares Earth with invisible, incomprehensibly advanced beings), and social comedy (“A Tenderfoot in Space,” about a Boy Scout troop on Venus).
Collecting The Menace from Earth
First edition (Gnome Press, Hicksville, NY, 1959): Blue cloth binding. Dust jacket.
Market values (with dust jacket):
- Fine in dust jacket: $500–$1,500
- Very good in dust jacket: $200–$500
- Without dust jacket: $50–$150
Gnome Press editions are collected as important early science fiction imprints; the publisher’s frequent financial difficulties mean that many titles had small print runs.
Value trajectory (2016–2026): Strong appreciation due to Gnome Press scarcity.
Projected values (2026–2036): Fine copies should reach $1,500–$3,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the title story related to the Heinlein juveniles? It shares their spirit — a competent young protagonist solving problems through technical knowledge — but was published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction rather than as a Scribner’s juvenile. Holly Jones is one of Heinlein’s most appealing narrators.
What makes Gnome Press editions valuable? Small print runs, fragile bindings, and the publisher’s financial instability (which meant uneven distribution) combine to make Gnome Press first editions genuinely scarce in good condition.