Heinlein and sexual taboo's

I've noticed something interesting about Heinlein works. Well, from my meager two books so far (Stranger in a strange land, and now The moon is a harsh mistress). He has a little bit of a obsession with tackling the social taboo of sex and sensuality in culture. Note I mean this in the most unjudgemental way possible. For example, in Stranger in a Strange Land, the main protagonist is a martian who is named Valentine. Over the course of the novel, he begins to develop his own culture as he begins to "Grok" human culture and its failings. In the end this metamorphosis results in his own church, the "Church of all Worlds". It is very reminicent of our modern day hippy culture. Free love, no judgement on individuals and what they choose to do, etc. But Heinlein places special attention on the sole fact that it seems like everyone lets their husbands and wives (traditionally a closed relationship) allow them to have sex with others, and be perfectly calm with it!

This has also been drawn into The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, as less than 50 pages in its revealed that the main protagonist Manuel Garcias, also known as Mannie, is part of a Line family, with 17 children and 4 wives. On top of that, it appears that Mannie's new friend (and obvious future love interest) Wyoming works as a "host mother" for a living, and had prior been married to two brothers.

Call me a hippie, but I find these concepts interesting to me, as I believe that many social problems in modern day society are sprung from jealousy of others, especially when coming to relationships. Often this simply boils down to "he has her and I don't, so I'm mad about it". Thus, when everyone has everyone, then the problem disappears entirely. Of course my view is very romanticized, so take it with a grain of salt. This concept of polygamy and the destruction of the social taboo of sex, sensuality, and polygamy was much more prevalent in Stranger in a Strange Land, but its obvious even this soon in the novel that it has been transferred over to a lesser degree in this book as well.

I just wonder WHY he brings these points into this novel. Sure they add a little flavor, a little double take for the initial read, but I don't see how the concept was absolutely necessary to add into The Moon is a Harsh Mistress as well. Perhaps it will stop being brought up after a couple more pages and descend into the background. Or perhaps it will become a focal point. I'll have to read.

On another note, I am 47 pages in, and I am enjoying the book. It has the classic touch of Heinlein, and brings forth a lot of interesting points, details, and questions about moon colonization. And more importantly, the sociological development of humans in such a environment. I'll bring that up in the next post.