You do realize that those female characters are largely modeled after his wife Virginia? And they are portrayed as extremely competent and capable because thei

You do realize that those female characters are largely modeled after his wife Virginia? And they are portrayed as extremely competent and capable because their rolemodel, Dr Virginia Heinlein, was a lieutenant during WW II, and a working biochemist while married to Robert. You may be offended at the stereotype. And he'd be dead wrong to say that this is what most women either are like or would want to be. But it is an archetype that describes what some women really are like, and really do want. That's reality, and there is no sense in being offended at it. For the record, I was argued into this position by my wife. At first I had rejected Heinlein because of how he treated his female characters. But she (engineering degree from CalTech, working software developer for 20 years) made that point that she should have the right to decide what she wants. And what she wants happens to match what Heinlein's women try to be an archetype of. Nobody should be pushed to fit that or any other stereotype. But they should be free to choose it. And anyone who wants to read a fictionalized version of it, should be free to do that as well.