I Will Fear No Evil

I Will Fear No Evil

First edition cover
Author	Robert A. Heinlein
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Science fiction novel
Publisher	G. P. Putnam's Sons
Publication date	1970
Media type	Print (Hardcover & Paperback)

I Will Fear No Evil is a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, originally serialised in Galaxy (July, August/September, October/November, December 1970) and published in hardcover in 1970. The title is taken from Psalm 23:4.

Plot summary

The story takes place in the early 21st century against a background of an overpopulated Earth with a violent, dysfunctional society. Elderly billionaire Johann Sebastian Bach Smith is being kept alive through medical support and decides to have his brain transplanted into a new body. He advertises an offer of a million dollars for the donation of a body from a brain-dead patient. Smith omits to place any restriction on the sex of the donor, so when his beautiful young female secretary, Eunice Branca, is murdered, her body is used. He changes his name to Joanne Eunice Smith.

After Smith awakens after the transplant, he discovers he can communicate with Eunice's personality. They agree not to reveal her existence, fearing that they would be judged insane and locked up. Smith's identity is unsuccessfully challenged by his descendants, who hope to inherit his fortune. Smith and Eunice decide to have a baby together and so they (Joanne) are artificially inseminated using Smith's sperm from the sperm bank. Joanne (Smith) explores her new sexuality at length. They (Johann & Eunice/Joanne) go to visit Eunice's widower, Joe Branca, to try and help reconcile him to what has happened.

Joanne marries her lawyer, Jake Salomon, and moves her household and friends onto a boat. Jake has a massive rupture of a large blood vessel in his brain and dies but his personality is saved and joins Smith and Eunice in Joanne's head. She (Smith, Eunice & Jake) emigrates to the moon to find a better future for her (Smith & Eunice's) child. Once there, her body starts to reject her (Smith's) transplanted brain. She dies during childbirth.

Writing

Heinlein suffered from life-threatening peritonitis after completing the first draft of this novel. He remained ill for the next two years and it is thought to have been published without his usual editing and polish.

Editions

• January 1970, Putnam, hardcover, ISBN 0-399-10460-7
• Berkley, paperback, ISBN 0-425-06820-X
• Penguin Putnam, paperback, ISBN 0-425-02321-4
• 1971, Berkley, paperback, first printing edition, ISBN 0-425-02085-1
• January 1975, Berkley, paperback, ISBN 0-425-02806-2
• November 1975, Berkley, paperback, ISBN 0-425-03099-7
• October 1976, Berkley, paperback, ISBN 0-425-03425-9
• September 15, 1980, Berkley, paperback, ISBN 0-425-04386-X
• January 1982, Berkley, paperback, ISBN 0-425-05613-9
• December 15, 1982, Berkley, paperback, ISBN 0-425-06171-X
• February 1983, MacMillan, 401 pages, ISBN 0-8398-2449-1
• May 1984, Berkley, paperback, ISBN 0-425-07508-7
• July 1985, Berkley, paperback, ISBN 0-425-08680-1
• July 1986, Berkley, paperback, ISBN 0-425-09554-1
• September 1, 1990, Ace, paperback reissue edition, 512 pages, ISBN 0-441-35917-5