son grows, he begins to develop almost-superhuman mental abilities and a surprising telepathic ability. As the novel draws to a close, it becomes apparent that the son senses that Hamiton Felix's second child, a daughter, is the reincarnation of a wise elderly government official, who foresaw her own death and arranged to die shortly before Felix's daughter was born. The official understood that the soul is reincarnated, and in preparation for her own death and reincarnation, she was instrumental in the genetic engineering of the son and the daughter. Reception Anthony Boucher and J. Francis McComas characterized Beyond This Horizon as among "the finest science fiction novels of the modern crop". P. Schuyler Miller reviewed the novel favorably, saying: "in true Heinlein manner the basic theme of the book smashes the screen of action only in the closing pages". In popular culture In the Japanese visual novel Eden*, the term "Felix" is used in the setting to refer to genetically engineered humans with abilities similar to those described in the book, and the connection to Heinlein's work is referred to in dialogue. Mordan Claude’s quote "An armed society is a polite society" is often cited by pro-gun groups in justifying the proposal of universal carrying of arms. The context of the quote is usually omitted, though: See also For Us, The Living: A Comedy of Customs References External links 1942 American novels 1942 science fiction novels Novels by Robert A. Heinlein Novels first published in serial form Economics in fiction Eugenics in fiction Works originally published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact Social science fiction Novels about genetic engineering Novels about telepathy Novels about reincarnation Fantasy Press books