Robert A. Heinlein was the most influential science fiction writer of his era, an influence so large that, as Samuel R. Delany notes, "modern critics attempting to wrestle with that influence find themselves dealing with an object rather like the sky or an ocean." He won the Hugo Award for best novel four times, a record that still stands. "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" was the last of these Hugo-winning novels, and it is widely considered his finest work. It is a tale of revolution, of the rebellion of the former Lunar penal colony against the Lunar Authority that controls it from Earth. It is the tale of the disparate people--a computer technician, a vigorous young female agitator, and an elderly academic--who become the rebel movement's leaders. And it is the story of Mike, the supercomputer whose sentience is known only to this inner circle, and who for reasons of his own is committed to the revolution's ultimate success. "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" is one of the high points of modern science fiction, a novel bursting with politics, humanity, passion, innovative technical speculation, and a firm belief in the pursuit of human freedom.

罗伯特·海因莱恩（Robert A. Heinlein，1907－1998）是世界科幻协会评出的第一位“科幻大师”，同时也是最具有影响力的美国科幻作家之一。有批评家指出，“许多当代作家企图与这种影响力较量，最后发现他们对抗的仿佛是大海或天空，毫无取胜之望。”

海因莱恩一生创作了数十部科幻长篇，曾经四次获得雨果奖长篇小说大奖，这一获奖纪录一直保持至今。

《严厉的月亮》是海因莱恩最后一部获奖长篇，与《异乡异客》、《时间足够你爱》并称为海因莱恩最优秀的三大杰作。

海因莱恩的重要作品还有：《傀儡主人》、《星兽》、《进入盛夏之门》、《银河系公民》、《星船伞兵》等。