Elon Musk revealed his name was inspired by the central character in Robert A. Heinlein’s science fiction novel “Stranger in a Strange Land”, Valentine Michael Smith, often referred to as “Mike” who was born on Mars to two of the first human explorers.
What’s interesting is how everything ties together:
A Martian concept central to the novel, “GROK” means to deeply and intuitively understand something or someone and Mike’s ability to grok allows him to connect with others on a profound level, often challenging human notions of individuality and separation.
As the sole survivor of the first human mission to Mars, Mike is brought back to Earth as an adult.
Mike is curious, innocent, and deeply empathetic, but also profoundly alien in his thinking.
His Martian perspective leads him to question human customs, emotions, and societal structures.
Mike evolves from a naive, alien-like figure to a charismatic leader who seeks to bridge Martian and human philosophies.
Valentine Michael Smith is one of science fiction’s most iconic characters, representing the ultimate outsider.
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