Re: Robert Heinlein

I don't think there are any good novels in publication that can be said to promote child love. Heinlein never promoted child love; I think it's safe to say that, were he alive today, he would be firmly in the anti camp and would probably advocate death for child lovers who acted ob their attractions. What he did seem to advocate was allowing kids to explore sexuality amongst themselves, and for adults to leave them alone.

Sci-fi novels that take a fairly neutral stance on adult-child sexual encounters include Donald Kingsbury's 'Psychohistorical Crisis' (probably the most "pro" of the lot), Elizabeth Hand's 'Winterlong' (although that one does not end well for the children involved and is pretty dark), Linda Nagata's 'Vast' (feat. a relationship between an adolescent girl and a centuries-old man, but its a minor plotline at best), Emily Devenport's 'Scorpianne' (fairly "pro" as well, though her writing leaves a lot to be desired) and a couple that touch on the issue or suggest it, Dan Simmons' 'Endymion' (part of a four book series, all of which are well worth reading and in my top ten speculative fiction books/series of all time) and Mack Reynolds and Dean Ing's 'Home Sweet Home: 2010 A.D.' (somewhat satirical and very much in the Heinleinian political vein, there's a 9-year-old redheaded Lolita who keeps trying to seduce men who continue to reject her.)

I could list some mainstream fiction novels as well, but I'll leave it there for now.