Astounding British Ed. Vol. 1 No. 11

# "The Roads Must Roll" by Robert A. Heinlein

This June 1940 Astounding Science-Fiction issue features Heinlein's novelette about future conveyor-belt roadways. The narrative alternates between guild politics and engineering administration. Technician "Soapy" addresses workers at a meeting, agitating for greater autonomy and direct action, questioning why they must provide notice before resigning. Brother Harvey counters that roads are interdependent systems, and that workers already enjoy good wages and safety conditions. Chief Deputy Engineer van Kleeck, invited to speak, sympathizes with grievances while hinting technicians should "take things over." Meanwhile, Chief Engineer Larry Gaines escorts Australian Minister of Transport Blekinsop through the multispeed roadtown system (speeds from 5 to 100 mph, stacked with wind barriers). The fragment ends as Gaines discusses emergencies—primarily power failures—while dining at a moving restaurant. The story explores themes of labor unrest, technological infrastructure vulnerability, and sabotage risks in a mechanized civilization.