Robert A. Heinlein
Paperback | Pages: 224 pages Rating: 3.79 | 9136 Users | 416 Reviews
Specify About Books Orphans of the Sky (Future History or "Heinlein Timeline" #23)
| Title | : | Orphans of the Sky (Future History or "Heinlein Timeline" #23) |
| Author | : | Robert A. Heinlein |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 224 pages |
| Published | : | December 1st 2001 by Baen (first published December 1963) |
| Categories | : | Science Fiction. Fiction. Science Fiction Fantasy. Space. Space Opera. Audiobook. Young Adult |
Ilustration Concering Books Orphans of the Sky (Future History or "Heinlein Timeline" #23)
A fix-up consisting of the novelette "Universe" (1941) and the novella "Common Sense" (1941). First published in 1963.Hugh had been taught that, according to the ancient sacred writings, the Ship was on a voyage to faraway Centaurus. But he also understood this was actually allegory for a voyage to spiritual perfection. Indeed, how could the Ship move, since its miles and miles of metal corridors were all there was of creation? Science knew that the Ship was all the Universe, and as long as the sacred Convertor was fed, the lights would continue to glow and the air would flow, and the Creator's Plan would be fulfilled.
Of course, there were the muties, grotesquely deformed parodies of humans, who lurked in the upper reaches of the Ship where gravity was weaker. Were they evil incarnate, or merely a divine check on the population, keeping humanity from expanding past the capacity of the Ship to support?
Then Hugh was captured by the muties and met their leader (or leaders), Joe-Jim, with two heads on one body. And he learned the true nature of the Ship and its mission between the stars. But could he make his people believe him before it was to late? Could he make them believe that he must be allowed to fly the ship?
List Books In Favor Of Orphans of the Sky (Future History or "Heinlein Timeline" #23)
| Original Title: | Orphans of the Sky |
| ISBN: | 0671318454 (ISBN13: 9780671318451) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | Future History or "Heinlein Timeline" #23 |
| Characters: | Hugh Hoyland |
Rating About Books Orphans of the Sky (Future History or "Heinlein Timeline" #23)
Ratings: 3.79 From 9136 Users | 416 ReviewsArticle About Books Orphans of the Sky (Future History or "Heinlein Timeline" #23)
1977 grade A1995 grade A-2016 grade B+/A-Failed generation ships were a pretty common theme in early hard SciFi. In fact, some publishers would give an idea to multiple authors and ask for each to write their own interpretation. No two that I read ever came out the same. The following description is not really a spoiler, but lightly describes the set up similar to that on a book jacket. After this review there are two other book themes mentioned. If anyone knows the names of those stories,This is one of the original "lost generation ship" stories, a novella stitched together from two of Heinlein's earlier short stories. Considering it was originally written in the 40s, Orphans of the Sky still holds up reasonably well as pure science fiction, with little to betray its golden age origins other than the fact that all the tropes are so well worn by now.The "crew" of the Ship has never known anything but the Ship, a massive multideck vessel which to them is literally the entire
First, I love the title. "Orphans of the Sky," is one of those titles that makes me love sci-fi. Second, this is one of those books that originated--or at least was an early adopter--of ideas that have come to be central to sci-fi. In this case, the concept is a generation ship. Generation ships are slow-moving space ships that would take so long to get from point A to point B that entire generations would live and die in the ship during the journey (hence the name). According to Wikipedia, the
First, I love the title. "Orphans of the Sky," is one of those titles that makes me love sci-fi. Second, this is one of those books that originated--or at least was an early adopter--of ideas that have come to be central to sci-fi. In this case, the concept is a generation ship. Generation ships are slow-moving space ships that would take so long to get from point A to point B that entire generations would live and die in the ship during the journey (hence the name). According to Wikipedia, the
The impetus for every sci-fi novel with a generation ship that followed it, Heinlein's original is still exciting and wildly intriguing almost 70 years later.I think I'll be checking out some of his other stories very soon.
This is a "big idea" novel for Heinlein. It tells the story of the first inter-stellar ship, planing to make a trip that will span generations. Mutiny and a general degradation of culture occur aboard and generations are born who are unable to conceive of, or believe in, a world outside the ship. The story centers on brave and clever men who start to regain this knowledge, stomping a foot on a deck plate and insisting like a similar brave man, "But still, it moves!"Heinlein's skill at
I read it, and it was a quick Heinlein read and rather fun. However, the two appearances of women in the plot were so irrelevant and so misogynist (from the author more than the characters) that an editor might as well cut them out and change the genders of various main characters. I assure you, it would make no difference to the book, except that I wouldn't want to go back and punch Heinlein in the nose.Seriously. This one dude gets picked out at the beginning of the story for being
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