Orphans of the Sky

While it shouldn't be compared to his later genre-busting novels, Orphans of the Sky is an entertaining Robert A. Heinlein book in its own right. The concept is one often mentioned in science fiction, but rarely expanded upon: a giant, self-contained spaceship - it's own Universe - in which humans eat and breathe, sleep and breed. The twist here is that they've been in it for so long that they can't remember life before it - or even imagine it, as they now believe the the Ship IS the Universe. It is an interesting social critique, as it shows how perfectly viable truths (indeed, Common Sense) can be reduced to mere mythology and religious twaddle. The book is well-written. Short, compact - two stories in about 120 pages - it is very tight, and this is one of those rare stories where not a single word is wasted (a complete contrast to some of Heinlein's later novels, one might say.) These are also the last two stories in Heinlein's Future History (never included in The Past Through Tomorrow.) A worthwhile story, I'm glad to see it back in print. Certainly not a heavyweight novel, but Heinlein fans will enjoy it. Reccommended for them, or as a good distraction.

What would happen if a group of interstellar pioneers going on a multigenerational journey to another star system forgot they were on board a ship? Heinlein explores this possibility in action packed story.

Generations ago, a mutiny took place on the rocket ship (a very large ship - over 5 miles long) which ended with the deaths of all the astrogation officers. As a result, the ship has drifted aimlessly through space with little hope of it ever reaching its destination. The people currently on the ship have forgotten most of this history. And since none of them has ever been outside the ship, to them, the ship is their universe. They exist to farm, raise families and battle mutants that inhabit the upper levels of the ship. Hugh Hoyland, a young man intent on becoming a scientist is captured by mutants and presumed dead. Can Hugh unravel the mysteries of the upper decks of the ship and convince the crew to resume their journey?

Although it is a short novel, Heinlein packs a lot into it. He explores and reviles the prejudice shown towards the mutants in a way that was fairly revolutionary for 1951. He also explores the folly of blind loyalty to ideas and religion, even in the face of incontrovertible evidence that a person can see with his own eyes. The story moves along quickly and comes to a satisfying (if expected) conclusion. I think this is one of Heinlein's finest novels. Some readers may be put off by his portrayal of women in this novel (they are not even second class citizens).

Robert A. Heinlein is easily one of the best authors that have published their works, science fiction or not. "Orphans of the Sky" was originally published as two short stories, titled "Universe" and "Common Sense." This novel puts the two works together so that they read like one novel, which the two stories really are once they are combined. This is one of Heinlein's juveniles and I have yet to read any of the books that he wrote during the second part of his career, but I really enjoy these books. Heinlein here doesn't get involved with his beliefs as the book is more plot oriented. This doesn't mean that there aren't lots of good messages to learn by reading this, though.
Many, many years after Earth, there is a huge spaceship that flies throughout space. This space shuttle is made up of different stories and it is like a huge planets, with farms, homes, work areas, etcetera. On this planet are two types of people, the crew of the space shuttle, and people that are called "Muties" are the people that live on the upper parts of the ship and are sterotyped as to being violent and dirty people. The crew part of the ship has no clue that the shuttle is even moving and one man, Hugh, tries to tell the crew part of the ship the truth behind everything. The plot may not sound that it would be lots of fun, but it sure is.
People on the space shuttle are brought up thinking that the shuttle is the only thing in existence and that there is nothing beyond it. Heinlein tries to teach in this novel that you must examine everything and every way possible to prove that something is either correct or incorrect. It took one person of the crew part of the ship to realize the truth, and this is the supreme example that Heinlein shows. This book also shows to fight for what you believe in and to not let anybody get in the way of your goals. These messages in a fiction book are what make Robert A. Heinlein's novels stand out.
This is a very short read that can be quickly read in less than three sittings; for the people that read super fast you can get this done in one. Now that I have read this book I can officially call myself an RAH fan and I definitely rank him up there as one of my favorite science fiction novelists. This is a must read for any fan of science fiction or a fan of Robert A. Heinlein. Books this good shouldn't be passed up.
Happy Reading!

Though the concept of a multi-generational starship was not original with Heinlein, this story was one of most fleshed-out depictions of this concept to appear at the time of its first publication as two novelettes in 1941, Universe and Commonsense. As usual with Heinlein, he added his own twists and additions to this basic concept, adding mutants, mutiny, and science-as-religion to the mix.

The inhabitants of this starship, due to a long ago mutiny that eliminated all the ship's officers and their knowledge, have forgotten that where they live is a ship, and that it is supposed to go somewhere. For them, the ship's interior is their entire universe, and even the idea that something might exist `Outside' the ship is so foreign a concept that most can't even imagine it, somewhat like trying to imagine what a fourth spatial dimension is really like. Their lives revolve around the simple necessities of eating, reproducing, and feeding the matter converter, as controlled by the high priesthood of `scientists'. In opposition we find the `muties' who live in `high country' (the ship's upper decks), outcasts from the main society who have formed their own society, under the nominal leadership of a two-headed mutant. When the story's protagonist, a young man with ambitions of becoming a scientist, is forcibly thrown into the muties company and has his eyes opened to what the ship truly is, the battle is joined to educate all the inhabitants and put the ship back on track.

Though the concept of this plot is not bad, the actual execution suffers quite a bit from Heinlein's less-than-complete mastery of story-telling skills at this very early point in his career. Other than his protagonist Hugh and the mutant Joe-Jim, characterization is very thin, and his treatment of the few women in the story makes them not only second-class citizens but also effective nonentities (something that plagued much of Heinlein's early writing). The ending is rushed and filled with way too much coincidence (which Heinlein actually acknowledges but lets stand). Description of the ship's interior is very sparse, something that Heinlein was very prone to, and normally it enhanced his stories, but here it is just too sparse, and makes it difficult for the reader to really `see' what the ship is like. The societies he builds here are not as fully fleshed-out as in many of his later books, a pity especially with the `mutie' society, as the glimpses he allows indicated that it might be a very fascinating one.

But despite the flaws, Heinlein's messages come through very well, without some of the preaching that inhabits some of his later novels. Messages against discrimination against others merely because they look or think differently; of the dangers of religion in any guise (even if the religion is `science'); the insidious power of being able to control what can be read, what can be thought; the dangers of complacency, of just letting things drift along; of how some people, even staring opposing facts straight in face, can still insist that their view is correct, and the person who ignores the fact that such people exist will have a very hard time of it.

Universe and Commonsense were listed as being part of Heinlein's Future History on the two-page chart that Campbell published about this time, but they really are only marginally connected to it. The only other mention of this ship (and what finally became of it and its inhabitants) is in Time Enough for Love, written many years after these stories.

An early effort, with good ideas and themes, but certainly not as good as what Heinlein would later write.

--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

This was originally written for a magazine in 1941 as novellas, later Heinlein did some revising resulting in this short novel. This is a quick read and could appeal to the young adult audience as an adventure story but as is often the case with RAH's work, there is far more weight here than the thicknesses of the book would indicate.

The story opens as three young men are exploring their world. It quickly becomes apparent that they are traveling on a space ship although they do not seem to be aware of this. Somehow the crew of this ship has forgotten how they got there or where they are going. One of the young explorers discovers answers, and more questions, in the most unexpected places.

This is very typical of Heinlein's work of the period, the heroes are young men who are questioning the rules of their society. Their quest causes the reader to in turn examine their own lives and long held beliefs. The biggest flaw that I see with this work is one that is sadly quite common with RAH's work from this time - he treats women as mere appendages to the men. There is only one female in the book who has a (minor) speaking role, the others are merely property.

Hugh Hoyland knows no other universe but that of the Ship, whose vast decks hold farms and villages powered by the Converter. He's a curious young man, though; so he enjoys exploring the upper decks, and risking attack by the "muties" who live there, rather more than do his contemporaries. When his former teacher, a Scientist named Nelson, calls him in and tells him that he will be trained to join that Ship-board equivalent to a priestly caste, Hugh's joy comes as much from being allowed to read all the ancient books he wishes as from knowing that he will be looked up to all his life. He hasn't long to enjoy his new status, though, before a venture to the upper decks ends badly. Hugh is captured by muties, and enslaved by one of their leaders - the two-headed Joe-Jim Gregory. Who knows much that the Scientists below do not, including what the Ship really is.

This pair of novellas that together form a slim book fired my imagination the first time I read them, when I was in junior high school and had quite recently discovered science fiction. I wondered, when I picked it up last week, how the story would stand the test of being read again a good 45 years later. The answer to that question? It is what it is, still. An imaginative adventure tale, lacking in character development because it's designed to be plot-driven; and lacking in female characters (those that do appear barely even speak) because the market for which Heinlein wrote his early works wasn't interested in such characters. At least, that's my take on the reason.

One of 1940s science fiction's small gems. This copy goes into my library, because I'm not parting company with it again.

--Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of 2005 EPPIE science fiction winner "Regs"

"Orphans of the Sky" was one of the early 'hard' science fiction novels.
Heinlein's 'generation' interstellar ship is propelled by (are you ready?) a nuclear fusion engine. This book was first published in 1941. The nuclear fission bomb was years away, with the nuclear fusion bomb being further into the future. Heck, we still are playing with trying to get closer to a "sustained release" of nuclear fusion power in 2008. So, Heinlein was way ahead of his time for "hard" science fiction.

For three fourths of this story, Heinlein writes an amazingly accurate set of predictions of what our first manned trips to the stars may be like. However, he lets down at the end. I first read this story in the late 1950s or early 1960s and I have always felt that Heinlein could have done a better ending to this story.

As to Heinlein's 'attitudes' toward all sorts of issues. He was, simply, reflecting the attitudes of the culture of those days. He, eventually, was a pioneer in the more liberal ways of thinking that the majority of Americans show in 2008. So, do not get all huffy about the attitudes in this novel.

If you compare this story to those of H. G. Wells, you will see some similarity of attitudes. Also, Heinlein offers much better science!

This is a very good story! But, it was written when the world was a much different place. Actually, it is almost scary as to how good a 'prophet' Heinlein was at that time.

This short novel describes life on a generation ship. As a sub-genre of science fiction, I find the idea of a generation ship, that is a ship that has been travelling through space for hundreds or thousands of years, to be particularly appealing. What mysteries lie in the giant derelict space ship? There have probably been dozens of novels and short stories written along this line, none of which are particularly memorable, and that includes this story. Perhaps the sub-genre is too constraining. In any case, this is really a novel for kids, and many of the reviewers who were expecting something more serious were clearly disappointed. This is a short novel set in a very large type to fill out a book (it is really more of a novella). The story centers on one of the inhabitants of the generation ship, Hugh, and his discovery that the metal ship in which they inhabit is not the entire universe, but only a small part of it. Hugh's ancestors long ago forgot that they were on a ship or how to operate it. I would rate this as 2 stars, rounding up because of Heinlein and because I'm enamoured with generation ship stories. There really isn't much to this story, so don't expect too much and you won't be disappointed. The people who gave this book a 5 star rating are completely berserk. I only recommend this novel for Heinlein fans or those interested in stories about generation ships. Otherwise, don't bother.

This is the only Heinlen book ive read and it will likely be the last. The story starts out interesting enough - the human race travelling through space in a giant starship that they believe IS the whole universe. Through the course of events, the main character, Hugh, learns the real nature of the ship and futilly attempts to educate the population of his discoveries due to everyone else's religious beliefs about the ship - the universe as they know it. This is another interesting concept, however, the story is marred with dull characters and a weak ending. I would recommend this book for children in grade school, but not for anyone who is looking for "serious" science fiction.

3.5 stars.
This is a good book, not to be missed by SF fans. My only complaint was that the psychology of people who are not familiar with a concept of anything outside their own ship had enormous potential, but was explored in a fairly casual manner - not very convincing. But the rest of the story is tops.