[.ca] ORPHANS OF THE SKY (ISBN 0671318454)

good concept, executed poorly:
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.

The first Heinlein I read, and I sure am happy I read it:
This was the first Robert Heinlein book that I read. I needed a book to use for a book report project in 8th grade, and I found this book in the school library. At the time I could have cared less about books. I followed the trend and thought books were stupid and boring, but after I read this book I really got into science fiction. This book was great. I dont want to give any of the story away like some people do in reviews, but I will say that it is really good. If you like Heinlein or just sci-fi, then I would recommend this book. This book introduced me to the greats such as Stranger In A Strange Land, and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. I really recommend Stranger In a Strange Land. I found that one in my dads book collection and that is Heinleins best work in my opinion. Anyway, it really is a good book I think so check it out.

Nice plot but leaves you wanting:
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.

My first Heinlein book:
I first read this short novel when I was about 12 years old. Talk about mind-blowing. It never occured to me that people could have two heads, or be the heroes of a book! Or that a gigantic, self-contained spaceship could be so long in space that the inhabitants have forgotten they are _on_ a spaceship, and instead think it's the entire universe. I have no idea what happened to my first paperback copy. I do miss it. Wherever it's at, I hope some other 12-year-old has stumbled upon it.

Another Great Novel by Heinlein:
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!