Orphans of the Sky
The Robert H. Heinlein novella Universe was published in the May 1941 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. Sequel novella Common Sense was published in ASF in October of the same year. Both were slightly modified by the author and published together as Orphans of the Sky in 1963.
This science fiction classic became a paradigm for many sf plots to follow. An interstellar ship drifting aimlessly through space is peopled by inhabitants who have forgotten its history. The ship is their universe as they farm, raise families, and battle the mutants that inhabit the ship's upper levels. Can young Hugh Hoyland unravel the ship's mysteries and convince its inhabitants of his discoveries? Heinlein adroitly explores issues of morality and the folly of blind loyalty while delivering an action-packed story full of believable characters.
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein (1907–1988) was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre in his time. He set a standard for scientific and engineering plausibility, and helped to raise the genre's standards of literary quality.
He was one of the first science fiction writers to break into mainstream magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post in the late 1940s. He was one of the best-selling science fiction novelists for many decades. He, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke are known as the "Big Three" of science fiction.
Heinlein's Future History
Heinlein's Future History consists of 13 total books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
