Orphans of the Sky

The Future History Series

By: Robert A. Heinlein

Narrated by: Graham Halstead

Length: 4 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Lost in space.

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 just 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 Converter was fed, the lights would continue to glow, 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 learned the true nature of the Ship and its mission between the stars. But could he make his people believe him before it was too late? Could he make them believe that he must be allowed to fly the Ship?

©1951 Robert A. Heinlein (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

One of the early stories, and good enough.

A good enough story, but not one of Hienlien's masterpieces written during, and after the mid fifties.

80 years old and still great

Written in 1941, this story is still a great piece of futuristic science fiction. I first read this in 1975, and it was a treat to revisit.

Scary in it's prescience

Something of sci-fi thriller, a story of a spaceship where the inhabitants don't realize the nature of their existence. Orphans has an interesting but familiar premise: what happens to society when it loses (or ignores) knowledge and basic subsistence is the immediate goal. I would have liked the story to have been fleshed out a bit more, perhaps more on the ship's past and the ending feels abrupt, as if Heinlein decided to simply write "The End" to conclude his novel

Orphans is brilliant in another way, however. Heinlein's exploration of human nature is troubling, emphasizing what people will sink to when their point of view is constrained by their environment. He's prescient in describing the current phenomenon of people rejecting facts, even those "in their face," when the facts don't agree with their preconceived notions and what they want to believe (flat earth society, "stolen" elections, etc.). Despite being one of the older Heinlein works that I've read, it feels the least dated

The narrator is good, voicing actions and different characters in appropriate ways. His job is made easier by the story lacking virtually any spoken female lines.

Recommended

A self-aware relic of the older space adventures

The story has the scientific background of a Flash Gordon serial, but the social aspects of a generation ship are interesting, if guided by the 1930's.
The book was very well presented by Graham Halstead.

Nice easy science fiction from before space flight

It's interesting to hear what the writers thought things were possibly going to be like in the future. Making up the science as they went along. I love hearing their novice ideas, and how incredibly close they guess sometimes.

Definitive but dated

An idea groundbreaker in its time, a believable society, good science and understandable motivations.
And uh, ahem.. far from feminist at the very end.

Heinlein can be dated, but themes!

Robert A. Heinlein's _Orphans of the Sky_ receives 4 stars from me. The story is excellent, but Heinlein's use of women is dated.

This is an audible recording with Graham Halstead narrating. Halstead's voice sounds young which made me think that the age of the characters are teens to late teens to 20s. I don't remember their ages being said, so I'm unsure. However, he distinquished his voices well enough that it sounded like dialogue. He has a couple of "old" voices, that sound very old. He was not required to do many female voices and only short times, but they were fine. He read the book well and interpreted it nicely.

The book: This is kind of a sad Wow! Wow! This book is working with important themes: Racism, class differences, Power and Control, Religion. Which was strongest? Which was the most developed? I'm not sure. Heinlein doesn't overtly discuss the themes, they emerge from the book. So let's go with which one's I enjoyed the most. I enjoyed: religion--Heinlein addresses how religion is used to control the masses. Even when faced with the truth, one character doesn't refuse to believe, oh he believes the truth. But he uses the religion to control the situation more. Racism: there are two kinds of humans not he ship, the humans and the mutants. They hate each other and are fighting constantly. Will they get over their differences? You'll have to read.

What I didn't like: Heinlein, Heinlein, Heinlein. This is great book for men or male teens--not for women. Well, great might be too much. It's a book that is macho at times. For example, they often refer to their wives as "our women". Even more disturbing is the naming of the women. It seems that once they are married they have to change their name (but they have only one name). The husband names the wife. In one scene, that narrator says that the guy hasn't had a chance to name his new wife, so she's called the one without a name. Seriously. Look, I realize that this is a different world than our world, but Heinlein is in control of that and he could have stronger, smarter women. Women in this society are not really considered. (Well there is the knife maker, she's kind of powerful, but we see her one time.)

Recommend: If you like sci-fi and can read understanding how some book misuse women and you can address the wrongness of that, I think it is a good read. I do not recommend this for teens without supervision.

Sexist but interesting

Classic 60s science fiction. With an overtly sexist slant whenever any of the cattle like females are discussed. I found that aspect distracting. But I love interstellar colony ship stories and found this take on a multi generational journey unique and fun.

Orphans of the Sky

Excellent reading of Heinlein and his futuristic vision. This could be compared to current politics.

Dated but compelling.

The reduction of work to little more than pets was shocking to me as a modern reader. I remember Heinlein as being rather more forward looking in his treatment of women. Perhaps I have misremembered. The story is interesting in its exploration of the consequences of generational space travel and exploration, and cognitive dissonance, as well as science and religion. There's a bit more telling than showing that makes this story weak, feeling like the ending was rushed.