Orphans of the Sky

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Orphans of the Sky is a science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, consisting of two parts: the novella "Universe" (originally published in Astounding Science Fiction, May 1941) and its sequel, "Common Sense" (Astounding Science Fiction, October 1941). "Universe" was republished alone in 1951 as a 10¢ Dell paperback book. The two novellas were first published together in book form in 1963. The work presents one of the earliest fictional depictions of a generation ship—an interstellar "ark" travelling at sub-light speeds and requiring many generations to reach a "nearby" star—in this case Proxima Centauri. "Universe" was selected in 1973 by the Science Fiction Writers of America for inclusion in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two, which collected the most important works published prior to SFWA's founding in 1965.

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