The Orphans of the Sky reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Orphans of the Sky

Orphans of the Sky is a science fiction novella by Robert A. Heinlein, consisting of two parts: Universe and Common Sense.

A gigantic, cylindrical generation ship is cruising pilotless toward a distant solar system, inhabited by a crew that has forgotten their origins over time and lapsed into superstition. Most crew members lead a simple bucolic life of farming, never venturing to the upper decks where the "muties" dwell. One day, Hugh Hoyland starts exploring and finds the astonishing secret of the ship's purpose.

This is the "Orphans of the Sky" reference article from the English Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.