Infinite Possibilities (Tunnel In the Sky; Time For the Stars; Citizen of the Galaxy)

By Robert A. Heinlein

Book Overview

Tunnel in the Sky is a science fiction book written by Robert A. Heinlein and published in 1955 by Scribner's as one of the Heinlein juveniles. The story describes a group of students sent on a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0739433857
• ISBN13: 9780739433850
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: SFBC
• Length: 568 Pages
• Weight: 1.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.7" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Classic in a new sleeve

Book came practially new. I first read Tunnel in the Sky in middle school. It is to this day a favorite of mine, and now i get to enjoy it and two other stories i have yet to read for such a great value. I am truely excited. :D

Old book under new name - still a good read

combination of three of Heilein's best books, Tunnel in the sky, Time for the Stars, and Citizen of the Galaxy.

More than a juvenile novel

Please note that I only review the one novel in this review, although the other two are among my favorite Heinlein stories too. Tunnel in the Sky is my favorite of Heinlein's "juveniles" (although it really isn't a true juvenile) and almost my favorite Heinlein book of all time. This story about a class of high school students in Advanced Survival becoming marooned on a hostile world and learning to cope with its dangers, in the end setting up their own frontier society when it becomes apparent that the retrieval Star Gate has malfunctioned, is, in my humble opinion, one of Heinlein's most memorable stories. It really transcends the juvenile rubric that's usually assigned to it. In some ways, it's a little bit like Robinson Crusoe in the 22nd century, except for the much larger cast of characters. And at the risk of appearing a cultural barbarian, I like it better than the famous Daniel Defoe volume (which I did read all the way through). However, the book is interesting in that, depending on which literary authority you consult, either Defoe's book (published in 1719) or Samuel Richardson's Pamela (published in 1740), is considered the first true novel. So Defoe deserves credit for that. I liked the concept of the stobor, which I'm sure most readers noticed is simply the word "robots" spelled backwards. I'm sure Carel Capek (the Czech writer who wrote the play, R.U.R., Rossum's Universal Robots) would approve. :-) We are also treated to an early Heinlein disquisition on the theory of leadership and government in small groups when one of the older college students (can't recall the name anymore) explains to Rod why he ran into trouble during his early leadership of the stranded group. Anyway, having read both Robinson Crusoe and Tunnel, I recommend you read Heinlein's story first. Tunnel in the Sky is shorter and more approachable than his longer, major adult novels like Stranger in a Strange Land, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, and Starship Troopers, and it's as good an introduction to Heinlein's books as any. And even if you only read one Heinlein book, this should be it.