Tunnel in the sky
by Robert A. Heinlein · first published 1955
44% recommend56% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Classic survival story about a student stranded on an alien world after a training exercise goes wrong; readers praise its practical problem-solving and suit young readers and fans of Heinlein's juvenile novels.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
This is a wonderful thought provoking book. Survival and the creation of initial social, community and even political themes are explored. A pivotal entry into my young mind. I still enjoy it today!
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…call it 'comfort reading' like comfort food. It is one of the books I pick up when I am lying in bed sick for the day. Usually something by Heinlein/Clarke or maybe Asimov. Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Tunnel in the sky, Friday, Rama, have all been read 5 to 10 times.
on “Why reading a book 100 times is a great idea” ↗…Dreaming Void - Peter F. Hamilton Fallen Dragon - Peter F. Hamilton Altered Carbon - Richard Morgan Market Forces - Richard Morgan Blindsight - Peter Watts The Electric Church - Jeff Somers Tunnel in the Sky - Robert A. Heinlein The Moon is a Harsh Mistress - Robert A. Heinlein 1984 - George Orwell
on “Ask HN: Interesting (Non software) books?” ↗>"Tunnel In the Sky" I loved that book. Heinlein's juveniles would be great for middle school kids. I hated all the crap I had to read back then. I read Jurassic Park in 3rd grade, and by the time I was in middle school…
on “Teacher Suspended For Reading 'Ender's Game' To Middle School Students” ↗John Christopher's Tripod Trilogy: "The White Mountains", "The Pool of Fire", "The City of Gold and Lead" Robert Heinlein "Podkayne of Mars","Tunnel in the Sky", or "Beyond this Horizon" Samuel Delany "Babel-17" or "The Einstein Intersection" Roger Zelazny "Lord of Light"
on “Science fiction for the young” ↗Programming in Haskell by Graham Hutton A.I. A Modern Approach (ch 13-16) by Russell and Norvig A Tunnel In The Sky by Robert Heinlein The Revelation Space series (3 of the 5 books) by Alistair Reynolds Eon/Eternity (both by Greg Bear)
on “Ask HN: Great books you read in 2009?” ↗…problem, the books are far better. OR science fiction. Read all of Heinlein's books for young adults. Start with Double Star then read Have Space Suit Will Travel. A Door Into Summer speaks to any engineer. Tunnel In the Sky is the classic survival story. When you are hooked on Heinlein read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress; it only takes a chapter to get used to his interesting take on what English of the future will sound like.…
on “Ask HN: Are books worth it?” ↗- Most works by Heinlein esp. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, Tunnel In The Sky, Time Enough For Love - Many other works by Asimov - The Rama series by A.C. Clarke - Gateway and other novels in the same universe, by Fred Pohl - The earlier novels of James P. Hogan esp. The Two…
on “Ask HN: Science Fiction Starter List” ↗…experience and outlook on life changes. My recollection from the curriculum at my middle school included "Animal Farm", which also has messages on multiple levels; my younger sister was required to read "Tunnel In the Sky" (by Heinlein; she hated it, but I enjoyed it); my middle school coursework also included "Lord of the Flies", "Great Gatsby" and "Of Mice and Men", all of which also have violent sequences. Part of…
on “Teacher Suspended For Reading 'Ender's Game' To Middle School Students” ↗…Comic Science Fiction which is where i would put Douglas Adam's work in there. The more finite definition of a work is really dependent on the setting, story telling device used and interpretation. A tunnel in the sky is a very good example of works that can be classified as Science Fantasy a genre that it's author Robert Heinlein was quite instrumental in it's creation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fantasy
on “A $2 photo from a California junk shop is the ‘holy grail of Western Americana’” ↗I am not sure if Game of Thrones' incest storylines have prepared the ground for Heinlein's incredibly creepy relationships. But in a way, young adult fiction has just been remaking Tunnel in the Sky over and over again for the last 10-15 years, so there's that.
on “Apple is making a show based on Isaac Asimov’s ‘Foundation’ books” ↗This reminds me of "Tunnel In The Sky" by Robert Heinlein. Teenager goes on a "growing up quest" in the hopes of becoming some type of Ranger or "Space Colony Guide". He and a group of others wormhole out to some planet and have to survive…
on “'Into The Wild' bus removed from Alaska wilderness” ↗…a big Heinlein fan. I find it useful to turn to some of the body of writings about Heinlein to understand why he wrote as he did. As just one example, I did not understand that the main character of "Tunnel in the Sky" was Black. This wasn't mentioned directly on the book, though it can be understood from cultural context that I, reading it 30 years after it was written, did not pick up. Similarly, how do I interpret…
on “What to Make of Isaac Asimov, Sci-Fi Giant and Dirty Old Man?” ↗"Man is not a rational animal; he is a rationalizing animal." -- Robert A. Heinlein, Tunnel in the Sky, 1955
on “Big Data Is Dead” ↗…in the place of an alien named Zxtyqyz than it was to put himself in the place of a black man. That's why Heinlein had to carefully write between the lines to figure out the protagonist in his 1950s "Tunnel in the Sky" is black, instead of saying so explicitly. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnel_in_the_Sky#Rod's_ethnic... When you commented "it tells stories about what might go right ... or might go wrong", remember…
on “Tech Billionaires Need to Stop Trying to Make the Science Fiction They Grew Up” ↗…throwing out a lot of other SF.) I also gave two other examples of mainstream science fiction which are no less fantastical than Babylon V. To that list I'll add Pellucidar. What is the science driving "Tunnel in the Sky"? A magic device that can slow time and allows space warp. What of the rest qualifies as 'scientific' which makes it notably "science fiction" instead of simply "fiction"? What is the science behind…
on “A $2 photo from a California junk shop is the ‘holy grail of Western Americana’” ↗