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Summary: Tunnel In The Sky
Review: Have read five times, over the years. I first read it when I was 8. I spend 20 years in the Army, which was when I read Tunnel three more times. It's full of adventure, which comes to life as the words flow through the mind. I resently reread this book with my teen. She took my copy, so I need to buy another. Hmmm. Great what words can do.
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Summary: Should be a Real School Course
Review: Heinlein felt that anyone who could not do everything from plan an invasion, change a diaper, butcher a hog, write a sonnet, design a building, or program a computer was at least partially incapacitated. In addition, he felt that our schools did a very poor job of preparing young people for what life was all about. This book presented at least one partial solution to both problems: have a school course in survival, whose final test was to be dropped onto some unknown 'wilderness' planet for a week and forced to actually survive. Around this basic concept Heinlein fashioned what is probably one of the best of his so-called 'juvenile' novels. Roderick Walker is the prime character, a young man with some doubts about whether he is really ready to take the final exam in this course. With some encouragement and advice from his older sister, he decides to proceed, going through the 'gate' to a new world where nothing is familiar, where everything must be viewed as potentially deadly. But after managing to survive for the prescribed time, there is no pick up signal, no return gate, and Rod slowly comes to the conclusion that, regardless of what has gone wrong, he must make a go of really living long term on this new world. Along with other class survivors, a small society is formed, initially with Rod as the nominal leader. From this point, Heinlein manages to show the essentials of how and why a government is formed, what type of government make sense for a small group, how a society protects itself from 'bullies' (the only truly deadly animal is the two-legged variety), the contribution made by both sexes to a properly functioning society, just what makes a man a man, and the essential qualities of a leader. All buried within a fine adventure story of just how the little group builds itself from an unrelated bunch of people huddling in a cave to a bustling, forward looking industrious town, with excellent characterizations of not just Rod but most of the people around him, and with very little direct preaching, but rather showing his points as results of the events and actions of his characters. Heinlein's typical unforced, simple American prose style is much in evidence here, making both dialog and descriptions seem perfectly natural. This makes for a very fast reading experience, with a lot of his philosophical points sliding in under the reader's conscious radar, only to wake you up at 3AM with an 'Oh, yeah! That makes sense.' And perhaps you will come away from this book, as I did, thinking that the idea of a school course in survival is something that should actually be implemented. Everyone, from teens to adults, homemakers to rugged individualists, engineers to social workers, can enjoy this book. There are very few works that can appeal to such a wide range of audience as this one does, but this is something that Heinlein made a habit of. Written almost fifty years ago, it reads just as well, if not better than anything published today.
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Summary: An exciting, adventurous and innovative science fiction book
Review: Heinlein once again demonstrates his great writing skills with this story. This is a great adventure with a lot of action and overall great creative science fiction.. I was amazed that Heinlein thought up the idea of using time gates instead of rocket ships as the main souce of travel from planet to planet... This is a story that was originated in the 50's when science fiction was in its infancy... I thought that this was such a clever and innovative means for space exploration.. It kind of reminds me of the guardian of forever in the original star trek episode where you can select a certain era of time and if you jump through it you will be instantly transported physically to the time being viewed.... But because Heinlein thought of this before that star trek episode aired he is the true father of this invention... I also thought that this book demonstrated survival in a strong and positive way... On this planet the main characters after being stranded due to a malfunction in the space gates must go through the rough ordeal of survival... Together these individual put their minds together and face the arduous task of surviving day to day against many unknowns... A great Heinlein book that can be enjoyed by anyone..
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Summary: Possibly Heinlein's Best "Juvenile"
Review: Heinlein wrote many books intended for coming-of-age boys, but most of them are excellent books and enjoyable to anyone of any age. Tunnel In The Sky is no exception. Indeed, it may be his best attempt at the style. The book is realistic, it's not just "goody-goody" junk, and, in the end, it lays on you some strong moral values for teenagers. However, due to this same realism adults will love it as well. Heinlein, with this book, has pulled off that rare masterpiece that is enjoyable to all. It's an enthralling read - quick-paced, and a page turner nearly right from the start. That Heinlein, who never himself had children could pull off such provocative domestic scenes is a testament to his genius and vision. The basic plot is yet another variation on the "stranger in a strange land" theme, and is similar in many ways to Farnham's Freehold (not to mention other classics, like Lord of the Flies.) But, as always, RAH brings his own unique voice to the novel. The dialogue is distinctly Heinlein, as are some of the more risque elements. All in all, highly recommened reading that you will plow through pretty quickly and enjoy doing it.
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Summary: Annoying
Review: I bought this book based on the other reviews posted here. I was hoping to find a new author--and maybe genre--to enjoy. If this book is typical of the best sci fi has to offer, it will be a short relationship for me. Dialogue and characters werew wooden, no sense of "place" whatever was created, the plot was modest, and there was little originality in the ideas. I bought three other Heinlein titles at the same time--I hope they are less tedious.
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Summary: Tunnel in the Sky
Review: I don't remember when I first read this book. I was somewhere between 5th and 12th grade. Now I am grown and I read a chapter of an old childhood favorite to my daughter every night. So many books that my mother recommended to me I ignored (after all, Moms don't know anything). So as I read them to my daughter, (who is now 10) she has come to appreciate that sometimes Moms do know things. This one is a "keeper". It is adventure. It is romance. It is hope for the future. It is Heinlein at his Young Adult best.
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Summary: A fast, enjoyable, memorable read
Review: I have not read this book in a very long time, but I remember it as being a favorite from the first time that I picked it up at the age of 12 or so. The book is about a group of students in a survival class who get stranded on the planet where they were supposed to be living for only a few weeks as a test. The way their group evolves into a little society was very interesting (and not nearly as dark as what happens in a similar situation in The Lord of Flies). I don't remember very many details, but do remember being completely enthralled. Recommended.
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Summary: A book with more than meets the eye
Review: I have read this book several times but not for quite a number of years. At the time of my first read, I had read most of what Heinlein had written up to that point (I think my intro to his work was Star Beast when I was in elementary school). I was taken by the concept of the gates to other worlds - a concept that has been explored in many forms including the Star Gate movie and TV series and in Michael Crichton's recent book Timeline. Heinlein weaves a lot of material into what might be mistaken for a simple adventure story. He understands the psychology of the individual and the group and has a good grasp of what is required for basic survival in an unknown and hostile environment. He also treats topics like dealing with bullies, the problems with being a nice guy and the resistance some people have to leaving something they have invested with their time, energy and personal values. I'm back to buy a new copy of this book and to read it again!
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Summary: Not so juvenile.
Review: I never liked when they would tag a Heinlein novel as part of his "juvenile" series. It would tend to make adults not want to read it and that really is their loss as most of the juvenile books are every bit as good as his "adult" novels.
Tunnel in the Sky has variations of the themes covered in "Lord of the Flies". A group of youths are cut off from the world and must establish their own civilization.
"Rod" the survival trainee is one of Heinlein's most human protagonists in that he is not a superman but a regular guy that most readers can relate to.
The story deals with both the growth of a new society and the growth of a boy to a man, and what it means to be one.
Don't get me wrong though there are some great science fiction concepts going on here. Fans of Star Gate will give this book a knowing nod.
Don't hesitate a second to buy or read this one.
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Summary: The Best
Review: I read it when i was 9 and loved it. I still read it about every summer. My dad still steals it from my bookcase every now and then from my bookcase.
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