Books with title The orphans of Simitra

Ancient myths told of a place called Earth, but the modern world knew it was nonsense. Science knew the Ship was all the Universe, and as long as the sacred Converter was fed, lights would glow and air would flow through the miles of metal corridors. Hugh never questioned these truths until a despised mutie showed him the Control Room and he learned the true nature of the Ship and its mission.

Hugh had been taught that, according to the ancient sacred writings, the Ship was on a voyage to faraway Centaurus. But he also understood this was actually allegory for a voyage to spiritual perfection. Indeed, how could the Ship move, since its miles and miles of metal corridors were all there was of creation? Science knew that the Ship was all the Universe, and as long as the sacred Convertor was fed, the lights would continue to glow and the air would flow, and the Creator's Plan would be fulfilled.Of course, there were the muties, grotesquely deformed parodies of humans, who lurked in the upper reaches of the Ship where gravity was weaker. Were they evil incarnate, or merely a divine check on the population, keeping humanity from expanding past the capacity of the Ship to support?Then Hugh was captured by the muties and met their leader (or leaders), Joe-Jim, with two heads on one body. And he learned the true nature of the Ship and its mission between the stars. But could he make his people believe him before it was to late? Could he make them believe that he must be allowed to fly the ship?

Hugh had been taught that, according to the ancient sacred writings, the Ship was on a voyage to faraway Centaurus. But he also understood this was actually allegory for a voyage to spiritual perfection. Indeed, how could the Ship move, since its miles and miles of metal corridors were all there was of creation? Science knew that the Ship was all the Universe, and as long as the sacred Convertor was fed, the lights would continue to glow and the air would flow, and the Creator's Plan would be fulfilled.Of course, there were the muties, grotesquely deformed parodies of humans, who lurked in the upper reaches of the Ship where gravity was weaker. Were they evil incarnate, or merely a divine check on the population, keeping humanity from expanding past the capacity of the Ship to support?Then Hugh was captured by the muties and met their leader (or leaders), Joe-Jim, with two heads on one body. And he learned the true nature of the Ship and its mission between the stars. But could he make his people believe him before it was to late? Could he make them believe that he must be allowed to fly the ship?

No matter how many months went by, Porphyras could not believe that his young sister, Mina, was dead. When their village in Greece, Simitra, was destroyed by an earthquake, the two orphans promised each other that they would never allow themselves to be separated. A generous family in Holland offered the Greek children a home, but Mina could never adjust to the lack of sunshine of their native land. When she disappeared, Porphyras, only thirteen, hunted for her in France, across Europe, facing many difficulties. He had two advantages. He grasped languages easily, and had a passion for repairing cars and could usually get a job in a gas station to maintain himself. It was a desperate search but with great determination and faith, he never gave up.

The Jordan Foundation sponsored the Proxima Centauri Expedition in 2119, in attempt to reach the nearer stars of the galaxy. But that was far in the mythic past. The original purpose of the Ship's epic voyage has long been forgotten, and gor generations the ginat spaceship, lost between the stars, is the only world that the people aboard have known. A strange civilization has evolved, with its own superstitions, savage religion, rigid class structure and mutant outcasts. Then, one young man discovers the truth about the Ship and changes everything, for ever...

The Robert H. Heinlein novella "Universe" was published in the May 1941 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. Sequel novella "Common Sense" was published in ASF in October of the same year. Both were slightly modified by the author and published together as Orphans of the Sky in 1963. This science fiction classic became a paradigm for many sf plots to follow. An interstellar ship drifting aimlessly through space is peopled by inhabitants who have forgotten its history. The ship is their universe as they farm, raise families, and battle the mutants that inhabit the ship's upper levels. Can young Hugh Hoyland unravel the ship's mysteries and convince its inhabitants of his discoveries? Heinlein adroitly explores issues of morality and the folly of blind loyalty while delivering an action-packed story full of believable characters.

Lucas Fish and Katie Byrd couldn’t be more different. Lucas is cocky and impulsive while Katie is brilliant and serious, so despite both living together at Blackthorne Children’s Home in Crescent City, Maine, they are only vaguely aware of each other. This all changes when the two of them begin developing superhuman powers. Shortly after Katie discovers her ability to fly, she hears Lucas talking to some friends about his abilities and realizes they may not as different as they seem.When she learns that Lucas is planning to rob a warehouse with some friends in order to be initiated into the Meta Human Hybrids, a super-powered gang that has been terrorizing their city, she reveals her secret to Lucas in a vain attempt to sway him from the robbery. The mission ends in tragedy with the unexpected arrival of the gang, though, which Lucas feels responsible for, and leads to him joining up with Katie to oppose the Meta Human Hybrids. But they soon realize that the gang isn’t the biggest, nor the most sinister threat living in Crescent City.