Editing Orphans of the Sky (section)

==Reception==
In 1956, [[Damon Knight]] said, "Nobody has ever improved on "Universe", although a good many reckless people have tried, because Heinlein said it all."<ref>{{cite book |author-last = Knight |author-first = Damon |author-link = Damon Knight |title = In Search of Wonder |year = 1956 |publisher = Advent}}</ref> 

In 1964, [[Avram Davidson]] described the newly repackaged ''Orphans of the Sky'' as "a modern classic" and praised "the magnitude and magnificence of ''Orphans''{{'}} concepts" but expressed disappointment in "the limitations of its conclusion."<ref>"Books", ''[[The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction]]'', October 1964, pp. 37–38.</ref> 

In 1966, [[Algis Budrys]] said, "Many hands have worked at improving Heinlein's impeccable statement of this theme", with none succeeding until [[James White (author)|James White]]'s ''[[The Watch Below]]''.<ref name="budrys196608">{{Cite magazine
 |last=Budrys
 |first=Algis
 |date=August 1966
 |title=Galaxy Bookshelf
 |url=https://archive.org/stream/Galaxy_v24n06_1966-08#page/n185/mode/2up
 |magazine=Galaxy Science Fiction
 |pages=186–194
}}</ref>

In 1973, "Universe" was selected  by the [[Science Fiction Writers of America]] for inclusion in ''[[The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two]]'', which collected the most important works published prior to SFWA's founding in 1965.

In 1980, cultural historian and scholar [[H. Bruce Franklin]]  described "Universe" as ... <blockquote>...a classic presentation of that critical problem, the impenetrable limits environment places around consciousness, a theme crucial not only for Heinlein and for such science-fiction masterpieces as [[Edwin A. Abbott|E.A. Abbott]]'s ''[[Flatland]]'', [[Mark Twain|Twain]]'s ''[[A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court]]'' and "The Great Dark", [[Jorge Luis Borges]]' "[[The Library of Babel]]" and [[Christopher Priest (novelist)|Christopher Priest]]'s ''[[The Inverted World]]'', but for all modern industrial society as technological and social revolutions constantly change the human environment. In the epistemological laboratory presented by "Universe" neither the traditional beliefs of the present rulers nor the hard-headed pragmatism of a dissident rational bloc who accept only immediate facts can comprehend the stupendous truth of the real universe that lies outside.... The delusory world of the Ship in "Universe" is presented as a convincing possibility in a rigorously controlled science fiction in which true science offers the only way out.<ref>Franklin, H. Bruce (1980), ''Robert A. Heinlein: America as Science Fiction''; [[Oxford University Press]], pg 44. </ref></blockquote> Franklin dismissed the sequel, "Common Sense", as "more a minor tale of adventure" concluding with a "highly improbable" denouement. He further faulted its "flagrantly derogatory treatment of women".<ref>Franklin (1980), ''[[Op. cit.]]'', pg 44.</ref>