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Tunnel in the Sky
https://heinleinsociety.org/thsnexus/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1614
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Author:  PeterScott [ Sat Mar 14, 2015 9:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Tunnel in the Sky

It seems possible, at least, to me, that TitS was written as a response to Lord of the Flies. Instead of the children regressing to murderous savages, they become (mostly) more courageous and mature. They demonstrate that at their core they are noble rather than primitive. That has always been a core Heinlein tenet.

So what do you think? Was Heinlein deliberately setting out to refute Golding?

Author:  Blackhawk [ Sun Mar 15, 2015 8:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Tunnel in the Sky

I have no idea whether it was intentional on Heinlein's part, but I have long considered it the counter argument to Lord of the Flies. I appreciate it even more for that reason.

Author:  DanHenderson [ Mon Mar 16, 2015 8:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Tunnel in the Sky

I think the ages of the characters in the two books are significant. The boys in LotF are six to twelve. To me, that would make TitS more of a sequel than a refutation.

Author:  sakeneko [ Tue Mar 17, 2015 1:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Tunnel in the Sky

Interesting idea, Dan. I never made the connection between the two books, although I read both in high school. I loathed Lord of the Flies; it seemed so hopeless. Tunnel in the Sky was a cool adventure, not utopian, but positive.

If you think of "Lord of the Flies" as 20th century secular Calvinism, though, Heinlein was definitely an Arminian. ;)

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