I am trying to find the name of a short story and its author.?

Question

The science fiction story is about a young boy in space with his father (and mother?) and as a birthday present the father takes his son to a porthole in the shuttle to show him an amazing view of the universe. I want to know the name of the story and the author.

Answer 1

Hi Upperhand,
It might be "Stranger in a Strange Land" by Robert Heinlein...It is a classic novel, but it began life as a short story. The story portrays Valentine Michael Smith's adaptation to, and understanding of, humans and their culture, which is portrayed as an amplified version of consumerist and media-driven 20th-century America. Smith is the son of two astronauts, raised by Martians on Mars until he is taken "home" to Earth, where he is effectively imprisoned in a hospital by the government, which wishes him to transfer any rights he may have to ownership of Mars to itself, specifically the "Federation of Free States", a world government whose Secretary-General happens to be American. Smith is also something of a political pawn in factional struggles within the Federation, and to make matters worse he is heir to the fortunes of the entire exploration party, not just his parents. In short, he is a man besieged on all sides by those who wish to use him to further their own ends.

Another possibility is a Russian short story, "The Boy," by Gennadi Gor. Here it is:

http://home.freeuk.com/russica2/books/gor/theboy.html

Also take a look at a book of short stories, "Expedition to Earth," by Arthur C. Clarke. "If I Forget Thee on Earth," is, I think, a story that has a scene similar to the one you remember. Also, it is in lots of freshman literature books, so you might have read it there. Good luck. Hope you find it!

Answer 2

no idea, but when someone lets you know the title, I will be interested to know the answer, as it seem a very interesting book for my son to read.