"Gentlemen, Be Seated" is a

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

by American writer

Robert A. Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein ( ; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific acc ...

. It was first published in the May 1948 issue of '' Argosy'' magazine. It was later included in two of Heinlein's collections, ''

The Green Hills of Earth "The Green Hills of Earth" is a science fiction short story by American writer Robert A. Heinlein. One of his Future History (novel), Future History stories, the short story originally appeared in ''The Saturday Evening Post'' (February 8, 1947 ...

'' (1951), and ''

The Past Through Tomorrow ''The Past Through Tomorrow'' is a collection of science fiction stories by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, first published in 1967, all part of his ''Future History''. Most of the stories are parts of a larger storyline about the future r ...

'' (1967).

Plot summary

The story tells of a visit to a tunnel on the surface of the Moon which goes awry when a pressure seal fails, trapping three men (a supervisor, a reporter, and a tunnel worker). The title of the story derives from the way they plug an air leak while awaiting rescue: by sitting on it. The phrase "Gentlemen, Be Seated!" is the opening line of the interlocutor in a traditional

minstrel show The minstrel show, also called minstrelsy, was an American form of theater developed in the early 19th century. The shows were performed by mostly white actors wearing blackface makeup for the purpose of portraying racial stereotypes of Afr ...

. It was also, at the time the story was written and while Heinlein attended, the opening line for all classes at the military and naval academies (as well as classes for officers at the various service schools) in the United States. The story might have been inspired by an episode in " Baron Munchausen": The ship sprung a leak. It was my good fortune to discover it first. I found it a large hole about a foot diameter. ... This noble vessel was preserved, with all its crew, by a most fortunate thought! in short, I sat down over it. ... My situation, while I sat there, was rather cool, but the carpenter's art soon relieved me.

References

External links

* 1948 short stories Short stories by Robert A. Heinlein Works originally published in Argosy (magazine) {{1940s-sf-story-stub