Bob, if you enjoyed The Martian, definitely check out Project Hail Mary! Some of the same technical/resilience/problem-solving vibe, but a very different and interesting setting and characters.
Oooh, this is very exciting! We're planning an episode about Outer Space for our upcoming Strong Sense of Place podcast season, and I'm on the hunt for great books set in space. I'm excited to see what everyone shares. I think my husband/co-host Dave will be very interested in your nonfiction recommendations, Jeremy!
I have a few novels to share:
The Comet Seekers by Helen Sedgwick - This story is both tender and explosive: There are (actual) ghosts and emotional hauntings, a love story, moving family relationships — set in France, Ireland, and Antarctica. The main characters are a French chef and an Irish scientist on an astronomy mission in Antarctica, waiting for a comet to pass over head. Each chapter is framed by the arrival of a comet at different periods in time. It's very cool and beautiful, and although it's been years since I read it, I think about it from time to time.
The Mars House by Natasha Pulley - I love all of her books (favorites: The Bedlam Stacks [magical realism set in Peru] and The Kingdoms [time travel in an alternate-history Britain]). This one is sci-fi melded with her trademark humor and deeply romantic relationships — it takes the 'fake couple' trope from romance novels and spins into something magically different. A male ballet dancer from Earth is resettled in a colony on Mars and hijinks ensue. The sci-fi bits are smart and interesting, the characters feel real — loved it.
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel - Station Eleven is one of my all-time favorites, and this third book from the author is set in the same universe as that book (and her second is The Glass Hotel). You don't need to have read those to enjoy this one, but it's fun to feel the little tickle of 'Hey! I know that character.' I don't always love time travel stories, but I feel like this is a time travel story for people who love them AND people who don't. The setup is tasty: At different points in time (including characters on moon colonies), three different characters experience an unusual *something* — the sound of violins, a whoosh of hydraulics, disorientation. It's mysterious to them and to us, and then the threads start to come together. The descriptions of Vancouver, the colonies, what life might be like on Earth in 2203 are all fantastic. If you want to be transported, this is a good one.
Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton - This is a gorgeous novel about the apocalypse with a 78-year-old antihero Augie in the Arctic and a woman astronaut named Sally on a mission to/from Jupiter. I don't want to give away a *big surpise*, so I'll keep it brief. The chapters alternate between Augie and Sully's experiences, and eventually, their two plot threads connect, delivering thrilling action and quiet, meaningful moments. (You can hear me talk about it here, if you're curious: https://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2021-09-27-arctic/)
An excellent non-fiction space book for your husband is Black Hole Survival Guide by Janna Levin. Her examples of how relativity works, I think about them occasionally because I still enjoy the “penny drop” moments!
Ah, Outer Space is such a great theme for your show! Sea of Tranquility was soooo good — I almost forgot the space parts of it, actually. I'm not familiar with the others, but I'll definitely check 'em out — especially Good Morning, Midnight. Thanks Mel!
I'm very (very) big on re-reading. It's always surprising to me when people say they don't like to re-read. I feel like I'm visiting with old friends AND I get more out of it on the second or third go-round.
Ralph, if you don’t mind, give a short pitch for reading Cloud Cuckoo Land. I’ve wanted to, but have been put off by the jacket copy (which is the opposite of what jacket copy is supposed to do). I loved All The Light We Cannot See. Thanks in advance.
3 stories that seem unrelated at first but come together near the end of the novel. It opens with a young girl on a space ship traveling to a planet to establish a settlement (the Earth is dying). In her cabin she starts to collect the writings of an ancient manuscript. The novel also has sections on a young girl during the fall of Constantinople and young boy and his 2 oxen involved in the siege the city. The third section has to do with an ex-GI in Oregon who is translating the ancient manuscript (entitled Cloud Cuckoo Land). An old, lost manuscript; the adventure of finding the manuscript during a siege and escaping with it; the story of a POW and his love of classics; and how all these stories intertwine.
I'm not sure I did justice to the story line or convinced you to read the novel. But I hoped to at least make you interested. As I said, it remains one of my favorite books of the last 5-6 years.
The 4 Percent Universe by Richard Panek is about how very little we know about the universe. Dark matter and dark energy are theorized to make up the other 96%, but we don't really know what they are - we're just guessing.
On the completely opposite side of the universe to that are Joe Leiberman's Red Harvest and Death Troopers, two Star Wars books about zombies.
And far, far away from both, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy anthology by Douglas Adams.
I have such warm feelings for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Before my husband and I were a couple, when were we in the very beginnings of 'we're just friends,' he gave me a ride to the airport (!) just before Christmas, and as I was getting out of the car, he shoved his copy of Hitchhiker's Guide into my hands. I read it in the airport and on the plane, taking notes for hom along the way as I read — like an old-school version of live-tweeting. Looking back on that now, I think, 'We were so dumb. He gave me his favorite book, and I made him notes on my experience reading it. Um... totally smitten.'
We are Legion (We are Bob) is a great space series that includes amazing space battles that occasionally include planets and is all real science, no hyperdrive, just lots and lots of fun.
It’s known as The Bobiverse! A twentieth century human is implanted into a spaceship and replicates himself as he travels. It’s way better than that sounds.
It sounds dumb but the books cover so much - like being immortal while caring about non-uploaded humans, first contact, social divergence, Star Trek fandom and scary unknown aliens
One of the things that surprised me when I started reading science fiction is how many feelings are threaded into the good stuff. I didn't expect that; I think I thought it was all going to be nerdy science and robots or something. But a sci-fi story that makes me laugh/cry/ache, that is great stuff. #TNG4Ever ;-)
Yes! Some of the older classics are heavy on the science and light on the human stuff, but the best of the genre is really about humans adapting to wildly new circumstances.
Completely agree with the Expanse. Watching the Prime Video series is what prompted me reading the series,which was excellent. Being partial to a bit of space opera David Feintuch’s Seafort Saga, is good. Vatta’s war series by Elizabeth Moon. The currently series I’m immersed in is Glynn Stewart’s Starship Mage series, which is a genius idea. Faster than light travel needing magic to work!
Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (author of The Little Prince). It’s not about space so much as flight, but it’s a philosophical tract of a pilot stranded in the Sahara desert at night. Beautiful and powerful.
Just got them as an audio book from the library! It’s up next on my reading. Read his standalone novel Doors of Eden, about parallel Earths intersecting ours.
I've not seen the show.. I think it pretty closely follows the first 5-6 books? I don't know how many seasons there are. I just finished book 7 a couple of weeks ago.
I finished book 7 a couple weeks ago. I definitely have the end in sight. Kyle Smith, a buddy and reader of this newsletter, finished it almost as soon as the 9th book came out. :)
I really enjoyed both The Martian and Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. (His second book, Artemis, wasn’t as strong, I thought.)
The Martian was a good read and good adaptation to film.
Bob, if you enjoyed The Martian, definitely check out Project Hail Mary! Some of the same technical/resilience/problem-solving vibe, but a very different and interesting setting and characters.
Agree. Such a good read.
Ah yes, those were both great! And I totally agree about Artemis.
Just to say I agree and I’ve heard the same on Artemis via my wife so I skipped it.
I agree, The Martian was better, had real heart.
Oooh, this is very exciting! We're planning an episode about Outer Space for our upcoming Strong Sense of Place podcast season, and I'm on the hunt for great books set in space. I'm excited to see what everyone shares. I think my husband/co-host Dave will be very interested in your nonfiction recommendations, Jeremy!
I have a few novels to share:
The Comet Seekers by Helen Sedgwick - This story is both tender and explosive: There are (actual) ghosts and emotional hauntings, a love story, moving family relationships — set in France, Ireland, and Antarctica. The main characters are a French chef and an Irish scientist on an astronomy mission in Antarctica, waiting for a comet to pass over head. Each chapter is framed by the arrival of a comet at different periods in time. It's very cool and beautiful, and although it's been years since I read it, I think about it from time to time.
The Mars House by Natasha Pulley - I love all of her books (favorites: The Bedlam Stacks [magical realism set in Peru] and The Kingdoms [time travel in an alternate-history Britain]). This one is sci-fi melded with her trademark humor and deeply romantic relationships — it takes the 'fake couple' trope from romance novels and spins into something magically different. A male ballet dancer from Earth is resettled in a colony on Mars and hijinks ensue. The sci-fi bits are smart and interesting, the characters feel real — loved it.
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel - Station Eleven is one of my all-time favorites, and this third book from the author is set in the same universe as that book (and her second is The Glass Hotel). You don't need to have read those to enjoy this one, but it's fun to feel the little tickle of 'Hey! I know that character.' I don't always love time travel stories, but I feel like this is a time travel story for people who love them AND people who don't. The setup is tasty: At different points in time (including characters on moon colonies), three different characters experience an unusual *something* — the sound of violins, a whoosh of hydraulics, disorientation. It's mysterious to them and to us, and then the threads start to come together. The descriptions of Vancouver, the colonies, what life might be like on Earth in 2203 are all fantastic. If you want to be transported, this is a good one.
Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton - This is a gorgeous novel about the apocalypse with a 78-year-old antihero Augie in the Arctic and a woman astronaut named Sally on a mission to/from Jupiter. I don't want to give away a *big surpise*, so I'll keep it brief. The chapters alternate between Augie and Sully's experiences, and eventually, their two plot threads connect, delivering thrilling action and quiet, meaningful moments. (You can hear me talk about it here, if you're curious: https://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2021-09-27-arctic/)
An excellent non-fiction space book for your husband is Black Hole Survival Guide by Janna Levin. Her examples of how relativity works, I think about them occasionally because I still enjoy the “penny drop” moments!
Oooh, thank you so much for this! That does sound like something he would really like.
Oh that does sound cool!
Ah, Outer Space is such a great theme for your show! Sea of Tranquility was soooo good — I almost forgot the space parts of it, actually. I'm not familiar with the others, but I'll definitely check 'em out — especially Good Morning, Midnight. Thanks Mel!
There's a not-very-good movie adaptation of Good Morning, Midnight. Do not fall for it! :-) The book is great, though.
I loved Sea of Tranquility (and Station Eleven!)
Sometimes I pick up Station Eleven and just read the first few pages to let that good feeling drift over me :-)
I love to reread a book to try and figure our how they did it!
I'm very (very) big on re-reading. It's always surprising to me when people say they don't like to re-read. I feel like I'm visiting with old friends AND I get more out of it on the second or third go-round.
This is a great idea!
Same
Cloud Cuckoo Land. Still one of my all-time favorite books
Agreed! I should re-read it here soon...
Ralph, if you don’t mind, give a short pitch for reading Cloud Cuckoo Land. I’ve wanted to, but have been put off by the jacket copy (which is the opposite of what jacket copy is supposed to do). I loved All The Light We Cannot See. Thanks in advance.
3 stories that seem unrelated at first but come together near the end of the novel. It opens with a young girl on a space ship traveling to a planet to establish a settlement (the Earth is dying). In her cabin she starts to collect the writings of an ancient manuscript. The novel also has sections on a young girl during the fall of Constantinople and young boy and his 2 oxen involved in the siege the city. The third section has to do with an ex-GI in Oregon who is translating the ancient manuscript (entitled Cloud Cuckoo Land). An old, lost manuscript; the adventure of finding the manuscript during a siege and escaping with it; the story of a POW and his love of classics; and how all these stories intertwine.
I'm not sure I did justice to the story line or convinced you to read the novel. But I hoped to at least make you interested. As I said, it remains one of my favorite books of the last 5-6 years.
I hope this helps.
Yep, just what I needed to take another swipe. Thanks
I just added a small edit and added a sentence to my reply.
Thanks for you request and I hope you like the novel.
The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
It's so good. If you liked that, definitely get The Pre-Astronauts on your list.
Good to know. Only read right stuff last year and I was transfixed.
Loved that book.
The 4 Percent Universe by Richard Panek is about how very little we know about the universe. Dark matter and dark energy are theorized to make up the other 96%, but we don't really know what they are - we're just guessing.
On the completely opposite side of the universe to that are Joe Leiberman's Red Harvest and Death Troopers, two Star Wars books about zombies.
And far, far away from both, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy anthology by Douglas Adams.
I have such warm feelings for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Before my husband and I were a couple, when were we in the very beginnings of 'we're just friends,' he gave me a ride to the airport (!) just before Christmas, and as I was getting out of the car, he shoved his copy of Hitchhiker's Guide into my hands. I read it in the airport and on the plane, taking notes for hom along the way as I read — like an old-school version of live-tweeting. Looking back on that now, I think, 'We were so dumb. He gave me his favorite book, and I made him notes on my experience reading it. Um... totally smitten.'
What a great read. I've only read the first book, but definitely want to do the others at some point.
I've only read the first one, too.
One of the greats!
Those first two recs sound amazing!
And how could I have forgotten about Hitchhiker's Guide! Such great fun.
We are Legion (We are Bob) is a great space series that includes amazing space battles that occasionally include planets and is all real science, no hyperdrive, just lots and lots of fun.
I'm going to have to find that one just for the name :)
It’s known as The Bobiverse! A twentieth century human is implanted into a spaceship and replicates himself as he travels. It’s way better than that sounds.
This sounds wild.
How have I never heard of this?!? It sounds like a blast!
The Bobiverse! So fun.
It sounds dumb but the books cover so much - like being immortal while caring about non-uploaded humans, first contact, social divergence, Star Trek fandom and scary unknown aliens
One of the things that surprised me when I started reading science fiction is how many feelings are threaded into the good stuff. I didn't expect that; I think I thought it was all going to be nerdy science and robots or something. But a sci-fi story that makes me laugh/cry/ache, that is great stuff. #TNG4Ever ;-)
Yes! Some of the older classics are heavy on the science and light on the human stuff, but the best of the genre is really about humans adapting to wildly new circumstances.
Yep, tech can bring out the emotions. I’ve almost hurled my phone when it won’t do simple things.
Adding to TBR list. Thanks for the rec.
Completely agree with the Expanse. Watching the Prime Video series is what prompted me reading the series,which was excellent. Being partial to a bit of space opera David Feintuch’s Seafort Saga, is good. Vatta’s war series by Elizabeth Moon. The currently series I’m immersed in is Glynn Stewart’s Starship Mage series, which is a genius idea. Faster than light travel needing magic to work!
Haven't heard of many of those, thanks Jason!
Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (author of The Little Prince). It’s not about space so much as flight, but it’s a philosophical tract of a pilot stranded in the Sahara desert at night. Beautiful and powerful.
Been on my list a long time. I'll have to bump it up.
An incredible book. Life!
Just started Children of Time, about humans creating intelligent spiders and watching them evolve
Just got them as an audio book from the library! It’s up next on my reading. Read his standalone novel Doors of Eden, about parallel Earths intersecting ours.
That sounds like the start of a Jurassic Park horror story!
That sounds creepy and fun!
I've heard great things!
The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe. Another nonfiction, but I really enjoyed Failure is Not an Option, by Gene Kranz.
Great stuff! I love the stories of those early days of space flight.
The Canopus in Argos novels by Doris Lessing. The Martian Chronicles by Bradbury. For humor, Agent to the Stars and Redshirt by John Scalzi.
I've not read any Doris Lessing.. someday!
And I've only read Kaiju Preservation Society by Scalzi — it was fun, but not quite my vibe. I've heard that KPS is a bit of an outlier though.
I haven't read The Expanse but heard the show (which I watched and loved) was pretty close to the books! Have you seen it?
I've not seen the show.. I think it pretty closely follows the first 5-6 books? I don't know how many seasons there are. I just finished book 7 a couple of weeks ago.
The first season is rough but the once Amazon picked it up it gets really good!!
I have Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse next up on my list. I've been assured that there is a celestial event in it.
Oh nice, I've heard some good things about it!
The Expanse was great but has anyone actually finished the series?
I finished book 7 a couple weeks ago. I definitely have the end in sight. Kyle Smith, a buddy and reader of this newsletter, finished it almost as soon as the 9th book came out. :)
I’m reading the Three Body Problem series now (almost done with the last book). Wow, wow, wow.
It's been a while, but I remember enjoying Rocket Boys, the book October Sky was based off of. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is a classic, too.