An Infinite Love Story by Chanel Cleeton

Suspenseful and with a surprising ending, AN INFINITE LOVE STORY by Chanel Cleeton (The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes) is a work of historical fiction and set in the 1960s. The emphasis is on the nascent space program and the lives of test pilots, early astronauts and their families. Cleeton begins with the facts that divorces in the United States at that time were 2.9 for every 1,000 marriages; while “there were thirty-nine married astronauts in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space programs. Twenty of those marriages ultimately ended in divorce.” And, then she shifts to fiction and the news of a missing spaceship in 1968. Employing frequent flashbacks, she introduces readers to the main characters: Vivian, an aspiring journalist, and Joe, a fighter pilot who has dreams of travelling in space. The most memorable element of this book is the devotion which Viv and Joe have for each other. For the most part, that is beautifully written, but it becomes somewhat repetitive as Cleeton continually emphasizes the tension: “It must be an extraordinary thing to be loved by a man who felt things so deeply, so passionately, that he devoted his life to a vocation with such singularity. Or was his love for flying, for his dreams of space, so great that there was room for little else?” Still, AN INFINITE LOVE STORY not only conveys the love between two people, the historical events and details also invoke many memories of rocket launches and a country’s love affair with space travel in a more hopeful, inspiring time. Discussion questions are included as are references to relevant works like The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe, A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaikin, Apollo 8 by Jeffrey Kluger, and Rocket Men by Robert Kurson. Publishers Weekly gave AN INFINITE LOVE STORY a starred review, saying, “Readers won’t want to miss this.”

Nobody's Baby by Olivia Waite

NOBODY’S BABY by Olivia Waite is a short (144 pages) novella set in space. The baby is a total surprise as people traveling on the spaceship for hundreds of years are not supposed to be able to have children. The main character, a detective named Dorothy Gentleman, has a nephew who finds the baby and wants to raise it with his partner. Their reaction to the whole situation is heartwarming in itself, as are Dorothy’s efforts to untangle the legal status of a being who is not supposed to exist. NOBODY’S BABY is a LibraryReads selection for March; that’s where I first heard about this second book in the series (after Murder By Memory) where “Becky Chambers meets Miss Marple.” Kirkus described NOBODY’S BABY as “a gentle charmer of a SF mystery that surprises as it satisfies” and Booklist gave it a starred review. Enjoy!

Detour by Jeff Rake and Rob Hart

DETOUR by Jeff Rake and Rob Hart (The Warehouse) is about a space mission to Titan, one of the moons near Saturn. There are six astronauts who travel together for two years: family man and cop Ryan Crane; artist and lottery winner Stitch Smith, scientist Padma Singh (whose ex-boyfriend Brett also works for NASA), and three astronauts who all have personal issues to deal with: Mike Seaver (an alcoholic), Della Jameson (mother of twins, but separated from her husband), and Alonso Cardona (closeted bisexual). It already strains credibility to think that NASA would agree to send a crew with three relatively inexperienced and untrained civilians, but using limited payload to send wine and beer into space? There are many more questions that arise, particularly when the crew eventually returns to Earth. That is where the writing really takes off (almost like the first half of the book, including the space flight, was just introducing characters, including a rich businessman and possibly corrupt politician, John Ward). The story is told from different perspectives and locations so there is quite a bit to track. I also admit that I missed where the publisher described DETOUR as “the FIRST book of this emotional, mind-bending thriller series.” I agree that it is mind-bending, but I was disappointed in the abruptness of the ending and having to wait for a sequel. 

Infinite Archive by Mur Lafferty

INFINITE ARCHIVE by Mur Lafferty is another murder mystery featuring Mallory Viridian. Set in space, with aliens and humans co-existing, this is the third in the series, after Station Eternity and Chaos Terminal. These novels should definitely be read in order especially because the first two are stronger than the latest installment. The pace here is a bit slower, although there are plenty of twists with a new sentient ship hosting a mystery fan convention while attempting to replicate the entire Internet. A new type of alien is introduced as well as past characters, some of whom actively try to help amateur sleuth Mallory solve the murder of her literary agent.

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

ATMOSPHERE is the latest novel from Taylor Jenkins Reid (Carrie Soto is Back and Daisy and the Six; Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo). Even though ATMOSPHERE received starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal and was a LibraryReads Hall of Fame selection for June, my book group was more enthusiastic about her earlier works. This latest story is set in the mid-1980’s and looks in detail at the second class of astronauts chosen to fly the space shuttles. I thought it would be much more about NASA, but instead, the story really focuses on the personal relationship between two female astronauts (Joan Goodwin and Vanessa Ford) and how in that era they have to hide who they are in order to keep their jobs. There's an exploration of motherhood, too: both for Joan’s sister (Barbara) involving her daughter, fifth-grader Frances, plus, another female astronaut, Donna, who's a new mother and struggling with discrimination. The plot actually spans several years from their recruitment and training to class members flying in space. The author flashes forward early in the novel so readers are aware of a dangerous accident on one of those missions and alternates time periods until both stories are resolved. The space rescue is moving and well-written; the rest, perhaps paralleling some of Sally Ride’s and her peers’ experiences, less so. Taylor Jenkins Reid does provide a list of suggestions for further reading which includes The Six by Loren Grush.

How to Steal a Galaxy by Beth Revis

HOW TO STEAL A GALAXY by Beth Revis is a sequel to Full Speed to a Crash Landing, a witty blending of futuristic space adventure and attraction between space “thief” Ada Lamarr and security officer Rian White. They are re-united here at a very fancy charity gala. Ada is on a mission; and although readers are privy to her thoughts, her ultimate target remains a mystery and complications arise. Rian, keenly aware of Ada’s presence, just wants to guarantee that the announcement of a new technology goes off smoothly. Together, they must thwart a third-party attempt at sabotage. The backstory involves climate change and corporate greed, adding a further twist and relevance. HOW TO STEAL A GALAXY is the LibraryReads Bonus Pick for December 2024.The audiobook, once again narrated by Dara Rosenberg and David Bendena, is excellent. The inflections in Ada’s voice are spot on, aptly showcasing her “snarky,” sardonic, sarcastic character. One can also hear the affection in her voice for Rian. The cliffhangers in this series - whether chapter to chapter or book to book – are plentiful and I am looking forward to the third entry in the Chaotic Orbits novella trilogy.   

Full Sped to a Crash Landing by Beth Revis

FULL SPEED TO A CRASH LANDING by Beth Revis (Across the Universe) is a great mixture of sci-fi and romance. Readers meet Ada Lamarr whose spaceship has been damaged while she is attempting to loot another abandoned ship. It’s a very close call, but the vessel that comes to her rescue is looking for some important information and that mission is headed by government agent Rian White. Sparks fly and Ada takes some daring risks while implying to readers that she may know quite a bit of background about the government project. I listened to the excellent audiobook which is narrated by Dara Rosenberg and David Bendena. I especially liked her feisty voice which seemed to really convey Ada’s character. She reminded me of another space adventurer who dabbles in contraband: Jasmine “Jazz” Bashara from Andy Weir’s Artemis. FULL SPEED TO A CRASH LANDING is a quick, action-packed read; the entire story takes about four hours on the audiobook so it is a perfect read for a short road trip or weekly commute. A trilogy (Chaotic Orbits) involving these characters is planned with the second installment, How to Steal a Galaxy, scheduled for a December publication.

The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei

THE STARDUST GRAIL by Yume Kitasei (The Deep Sky) is a very well-written stand-alone space adventure. The main character is named Maya Hoshimoto; she is a reformed thief (of sorts!) and a graduate researcher about other life forms. Her best friend is named Auncle, a multi-tentacled creature whose Freno species is at grave risk. They come across new information in the search for a stardust grail which could help the species repopulate or save Earth from being isolated from the rest of space as connecting nodes are increasingly disappearing. With more than one group seeking the grail, Maya and her team (includes Wil, a former CNE government guard, and Medix, a fairly sentient robot) are often in great danger as Maya decides to attempt another heist. They face numerous ethical questions and continue learning about each other, especially cross-cultural emotional differences, as when Auncle says, “I didn't realize the joy could feel so … sad at the same time.” THE STARDUST GRAIL received a starred review from Kirkus (“… covering everything from the rise and fall of alien civilizations to what it means to be a person, this is a luminous work…. Wondrous, new, and altogether alien.”) and Publishers Weekly (“Readers will be riveted.”). Enjoy the quest!

Chaos Terminal by Mur Lafferty

CHAOS TERMINAL by Mur Lafferty (Station Eternity) is another in an exciting sci-fi mystery series featuring Mallory Viridian, a human who has an unusual connection with the hivemind of Sundry insects who help keep a spaceship running and its inhabitants alive.  Lafferty certainly does not disappoint, offering another complicated plot and plenty of suspects amongst the numerous twists and turns. For me, this new title would best be read after Station Eternity so that the reader can fully appreciate the characters and “science” involved. There are many likeable characters and subtle subplots which will no doubt feature in future series entries. CHAOS TERMINAL received starred reviews from Booklist (“delicious humor and intricate mystery”) and Library Journal (“complex and engaging”).