Seveneves

Stephenson, Neal. Seveneves. New York: HarperCollins. 2015. Print.

First Sentences:

The moon blew up without warning and for no apparent reason.

Description:

OK, now that's a gripping first sentence! Is it a joke, a real situation, or just a fantasy in someone's mind? In Neal Stephenson's science fiction novel Seveneves, the moon actually is inexplicably destroyed, leaving only a few large chunks and a scattering of small rocks where our friendly satellite used to be. Then Stephenson sets out to portray a credible scenario of what would happen to Earth and its people without a moon. Who can stop reading after such an opening few pages?

Then Stephenson inserts a kicker. When the world's scientists crunch numbers and patterns, they discover that the orbiting debris of rock from the destroyed moon will start to collide repeatedly with other pieces until Earth's blue sky is made white by the clouds of large and small rock particles. On a mathematically predicted date, these rocks will fall to Earth in a Hard Rain, bringing fire and destruction to the entire planet and people. Earth has two years to prepare for the end of all life.

Stephenson definitely takes this destruction of the moon and the consequences seriously. He follows the thinking and actions of scientists and astronauts on the International Space Station who explore every conceivable aspect of this deadly scenario carefully. The world arrives at the only logical, acceptable conclusion: an international effort must be made to create a spaceship Cloud Ark (small, hastily constructed pods) to preserve physical and DNA representatives of the world's diverse populations. 

How is such spacecraft to be designed? How are the 2,000+ survivors to be chosen? Can it survive the Hard Rain of destruction and the five thousand years before the Earth is habitable again? And can people on board the Cloud Ark actually get along to survive as the last representatives of Earth?

This is an 860-page sci-fi novel, definitely not a frothy light-weight fantasy. Each page is packed with interesting characters and scientific theory that sounds so plausible (to me, at least) that I felt myself deeply entrenched in the uncertainty, logic, and planning of a what seems a real life situation. Predictions, orbits, machinery, robots, living environment, construction in space, conflicting personalities - a hundred problems are faced and addressed, many successfully, some complete failures. 

Stephenson definitely is a writer's writer, with compelling data for every scenario that could possibly occur should our Moon actually blow up. But who cannot be surprised when, as you are deeply absorbed in the characters and plot, you turn the page to reveal the next section titled, "Five Thousand Years Later"? Huh? What happened to those people you had grown to love and the challenges they were facing? 

Major characters die unexpectedly as time marches on and the world's surviving population falls off to numbers in the single digits. Seveneves is chock full of shocking twists, scientific solutions, and ever-increasing challenges facing people asked to hold on and create a new civilization 5,000 years in the future.

A fantastic, detail, plausible, and thoroughly engrossing book.

Happy reading. 

Fred

www.firstsentencereader.blogspot.com

____________________

If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Weir, Andy. The Martian

A member of the Mars first astronauts is accidently left behind by his crew. Now he must try to contact the rescue ship and survive for six months by his wits and the few supplies left in their station. Fantastic MacGyver-like hero and seat-of-his-pants solutions to problems. (previously reviewed here)

Moondust

Smith, Andrew. Moondust: In Search of the Men Who Fell to Earth. New York: HarperCollins 2005. Print.

First Sentences:

When you've shared a moment with the whole world, it can be hard to know precisely where your memories end and everyone else's begin. 

Description:

Andrew Smith, during an interview with Charlie Duke (the tenth astronaut to walk on the moon), heard a radio announcement that Pete Conrad (the third man on the moon) had just died in a motorcycle accident. "Now there's only nine of us," said Duke. 

Duke's words made Smith think about the day when there would be no one left alive who had been up to the moon. Twenty-four men had been shot up into space towards that target and twelve had actually walked on its surface. Twenty years later only nine moon-walkers were still alive. Smith felt someone had to record their stories before it was too late.

He decided to seek out and interview the remaining nine members of the Apollo space program who had been to the moon. He is clearly a huge fan of the moon program and its pioneers, entering into conversations with the astronauts like a kid seeking an autograph. He intended to ask them about their experiences with their trips, but actually learned much more about their lives after they had returned from space. Because he asked unusual questions, Smith was able to peak the attention of astronauts who had turned down hundreds of requests for interviews. And they do open up to him, telling him their stories with honesty and passion. 

Smith then compiled these interviews into the utterly fascinating Moondust: In Search of the Men Who Fell to Earth. Smith lets them talk about anything, particularly to what they felt on the moon, their relationships with fellow space travelers, and their adjustment to life back on Earth. What role do these men play in the space program now? What goals (if any) should the US pursue in space exploration? What it is like to see the moon overhead in the skies every night? Surprisingly, not all of their stories contained the positive words of awe and thanks which they originally spoke in regards to their experiences. 

These interviews fill out the character of the men who risked their lives on rockets blown into space. James Irwin (Apollo 15), Alan Shepard (Apollo 14), and Pete Conrad (Apollo 12) had already died by 1999 when the Smith began to collect these interviews. But the ones who agreed to talk, even the notoriously recluse Neil Armstrong, revealed fascinating stories of themselves, the program, and their philosophies about what they had done. 

Each of these men offers new insight into the experiences and events from an insider's perspective. Here are some interesting tidbits and quotes from the Apollo astronauts and other people involved with the space program:

• Reg Turnill - (BBC aerospace correspondent) - on the first moon landing:

     I never thought they could land that thing. 

• Edgar Mitchell (Apollo 14) - his secret mission:

     ...[Mitchell] conducted a private experiment...'transmitting' mental images of randomly chosen shapes to four people back on Earth at prearranged times.  

• Dick Gordon (Apollo 12) - the fun of being an astronaut:

     The second man after Mike Collins to not land on the Moon, and they say that he's never once complained about that...Along with commander Pete Conrad and Lunar Module pilot Alan Bean [they] really loved each other, like brothers. They drove matching gold Corvettes...and they always gave the impression that while what they were doing was important and dangerous, it was also fabulous. And fun.

• Buzz Aldrin (Apollo 11) - his first actions on the moon

     Among the fruitier revelations [in his book Return to Earth] there had been arguments about who would step onto the Moon first...that the spacewalks had not all gone to plan and lives had been in jeopardy...that the first thing he did when he got there was kick the dust and watch it sweep away in great arcs; the second thing, while the world watched in rapture, was pee... 

There are many, many other stories, histories, memories, and revelations, including those from Neil Armstrong, the reclusive astronaut who seldom grants interviews. Riveting, fascinating (did I use that word enough?), and eye-opening for any fan of space exploration, historical memoirs, and those just looking for a quality read on a program that the human race can point to with pride. 

Happy reading. 

Fred

www.firstsentencereader.blogspot.com

____________________

If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Tyson, Neil DeGrasse. Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier

Bite-sized essays that peek into and explanations of the history, current status, and future of space. Topics range from "Why Explore?" "The Next Fifty Years in Space," "For the Love of Hubble," to "The Last Days of the Space Shuttle." (previously reviewed here)

Burrows, William. This New Ocean: The Story of the First Space Age

The definitive history of the space program, both for the United State and Russia (after once-classified documents were releases). Insider conversations, reports, personalities, dreams, and failures in this absolutely fascinating compilation of research. A must-read for anyone interested in learning the facts about the efforts by the USA and USSR to put man into space. 

Redshirts

Scalzi, John. Redshirts. New York: Doherty Assoc, Press. 2012. Print.

First Sentences:

From the top of the large boulder he sat on, Ensign Tom Davis looked across the expanse of the cave toward Captain Lucius Abernathy, Science Officer Q'eeng and Chief Engineer Paul West perched on a second, larger boulder, and thought, Well, this sucks. 

"Borgovian Land Worms!" Captain Abernathy said, and smacked his boulder with an open palm. " I should have known."

You should have known? How the hell could you not have known?  thought Engisn Davis, and looked at the vast dirt floor of the cave, its powdery surface moving here and there with the shadowy humps that marked the movement of the massive, carnivorous worms.

Description:

John Scalzi's Redshirts is a delightful, challenging, and very odd sci-fi novel that seems vaguely familiar in plot, characters, and actions. After a few pages I realized the book portrayed life aboard a futuristic rocket ship similar to the starship Enterprise from the old Star Trek television shows. See what you think.

Ensign Andrew Dahl and his fellow crewmates have been recently assigned to the Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union star fleet, a plum job they are excited and honored to accept. But almost immediately Dahl notices certain oddities happening around them. One of particular interest to them: the crew, especially ensigns, are dying at an alarming rate. 

Each time there is an Away Mission where a landing team is selected to leave the starship and visit some alien planet, an ensign (or several) ends up dead. Even more alarming is that they are always killed by some unusual means such as Borgovian Land Worms, ice sharks, killer robots with harpoons, and humans with exploding heads.The captain, first officer, engineer, and other senior officer in the landing team always return from these missions unharmed or else recover quickly from any injuries, plagues, infections, or battle scars. But the ensigns are dead, to be replaced by new crew members like Dahl.

He also notices that crew members hide whenever a senior officer strolls down the ship's corridors seeking available crew members to join another landing team. To insure self-preservation, ensigns have created a secret tracking system for these officers so they can be forewarned of the officers' presence and hopefully avoid being assigned an Away Mission team.

What exactly is going on? Ensign Dahl and other new ensigns (who wear uniforms with red shirts) realize they have to understand the situation and deal with it before they, too, are assigned to a mission and probably "accidentally" killed. 

Author Scalzi's tongue-in-cheek writing style keeps the action going with ironic, funny situations. Without spoiling the fun, let me just say the solution to Dahl's peril involves:

• Time travel
• Black holes
• Mind manipulation
• An unseen crewman hidden on board the Intrepid
• A box that looks and acts like a microwave, but used to solve all complex problems

Don't ask, just read and enjoy. A thoroughly delightful, confusing, and ironic plot full of memorable (and disposable) characters. I loved it and hope others jump on the John Scalzi bandwagon. He is a witty, complex,and always entertaining writer.

Happy reading. 

Fred

www.firstsentencereader.blogspot.com

____________________

If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Scalzi, John. Lock In

A pandemic influenza outbreaks affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Some recover with no ill effects, but others are permanently paralyzed, "locked in" to their bodies. They adapts by mentally controlling robots and other humans, including one who may have forced his human host to commit murder.  (previously reviewed here)

Lem, Stanislaw. Tales of Pirx, the Pilot

Another off-beat sci-fi story of the novice rocket pilot, Pirx, and his odd and humorous adventures throughout the galaxy with other life forms and his own species (previously reviewed here)

Science Fiction from Stanislaw Lem

Lem Stanislaw. The Star Diaries. New York: Harcourt. 1976. Print
                                  
          and also:  Tales of Prix the Pilot. New York: Harcourt. 1979. Print

First Sentences:

It was on a Monday, April second -- I was cruising in the vicinity of Betelgeuse--when a meteor no larger than a lima bean pierced the hull, shattered the drive regulator and part of the rudder, as a result of which the rocket lost all maneuverability.

I put on my spacesuit, went outside and tried to fix the mechanism, but found I couldn't possibly attach the spare rudder -- which I'd had the foresight to bring along -- without the help of another man.

          Ijon Tichy - The Star Diaries 

"Cadet Pirx!" 

Bullpen's voice snapped him out of his daydreaming. He had just had visions of a two-crown piece lying tucked away in the fob pocket of his old civvies, the ones stashed at the bottom of his locker.

           Pirx - Tales of Pirx the Pilot 

Description:

Not sure how many people today know the works of science fiction writer Stanislaw Lem, and that is a shame. Lem was a Polish writer mostly during 1960 -1990 and is best known for his futuristic novel Solaris which was made into two films. 

His work is unlike most American science fiction, a genre he despised for its authors' choices of simplistic stories, dull dialogue, and goal of making money. Lem felt science fiction should explore more important themes such as the emptiness of space, the difficulty of communication between different (and the same) species, the unknown factors of robots, and the folly of man trying to put his mark on the vastness of the universe.

Here are two of Lem's short story collections to get you started. Each follows the space adventures of one rocket pilot as he grapples with the oddities of the universe and the beings and machines that he finds.

The Star Diaries  (a sample from the stories)

• Long-time, seen-it-all pilot Ijon Tichy (picture Harrison Ford as Han Solo in Star Wars) finds that, needing an additional person to make a vital repair to his rocket, decides to enter a series of vortexes where time is muddled. He meets a man who resembles himself who has advice on how to fix the problem, but Tichy feels it is simply a dream. Only later does he realize it was actually himself visiting him from the next day. Unfortunately, by that time it is the next day and he becomes that figure, trying to warn his sleeping yesterday self while dealing with his image from the next day. And the confusion gets worse and worse as the days unfold and new Tichy's from the future appear to those from the past.

• In another story, Tichy is the representative from Earth seeking membership in the United Planets. Rather than the ceremony being a formality, he finds he has to defend all of Mankind's wars against men and their limited advances in science. The surprise conclusion results when the actual origins of man are discovered.

• Tichy also is sent to a world populated only by robots who have revolted against humans. They have taught themselves the basics of human society, including language based on the only books they found: Chaucerian English. 

Tales of Pirx the Pilot (a sample from the stories)

Pirx is a young, brash pilot just learning the ropes from Cadet School to his early patrol voyages. A very likable character who seems to draw trouble due to his inexperience, laziness, or shortcuts.

• The opening story shows his life in Cadet School and his final test flight to a moon orbit. Unfortunately everything goes wrong, from pesky flies to a loose electrical circuit panel, and emergency controls that are locked. Of course, he has forgotten to bring the legendary crib sheet secretly used by all cadets for every emergency.

• Pirx, later sent to explore the disappearance of two qualified pilots while on routine patrol, notices on his screen an illusive light with incredible speed and maneuverability.  He gives chase, hesitates, retreats, and chases again while the light stays just out of reach. What is it and what does it want? Pirx must reason out the answer before his fate is sealed like the other two pilots.

Both Tichy and Pirx are interestingly human in their desires, reasoning, and avoidance of work when possible. Both pilots face the emptiness and vastness of space, yet find it a universe populated by unusual beings and challenges. Whether trying to communicate with other humans or species, working with malfunctioning robots, or delving into worlds of unusual populations, Tichy and Pirx gamely take on adventure after adventure of peculiarities and illogic. 

They must slowly piece together each situation and figure out answers to complex questions that are right in front of them. The problems are both complex and simple, but always enthralling and exciting. Of course, there is always technology that is good, bad, and indifferent.

On the one hand, we have no choice but to trust in our technology. With it we would never have set foot on the Moon. But ... sometimes we have to pay a high price for that trust.

For those new to Stanislaw Lem, I hope you give him a try. His is a completely different world of sci-fi, one that challenges as it makes you laugh. Highly recommended.

Happy reading. 

Fred

www.firstsentencereader.blogspot.com

____________________

If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Bradbury, Ray. The Martian Chronicles

Chronological history in short stories of man's exploration and colonization of Mars, with all the richness and tragedy of life on an ancient world. (previously reviewed here)

Weir, Andy. The Martian

An astronaut, inadvertantly left on the the surface of Mars, must figure out a way to survive alone until a rescue ship can arrive months in the future.  (previously reviewed here) 

The Martian

Weir, Andy. The Martian. New York: Crown.2013. Print

First Sentences:

Log Entry: Sol 6

I'm pretty much fucked.
That's my considered opinion.

Fucked.

Six days into what should be the greatest two months of my life, and it's turned into a nightmare.

I don't even know who'll read this. I guess someone will find it eventually. Maybe a hundred years from now.

Description:

Sorry for the profanity in the first sentences, but what would you say if you have been left for dead by your fellow astronauts as they blasted off for home? If your Mars-to-Earth communication system has been destroyed by a violent storm? If the next mission to Mars is four years away and you only have enough food for 400 Sols (Martian days)? 

Yes, I thought you might say the same thing as Mark Watney, now the sole inhabitant of Mars in Andy Weir's gripping, fascinating, and humorous survival novel, The Martian. 

But Watney, the Botanist/Engineer of the ill-fated Ares 3 Mars landing team, is a resourceful cuss. Someone who does not take kindly to a hopeless situation and is determined to spend his 400 days at least trying to survive and even increase his highly unlikely chances for rescue.

The Martian is a Robinson Crusoe for the 21st century, complete with technology gizmos, NASA egg heads, highly-trained astronauts, and a smart aleck, brilliant, humorous hero. It is a story for anyone who enjoys The Swiss Family Robinson, Endurance and Packing for Mars books, as well as MacGyver, Apollo 13, and Cast Away TV shows and films.

During a ferocious wind storm, the commander of the third landing on Mars decides, to ensure survival for her crew of astronauts, to abandon the three-month mission, return to the escape ship, and head back to Earth. Unfortunately, while sprinting to the ship, one crew member, Watney, is blown away by the wind and stabbed by the communication antenna, piercing his space suit. The crew cannot find him in the blinding sand storm and, before the wind permanently damages their ship, reluctantly leave him behind as dead.

Upon regaining consciousness, Watney understands his situation and considers what needs to be done to survive until the next planned Mars mission in four years at a landing site 3,500 kilometers away. With no communication system, three months of food packets for the six-person crew, an inflated Hab living space, some solar panels, two Mars rovers, six space suits, and other miscellaneous technology, he is severely limited in his options. But he does have his brain. And duct tape.

He learns how to communicate with Earth using their orbiting satellites to photograph signs and Morse code messages he constructs. Potatoes can be raised in the Hab using dirt from Mars enhanced by the Earth sample and his own "fertilizer." Water can be extracted from a complicated, dangerous chemical process that nearly kills him.

For relaxation, he has the personal property of the other astronauts, consisting of the complete TV series of "Three's Company" and "The Dukes of Hazard," as well as a computer full of disco tunes from the 1970's. Whether he starves, is killed by a Martian storm, blows himself up, or goes crazy from the entertainment is the ongoing question. 

But there is hope. Watney carefully considers every problem, then doggedly creates a solution - some that work and others that don't. He knows NASA is dedicating all its resources to figuring out how to save him if he can hold on somehow. Seems an impossible task as effort after effort fails. 

He tests a makeshift bracket for solar panels by hitting it with rocks because "this kind of sophistication is what we interplanetary scientists are known for." There are some technical work-around fixes that seem perfectly reasonable, although very confusing to a non-astronaut like me. But each action is carefully detailed as to why it might/will/won't work for each problem and off he goes to try it out. 

And Watney keeps his sense of humor, calmly wondering: 

• "How come Aquaman can control whales? They're mammals! Makes no sense."

• "It's clear that General Lee can outrun a police cruiser....why doesn't Rosco just go to the Duke farm and arrest them when they not in the car?" 

• How can Three's Company ever be the same after "the fiasco....replacement of Chrissy with Cindy?" 

The writing is solid, from the desperate or humorous interchanges of Watney between whomever he can communicate with to the personal entries in his log. Author Weir spins a gripping scientific yarn with puzzles to be attacked, solutions to be attempted, and fears to be dealt with.

I was in awe at the expertise Watney, the other astronauts, and ground support displayed over and over again. These are the real geniuses of our generation, the can-do people who make things happen in face of incredible odds against them, much like the NASA ground support team and astronauts did to rescue the crippled Apollo 13.

It is a fascinating book, a suspenseful premise with many shocking surprises as problems are tackled with incredible thought and skill. Highly recommended for science nerds, space fanatics, survival story junkies, and those just looking for a humorous and admirable main character overcoming hostilities by his wit and skills.

Happy reading. 

Fred

www.firstsentencereader.blogspot.com

____________________

If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Roach, Mary. Packing for Mars 

A wildly interesting book as the author details her time visiting NASA and other training programs to answer questions about space travel, specifically a Mars exploration project. She offers chapters on how to survive for 1000 days in a Greyhound bus-sized space craft, riding a Mars rover, using a zero-gravity toilet, sex in space, and much more. Delightful, funny, and scientific. (previously reviewed here) 

Bradbury, Ray. The Martian Chronicles

Stories of the exploration of Mar from the earliest voyages by astronauts to the flights of everyday people and their effect on the Martian planet and civilization. (previously reviewed here)

The Martian Chronicles

Bradbury, Ray. The Martian Chronicles. New York: Simon & Schuster. 1960. Print

First Sentences:

One minute it was Ohio winter, with doors closed, windows blocked and the panes blind with frost, icicles fringing every roof, children skiing on slopes, housewives lumbering like great black bears in their furs along the icy streets.

And then a long wave of warmth crossed the small town. A flooding sea of hot air; it seemed as if someone had left a bakery door open.

Description:

Maybe you are tired of shiny, techno-crazy science fiction stories of gee-whiz gizmos, rigorous space travel, and all-knowing computers. Maybe you just want some good stories with solid characters facing commonplace challenges in their everyday lives on a realistic world -- albeit in the future on another planet. 

How satisfying it would be to read about people we can identify with, feel their conflicting choices, and struggle along with them as they face hope and fear in their changing, yet human world.

Step up to the classic sci-fi/fantasy short stories that make up The Martian Chronicles, written by the absolute master of science fantasy, Ray Bradbury. Bradbury, when first starting his writing career, was inspired by Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio which depicted a small town with people sitting on front porches, experiencing the thoughts and conflicts of humanity. Bradbury in his new introduction to The Martian Chronicles, relates that he felt "If I could write a book half as fine as this, but set it on Mars, how incredible that would be." 

So he started jotting down his ideas about the exploration and subsequent life on Mars for its native denizens and newcomers. Stringing them together at the urging  of an editor, The Martian Chronicles were born.

Strap yourself in to follow the series of events that chronicle the exploration of Mars by Earthlings. From the opening story, "Rocket Summer," where the first man blasts off for Mars, through early encounters with the ancient Martian civilization, colonization, conflict, and the final Martians, each story presents a human response to the hope and reality offered by Mars. 

In these stories, some people go to Mars to be the first to step foot on a foreign land, some to conquer, some to learn from the ancients, others to find freedom, and still others to create a new, better Earth. Astronauts, explorers, immigrants, and minorities all journey to the planet with different ideas ... and each must deal with the world they actually encounter and how they will respond to it. 

Of course, this emigration affects things back on their home world, Earth, as Mars travel becomes more available to larger populations after the initial settlement period. And the Martian civilization, too, faces these newcomers with intelligence, fear, and uncertainty. The interaction between these two cultures provides challenging situations and unexpected actions by both.

This is a great book for adults, young adult readers, and even younger children wanting exciting stories to be read to them. Always well-written and challenging, each story grips and entertains from the start with unique situations and outcomes. I love this collection as a satisfying, fascinating look at the nature of Man and how Earth's inhabitants might employ their strengths and weaknesses in their interactions with the Red Planet. 

Highly recommend to anyone with a dream of a new life in a new location, even if it might be on Mars.  

Happy reading. 

Fred

www.firstsentencereader.blogspot.com

____________________

If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Asimov, Isaac. I, Robot 

Fictionalized history told in progressive short stories of the development of robots, from an early nanny/baby-sitter to miner on distant planets, to one who runs for president. Each story is infused with a personality that is unique and strangely real, giving each short story a "humanized" look at this possible human/technology world.

Clarke, Arthur C. The Collected Short Stories of Arthur C. Clark 

My absolute favorite collection of science fiction stories. Each on original in content, characters, plot, and writing style, with impossible-to-predict solutions to conflicts and human heroics and shortcomings. If you only read one sci-fi short story collection (afterThe Martian Chronicles, of course), this is it.

Packing for Mars

Roach, Mary. Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void. New York: Norton. 2011. Print

First Sentences:

To the rocket scientist, you are a problem. 

You are the most irritating piece of machinery he or she will ever have to deal with. You and your fluctuating metabolism, your puny memory, your frame that comes in a million different configurations. You are unpredictable. You're inconsistant. You take weeks to fix.

Description:

As the United States and other nations begin to seriously consider travel to Mars we, the uninformed public, have serious questions that need answers. Not about the logistics of propulsion, the shielding of radiation, the merits of various shelters, and the cost behind such an endeavor. No, we need information about how toilets work in zero gravity, can one bathe en route to Mars, and, of course, what about sex?

To address these and other vital questions about Mars space travel, we have Mary Roach and her remarkably clear, scientific, and quirky book, Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void. Roach presents chapters to describe real problems faced by Mars astronauts and then provides the solutions currently being explored, such as: 

• "The Perilous Psychology of Isolation and Confinement"
• "Throwing Up and Down: The Astronauts' Secret Misery"
• "Space Hygiene and the Men Who Stopped Bathing for Science"
• "Mating Without Gravity" 

Roach is a member of the Mars Institute's Advisory Board, so has the background and resources to pursue and explain these and a multitude of other questions for lay readers. She clearly relishes researching interesting topics that have a humorous twist. Previous books by Roach include Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex and Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife.

Packing for Mars does not disappoint either in content or writing. From her opening sentences explaining that man is the weakest component in space travel, to her final thoughts on whether Mars is worth the trouble if you have to drink your own urine (filtered) or eat your dirty clothes for their keratin protein fibers. 

There is plenty more appetizing information bit found in this book, all of it based on interviews with space experts, exhaustively researched, and even experienced by Roach herself:

• She visits the Japanese astronaut training program and watches them fold paper into a thousand cranes to test the accuracy and concentration and patience of trainees during isolation to deal with mundane tasks; 
• She tests a mockup of the Russian Mir space station in Moscow that is so small it would "fit in a Greyhoud bus" with sleep chambers like "phone booths";  
• She rides in the Small Pressurized Rover simulator at the Haughton-Mars Project Research Station in the Canadian far north;
• She experiences weightlessness with a team during a NASA training program.

To understand zero gravity, Roach boards the C-9 transport plane that climbs high, then drops rapidly in a long swoop. But along with weightlessness comes nausea for many people, including 50 - 75% of all astronauts. Thus the C-9 carries the nickname, the "Vomit Comet." Roach gamely notes how this "in-helmet upchuck" reality of the Mars trip is being addressed via biofeedback.

Many other interviews with scientists reveal their real concerns about landing the spacecraft; creating prototype vehicles for Marscapes; preventing perspiration and the accompanying odors from sweat-soaked clothes; exercise; escape suits; and of course the use of toilets in zero gravity.

I won't spoil the chapter about sex in space. Suffice to say, Roach talks with researchers who observe movements of seals and dolphins with their mates. For further insight, she bravely watches a three-part porno film and discusses with the director the scenes supposed shot in zero gravity.

All in all, a wonderfully informative, thought-provoking, and thoroughly entertaining look at the world of long-range space travel. Her closing words sum up her philosophy of life, man, and space travel:

"The nobility of the human spirit grows harder for me to believe in. War, zealotry, greed, malls, narcissism. I see a backhanded nobility in excessive, impractical outlays of cash prompted by nothing loftier than a species joining hands and saying 'I bet we can to this.' Yes, the money could be better spent on Earth. But would it? Since when has money saved by government redlining been spent on education and cancer research? It is always squandered. Let's squander some on Mars. Let's go and play."

Couldn't agree more.

Happy reading. 


Fred

www.firstsentencereader.blogspot.com

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____________________

If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Collins, Michael. Mission to Mars  

Fascinating, research-based plans from Apollo 11 astronaut Collins in 1990 to put men on the planet Mars. Covers all logistical, political, financial, and human questions in the first half, then offers a highly-detailed account from blast off to landing on Mars to return to Earth of such a mission look like.  

Aldrin, Buzz. Mission to Mars  

Completely new take in 2013 for a realistic flight to Mars from another Apollo 11 astronaut and Moonwalker. Very timely as the United States is now seriously considering such a mission

Bradbury, Ray. The Martian Chronicles  

One of the best science fiction portrayals of Mars ever, telling wonderous tales chronologically of man exploring Mars, from the first landings and encounters with Martians, to the final missions. Fabulous.  

Space Chronicles

Tyson, Neil DeGrasse. Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier. New York: W. W. Norton, 2012. Print.

First Sentences:

Some people think emotionally more often than they think politically. 

 Some think politically more often than they think rationally. Others never think rationally about anything at all.

No judgment implied. Just an observation. 

Some of the most creative leaps ever taken by the human mind are decidedly irrational, even primal. Emotive forces are what drive the greatest artistic and inventive expressions of our species. How else could the sentence "He's either a madman or a genius" be understood? 

Description:

OK, here is my caveat to judging a book by its first sentence: for books about science, more than one sentence or paragraph should be viewed before judgment is given. Maybe a whole page.

A science book, especially one covering a personal passion (such as space travel for me), does not have to grab my attention in the first sentence: the author has it right away because I already have an interest in this topic. 

However, after a couple of paragraphs, the author had better come up with the goods to keep me going. The book must promise exciting topics, insider information, and controversial issues, all written in clear, concise, and transporting terms easily understood by a non-scientist.

Neil DiGrasse Tyson satisfies my criteria in spades throughout his 360+ page (but highly readable) book, Space Chronicles. Tyson is an astrophysicist and the director of the Haden Planetium at the American History Museum of Natural History. In this role, he is the general go-to guy for giving sound bites and explanatory interviews on space issues to the media ranging from the New York Times to the Steven Colbert Report. He is thus highly qualified to delve into all aspects of NASA, space travel, and the cosmos, and will even be creating and producing a new TV show Cosmos! to start in 2013.

Space Chronicles is composed of 2- to 6-page chapters compiled from Tyson's previous writings which provide bite-sized peeks into and explanations of the history, current status, and future of space. Topics range from "Why Explore?" "The Next Fifty Years in Space," "For the Love of Hubble," to "The Last Days of the Space Shuttle." Just this sampling of chapters made me salivate like Pavlov's dog. Having an expert provide a layman's explanation of all things space-related is just too great for me.

A great science book can grab and hold even readers who are novices or have little interest in a scientific topic like space. Consider these enticing chapters: "Happy Anniversary, Star TrekI" "Delusions of Space Enthusiasts," "Spacecrfaft Behaving Badly," "2001 -- Fact vs. Fiction," "Evil Aliens," and "Killer Asteroids." Got your attention yet?

Tyson is a brilliant mind, yet he carefully tempers his intellect in order to convey more clearly the essence of each issue for the non-scientist. He recognizes the collective interest in space, so in writing Space Chronicles, he attempts to clarify current space-related issues perplexing to ordinary space enthusiasts and anyone else who has looked up into the sky and wondered about the space shuttle, moon walk, Mars rover, or asteroids hitting Earth and wanted more information. And he succeeds magnificently.

Want to argue NASA's budget being too much when the money could be used here on earth? Tyson explains that only one half of one penny in our taxes goes to NASA. "The U.S. military spends as much in 23 days as NASA spends in a year -- and that's when were not fighting a war, " he writes, and "The U.S. bank bailout exceeded the half-century lifetime budget of NASA." 

Sprinkled throughout the book are fascinating tidbits culled from his previous Twitter posts about the world of  astrophysics, such as "Isaac Newton: Smartest ever. Discovered laws of motion gravity and optics. Invented calculus in spare time. Then turned 26;" and "If the Chilean miners are heroes (rather than victims) then what do you call the NASA and Chilean engineers who saved them?"

Challenging. Enlightening. Logical. Thoughtful. These words epitimize what I look for in an author and text for any science-themed (and especially space-related) book. And Tyson delivers over and over again. 

If you are curious about anything space-related, from astronauts to asteroids, from aliens to science education, this is the book.

Happy reading.


Fred
www.firstsentencereader.blogspot.com

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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Burroughs, William E. This New Ocean: The Story of the First Space Age.  

Comprehensive and engrossing history of man's ventures into space based on interviews with astronauts and NASA officials, as well as insider information gathered in recently declassified documents from the US and Soviet Union.

Smith, Andres. Moondust: In Search of the Men Who Fell to Earth.

Interviews with the surviving astronauts who walked on the moon about their recollections of their adventures, effects of the moon walks, current life choices, and future dreams. Compelling, interesting insider reading for anyone with even casual interest in the men who journeyed to the moon and the NASA program that sent them there.