space exploration

Published three years ago, in 2022, Arkhangelsk by Elizabeth Bonesteel is a phenomenal example of soft science fiction: a speculative novel asking big questions while at the same time focusing less on science and technology than on people.

This is a moderately paced and lengthy book set—if not in the deep future, at least a few hundred years out from the present. Descendants of space travelers have established a colony on a distant and inhospitable planet, believing themselves alone in the universe with Earth in ruins behind them. But when a ship similar to the one they have arrived on appears

The Martian follows an American Mars astronaut who is mistakenly left for dead on the red planet after an abnormally bad sandstorm causes NASA to scrub a month long mission after six days. The extremely long flight, preparation time and resources required by NASA for such a voyage means this astronaut’s life depends on some creative means of seriously extending his supplies until the next mission is sent—and that means lots of math! 

Originally self-published, The Martian retains some hallmarks of a text that doesn’t conform to more traditional edits which is a nice change of pace in my view