This month the Time to Read flight crew is reading The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield.
Is there a Canadian out there who has not heard about astronaut Chris Hadfield and his many, many accomplishments? We are about to find out if “speculative fiction author” is among them.
Is there anything the guy can’t do?
The Apollo Murders is set in a slightly alternative “what if?” 1970s where NASA is tasked to adjust the final Apollo mission (Apollo 18, in reality the Apollos stopped at 17 or did they?). This Apollo 18 is run by the military and the astronauts all have air force, navy, or marine backgrounds. The Pentagon is concerned with a Soviet satellite that has the potential to take super hi-def pics of the Earth, giving them the edge in a precarious cold war infused space race. Apollo 18’s mission is to intercept and disable this satellite on its way to the moon. No big deal, right?
But wait! Is there a Soviet spy working at NASA? What did the Soviets find on the moon? (Apparently the Russians landed unmanned rovers on the moon IN REAL LIFE or did they?). Did any of this really happen? Did Stanley Kubrick direct and film a sham moon landing? (This last question isn’t addressed in the novel but it’s something I’ve always wondered about.)
With a mix of fictional characters and real life personalities (e.g. Alan Shepard, Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger) it’s a wild ride to the finish line. I bet Toby will hate it.
Make sure to tune in on Friday, May 3 when all is revealed! In the meantime why not visit wpl-podcast.winnipeg.ca and check out an older episode (and explore our new website, courtesy of transistor.fm).
Until next time, make sure you find some TIME TO READ!
-Trevor
Readers' Salon 