The Chief Designer

by Andy Duncan, Jared Doreck (Narrator)

This story, an alternate history masterpiece, is told from the point of view of Korolev, the "Chief" who managed the most crucial years of the secret Soviet space program, and his assistant and eventual successor, Aksyonov. The story spans from World War II, when Korolev was released from a prison camp to design rockets, to 1997 and the Mir space station. This endearing story won the 2002 Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for best short science fiction of the year. This unabridged reading by Jared Doreck, on two audio CDs, is 132 minutes in length.

Audio CD

First published June 1, 2001

About the author

Andy Duncan is the award-winning author of two novellas—The Night Cache (2009) and Wakulla Springs (with Ellen Klages, 2013, 2018)—and three short fiction collections: Beluthahatchie and Other Stories (2000), The Pottawatomie Giant and Other Stories (2012) and An Agent of Utopia: New and Selected Stories (2018). He is also the author of non-fiction book Alabama Curiosities (2005, 2009), and co-editor (with F. Brett Cox) of Crossroads: Tales of the Southern Literary Fantastic (2004). He has won the 2002 Theodore Sturgeon Award for "The Chief Designer", the 2012 Nebula Award for "Close Encounters", and three World Fantasy Awards. Born in Batesburg, South Carolina, Duncan currently lives with his wife Sydney in Frostburg, Maryland, where he he has taught English as an Assistant Professor at Frostburg State University since 2008.

Reviews

[khushi mittal · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Every once in a great while, someone comes into this world seemingly born with a mission; they ride the wings of fate to heights of glory, and it’s the most the rest of us can do to just take notes of their ascent to heavens. “

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I needed to know the details more to make this alternative history more interesting?

[Ken · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, not great.