The Tranquillity Alternative

by Allen M. Steele

On mankind’s last mission to the moon, a killer comes along for the rideSince the first manned spaceflight in 1944, NASA has conquered the outer atmosphere, explored Mars, and placed nuclear missiles on the moon. But funding for interstellar adventures—military or otherwise—has dried up. Now, NASA is planning a final lunar mission to pack up the remnants of man’s first extraterrestrial colony. The nuclear missiles are meant to be shot into the sun, but someone onboard the USS Conestoga would prefer to see them fired toward Earth.The night before the mission launch, one of the astronauts is kidnapped from his hotel room and replaced with a surgically altered body double. By the time the other astronauts uncover the deception, the Conestoga is too far from home for NASA to help. On the surface of the Moon, a decades-old conspiracy has reached its final stage, and Earth’s fate hangs in the balance. 

Genres: Science Fiction, Alternate History, Fiction

306 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Before becoming a science fiction writer, Allen Steele was a journalist for newspapers and magazines in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Missouri, and his home state of Tennessee. But science fiction was his first love, so he eventually ditched journalism and began producing that which had made him decide to become a writer in the first place.

Since then, Steele has published eighteen novels and nearly one hundred short stories. His work has received numerous accolades, including three Hugo Awards, and has been translated worldwide, mainly into languages he can’t read. He serves on the board of advisors for the Space Frontier Foundation and is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He also belongs to Sigma, a group of science fiction writers who frequently serve as unpaid consultants on matters regarding technology and security.

Allen Steele is a lifelong space buff, and this interest has not only influenced his writing, it has taken him to some interesting places. He has witnessed numerous space shuttle launches from Kennedy Space Center and has flown NASA’s shuttle cockpit simulator at the Johnson Space Center. In 2001, he testified before the US House of Representatives in hearings regarding the future of space exploration. He would like very much to go into orbit, and hopes that one day he’ll be able to afford to do so.

Steele lives in western Massachusetts with his wife, Linda, and a continual procession of adopted dogs. He collects vintage science fiction books and magazines, spacecraft model kits, and dreams.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is solid science fiction with something of a mystery component, and I enjoyed it. What I didn't enjoy much was the media quotes interspersed between each chapter of the story, inserted to convey the alternative history Steele concocted to make part of the foundation of the primary story seem reasonable (the U.S. has nuclear missiles stored on the moon). The book was first published in 1996, and the events supposedly occurred in 1995, but Steele has rewritten history as far back as 1944 and President Truman. I found the alternative history unnecessary and distracting, and it was jarring to hear familiar names in unfamiliar roles and to try to figure out why that mattered to the main plot-line. I wonder whether I would have enjoyed the book more if I had just skipped all the media inserts.

Leaving the alternative history aside, the story was well-told, and the characters interesting. It also bears mention that one of the primary characters is a NASA pilot who is lesbian and is being forced to retired because that fact has been discovered. Not a lot of mainstream authors were including gay characters in 1996, and you have to give Steele credit for doing that.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard science fiction which is also a thriller. I especially liked the alternate history presented here by Steele. The US has pushed further ahead in the space race, closer to Von Braun's vision. In fact, a lunar base armed with nuclear weapons is established in the 60s. But by the 90s, the US has lost interest in space and the base is to be sold to a private European corporation. But first, Commander Gene Parnell has to decommission the nukes...and a terrorist has been sent to get to them first...

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clever non-traditional alternate history espionage novel, set in a world where the US and Germany built space planes instead of atomic bombs. The victorious Americans go on to build the kind of 1950’s space program Werner von Braun dreamed of in Colliers. Now, in 1995, the US is giving up on space and launching a final mission to deactivate nukes stored on the Moon. Overall, a good read, though the technology hasn’t aged well. You’d think after 40 years of a massive program things would be a little further along.

[Matthew Kresal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in a 1995 where the space program flourished having started in the Second World War and gone on into the 50s, 60s and 70s to great triumphs but has been effectively unfunded, The Tranquility Alternative follows the last American mission to the Moon and the American nuclear armed lunar base being sold off to a German company. A group of astronauts, ranging from the American commander who led the missile instillation in 1969 to two Germans and a computer programmer employed by the company, are sent to remove the missiles which is where the thriller elements of the novel kick in though it's only in the last 100 pages or so that the plot really come into play. In a way, the more interesting bits for me were the short pieces giving glimpses of the alternate history space program in the lead up to the mission ranging from news articles to transcripts. An interesting, if unevenly handled, piece of work.

[Andreas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of this alternate history novel is that the USA established a permanent presence on the Moon in the 1960s, even basing nuclear missiles there. History has caught up, though, and an expedition is sent to hand over the moon base to a European corporation, as well as deactivate the missiles. A mini technothriller with some excellent good science fiction elements. Very entertaining and a real page turner.

http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1315

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was Steele's first study of the U.S. space program and how it could (and maybe should) have gone, how it was influenced by the politics of the time, and how it might have played out under different circumstances. The plot progresses at a slower pace than his later works with a similar theme, but it's a fascinating read nonetheless, particularly for those who grew up breathlessly following the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs.

[Rita Terlizzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

"La fortezza sulla luna" di Steele Allen

Editore ‎Mondadori URANIA 1298, 1996
334 pagine
📚 Genere: Fantascienza, Fantasy, Ucronia
⭐⭐⭐⭐☢️

Spulciando nella libreria di casa mia 😊 ho trovato questo libro: La fortezza sulla luna, dal titolo originale "The Tranquillity Alternative" di Steele Allen, in Italia edito da ‎Mondadori con la collana URANIA n. 1298, uscito nel 1996 e sicuramente comprato da mia madre 🫶🏻 🖤 io non l'ho mai letto!
Ahahah 😂 poi che ridere... è costato ben 5.900 Lire.
Il libro è un'ucronìa, un genere di narrativa fantastica basata su avvenimenti storici immaginari, alternativi a quelli realmente accaduti 👍🏻 infatti il 1995 del libro, non è il 1995 reale che abbiamo vissuto veramente 😊
Adoro 🤩

"15/2/95 - Re Carlo è giunto oggi a Washington D.C., calorosamente accolto alla Casa Bianca dal Presidente Clinton. Mentre i due sedevano a discutere sull'accordo anglo-americano per il libero commercio, Hillary Rodham Clinton ha accompagnato la principessa Diana in una visita alla Biblioteca del Congresso, in cui attualmente è esposta la Magna Charta..." 🧐 ...Re Carlo.

E' la storia di una spedizione spaziale, l'ultima, incaricata di recarsi su una base lunare ormai abbandonata e distruggere, lanciandoli verso il sole, i sei missili con testate nucleari piazzati là dagli Stati Uniti ai tempi della Guerra fredda, un deterrente necessario contro un'eventuale attacco stealth sovietico ☢️
Ma ora, nel 1995, l’America è in piena crisi, e nuove potenze mondiali vivono momenti di gloria.
Da anni, il paese ha perso l'interesse nella corsa allo spazio e la NASA è costretta a vendere l'avamposto lunare, Tranquility Base, a un conglomerato tedesco, ma prima di lasciare, gli Stati Uniti hanno un'ultima missione: inviare degli astronauti esperti per distruggere i missili. Per quanto complessa, la missione potrebbe essere condotta senza incidenti... ma c'è qualcuno che trama nell'ombra e vuole sabotare l'operazione 😱

È il primo libro che leggo di Allen Mulherin Steele, Jr., uno dei migliori scrittori americani contemporanei di fantascienza, e mi ha stupita piacevolmente, la scrittura è semplice e scorrevole, le descrizioni dei luoghi e dei fatti e precisa e realistica 🪐 sembra davvero di viaggiare nello spazio insieme all'equipaggio, con il vecchio comandante Gene Parnell, con la giovane Cris Ryer, l'altra esperta astronauta lunare 🌔 con Paul Dooley, uno dei civili della missione, un abile "pirata" informatico 🧐 ...ma è lui o non è lui?!?
Comunque, ognuno all'inseguimento dei propri sogni e alla ricerca del proprio destino!
Avvincente, mi è piaciuto tantissimo, è stata proprio una bella lettura, consiglio vivamente questo romanzo soprattutto agli appassionati di fantascienza e dintorni 👍🏻💫
Da leggere, assolutamente!

[Steve Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saw this book on the library shelf. I love everything I've read from Allen Steele, especially the Coyote series. So I picked it up. Haha I realize I had already read this book sometime before but never logged it in Goodreads! So I skimmed the book to refresh my memory.

I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of the golden era of Sci-Fi, authors like Heinlien and Bradbury.

I am not a fan of alternate history so I had to to get past that in this novel. It is about an expedition to the moon, however, space travel was established in the 1950s. We already had a space station ,"the wheel" in 1963. President McGovern served two terms. Other historical figures also played different roles than their real world counterparts. So get past that and lay those beliefs aside as merely the premise or backdrop. I have to do the same thing with a zombie apocalypse LOL.

This is a smart, taught espionage thriller. The characters are fully developed. The relationships an action have nice twists and turns. The discovery of the alternate and nefarious missions is well laid out. Lots of close calls. I won't say more but it is an enjoyable read. And the technology is fun as well.

[Michael Hatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title may be a bit of a turn off for readers, but this story is a straight forward sci fi/adventure that keeps those pages turning. The basic premise is a mission to the moon to remove the threat of six nuclear missiles installed decades earlier as a deterrent to the cold war. The missiles were to be shot into the sun for destruction. Unfortunately, other factions had other ideas. A suspenseful build up ends in an all out struggle for those six couriers of destruction. A great action adventure.

Allen Steele has used technical terminology, advanced scientific concepts and a slightly altered history to create this enjoyable read. Recommended.

[Reynard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Si tratta di romanzo ambientato in un 1995 alternativo, una spy story ucronica di lettura piacevole e rilassante.

[Kara Jorges · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this novel of alternate history, the United States has gone further in the exploration of space than in reality, yet at the same time has taken several steps back. The story is told through a series of interviews and news stories sprinkled throughout the events that occur as the US sends its last manned mission to the moon. Some different politicians have been elected, altering the course of history just enough to affect the space race.

During the Cold War, the United States built Tranquillity Base on the moon, mainly for scientific purposes, but there were also six nukes stashed a few miles away in another crater, called Teal Falcon. The government had managed to keep the nukes a secret for awhile, until outed by the media. The United States experienced a second wave of flak when it was discovered President Dole authorized their use during Desert Storm. In a symbolic gesture, just before the USA sells Tranquillity Base to a German company, it sends one last manned mission to the moon to fire the Teal Falcon missiles harmlessly into the sun.

Unbeknownst to the crew of the Conestoga, the rocket ship taking them to the moon, one of them is an impostor, his agenda unknown. While his identity is no secret, his back-up is another, unknown member of the crew. It’s not Commander Gene Parnell, who had helped install Tranquillity Base all those years ago, but there is reason to suspect the two German astronauts who rendezvous with the Conestoga at a low orbit space station. Also suspect is second in command Cris Ryer, a lesbian who is being shoved out of NASA for her sexual preference, a cause of great bitterness. Along for the ride are an annoying team of journalists, Rhodes and Bromleigh, Leamore, the token Brit who works for the Germans, and Lewitt, who Commander Parnell takes into his confidence, as he can’t seem to trust anyone else. Commander Parnell has only one chance to stop the unknown plot involving Teal Falcon from unfolding and creating unknown havoc, and makes a few mistakes until he figures out who his enemies really are.

Compared to other Steele novels I’ve read, the pace of this one is a little slow, merely meandering along until the Conestoga reaches the moon and then getting page-turningly exciting when things start to happen. It seems to be more of a sad commentary on what could happen if we lost our interest in space and its exploration than a story about bad guys trying to get their hands on nuclear weapons. Though not as gripping as some of Steele’s others, this is still a good novel with a unique spin.

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

TITLE: The Tranquillity Alternative

AUTHOR: Allen Steele

GENRE: Science Fiction/Alternate History/Thriller

PAGES: 385

FORMAT: E-book

I love a good alternate history. I love good science fiction. I love a good thriller. I am a fan of Allen Steele’s work. I have been since Orbital Decay, which was released in 1989, that is thirty one years of excellent science fiction! The big thing of Steele’s work is that it is more on the science aspect of Sci-fi. The Tranquillity Alternative works really well in that format.

The year is 1995, and there is a mission to the moon to destroy the nuclear missiles the United States put there back in the 60’s at their base in the Sea of Tranquillity. Notice the word “tranquillity” is mis-spelled, this is a nod to the actual map of the Sea of Tranquillity that is at NASA. There are some on the mission that want to use the missiles for another purpose. It is up to the hero of the novel to figure out who it is, and thwart their plan.

As a science fiction novel, this book works on all thrusters. It is not “over scienced” that you need a doctorate to enjoy it, but enough to give the book a good flavor. As an alternate history, this book is amazing! Having lived through all of the time periods of the book, from 1969-1995, seeing how Allen Steele played with who was actually president, when NASA actually came into play, and the fact that the United States had a “Space Force” in the 1960’s made the book really enjoyable. (This book was written in 1996, so a certain presidents’ ideas had no traction in it.) So that leaves the thriller part of the book, and it worked, but the tension could have been tighter.

This book works on all thrusters. All in all, I give it 4 bookmarks out of 5!

[Rhea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great alternate history story, in a setting where the US space program starts in earnest during WW2, peaks in the 1970s with a mission to Mars and then fades away with the cold war about the same way the real one did. Beside the background the story is about a lunar base being decommissioned and the intrigue around it.

[Rich Van Ollefen · Rating 3 out of 5]

a so-so story, alternative history, US gets into space much sooner, for a while the slightly modified places/actions of modern historical figures was amusing. I'd say read it, but don't make it high on your list

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this and wasnt expecting to. My favorite part was the revisionist alternate history of the space race and politics etc. really delightful.

[grundoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and compelling, if mostly predictable, tale set in a wonderfully imagined slightly alternative 20th century.

[Chad Parker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Little slow and anticlimactic at the end.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed feelings. Enjoyed some of the techno-babble, but it took too long to kick the action in. I found characters to be very simplistic.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad - interesting enough to a "space fan", kind of a beach read book, but some of the injection of alternate history tidbits felt forced.