Zero Phase: Apollo 13 on the Moon

Altered Space #1

by Gerald Brennan

May, 1970. After a one-month launch delay, Apollo 13 lands in the Fra Mauro Highlands of the moon—and then the trouble starts.

The first in a series of what-if stories from the golden age of space exploration, Zero Phase was written based on meticulous research, and with assistance from two Apollo Dr. Edgar Mitchell, the only remaining person to have visited the Fra Mauro Highlands—and Captain Jim Lovell, the man who was supposed to go. Dramatic, detailed, and finely written, this novella is a must-read for space aficionados and literary enthusiasts alike.

Genres: Fiction

70 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 12, 2013

About the author

Gerald Brennan is a self-described corporate brat who hails from the eastern half of the continent but currently resides in Chicago. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and later earned a Master's from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. He’s the author of Resistance, Zero Phase: Apollo 13 on the Moon, Project Genesis, Ninety-Seven to Three, and Public Loneliness: Yuri Gagarin's Circumlunar Flight. He's been profiled in Newcity, and his writing has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, The Good Men Project, and Innerview Magazine; he's also been a co-editor and frequent contributor at Back to Print and The Deadline. He’s into Camus, Dostoyevsky, Koestler, Hitchcock, Radiohead, and The National, but you can also catch him reading Jim Thompson and even sneaking in some Wahida Clark from time to time. He’s also a huge Martin Scorsese fan.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A first person narrative, told by Jim Lovell, commander of the Apollo 13 mission, about landing on the moon and the problems getting back to Earth.

You probably know that the Apollo 13 astronauts never landed on the moon, if not from the wonderful movie starring Tom Hanks. But what if they did? That's the question the author tries to answer in this short work. I think this is the first fictional book I read told by a real person (Jim Lovell approved it).

I recommend it to all Apollo/Space enthusiasts. It's interesting and believable, but you should be familiar with the technical jargon and keep a list of abbreviations handy.

[Scott Waldyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping. Quite the page-turner. I love the tethering to 2001: A Space Odyssey too. In a way, it brings this alternative history piece back down to Earth and connects it with a sense of humanity.

In short, it's tense but absolutely beautiful.

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the other title in this speculative sci-fi series (ALTERED SPACE), Brennan takes a real life, historical space mission and asks "what if?" In this, we get to see the crew of Apollo 13 make their moon-landing, which reality didn't allow them. Again, like PUBLIC LONELINESS (the other in the AS series), it's done with heart and meticulous detail and humor. You get the feeling Brennan is rooting for the heroes in his books, and so dreams up a little bit of drama and a little bit of success to the missions they either failed in, or were not allowed to partake in. And again the voice (which is told from James A. Lovell's POV) is personable and natural. Almost like the entire story is written in dialogue, but with loads of technical language. There's lots of numbers and acronyms that can be a bit hypnotizing. The technical language works as a kind of music and rhythm, carrying us to the tale's end.

And like the other in the series, it's speculative sci-fi, but actual sci-fi, not science fantasy. So there's lots of research backing up the story (including having James Lovell as a source) and everything is as realistic as the actual event it's based off of. In the end, it comes off like non-fiction, and feels like an authentic memoir.

A good, engaging read.

[Evan Kingston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Technical yet accessible, methodical yet fast paced, this slim novella packs a ton of detail and drama.

[Denny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I should mention first that I know Jerry Brennan socially and he was nice enough to give me a copy of his retelling of the failed Apollo 13 lunar mission (of Tom Hanks movie fame). My honest assessment of the novella is that although it starts slow, it kicks into gear halfway through with a twist that competes with the real-life story for high-stakes suspense. The extensive research Brennan put into the novel is plainly apparent, down to the actual checklist procedures for landing an Apollo spacecraft on the moon and astronaut Jim Lovell's laconic narration. Those details, reminiscent of Andy Weir's The Martian, lull you into a false sense of complacency that everything in this version of history might finally go according to plan. Like the real Apollo 13 mission, tragedy strikes -- but in a different way than you know, and Brennan leaves you with a smart cliffhanger that leaves you imagining whether these fictional astronauts live or die.

[Blake Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met Gerald Brennan at the Printer's Row Lit Fest and he was kind enough to sign all three of the altered space books I bought from him. I was highly impressed with this first one, Zero Phase and am already tearing through Public Loneliness. I have always been a nerd for the Apollo landings and try and suck up as much as I can about them. I even appreciate well supported and researched sci-fi or alternative history books. Zero Phase is a fun and quick read and makes one think. I enjoyed how we were able to get inside the psychology of Lovell and understand how astronauts think.

[Juan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding alternate history of Apollo 13 derived from detailed research. As someone who devoured information on the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo projects as a kid and has a ton of related facts still stuck in my head, I found no problems whatsoever in the information or scenario presented. I highly recommend this book both due to its technical fidelity as well as excellent storytelling. Will be moving on to the author's book "Public Loneliness" next.

[Scott Kardel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zero Phase is an alternate history, first-person narrative of James Lovell that supposes that the ill-fated mission actually succeeded in landing on the Moon. It is a very realistic (and jargon-filled) tale. My only complaint is that this novella was too short, otherwise I very much enjoyed this look at what might have been.

[Jeff Roche · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes you feel like your really there

An interesting reimagining of the Apollo 13 mission..

The Alternative Space series is fantastic, I highly recommend it.

I hope the author writes many more.

[Dinnl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short story. Was tempted to give up on it but i got sucked in. Good narration.

[Fernando · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading the books, seeing the movies and documentaries, you get anxious and excited, even knowing that the crew of Apollo 13 get home ok. This twist not only gives the fan the satisfaction of seeing Jim Lovell finally reach the moon, it also reintroduces the uncertainty that is missing when you know how the story ends. Kudos on bringing me back to that moment in 8th grade when I first read the story of 13 and didn't know the fate of the three men aboard... rekindling that feeling is no easy feat.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly well researched and exciting! Highly recommend for all space enthusiasts.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first book in the alternate history genre so of course I picked the area that interests me the most. Partly because of that, it is difficult for me to rate this short book.

I am impressed with the research the author has done on the topic, and the manuscripts even got Jim Lovell's nod (how often does that happen? A what-if story approved by the protagonist in real life?).

But at the same time I almost feel betrayed - the story ends right at the climax! I can see why the author chose to end it this way. As many analysis have concluded, the crew would not be survivable if the same explosion happens after they have landed. So unless the author make it a non-event at the end, we would be looking at a sad ending, which I think the author would not want to get there. But still, I think it is possible to handle this in a more satisfactory ways, perhaps making the explosion smaller but uses it to drive a different crisis. And it is a pity that the author chose not to give it a try

The technical detail is a double-edged sword - if the reader is already familiar with the space program and know all these abbreviations like DSKY, SPS, LOS, AOS etc (even I had to google the former two) then yeah it sounds very authentic. But to the broader audience this lack of explanation does not constitute good writing. The author already used a lot of parenthesis to express internal thought, why not explain things a bit more?

So, as much as I like the premise, I can't rate it any more than a "3 - I liked it". I will pick up the next book in the series when I get a chance. Hope it is a more satisfactory read.