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Apollo Rising #1
Hot Moon
From the Sidewise Award-winning author of the acclaimed Clash of Eagles trilogy comes an alternate 1979 where the United States and the Soviets have permanent Moon bases, orbiting space stations, and crewed spy satellites supported by frequent rocket launches.
Apollo 32, commanded by career astronaut Vivian Carter, docks at NASA's Columbia Station in lunar orbit en route to its main exploring the volcanic Marius Hills region of the Moon. Vivian is caught in the crossfire as four Soviet Soyuz craft appear without warning to assault the orbiting station. In an unplanned and desperate move, Vivian spacewalks through hard vacuum back to her Lunar Module and crew, and escapes right before the station falls into Soviet hands.
Their original mission scrubbed, Vivian and her crew are redirected to land at Hadley Base, a NASA scientific outpost with a crew of eighteen.
But soon Hadley, too, will come under Soviet attack, forcing its unarmed astronauts into daring acts of ingenuity and improvisation.
With multiple viewpoints, shifting from American to Soviet perspective, from occupied space station to American Moon base under siege, to a covert and blistering US Air Force military response, Hot Moon tells the gripping story of a war in space that very nearly might have been.
Apollo 32, commanded by career astronaut Vivian Carter, docks at NASA's Columbia Station in lunar orbit en route to its main exploring the volcanic Marius Hills region of the Moon. Vivian is caught in the crossfire as four Soviet Soyuz craft appear without warning to assault the orbiting station. In an unplanned and desperate move, Vivian spacewalks through hard vacuum back to her Lunar Module and crew, and escapes right before the station falls into Soviet hands.
Their original mission scrubbed, Vivian and her crew are redirected to land at Hadley Base, a NASA scientific outpost with a crew of eighteen.
But soon Hadley, too, will come under Soviet attack, forcing its unarmed astronauts into daring acts of ingenuity and improvisation.
With multiple viewpoints, shifting from American to Soviet perspective, from occupied space station to American Moon base under siege, to a covert and blistering US Air Force military response, Hot Moon tells the gripping story of a war in space that very nearly might have been.
21 pages, Audible Audio
First published June 14, 2022
185 people are currently reading
278 people want to read
About the author
Alan Smale
40 books157 followersAlan Smale is a professional astronomer, but his writing tastes have always veered more towards alternate and twisted history, fantasy, and horror. His novella of Romans in ancient America, "A Clash of Eagles" in Panverse Two, won the Sidewise Award for Alternate History, and the first book in a trilogy set in the same universe, CLASH OF EAGLES, appeared in 2015 from Del Rey in the US and Titan Books in the UK and Europe. The series continues with EAGLE IN EXILE (March 2016) and will conclude with EAGLE AND EMPIRE (2017). Alan has sold 40 short stories to magazines including Asimov's, Realms of Fantasy, Abyss & Apex, Paradox, and Scape, and original anthologies Panverse One and Two, Apollo's Daughters, Book of Dead Things, and Writers of the Future #13.
Alan grew up in England, and has degrees in Physics and Astrophysics from Oxford University. He serves as director of an astrophysical archive, and performs research on black hole binaries at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Alan also sings bass with well-known vocal band The Chromatics, and is co-creator of their educational AstroCappella project.
Alan grew up in England, and has degrees in Physics and Astrophysics from Oxford University. He serves as director of an astrophysical archive, and performs research on black hole binaries at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Alan also sings bass with well-known vocal band The Chromatics, and is co-creator of their educational AstroCappella project.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
July 21, 2025
Hot Moon
by Alan Smale
I enjoyed this book. It was a travel back in time with a race to the moon with Russia. But things go sideways in space between countries. Good plot, characters, and suspense.
I picked this up on a whim. I'm so glad I did!
by Alan Smale
I enjoyed this book. It was a travel back in time with a race to the moon with Russia. But things go sideways in space between countries. Good plot, characters, and suspense.
I picked this up on a whim. I'm so glad I did!
July 18, 2024
This book blew me away. It's like a cross between The Martian and a special ops rescue mission. It's non-stop action, but the kind of action with stakes that you care about, keeping you glued to your seat and turning the page on a new chapter even though you should have gone to bed an hour ago. On top of that, the author is a NASA scientist, which means the alternate NASA history is convincing and exquisitely researched, and he gets all the orbital mechanics right.
If you're watching For All Mankind, you should definitely check out this book, and if you're not... you should check it out anyway.
If you're watching For All Mankind, you should definitely check out this book, and if you're not... you should check it out anyway.
July 29, 2022
The Review
This was such an intricate and detailed sci-fi meets historical fiction read. The world-building and tension the author brings to life by utilizing the backdrop of the Cold War was an inspired choice, especially given how integral the space race was to the Cold War. I loved how the author was able to use their background and expertise to delve into the heavier aspects of the sci-fi genre, while also incorporating much of the Cold War era tech and political leanings that would have made up the majority of this book’s cast of characters. The technical aspects of the narrative were felt immediately, with the main character breaking down the technical details of their space suit and how an AK-47 could fire in space. Even the opening of the book has diagrams, blueprints, and maps that relate to the tech that would have been available at that time.
It was the cast of characters that really made this story shine. The author did an amazing job of capturing the POV of both sides of the Cold War through these characters, allowing readers to see events from both the U.S. and Soviet Union sides of the war as the action unfolds. The strength and courage of the protagonist Vivian Carter was inspiring to read about and added a human depth to the sci-fi heavy narrative.
The Verdict
Intriguing, adrenaline-fueled, and engaging, author Alan Smale’s “Hot Moon” is the perfect sci-fi meets political thriller and historical fiction read and the best start to the Apollo Rising series! The imagery and atmosphere that the author built really gave a great cinematic quality to the author’s writing and allowed for the political intrigue and suspense to build quietly as readers delved deeper and deeper into this entertaining world the author built.
This was such an intricate and detailed sci-fi meets historical fiction read. The world-building and tension the author brings to life by utilizing the backdrop of the Cold War was an inspired choice, especially given how integral the space race was to the Cold War. I loved how the author was able to use their background and expertise to delve into the heavier aspects of the sci-fi genre, while also incorporating much of the Cold War era tech and political leanings that would have made up the majority of this book’s cast of characters. The technical aspects of the narrative were felt immediately, with the main character breaking down the technical details of their space suit and how an AK-47 could fire in space. Even the opening of the book has diagrams, blueprints, and maps that relate to the tech that would have been available at that time.
It was the cast of characters that really made this story shine. The author did an amazing job of capturing the POV of both sides of the Cold War through these characters, allowing readers to see events from both the U.S. and Soviet Union sides of the war as the action unfolds. The strength and courage of the protagonist Vivian Carter was inspiring to read about and added a human depth to the sci-fi heavy narrative.
The Verdict
Intriguing, adrenaline-fueled, and engaging, author Alan Smale’s “Hot Moon” is the perfect sci-fi meets political thriller and historical fiction read and the best start to the Apollo Rising series! The imagery and atmosphere that the author built really gave a great cinematic quality to the author’s writing and allowed for the political intrigue and suspense to build quietly as readers delved deeper and deeper into this entertaining world the author built.
December 6, 2022
The plot was solid and the characters were not too bad. Towards the end, the wheels fly off, but these things happen.
The book started with technical descriptions and very Apollo moon mission type descriptions. As the story moved along, the quality of the writing started to drift into not so interesting. The main character was a woman. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't. In this case, I think it didn't matter too much because the story didn't really go anywhere.
Alternate histories are a challenge. I will say that the author did a reasonable job with his timeline.
I noted that the American NASA guys ALWAYS seem to lose to the Soviet menace in up close and personal combat... The author tried to make sure everyone was equal. With the exception a few Soviet security people, everyone is just trying to get by. That MAY work with real life, but a book needs characters with character. Bad guys, good guys, and idiots.
Not overly exciting. The end is almost broadcast from the beginning. The convenient resources are amazingly trite. The fact that everything just happens to get taken care of at the last second, it is almost as if the author was trying to add excitement. Not a bad read, but I don't really think it goes anywhere.
The book started with technical descriptions and very Apollo moon mission type descriptions. As the story moved along, the quality of the writing started to drift into not so interesting. The main character was a woman. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't. In this case, I think it didn't matter too much because the story didn't really go anywhere.
Alternate histories are a challenge. I will say that the author did a reasonable job with his timeline.
I noted that the American NASA guys ALWAYS seem to lose to the Soviet menace in up close and personal combat... The author tried to make sure everyone was equal. With the exception a few Soviet security people, everyone is just trying to get by. That MAY work with real life, but a book needs characters with character. Bad guys, good guys, and idiots.
Not overly exciting. The end is almost broadcast from the beginning. The convenient resources are amazingly trite. The fact that everything just happens to get taken care of at the last second, it is almost as if the author was trying to add excitement. Not a bad read, but I don't really think it goes anywhere.
February 25, 2023
I see a gazillion BSG homages in the self-published ranks. This seems to be the first For All Mankind homage. It’s pretty good, if maybe overstuffed. My main quibble is how through maybe the first half or so, Vivian is still wanting to get back into her original exploratory mission…both in her head, and even verbally. I kept thinking of that Tom Hanks scene in Apollo 13 where he got the crew mentally squared away on their new mission…survival…in this case, survival and war.
December 16, 2022
Book #1 of a series, but has an ending and could be read as stand alone.
I am the target audience. I grew up following the "Race to the Moon". I have always loved the drama of the effort. Throw in a very credible alternate timeline extrapolation of Russian / American politics of that day and I was hooked. Great effort to stick with real Science and Technology of the day.
I wanted to also see NASA's lunar habitat protection from cosmic radiation and their solution for damaging lunar dust, but that would just distract from the action.
I am not sure how the sequel will be pulled off, but I will be looking for it and you should also.
This was a GoodReads.
I am the target audience. I grew up following the "Race to the Moon". I have always loved the drama of the effort. Throw in a very credible alternate timeline extrapolation of Russian / American politics of that day and I was hooked. Great effort to stick with real Science and Technology of the day.
I wanted to also see NASA's lunar habitat protection from cosmic radiation and their solution for damaging lunar dust, but that would just distract from the action.
I am not sure how the sequel will be pulled off, but I will be looking for it and you should also.
This was a GoodReads.
October 10, 2022
It amazes me how someone can take a known starting and ending point in history, with a known arc that I am familiar with, and from there construct a completely new history in between that has me totally involved and engrossed in the storyline. Alan Smale has done this with the Apollo program which continued and what occurred with a build up of cold war tension between the US and Russia. An amazing story and one that I recommend to action, thriller, alternate history lovers.
November 29, 2024
Wow. Just wow.
"Hot Moon" by Alan Smale is one of the more unique alt-history novels I've read in quite some time. The combination of his meticulous research of US and Soviet space programs, space exploration and political history all come together in a singular experience of a Cold war gone "hot" 128,000 miles from Earth.
The characters were all rendered in great detail, with ample virtues and flaws. The author portrays a very realistic slice of the times in every chapter. Some readers would likely be turned off by a few passages of dialogue - but it is just representative of the time.
Fast-paced and surprisingly tense, I flipped through the pages. I really enjoyed the work, from start to finish and already have the sequel in my TBR pile...although to be fair, I suspect I will be moving it up in order shortly. I MUST know what happens next! : )
"Hot Moon" by Alan Smale is one of the more unique alt-history novels I've read in quite some time. The combination of his meticulous research of US and Soviet space programs, space exploration and political history all come together in a singular experience of a Cold war gone "hot" 128,000 miles from Earth.
The characters were all rendered in great detail, with ample virtues and flaws. The author portrays a very realistic slice of the times in every chapter. Some readers would likely be turned off by a few passages of dialogue - but it is just representative of the time.
Fast-paced and surprisingly tense, I flipped through the pages. I really enjoyed the work, from start to finish and already have the sequel in my TBR pile...although to be fair, I suspect I will be moving it up in order shortly. I MUST know what happens next! : )
November 29, 2025
This is actually an alternate history sci-fi thriller. Alan Smale works for NASA and is very conversant with the Apollo program and that technology of the early 1980s. His knowledge enables him to weave a very different story line than the one I grew up believing. The tension between Russia and the USA was palpable and in this first volume comes to a boiling climax on the moon.
If you are used to hi-tech sci-fi futuristic space thrillers, that's not this. This is hi-stakes tension, born of a real period in our recent history. And it makes one wonder, what if something like this did occur? Stuff like this would never be released to the general public then or now. So knowing this adds a sense of believability to the story.
If this is your type of story, this is definitely your book.
Listen to our podcast #99 at https://on.soundcloud.com/98bbeHKaqOK...
If you are used to hi-tech sci-fi futuristic space thrillers, that's not this. This is hi-stakes tension, born of a real period in our recent history. And it makes one wonder, what if something like this did occur? Stuff like this would never be released to the general public then or now. So knowing this adds a sense of believability to the story.
If this is your type of story, this is definitely your book.
Listen to our podcast #99 at https://on.soundcloud.com/98bbeHKaqOK...
July 11, 2022
A superb mind-expanding sci-fi novel!
British born Maryland author Alan Smale earned his degrees in Physics and in Astrophysics from Oxford University and now serves as a researcher into black holes and neutron stars at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. He has published extensive scientific articles as well as short stories in top ranking anthologies, his own novels - The Clash of Eagles Trilogy, and now begins a new series Apollo Rising of which HOT MOON is the initial volume. His writing reflects his interest in historical fiction, alternate or twisted history, and hard science fiction.
Establishing a solid rapport with his readers, Smale opens his book with intricately detailed drawings of spacecrafts (Apollo and Soyuz) and the Columbia space station, along with photographs of the moon’s surface complete with maps of the locations in the story - solid optics to increase the credibility of the story that follows. The novel is placed in the timeframe December 1, 1979 – February 29, 1980, and the tension of this adventure is evident from the opening lines: ‘In orbit around the Moon, ferocious bees assaulted a tin can. Spacesuited, untethered, and in free fall, Vivian Carter struggled to focus her thoughts and make sense of the scene before her. Woozy from pain and shock, she heard no voices in her headset, nothing but the seething white-noise hiss of jammed S-band communications. That can’t be right. It was that empty hiss that freaked her out the most. She was alone in the void, between spacecraft, and as isolated as she had ever been. Comms were critical, and Vivian had none.’ That entry into the conflict between the US and Soviets proves to be a most exhilarating sci-fi novel!
Taking place entirely on the moon, the storyline follows – ‘In an alternate 1979 the US and the Soviets have permanent Moon bases, orbiting space stations, and crewed spy satellites supported by frequent rocket launches. Apollo 32, commanded by career astronaut Vivian Carter, docks at NASA's Columbia space station en route to its main mission: exploring the volcanic Marius Hills region of the Moon. Vivian is caught in the crossfire as four Soviet Soyuz craft appear without warning to assault the orbiting station. In an unplanned and desperate move, Vivian spacewalks through hard vacuum back to her Lunar Module and crew and escapes right before the station falls into Soviet hands. Their original mission scrubbed, Vivian and her crew are redirected to land at Hadley Base, a NASA scientific outpost with a crew of eighteen. But soon Hadley, too, will come under Soviet attack, forcing its unarmed astronauts to daring acts of ingenuity and improvisation.’
The author’s fluid use of opposite perspectives – US and Soviet – adds to the strength of this ‘fantasy’ that seems entirely credible. Clearly, this is a major new novel cum series by an author with profound experience and insights into the spectrum of science and science fiction – a terrific marriage! Very highly recommended.
British born Maryland author Alan Smale earned his degrees in Physics and in Astrophysics from Oxford University and now serves as a researcher into black holes and neutron stars at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. He has published extensive scientific articles as well as short stories in top ranking anthologies, his own novels - The Clash of Eagles Trilogy, and now begins a new series Apollo Rising of which HOT MOON is the initial volume. His writing reflects his interest in historical fiction, alternate or twisted history, and hard science fiction.
Establishing a solid rapport with his readers, Smale opens his book with intricately detailed drawings of spacecrafts (Apollo and Soyuz) and the Columbia space station, along with photographs of the moon’s surface complete with maps of the locations in the story - solid optics to increase the credibility of the story that follows. The novel is placed in the timeframe December 1, 1979 – February 29, 1980, and the tension of this adventure is evident from the opening lines: ‘In orbit around the Moon, ferocious bees assaulted a tin can. Spacesuited, untethered, and in free fall, Vivian Carter struggled to focus her thoughts and make sense of the scene before her. Woozy from pain and shock, she heard no voices in her headset, nothing but the seething white-noise hiss of jammed S-band communications. That can’t be right. It was that empty hiss that freaked her out the most. She was alone in the void, between spacecraft, and as isolated as she had ever been. Comms were critical, and Vivian had none.’ That entry into the conflict between the US and Soviets proves to be a most exhilarating sci-fi novel!
Taking place entirely on the moon, the storyline follows – ‘In an alternate 1979 the US and the Soviets have permanent Moon bases, orbiting space stations, and crewed spy satellites supported by frequent rocket launches. Apollo 32, commanded by career astronaut Vivian Carter, docks at NASA's Columbia space station en route to its main mission: exploring the volcanic Marius Hills region of the Moon. Vivian is caught in the crossfire as four Soviet Soyuz craft appear without warning to assault the orbiting station. In an unplanned and desperate move, Vivian spacewalks through hard vacuum back to her Lunar Module and crew and escapes right before the station falls into Soviet hands. Their original mission scrubbed, Vivian and her crew are redirected to land at Hadley Base, a NASA scientific outpost with a crew of eighteen. But soon Hadley, too, will come under Soviet attack, forcing its unarmed astronauts to daring acts of ingenuity and improvisation.’
The author’s fluid use of opposite perspectives – US and Soviet – adds to the strength of this ‘fantasy’ that seems entirely credible. Clearly, this is a major new novel cum series by an author with profound experience and insights into the spectrum of science and science fiction – a terrific marriage! Very highly recommended.
November 13, 2022
“Hot Moon” is an alternate history novel, this time about the U.S. and Russian space programs. Like the typical alternate history novel, this one has its moments. After all, the scenario didn’t happen, so everything is a projection…or a guess. In this case, the guess is reasonable and consistent with real-world physics. Consequently, the situations where physics is important are realistic; you won’t have to imagine an alternate physics as well! With Apollo 32 (!) as the prime entry, knowing the real Apollo program ended at Apollo 17, it beggars the imagination to believe “Hot Moon” is real. You’ll enjoy it (Larry Niven did).
December 6, 2022
Started out really good, but became too far-fetched and was close to falling apart. It's clearly mil sci-fi, but during the first half the protagonists are all astronauts, not macho males (or fiesty females). So that made it somewhat unique and interesting. There was an attempt to keep all the space flight and operations close to reality, with a lot of factual details that seemed accurate. But after the heroine survived her third near-death catastrophe by smarts, skills, and grit, it started to become implausible. And at 78% and unexpected plot reveal turns the whole thing into space opera. Pity. Since the details were realistic, it would have been nice if the plot stayed somewhat within the realm of believability.
December 18, 2024
Rating: 4* of five
The Publisher Says: Imagine for a second what would have happened if the Soviets had gotten a cosmonaut to the moon first, if Neil Armstrong and Apollo 11 had been in a humiliating second place. Everything would have unfolded differently.
America would never have let the Soviets win the space race. That would have been unthinkable during the Cold War, political suicide for any president. We'd have gritted our teeth and doubled down, poured billions into the Apollo program.
HOT MOON is set in 1979 in this alternate world. The US and the Soviets both have permanent moon bases, orbiting space stations, and manned spy satellites supported by frequent rocket launches. Reagan is President and the Cold War is hotter than ever.
The crew of Apollo 32, commanded by Vivian Carter, career astronaut, docks at NASA's Columbia space station on their way to their main mission: exploring the volcanic Marius Hills region of the Moon. Vivian is caught in the crossfire as four Soviet Soyuz craft appear without warning to assault the orbiting station.
The fight for the Moon has begun!
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Imagine The Martian set in the storyverse of For All Mankind .
So. You got it. You need more?
The author's a praciticing astronomer. A real, actual scientist writing SF is always a positive, from my PoV, because the details are clearly based in a scientist's understanding of what matters to an expedition to the moon. It's also refreshing when someone takes the constraints of the actual extant tech of a given time seriously. Author Smale does both.
Mixed in with the cool sciencey bits are a selection of genre-friendly bits of alternate history, in this case the survival of a Russian scientist whose death caused the end of the Soviet Moon program; a fun twist of gender-equality advancement; and a murder mystery. None of these violated the basic need of the SF reader for a clear path to believable results. It's as accurate to 1960s and 70s science as is possible.
Geopolitics as the source of alt-hist plots are, as you can imagine, the biggest vein in the story-mine ever worked. This one being especially interesting to me, of course I fell for it immediately (despite my absolute conviction that Nixon would never, ever, ever have pulled out of Vietnam...too many defense contractors would've been hurt). I'm one of those who saw "Earthrise" when there was one digit in my age:
...and was never the same again. So a story centered around a time when I was alive but positing a different outcome was meat and drink!
That doesn't stop me from seeing the execution's flaws. I don't see anything in Vivian's sketched-in background that makes her gender relevant, so it feels a bit like tokenism. Mentioning her inclusion for some overarching reason, or integrating some responses that point up the reason, might have helped.
The story's pace is not swift, which I mention for those wanting a real thrill ride. I found it more than swift enough to keep the pages turning. The pace is not representative of the perils. This is space after all, the merest slip of a tool can be lethal...and Vivian seems to be a disaster magnet. She's certainly hair-breadth escape expert par excellence. Permaybehaps a bit too much so.
So I'm not yodeling buy-now-or-else from atop the roof, I *am* saying it's a very enjoyable read for your Kindle as you do your best not to hear little Pookums extorting that second cousin's kid out of the latest game. It'll keep you immersed.
The Publisher Says: Imagine for a second what would have happened if the Soviets had gotten a cosmonaut to the moon first, if Neil Armstrong and Apollo 11 had been in a humiliating second place. Everything would have unfolded differently.
America would never have let the Soviets win the space race. That would have been unthinkable during the Cold War, political suicide for any president. We'd have gritted our teeth and doubled down, poured billions into the Apollo program.
HOT MOON is set in 1979 in this alternate world. The US and the Soviets both have permanent moon bases, orbiting space stations, and manned spy satellites supported by frequent rocket launches. Reagan is President and the Cold War is hotter than ever.
The crew of Apollo 32, commanded by Vivian Carter, career astronaut, docks at NASA's Columbia space station on their way to their main mission: exploring the volcanic Marius Hills region of the Moon. Vivian is caught in the crossfire as four Soviet Soyuz craft appear without warning to assault the orbiting station.
The fight for the Moon has begun!
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Imagine The Martian set in the storyverse of For All Mankind .
So. You got it. You need more?
The author's a praciticing astronomer. A real, actual scientist writing SF is always a positive, from my PoV, because the details are clearly based in a scientist's understanding of what matters to an expedition to the moon. It's also refreshing when someone takes the constraints of the actual extant tech of a given time seriously. Author Smale does both.
Mixed in with the cool sciencey bits are a selection of genre-friendly bits of alternate history, in this case the survival of a Russian scientist whose death caused the end of the Soviet Moon program; a fun twist of gender-equality advancement; and a murder mystery. None of these violated the basic need of the SF reader for a clear path to believable results. It's as accurate to 1960s and 70s science as is possible.
Geopolitics as the source of alt-hist plots are, as you can imagine, the biggest vein in the story-mine ever worked. This one being especially interesting to me, of course I fell for it immediately (despite my absolute conviction that Nixon would never, ever, ever have pulled out of Vietnam...too many defense contractors would've been hurt). I'm one of those who saw "Earthrise" when there was one digit in my age:
...and was never the same again. So a story centered around a time when I was alive but positing a different outcome was meat and drink!
That doesn't stop me from seeing the execution's flaws. I don't see anything in Vivian's sketched-in background that makes her gender relevant, so it feels a bit like tokenism. Mentioning her inclusion for some overarching reason, or integrating some responses that point up the reason, might have helped.
The story's pace is not swift, which I mention for those wanting a real thrill ride. I found it more than swift enough to keep the pages turning. The pace is not representative of the perils. This is space after all, the merest slip of a tool can be lethal...and Vivian seems to be a disaster magnet. She's certainly hair-breadth escape expert par excellence. Permaybehaps a bit too much so.
So I'm not yodeling buy-now-or-else from atop the roof, I *am* saying it's a very enjoyable read for your Kindle as you do your best not to hear little Pookums extorting that second cousin's kid out of the latest game. It'll keep you immersed.
October 31, 2024
Alan Smale (https://www.alansmale.com) is the author of nearly 10 novels. Hot Moon was published last July, and it is the first book in his Apollo Rising series. It is the 70th book I completed reading in 2024.
I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.
This story setting is an alternative timeline to our own. The US pulled out of Vietnam earlier than in our timeline. The Contest in this alternate reality is the space race between the US and Russia. The story opens in 1979 with Apollo 32 on its way to a Moon landing. The US has a small space station, Columbia, in orbit around the Moon, as well as Hadley Base, a small settlement, on the Moon. The Russians had reached the Moon first. They now have a small base on the surface as well.
US astronaut Vivian Carter is in command of Apollo 32. On their way to the Moon, they stop at Columbia. Four Soviet Soyuz craft suddenly appear. The Russians board Columbia, and the crew are taken prisoner. Carter makes a risky, untethered spacewalk back to Apollo 32 but is shot in the back by one of the Russians. Apollo 32 narrowly escapes the Russians and is ordered to land near Hadley Base.
At nearly the same time, US personnel are forced to abandon small stations orbiting the Earth. The Russians destroy the stations, leaving themselves as the only country with orbital platforms around the Earth.
Once at Hadley Base, the danger is not over for the crew of Apollo 32. Carter’s injuries from the gunshot are minor, and she helps with planning the defense of Hadley. Within a short time, the Russians assault the American installation. Through their clever preparations, the US force manages to beat back the Russians, but with losses.
During a second attack on Hadley by the Russians, Carter is captured and taken to the Russian base. The Russians adamantly believe that the Americans have weapons on the Moon, weapons that threaten the Russian homeland. Carter is ruthlessly questioned by the Russians. Her hope for the future seems dire.
Colonel Peter Sandoval reaches Hadley and is one of the top-ranking officers. He and Carter have begun to get romantically entangled. After Carter has been captured, he makes a solo raid on the Russian base, hoping that the ensuing chaos gives Carter the distraction she needs to escape.
As sirens wail in the Russian base, Carter recognizes the chaotic activity by her captors as the only opportunity she will have to escape. An unexpected source assists her, and she manages to escape. After an arduous solo journey across the Moon’s surface, she is finally approaching Hadley Base, only to see it destroyed by a Russian nuclear weapon.
Are there US survivors? With Hadley Base destroyed, how will Carter manage? Will this abrupt escalation of the Cold War mean war on Earth?
I enjoyed the 20 hours reading this 680-page alternative history science fiction novel. I had the opportunity to read two other novels by Mr. Smale a few years ago. Those were Clash of Eagles and Eagle in Exile. All of his books have been good. This novel incorporates a lot of science in the story. Carter uses her ingenuity and improvisation skills to survive in the deadly environment of space. Carter’s story is filled with one harrowing experience after another. I do like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.5 (rounded to 5) out of 5.
You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).
I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.
This story setting is an alternative timeline to our own. The US pulled out of Vietnam earlier than in our timeline. The Contest in this alternate reality is the space race between the US and Russia. The story opens in 1979 with Apollo 32 on its way to a Moon landing. The US has a small space station, Columbia, in orbit around the Moon, as well as Hadley Base, a small settlement, on the Moon. The Russians had reached the Moon first. They now have a small base on the surface as well.
US astronaut Vivian Carter is in command of Apollo 32. On their way to the Moon, they stop at Columbia. Four Soviet Soyuz craft suddenly appear. The Russians board Columbia, and the crew are taken prisoner. Carter makes a risky, untethered spacewalk back to Apollo 32 but is shot in the back by one of the Russians. Apollo 32 narrowly escapes the Russians and is ordered to land near Hadley Base.
At nearly the same time, US personnel are forced to abandon small stations orbiting the Earth. The Russians destroy the stations, leaving themselves as the only country with orbital platforms around the Earth.
Once at Hadley Base, the danger is not over for the crew of Apollo 32. Carter’s injuries from the gunshot are minor, and she helps with planning the defense of Hadley. Within a short time, the Russians assault the American installation. Through their clever preparations, the US force manages to beat back the Russians, but with losses.
During a second attack on Hadley by the Russians, Carter is captured and taken to the Russian base. The Russians adamantly believe that the Americans have weapons on the Moon, weapons that threaten the Russian homeland. Carter is ruthlessly questioned by the Russians. Her hope for the future seems dire.
Colonel Peter Sandoval reaches Hadley and is one of the top-ranking officers. He and Carter have begun to get romantically entangled. After Carter has been captured, he makes a solo raid on the Russian base, hoping that the ensuing chaos gives Carter the distraction she needs to escape.
As sirens wail in the Russian base, Carter recognizes the chaotic activity by her captors as the only opportunity she will have to escape. An unexpected source assists her, and she manages to escape. After an arduous solo journey across the Moon’s surface, she is finally approaching Hadley Base, only to see it destroyed by a Russian nuclear weapon.
Are there US survivors? With Hadley Base destroyed, how will Carter manage? Will this abrupt escalation of the Cold War mean war on Earth?
I enjoyed the 20 hours reading this 680-page alternative history science fiction novel. I had the opportunity to read two other novels by Mr. Smale a few years ago. Those were Clash of Eagles and Eagle in Exile. All of his books have been good. This novel incorporates a lot of science in the story. Carter uses her ingenuity and improvisation skills to survive in the deadly environment of space. Carter’s story is filled with one harrowing experience after another. I do like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.5 (rounded to 5) out of 5.
You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).
December 9, 2022
A fun combination of alt-history, science fiction, and thriller…
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I was offered a review copy of Alan Smale’s Hot Moon. But what I found was a fun combination of alternative-history and science fiction, with a good bit of thriller thrown in for good measure. And there’s a very very solid technical background that adds to the story without overwhelming it – in my opinion, at least, although some might disagree on the “overwhelming” part.
As the story opens, we rather quickly realize that we are in a different time – Vivian Carter is the commander of Apollo 32 (last I checked, Apollo flights stopped at 17), and she’s in the midst of a battle in space. And who is she fighting – yep, the Soviets, with their Soyuz program actually having been the first to put a cosmonaut on the moon. Carter escapes NASA’s Columbia Space Station, which is being overrun in a surprise attack, and heads for the US Hadley base on the lunar surface. From there, we’re taken on a wild ride where we get to see both sides of the conflict from different points-of-view, and Vivian’s there for it all.
Hot Moon is pretty long, but the story kept me moving right along, making me want to know what happened next, so I didn’t really notice the length. And most books don’t start out with diagrams of Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft, maps of the moon, and plans of a space station, but all of the detail made the story seem more realistic. (Having spent a good chunk of my career working in space life support systems, the parts I knew something about seemed spot-on to me.) And, although the bits-of-possible-romance right at the end seemed a bit hokey, the rest of the ending, the behind-the-scenes political machinations after all the space hi-jinks were over, seemed all too credible to me.
Finally, I really liked the brief historical note and bibliography at the end. Hot Moon is billed on its webpage as “Apollo Rising #1”, which leads to the idea that there may be an “Apollo Rising #2” in the works – and I hope there is! Please keep in mind that I try to avoid star-flation, so my 4-star review is a really solid recommendation to read this book. And my thanks to the publishers, CAEZIK SF & Fantasy, for the review copy.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I was offered a review copy of Alan Smale’s Hot Moon. But what I found was a fun combination of alternative-history and science fiction, with a good bit of thriller thrown in for good measure. And there’s a very very solid technical background that adds to the story without overwhelming it – in my opinion, at least, although some might disagree on the “overwhelming” part.
As the story opens, we rather quickly realize that we are in a different time – Vivian Carter is the commander of Apollo 32 (last I checked, Apollo flights stopped at 17), and she’s in the midst of a battle in space. And who is she fighting – yep, the Soviets, with their Soyuz program actually having been the first to put a cosmonaut on the moon. Carter escapes NASA’s Columbia Space Station, which is being overrun in a surprise attack, and heads for the US Hadley base on the lunar surface. From there, we’re taken on a wild ride where we get to see both sides of the conflict from different points-of-view, and Vivian’s there for it all.
Hot Moon is pretty long, but the story kept me moving right along, making me want to know what happened next, so I didn’t really notice the length. And most books don’t start out with diagrams of Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft, maps of the moon, and plans of a space station, but all of the detail made the story seem more realistic. (Having spent a good chunk of my career working in space life support systems, the parts I knew something about seemed spot-on to me.) And, although the bits-of-possible-romance right at the end seemed a bit hokey, the rest of the ending, the behind-the-scenes political machinations after all the space hi-jinks were over, seemed all too credible to me.
Finally, I really liked the brief historical note and bibliography at the end. Hot Moon is billed on its webpage as “Apollo Rising #1”, which leads to the idea that there may be an “Apollo Rising #2” in the works – and I hope there is! Please keep in mind that I try to avoid star-flation, so my 4-star review is a really solid recommendation to read this book. And my thanks to the publishers, CAEZIK SF & Fantasy, for the review copy.
February 12, 2025
I didn't care much for Smale's earlier Wandering Warriors> but this one is noticeably better, and I suspect the sequel will improve again.
The research here is meticulous, and the alternate timeline quite plausible. The nature of the conflict is solid too, although the characters and the reader don't know that till the end.
The military/aerospace procedure details were good, and there are some interesting characters. Only Yashin is annoying; he's almost a cartoon bad guy, a bad caricature. His constant rage/hate is just over the top, and I can't see how he could have made it for this assignment, even with orders direct from Andropov.
The plot's OK at the high level; each side does this because reasons, and the other guys do that, and on we go.
But when we get to how things happen, there's enough narrativium and impossibilium spilled to build a new moon.
Several times a character (usually Vivian) is wandering lost and oh, look, someone predicted where you'd go and left a fueled device there for you, and each time the character got there JUST as Death was sharpening his scythe.
Sandoval is James Bond. Horn is the best pilot in the galaxy, except for Lin. Vivian, a geologist, can fly anything after a glance at the controls. This could possibly be explained if she KNOWS she's luckier than Halrloprillalar and everything she tries will more or less work. They can ALL drive a damaged and/or unfamiliar spacecraft as if it was a 3D go-kart in a video game. Half of them get wounds that could so easily be fatal but never quite are.
At the end, our geologist - who has in a few weeks learned weaponry, unarmed combat to the death, adaptive engineering, and astrophysics - picks up a phone and is allowed to talk to Reagan and Andropov with her solution, which of course she figured out in eight seconds.
OK, let's say all the action is in let's-have-some-fun mode, with a lot of tribute to earlier space action, and it's deliberately cartoony. That allowed, it's great fun. And y'know, a more realistic approach would not have been interesting, because half the characters would have died by mid-book.
For all that, I will read the implied-by-the-cover sequel.
The research here is meticulous, and the alternate timeline quite plausible. The nature of the conflict is solid too, although the characters and the reader don't know that till the end.
The military/aerospace procedure details were good, and there are some interesting characters. Only Yashin is annoying; he's almost a cartoon bad guy, a bad caricature. His constant rage/hate is just over the top, and I can't see how he could have made it for this assignment, even with orders direct from Andropov.
The plot's OK at the high level; each side does this because reasons, and the other guys do that, and on we go.
But when we get to how things happen, there's enough narrativium and impossibilium spilled to build a new moon.
Several times a character (usually Vivian) is wandering lost and oh, look, someone predicted where you'd go and left a fueled device there for you, and each time the character got there JUST as Death was sharpening his scythe.
Sandoval is James Bond. Horn is the best pilot in the galaxy, except for Lin. Vivian, a geologist, can fly anything after a glance at the controls. This could possibly be explained if she KNOWS she's luckier than Halrloprillalar and everything she tries will more or less work. They can ALL drive a damaged and/or unfamiliar spacecraft as if it was a 3D go-kart in a video game. Half of them get wounds that could so easily be fatal but never quite are.
At the end, our geologist - who has in a few weeks learned weaponry, unarmed combat to the death, adaptive engineering, and astrophysics - picks up a phone and is allowed to talk to Reagan and Andropov with her solution, which of course she figured out in eight seconds.
OK, let's say all the action is in let's-have-some-fun mode, with a lot of tribute to earlier space action, and it's deliberately cartoony. That allowed, it's great fun. And y'know, a more realistic approach would not have been interesting, because half the characters would have died by mid-book.
For all that, I will read the implied-by-the-cover sequel.
February 8, 2025
I read more books than I watch TV shows, which is probably a mistake but I don't think so. I have seen maybe two or three episodes of Apple's FOR ALL MANKIND, which came out six years ago, right at the time that Alan Smale came up with the idea for this book. I don't know how Smale reacted to that (assuming he wasn't, y'know, inspired by it). I was deep in to writing a book which featured a teenager with cystic fibrosis when FIVE FEET APART came out, and I sort of rolled my eyes about it but kept writing, so that's probably what Smale did.
Anyway, the book and TV show have the same line of departure from reality, viz., that the USSR managed to get cosmonauts to the moon ahead of Armstrong and Aldrin, and that this event catalyzed an Apollo program that was destined for the scrapheap once America got tired of winning in space. I always thought it was wrong that we stopped going to the moon, until I read A MAN ON THE MOON, by Andrew Chaikin, and even Chaikin couldn't muster up enthusiasm for the last couple of missions. Basically, there's nothing to do up there, and everything can kill you. Why be there unless there's a compelling reason?
HOT MOON is largely told from the perspective of Up Wing heroine Vivian Carter, commander of Apollo 32, which is on a geological exploration mission with a side trip to a souped-up Skylab, arriving minutes before the Soviets send up a flight of Soyuz capsules to intercept the mission and claim sovereignty over the lunar space.
HOT MOON moves like Darrell Royal's rolling ball of butcher knives, fast and relentless. Vivian Carter is an indomitable heroine, cool under pressure, steely-eyed missile girl, improvising lunar landings and taking on both the murderous intentions of Russians and of the moon itself. Highly recommended. Might even cause me to turn on the TV and catch FOR ALL MANKIND.
Anyway, the book and TV show have the same line of departure from reality, viz., that the USSR managed to get cosmonauts to the moon ahead of Armstrong and Aldrin, and that this event catalyzed an Apollo program that was destined for the scrapheap once America got tired of winning in space. I always thought it was wrong that we stopped going to the moon, until I read A MAN ON THE MOON, by Andrew Chaikin, and even Chaikin couldn't muster up enthusiasm for the last couple of missions. Basically, there's nothing to do up there, and everything can kill you. Why be there unless there's a compelling reason?
HOT MOON is largely told from the perspective of Up Wing heroine Vivian Carter, commander of Apollo 32, which is on a geological exploration mission with a side trip to a souped-up Skylab, arriving minutes before the Soviets send up a flight of Soyuz capsules to intercept the mission and claim sovereignty over the lunar space.
HOT MOON moves like Darrell Royal's rolling ball of butcher knives, fast and relentless. Vivian Carter is an indomitable heroine, cool under pressure, steely-eyed missile girl, improvising lunar landings and taking on both the murderous intentions of Russians and of the moon itself. Highly recommended. Might even cause me to turn on the TV and catch FOR ALL MANKIND.
August 18, 2025
This book had a very: The Martian meets Artemis feel that I quite enjoyed. It was interesting to speculate about what might have happened had the USSR won the space race. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed at the twist I felt like the team lost a fair bit of moral high ground there, but still, there was no justification for murder of civilians.
I enjoyed Vivian's character, and she felt believable for a woman working in a "man's" field. I did sometimes forget that this was set in the late 70s, until someone would comment: "NASA does not condone sending women into combat." The only thing that really defied the realm of possibility in my mind was when
That being said, I do enjoy space adventures and survival stories. Man (or, in this case, woman) vs. Moon, is a pretty cool premise, and I would have loved it if there were more of this aspect of the story, and little less shoot 'em up in zero G.
This was a solid first instalment in the series, and I'm very seriously considering book 2.
I enjoyed Vivian's character, and she felt believable for a woman working in a "man's" field. I did sometimes forget that this was set in the late 70s, until someone would comment: "NASA does not condone sending women into combat." The only thing that really defied the realm of possibility in my mind was when
That being said, I do enjoy space adventures and survival stories. Man (or, in this case, woman) vs. Moon, is a pretty cool premise, and I would have loved it if there were more of this aspect of the story, and little less shoot 'em up in zero G.
This was a solid first instalment in the series, and I'm very seriously considering book 2.
August 11, 2025
As a science fiction author, Alan Smale has more science chops than anybody in the field now. He has a Ph.D. in astrophysics and a distinguished career at the Goddard Space Flight Center. Yet his fiction has featured untechy alternate histories. In Clash of Eagles, for example, he has a Roman legion battling the Iroquois.
In Hot Moon, he at last finds an alternate history subject that exploits his considerable knowledge of space technology. The Russians beat us to the Moon in 1969, and Nixon abandoned Vietnam early to provide resources for Lunar exploration. Hot Moon opens in 1979 as the Soviet Union competes with the United States for Lunar resources. The Cold War heats up in cis-lunar space when a KGB agent shoots an assault rifle at Vivian Carter, a spacewalking astronaut from Apollo 32. It is indicative of Smale’s attention to detail that he has Carter speculate on how soon the rifle will overheat when it’s fired in a vacuum.
Smale is especially good at describing plausible Lunar vehicles and habitats. He also describes Lunar geography so well that you can almost smell the regolith. The pacing is excellent, and there are several characters we care about.
If you relished Kim Stanley Robinson’s Red Moon or Allen Steele’s Lunar Descent, you will be right at home on Smale’s hot Moon, but be sure you wear your dosimeter.
In Hot Moon, he at last finds an alternate history subject that exploits his considerable knowledge of space technology. The Russians beat us to the Moon in 1969, and Nixon abandoned Vietnam early to provide resources for Lunar exploration. Hot Moon opens in 1979 as the Soviet Union competes with the United States for Lunar resources. The Cold War heats up in cis-lunar space when a KGB agent shoots an assault rifle at Vivian Carter, a spacewalking astronaut from Apollo 32. It is indicative of Smale’s attention to detail that he has Carter speculate on how soon the rifle will overheat when it’s fired in a vacuum.
Smale is especially good at describing plausible Lunar vehicles and habitats. He also describes Lunar geography so well that you can almost smell the regolith. The pacing is excellent, and there are several characters we care about.
If you relished Kim Stanley Robinson’s Red Moon or Allen Steele’s Lunar Descent, you will be right at home on Smale’s hot Moon, but be sure you wear your dosimeter.
November 15, 2025
This was a quite engaging alternate history set in a period that I grew up during - the Cold War period of the 60s and 70s. In Smale's version of history, the American Apollo program didn't stop with Apollo 17, and there are both US and Soviet moon bases by 1979, which is when this story starts.
It's an interesting mix of science fiction and Cold War thriller and, while the ending wasn't really a surprise, there were plot developments along the way that I didn't see coming.
Smale also provides an essay of several pages in which he presents the events that he changed and how he thinks they could have led to the circumstances of this novel. I found that an interesting read.
There are two sequels, but this story certainly works as a standalone novel, so I don't feel any immediate need to rush into them, although I will probably get to them at some point.
It's an interesting mix of science fiction and Cold War thriller and, while the ending wasn't really a surprise, there were plot developments along the way that I didn't see coming.
Smale also provides an essay of several pages in which he presents the events that he changed and how he thinks they could have led to the circumstances of this novel. I found that an interesting read.
There are two sequels, but this story certainly works as a standalone novel, so I don't feel any immediate need to rush into them, although I will probably get to them at some point.
June 23, 2023
How would the United States space program be difference if Nixon had not canceled the Apollo program? How would America be different if the Soviet Union had landed on the Moon first? those are the two questions this story explores.
Alan Smale has written an excellent alternative history tale that that is riveting, informative and creditable. I thought the characters had complex back stories that contributed to their choices. The motives for each side in the conflicts that ensue have merit. There are evil characters in this book. Yet they are pursuing their nation's best interests.
I enjoyed reading this book. Yes it is long. No sentence is wasted. It is an excellent work of fiction.
Alan Smale has written an excellent alternative history tale that that is riveting, informative and creditable. I thought the characters had complex back stories that contributed to their choices. The motives for each side in the conflicts that ensue have merit. There are evil characters in this book. Yet they are pursuing their nation's best interests.
I enjoyed reading this book. Yes it is long. No sentence is wasted. It is an excellent work of fiction.
August 14, 2023
Hot Moon: Apollo Rising by Alan Smale is a compelling first entry into the series and a novel that is written with finesse — balanced and deft. Vivian Carter is the commander of Apollo 32 on a race against Russian cosmonauts to the Moon to explore the volcanic Marius Hills. When she docks at the Columbia space station, four Soviet Soyuz craft attacks the station unexpectedly and she barely escapes back to her Lunar Module. But this is just the beginning of a series of Russian attacks. Packed with action and a perfect read for fans of space opera, this book immerses readers into a world that is brilliantly and stunningly constructed. This author makes readers feel as though they were walking in space and the story is a perfect book for Motion Picture.
September 6, 2024
“Hot Moon” by Alan Smale’s 1st book in his Apollo Rising series. It is an old fashioned space adventure in an alternate universe where the USSR beat the US to space and the moon. It’s 1979 and Captain Vivian Carter is the 1st woman to lead an Apollo mission. She and her crew are caught nearly captured while at a NASA space station orbiting the moon when it comes under attack by the Russians. That is the start of her adventures on the moon as her attempts to complete her exploration is complicated by attaches on the moon.
I found some of the passages tedious as they described the check lists Apollo astronauts went through before doing anything, but the action sequences are good and the story is great. I’ve already been recommending it.
I found some of the passages tedious as they described the check lists Apollo astronauts went through before doing anything, but the action sequences are good and the story is great. I’ve already been recommending it.
May 28, 2023
The scientific and technological elements of Hot Moon are captivating, and the postulated alternate history provides a reasonable basis for the story. However, the book becomes tedious as it drags along for too many pages. Characters are uncomplicated, with superhuman Americans and Soviets who are either dour cynics or psychopathic murderers. The author has an unappealing habit of building tension and then skipping the narrative forward in time without detailing the resolution of the crisis. This novel's ending is unsatisfactory, serving merely to set up the next installment in a planned series
November 4, 2022
A little skeptical at first because it reminded me of For All Mankind TV show too much. But the female protagonist's thoughts were honest enough - even for an egotistical astronaut (they themselves admitted) to add more interest. The second half of the book is pretty much a military sci-fi. There's a half decent presentation of the Russian view of the conflict and overall competition. I will read the sequel.
July 30, 2023
Wow! I expected good things from an author as smart and detail-oriented as Smale, but this novel far exceeded my expectations. Set in an alternate 1979 where the Soviet Union beat the US to the moon, this novel is packed tight with riveting action and suspense, and the kind of attention to minutiae that SF fans love. I know the premise is similar to the streaming series "For All Mankind", but the similarities stop there. This is a must-read novel.
December 3, 2022
The space Cold War we didn't have, and that's probably for the best. As an alt-history nerd, I would have enjoyed more details about this version of 1979 (long story short, Nixon pulled out of Vietnam and all that war money was spent on the space program instead), but Vivian and Sandoval and Nik have more urgent things to worry about than history.
May 5, 2024
Outstanding alternate history!
This book is had sci fi in the most literal sense of the term. It is a look at what could have happened in the space program in an alternate 1970s. Obviously well researched for the technical aspects of space flight in that era, it also has compelling action sequences. A great read!
This book is had sci fi in the most literal sense of the term. It is a look at what could have happened in the space program in an alternate 1970s. Obviously well researched for the technical aspects of space flight in that era, it also has compelling action sequences. A great read!
June 29, 2025
Lousy title, Great Book!
If you are a fan of hard science fiction, and especially get excited by spaceships and lunar exploration, this is definitely the book for you. If you are not a fan of hard science fiction, as I am not, it is still an excellent book due to the characterization and plot.
If you are a fan of hard science fiction, and especially get excited by spaceships and lunar exploration, this is definitely the book for you. If you are not a fan of hard science fiction, as I am not, it is still an excellent book due to the characterization and plot.
July 2, 2025
I read this and had my doubts about whether the Russians really got to the moon first it was so convincing. The story gives a good account of government duplicity and has some good characters. The settings are well described and the equipment perfect for the job of lunar exploration. Well written with good characters and bad characters well defined with a couple of in betweeners I am not sure of.
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