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Space: 1972
In an alternate America, JFK survived—and didn’t just win the Space Race. He never stopped.
Now it’s 1972, and JFK’s ever-expanding space empire is ripping holes in space-time itself—erasing people, places, and entire histories from existence.
The only ones who might be able to stop him? Nancy Kranick (Emmy nominee Natasha Lyonne), a former moon nurse lying low in Hoboken, New Jersey… and Richard Nixon, tangled in a conspiracy so bizarre it stretches from the Moon to a Shakey’s Pizza to a parallel-universe Watergate.
As JFK tightens his grip on an Empire of the Stars, Nancy and Nixon must reunite and track down the fragments of a mysterious, reality-warping metal—hidden across space, time, and alternate dimensions—before history is rewritten for good.
From Emmy-winning writer Bill Oakley (The Simpsons, Futurama, Portlandia), 1972 is a bigger, stranger, and more gloriously off-the rails sequel to the hit Audible Original 1969.
Available in Dolby Atmos on Audible.
Now it’s 1972, and JFK’s ever-expanding space empire is ripping holes in space-time itself—erasing people, places, and entire histories from existence.
The only ones who might be able to stop him? Nancy Kranick (Emmy nominee Natasha Lyonne), a former moon nurse lying low in Hoboken, New Jersey… and Richard Nixon, tangled in a conspiracy so bizarre it stretches from the Moon to a Shakey’s Pizza to a parallel-universe Watergate.
As JFK tightens his grip on an Empire of the Stars, Nancy and Nixon must reunite and track down the fragments of a mysterious, reality-warping metal—hidden across space, time, and alternate dimensions—before history is rewritten for good.
From Emmy-winning writer Bill Oakley (The Simpsons, Futurama, Portlandia), 1972 is a bigger, stranger, and more gloriously off-the rails sequel to the hit Audible Original 1969.
Available in Dolby Atmos on Audible.
8 pages, Audible Audio
Published June 11, 2026
About the author
Bill Oakley
128 books14 followersWilliam Douglas Oakley was a letterer for numerous comic books from Marvel, DC, and other companies.
(source: Wikipedia)
(source: Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 11, 2026
Space: 1972
By Bill Oakley
The story from Space:1969 continues with JFK getting ready to run for the 4th time as president. His brain may be damaged because he wants to be God of the sky and stars and space. He had lost his left eye from the assassination attempt. The bullet went through his brain.
Nancy and Nixon have a theory about metal on the moon. Russia and China are in the Space colony race now.
All fun. Crazy situations and silliness. I think Space:1969 was better, but both were fun, light reads.
By Bill Oakley
The story from Space:1969 continues with JFK getting ready to run for the 4th time as president. His brain may be damaged because he wants to be God of the sky and stars and space. He had lost his left eye from the assassination attempt. The bullet went through his brain.
Nancy and Nixon have a theory about metal on the moon. Russia and China are in the Space colony race now.
All fun. Crazy situations and silliness. I think Space:1969 was better, but both were fun, light reads.
June 24, 2026
No further comments. This was as much fun as the first.
Read
July 24, 2026A direct continuation of Space: 1969, which is as enjoyable and engaging as the first, though I would rank Space: 1969 above the followup. It kind of seems that the ending is setting up a third instalment, though I think the story should end at this point. There were already moments when this instalment was getting too absurd even for the world that was set up.
July 10, 2026
I dont think it was as good as the first but I enjoyed it all the same ☺️
August 3, 2026
“A TOWERING ACHIEVEMENT”
If ever there was a reason to apply critic cliches for awards-bait movies—tour de force, a triumph, a towering achievement—to a comedy, then this is it. Because man, this thing is so much bigger and better than you’d expect.
Where to start?
Since this book deals with alternate timelines, let’s start here: There is an alternate timeline where Space: 1972, and its predecessor Space: 1969, play out like extended SNL skits or Simpsons Halloween specials. In that timeline, author Bill Oakley realized he had a strong enough premise—JFK lives and becomes obsessed with colonizing the solar system—to hang some jokes on, and he called it a day.
I would have been happy enough with that timeline. Nixon in exile managing a pizza parlor on the moon is funny enough in its execution that I wouldn’t have asked for much more.
But instead, I live in this timeline. And in this timeline, Bill Oakley delivered something several orders of magnitude more ambitious. Space: 1972 is funny and clever and long—not so long that you feel its length, but long enough that you shake your head that the author took his joke so incredibly far. The result is a shockingly thoughtful piece of sci-fi that’s not only superior to the original, it’s closer to Douglas Adams than to a Simpsons Halloween special. If you know and love Douglas Adams, then you know it’s hard to offer higher praise than that.
Anything done well leaves you wanting more, and that’s certainly the case here. Yes, I want a sequel, but I also wanted this book to be even longer. Specifically, I wanted more Kissinger and Nixon hanging out. (The Kissinger voice actor is especially hilarious, and Oakley as Bob Haldeman is another unexpectedly perfect touch). I wanted more JFK skirt chasing to blow up in his face. I wanted more references to fast food and snack foods and soft drinks of the era, both real and imagined. I want to know more about the extraterrestrial metal that enables communication through time and timelines. I want to know what happened on the way to Mars. Most of all, I want more people to discover this book because, like the classic Simpsons episodes that Oakley played such a big part in, it is eminently quotable. I want to be able to ask people for cans of Zelmo, or if they remember that time Don Knotts won an Oscar, or mention how hard it is to keep track of all the events during trombone season, and I want them to get it.
So let’s get to fixing that. Listen to this book and then share it far and wide. I want to live in the timeline where this book dominates the Audible charts like U.S. President/Space Emperor JFK dominated the solar system. (Yeah, I guess I was rooting for the bad guy. But what a charming bad guy!)
Anyway, this book was a towering achievement of comedy. Get on it!
If ever there was a reason to apply critic cliches for awards-bait movies—tour de force, a triumph, a towering achievement—to a comedy, then this is it. Because man, this thing is so much bigger and better than you’d expect.
Where to start?
Since this book deals with alternate timelines, let’s start here: There is an alternate timeline where Space: 1972, and its predecessor Space: 1969, play out like extended SNL skits or Simpsons Halloween specials. In that timeline, author Bill Oakley realized he had a strong enough premise—JFK lives and becomes obsessed with colonizing the solar system—to hang some jokes on, and he called it a day.
I would have been happy enough with that timeline. Nixon in exile managing a pizza parlor on the moon is funny enough in its execution that I wouldn’t have asked for much more.
But instead, I live in this timeline. And in this timeline, Bill Oakley delivered something several orders of magnitude more ambitious. Space: 1972 is funny and clever and long—not so long that you feel its length, but long enough that you shake your head that the author took his joke so incredibly far. The result is a shockingly thoughtful piece of sci-fi that’s not only superior to the original, it’s closer to Douglas Adams than to a Simpsons Halloween special. If you know and love Douglas Adams, then you know it’s hard to offer higher praise than that.
Anything done well leaves you wanting more, and that’s certainly the case here. Yes, I want a sequel, but I also wanted this book to be even longer. Specifically, I wanted more Kissinger and Nixon hanging out. (The Kissinger voice actor is especially hilarious, and Oakley as Bob Haldeman is another unexpectedly perfect touch). I wanted more JFK skirt chasing to blow up in his face. I wanted more references to fast food and snack foods and soft drinks of the era, both real and imagined. I want to know more about the extraterrestrial metal that enables communication through time and timelines. I want to know what happened on the way to Mars. Most of all, I want more people to discover this book because, like the classic Simpsons episodes that Oakley played such a big part in, it is eminently quotable. I want to be able to ask people for cans of Zelmo, or if they remember that time Don Knotts won an Oscar, or mention how hard it is to keep track of all the events during trombone season, and I want them to get it.
So let’s get to fixing that. Listen to this book and then share it far and wide. I want to live in the timeline where this book dominates the Audible charts like U.S. President/Space Emperor JFK dominated the solar system. (Yeah, I guess I was rooting for the bad guy. But what a charming bad guy!)
Anyway, this book was a towering achievement of comedy. Get on it!
June 28, 2026
If you haven't read Space: 1969 first, go do that. The premise is already a spoiler, so here we are.
What if JFK hadn't been assassinated? It's the question that launched this series, and Space: 1972 picks up exactly where the first book left off, with the same gloriously unlikely cast of characters, including Kennedy himself, Nixon, and Nancy Krabick, navigating an alternate history that gets progressively more delightfully unhinged.
This time the stakes are higher, the timelines multiply, and things get wonderfully crazy. The kind of crazy that makes you grin and just go with it, because fighting it would be beside the point entirely.
It's fun. Unapologetically, enthusiastically fun. Alternate history done with a wink and enough imagination to keep you genuinely surprised. If you enjoyed the first book, this one delivers more of exactly what you came for.
Sometimes that's all you need.
What if JFK hadn't been assassinated? It's the question that launched this series, and Space: 1972 picks up exactly where the first book left off, with the same gloriously unlikely cast of characters, including Kennedy himself, Nixon, and Nancy Krabick, navigating an alternate history that gets progressively more delightfully unhinged.
This time the stakes are higher, the timelines multiply, and things get wonderfully crazy. The kind of crazy that makes you grin and just go with it, because fighting it would be beside the point entirely.
It's fun. Unapologetically, enthusiastically fun. Alternate history done with a wink and enough imagination to keep you genuinely surprised. If you enjoyed the first book, this one delivers more of exactly what you came for.
Sometimes that's all you need.
June 26, 2026
1969 did not need a sequel, and Bill Oakley's "Space: 1972" quickly and repeatedly jumps the proverbial shark - but so long as you know what you're getting yourself into (and I assume you do if you're reading this book) - then it doesn't really matter, because it's just as quick witted, wise cracking, and incredibly performed as you want it to be - even if it requires a bit more knowledge of political history than its predecessor.
July 7, 2026
Didn't initially realize this was the 2nd book in the series, but was able to digest it as a standalone. Also, it's effectively a radio play and I thought it was a traditional book. Love Natasha Lyonne, though, and love a What If history moment. Quirky, absurd, dunno if I'd read any more in the series.
June 23, 2026
Kudos to the production team for playing Mahler at the very end you know the part in the mall are symphony with all the French Horn stand up and blow their faces off playing loud and amazingly? Yeah, that also kudos for the author for making me laugh through these not so laughable days.
June 21, 2026
It's unique and quirky, but it doesn't interest me.
June 21, 2026
Great fun!
I do feel the need to note that Nixon did enact price controls and it didn't go so well.
I do feel the need to note that Nixon did enact price controls and it didn't go so well.
June 24, 2026
As entertaining as the second one. Not sure if I’d love it so much without Natasha Lyonne narrating but love her so much in this!
June 26, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
July 1, 2026
Brilliant story, fantastic cast, I look forward to the next installment.
July 4, 2026
Silly story but still highly entertaining. I actually chuckled out loud a few time.
I am always surprised that these Audible plays are still counted as books. Oh well. I will take it.
I am always surprised that these Audible plays are still counted as books. Oh well. I will take it.
July 4, 2026
0 ⭐️
• Space
• What would happen if jfk wasn't assassinated? I never asked to know
• this was REALLY bad, I asked myself "is there a plot to this book besides screaming?"
• Space
• What would happen if jfk wasn't assassinated? I never asked to know
• this was REALLY bad, I asked myself "is there a plot to this book besides screaming?"
July 5, 2026
It's 11/22/63 except it's more like 63/22/22
August 12, 2026
Not laugh out loud funny to me
But still very entertaining
Excellent full cast voice acting
But still very entertaining
Excellent full cast voice acting
July 15, 2026
This is a great book about alternative history; I couldn't put it down. I listened to the audiobook version, and the narration was amazing. I especially loved the 1972-appropriate humor.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews