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The Dream Life of Astronauts
For readers of Tom Perrotta and Lorrie Moore, these nine unforgettable stories, all set in and around Cape Canaveral, showcase Patrick Ryan’s masterly understanding of regret and hope, relationships and family, and the universal longing for love.
The Dream Life of Astronauts balances heartbreak with wry humor as its characters try to make sense of the paths they find themselves on. A would-be Miss America auditions for a shady local talent scout over vodka and Sunny D; a NASA engineer begins to wonder if the woman he’s having an affair with is slowly poisoning her husband; a Boy Scout troop leader, recovering from a stroke, tries to protect one of his scouts from being bullied by his own sons; an ex-mobster living in witness protection feuds with the busybody head of his condo board; a grandmother, sentenced to driver’s ed after a traffic accident, surprises herself by falling for her instructor.
Set against landmark moments—the first moon launch, Watergate, the Challenger explosion—these private dramas unfurl in startling ways.
The Dream Life of Astronauts balances heartbreak with wry humor as its characters try to make sense of the paths they find themselves on. A would-be Miss America auditions for a shady local talent scout over vodka and Sunny D; a NASA engineer begins to wonder if the woman he’s having an affair with is slowly poisoning her husband; a Boy Scout troop leader, recovering from a stroke, tries to protect one of his scouts from being bullied by his own sons; an ex-mobster living in witness protection feuds with the busybody head of his condo board; a grandmother, sentenced to driver’s ed after a traffic accident, surprises herself by falling for her instructor.
Set against landmark moments—the first moon launch, Watergate, the Challenger explosion—these private dramas unfurl in startling ways.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 5, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
August 25, 2016
So let me make one thing clear before you make the decision whether or not to read this collection of short stories based on the title: despite taking place at or around Cape Canaveral (in some cases simply in the same Florida county), the majority of these stories have nothing to do with astronauts.
While a few have the space program as a narrative thread within them (or at least mention something space-related in passing), for the most part, these well-written stories are about people who find themselves at a crossroads in their lives. Some are emotional, some are thought-provoking, and at least one was laugh-out-loud funny, and a few are interconnected with others in the collection.
Among my favorites in the collection were: "Earth, Mostly," in which a woman who is raising her granddaughter finds herself assigned to a driver's ed class after a traffic accident and is attracted to the instructor; "Go Fever," which is about a man whose coworker is convinced his wife is poisoning him (but that's just the tip of the iceberg); "Miss America," in which an aspiring Miss America contestant is taken to an audition with a less-than-reputable talent scout, while she is dealing with upheaval in her own life and her mother's; "Fountain of Youth," about a man in witness protection from the Mafia now living in a retirement community and matching wits with the power-hungry head of the condo board; "The Way She Handles," which tells of a young boy whose parents' marriage hits a rough patch with the arrival of his carefree uncle; and the beautiful title story, in which a young man is drawn to a former astronaut and is unprepared for what comes next.
While one or two of the stories didn't resonate for me as much as the ones I mentioned above, Patrick Ryan is a tremendously talented writer, and he created some memorable characters and situations I really enjoyed reading about. Although I felt that a few of the stories could have taken place anywhere and the connection with Cape Canaveral almost felt like an afterthought, it is the foibles of the human heart and our interactions with lovers, colleagues, family members, children, and strangers that powered these stories and imbued them with impact.
I am continually amazed at the immense talent among those individuals writing short stories today, and Ryan definitely belongs in this community. If you like short stories, this is a collection worth reading, even if you're not a space enthusiast. I look forward to seeing what's next in his career.
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
While a few have the space program as a narrative thread within them (or at least mention something space-related in passing), for the most part, these well-written stories are about people who find themselves at a crossroads in their lives. Some are emotional, some are thought-provoking, and at least one was laugh-out-loud funny, and a few are interconnected with others in the collection.
Among my favorites in the collection were: "Earth, Mostly," in which a woman who is raising her granddaughter finds herself assigned to a driver's ed class after a traffic accident and is attracted to the instructor; "Go Fever," which is about a man whose coworker is convinced his wife is poisoning him (but that's just the tip of the iceberg); "Miss America," in which an aspiring Miss America contestant is taken to an audition with a less-than-reputable talent scout, while she is dealing with upheaval in her own life and her mother's; "Fountain of Youth," about a man in witness protection from the Mafia now living in a retirement community and matching wits with the power-hungry head of the condo board; "The Way She Handles," which tells of a young boy whose parents' marriage hits a rough patch with the arrival of his carefree uncle; and the beautiful title story, in which a young man is drawn to a former astronaut and is unprepared for what comes next.
While one or two of the stories didn't resonate for me as much as the ones I mentioned above, Patrick Ryan is a tremendously talented writer, and he created some memorable characters and situations I really enjoyed reading about. Although I felt that a few of the stories could have taken place anywhere and the connection with Cape Canaveral almost felt like an afterthought, it is the foibles of the human heart and our interactions with lovers, colleagues, family members, children, and strangers that powered these stories and imbued them with impact.
I am continually amazed at the immense talent among those individuals writing short stories today, and Ryan definitely belongs in this community. If you like short stories, this is a collection worth reading, even if you're not a space enthusiast. I look forward to seeing what's next in his career.
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
August 2, 2016
"My grandmother's having sex with that driving school man."
"Uh-oh," the bird man said.
Mrs. Kerrigan's grip went slack, causing Steve to tilt to one side. "Do you even know what that means?" she asked Becca.
"There's a thing, and a hole, and the thing goes in the hole ---"
"Never mind! I know you're going through a hard time right now, Becca. I think maybe you're angry at your parents for not staying together, and you're angry at your mother for travelling so much."
"She's not traveling. She moved to California."
"Okay, then you're angry at her for moving to California. But that doesn't mean it's okay to take it out on your grandmother."
"I can't stand that witch," Becca said. "She smells like hairspray and she farts."
"Your grandmother is a good friend of mine, and I happen to know she's doing the best she can."
"She doesn't even like you," Becca said. "She told me you're lonely. And sad."
Mrs. Kerrigan's chin quivered for a moment.*
Becca, her smelly grandmother, and Mrs. Kerrigan are just a few of the many quirky characters who populate Ryan's tales of strange, disenchanted, and lonely folks who live in and around Cape Canaveral. Most of his players are not particularly likable. There are cheating spouses, creepy lechers, ex-mobsters, bullies, brats, and swinging former astronauts. Though they're all leading the proverbial lives of "quiet desperation," most of them have chosen not to go down without a fight. Their struggles to rise above their current problems are frequently touching and humorous.
While these stories are probably not for everyone, I truly enjoyed all of them, and would be more than happy to read 'em again.
*from Earth, Mostly
"Uh-oh," the bird man said.
Mrs. Kerrigan's grip went slack, causing Steve to tilt to one side. "Do you even know what that means?" she asked Becca.
"There's a thing, and a hole, and the thing goes in the hole ---"
"Never mind! I know you're going through a hard time right now, Becca. I think maybe you're angry at your parents for not staying together, and you're angry at your mother for travelling so much."
"She's not traveling. She moved to California."
"Okay, then you're angry at her for moving to California. But that doesn't mean it's okay to take it out on your grandmother."
"I can't stand that witch," Becca said. "She smells like hairspray and she farts."
"Your grandmother is a good friend of mine, and I happen to know she's doing the best she can."
"She doesn't even like you," Becca said. "She told me you're lonely. And sad."
Mrs. Kerrigan's chin quivered for a moment.*
Becca, her smelly grandmother, and Mrs. Kerrigan are just a few of the many quirky characters who populate Ryan's tales of strange, disenchanted, and lonely folks who live in and around Cape Canaveral. Most of his players are not particularly likable. There are cheating spouses, creepy lechers, ex-mobsters, bullies, brats, and swinging former astronauts. Though they're all leading the proverbial lives of "quiet desperation," most of them have chosen not to go down without a fight. Their struggles to rise above their current problems are frequently touching and humorous.
While these stories are probably not for everyone, I truly enjoyed all of them, and would be more than happy to read 'em again.
*from Earth, Mostly
July 19, 2016
A short story is like a kiss in the dark from a stranger. So said Stephen King. I am a lover of short stories and I’ve found that that kiss can be anything from a brief (too dry to care), sloppy (too undisciplined) or intense (need a bit of distance).
Patrick Ryan gets the formula just right. He’s a natural-born storyteller and I loved every single one of these nine touching stories. All of them take place around Cape Canaveral as public enthusiasm for the NASA space program was dying down. And each is about individuals who have been left at the launching pad, trying to build propulsion for take-off.
My favorites? The eponymous story The Dream Life of Astronauts introduces us to Frankie, a teenage boy who is remarkably comfortable in his own skin after coming out to his family. At a public library, he meets a former astronaut, Clark Evans, who is now out of the NASA program and touts real estate business cards that read: “I’ll travel the galaxy to meet your needs.” What happens next is a painful and unexpected look at suburbia and the chasm between innocent youth and cynical adulthood.
We will meet Frankie one more time in this collection, in the equally fine story Earth, Mostly. He’s grown up now, yet has moved back to his mother’s home. That story – which also features characters we’ve met in a former story Miss America – cuts right to the chase by portraying ordinary life with all its foibles (including a grandmother who has arranged to meet her married driving instructor after crashing her car).
There are more delights in store for the reader as well. One story portrays a bookkeeper of an extortion program who lives in a Florida retirement home under the witness protection program and clashes with the anal-retentive head of his condo board. There’s a great story about a NASA engineer who is romancing his boss’s wife…and wondering if she’s trying to poison that boss. Whether he’s writing about a 70-year-old man who finally reaches closure with his toxic 92-year-old mother or two bullying teen brothers and their stroke-impaired father, Patrick Ryan’s characters ring authentic.
The strength of this collection was such that I wanted to read it straight through without pause. This space-era collection is decidedly down to earth. 4.5 stars.
Patrick Ryan gets the formula just right. He’s a natural-born storyteller and I loved every single one of these nine touching stories. All of them take place around Cape Canaveral as public enthusiasm for the NASA space program was dying down. And each is about individuals who have been left at the launching pad, trying to build propulsion for take-off.
My favorites? The eponymous story The Dream Life of Astronauts introduces us to Frankie, a teenage boy who is remarkably comfortable in his own skin after coming out to his family. At a public library, he meets a former astronaut, Clark Evans, who is now out of the NASA program and touts real estate business cards that read: “I’ll travel the galaxy to meet your needs.” What happens next is a painful and unexpected look at suburbia and the chasm between innocent youth and cynical adulthood.
We will meet Frankie one more time in this collection, in the equally fine story Earth, Mostly. He’s grown up now, yet has moved back to his mother’s home. That story – which also features characters we’ve met in a former story Miss America – cuts right to the chase by portraying ordinary life with all its foibles (including a grandmother who has arranged to meet her married driving instructor after crashing her car).
There are more delights in store for the reader as well. One story portrays a bookkeeper of an extortion program who lives in a Florida retirement home under the witness protection program and clashes with the anal-retentive head of his condo board. There’s a great story about a NASA engineer who is romancing his boss’s wife…and wondering if she’s trying to poison that boss. Whether he’s writing about a 70-year-old man who finally reaches closure with his toxic 92-year-old mother or two bullying teen brothers and their stroke-impaired father, Patrick Ryan’s characters ring authentic.
The strength of this collection was such that I wanted to read it straight through without pause. This space-era collection is decidedly down to earth. 4.5 stars.
December 10, 2023
3.5/5 Stars
This was a cover buy when Book Outlet had a store closing sale. This is a collection of short stories that take place in and around Cape Canaveral during some important events in American history.
Of course, I liked some of these stories more than others, but it was an overall satisfying experience. I loved how there was overlap of characters within the short stories.
This was a cover buy when Book Outlet had a store closing sale. This is a collection of short stories that take place in and around Cape Canaveral during some important events in American history.
Of course, I liked some of these stories more than others, but it was an overall satisfying experience. I loved how there was overlap of characters within the short stories.
December 15, 2025
Nearly twenty years ago in the introduction to 'Freshmen: New Writings in Gay Fiction' Edmund White wrote:
"...In Patrick Ryan's brilliant 'Ground Control' a guilt-ridden gay high school student is sexually exploited by a redheaded bully-but finds consolation in the silent ministrations of his thoroughly liberated and self-invented gay little brother. Throughout the story the prose is quietly masterful; the narrator's ears are 'smallish and round, like side mirrors on a tiny motorcycle.' Ground control is one of the best stories I have read by anyone, anywhere in recent years..."
and in 2006 that story was part of his first novel 'Send Me' which:
"...is written with such authority, grace, and wisdom, it might be the capstone of a distinguished literary career."
So twenty years ago Patrick Ryan wrote a brilliant first novel, but what of the follow up, that difficult second novel? I wouldn't have opened as I did if I didn't find 'The Dream Life of Astronauts' as devastatingly beautiful and fine as 'Send Me'. As one reviewer said:
"...Ryan has a perceptive way of writing about the nuances of sexuality and sexual impulses which can often lead to confusion as much as revelation. In these two stories and many of the others we follow the characters in their ill-advised flirtations, motel rendezvous, infidelities and the painful aftermath of breakups. These often misguided adventures are riveting to read about as well providing a sympathetic look at how romance is just as confusing for a pregnant teenager who dreams of becoming model/pageant girl as it is for a cuckolded husband or a frisky grandmother. They also show how sexual adventures can be a way of testing the boundaries of identity, but as one character states: “The problem with becoming someone else is that you’re still stuck with you.” Oftentimes the stories defy the reader’s expectations where a rascal turns out to be a surprising gentleman, a vulnerable teenager proves how he’s fully confident about his homosexuality or a depressed mother becomes a strong source of support. It’s particularly impactful how Ryan portrays the painful influence jealousy between spouses and acrimonious divorces can have on children over time."
[from: https://lonesomereader.com/blog/2016/...]
It is a truism which I often use that the books I love are often the ones I find hardest to say anything worthwhile about except to say that they are brilliant and should be read. Unfortunately they are also works that have failed to appear on best seller lists or been mentioned by fashionable and fatuous literary poseurs. Patrick Ryan is a perfect example (though he has published a novel this year - 2025 - 'Buckeye' which may change that - it is his first work to appear in my London, UK, library) so I have retreated into the praise of others in the hopes that you will read this and seek out this novel and his first. They are the books that will speak of our time to the ages.
"...In Patrick Ryan's brilliant 'Ground Control' a guilt-ridden gay high school student is sexually exploited by a redheaded bully-but finds consolation in the silent ministrations of his thoroughly liberated and self-invented gay little brother. Throughout the story the prose is quietly masterful; the narrator's ears are 'smallish and round, like side mirrors on a tiny motorcycle.' Ground control is one of the best stories I have read by anyone, anywhere in recent years..."
and in 2006 that story was part of his first novel 'Send Me' which:
"...is written with such authority, grace, and wisdom, it might be the capstone of a distinguished literary career."
So twenty years ago Patrick Ryan wrote a brilliant first novel, but what of the follow up, that difficult second novel? I wouldn't have opened as I did if I didn't find 'The Dream Life of Astronauts' as devastatingly beautiful and fine as 'Send Me'. As one reviewer said:
"...Ryan has a perceptive way of writing about the nuances of sexuality and sexual impulses which can often lead to confusion as much as revelation. In these two stories and many of the others we follow the characters in their ill-advised flirtations, motel rendezvous, infidelities and the painful aftermath of breakups. These often misguided adventures are riveting to read about as well providing a sympathetic look at how romance is just as confusing for a pregnant teenager who dreams of becoming model/pageant girl as it is for a cuckolded husband or a frisky grandmother. They also show how sexual adventures can be a way of testing the boundaries of identity, but as one character states: “The problem with becoming someone else is that you’re still stuck with you.” Oftentimes the stories defy the reader’s expectations where a rascal turns out to be a surprising gentleman, a vulnerable teenager proves how he’s fully confident about his homosexuality or a depressed mother becomes a strong source of support. It’s particularly impactful how Ryan portrays the painful influence jealousy between spouses and acrimonious divorces can have on children over time."
[from: https://lonesomereader.com/blog/2016/...]
It is a truism which I often use that the books I love are often the ones I find hardest to say anything worthwhile about except to say that they are brilliant and should be read. Unfortunately they are also works that have failed to appear on best seller lists or been mentioned by fashionable and fatuous literary poseurs. Patrick Ryan is a perfect example (though he has published a novel this year - 2025 - 'Buckeye' which may change that - it is his first work to appear in my London, UK, library) so I have retreated into the praise of others in the hopes that you will read this and seek out this novel and his first. They are the books that will speak of our time to the ages.
July 6, 2018
A stack from the short story collection/shelves that I’m re-visiting and re-reading before I take them away....not rated individually, no “review”/ comments, as I’m reading them in a very non-linear way.
I used to call these “waiting room books,” and I’m surprised by how many of these stories I remember reading the first time around...almost a short story timeline/madeleine. Which makes it so hard to part with books....
The Collected Stories of Elizabeth Bowen
Where The Money Went - Kevin Canty
Beautiful Girls - Beth Ann Bauman
Our Former Lives in Art - Jennifer S. Davis
You Are Not a Stranger Here - Adam Haslett
Anatomies - Andee Hochman
This Is Paradise - Kristiana Kahakauwila
Here In the World - Victoria Lancelotta
Female Trouble - Antonya Nelson
How to Breathe Underwater - Julie Orringer
Slow Dance on the Fault Line - Donald Rawley
Nightbird Cantata - Donald Rawley
The Hill Bachelors - William Trevor
I used to call these “waiting room books,” and I’m surprised by how many of these stories I remember reading the first time around...almost a short story timeline/madeleine. Which makes it so hard to part with books....
The Collected Stories of Elizabeth Bowen
Where The Money Went - Kevin Canty
Beautiful Girls - Beth Ann Bauman
Our Former Lives in Art - Jennifer S. Davis
You Are Not a Stranger Here - Adam Haslett
Anatomies - Andee Hochman
This Is Paradise - Kristiana Kahakauwila
Here In the World - Victoria Lancelotta
Female Trouble - Antonya Nelson
How to Breathe Underwater - Julie Orringer
Slow Dance on the Fault Line - Donald Rawley
Nightbird Cantata - Donald Rawley
The Hill Bachelors - William Trevor
March 7, 2016
I received a free copy of this e-book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
I requested this book because the blurb said it deals with people and situations around Cape Canaveral in the 1960’s. I am a gigantic space nerd, and I love anything that has to do with the space program of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. This short story collection sounded perfect. I began reading and found myself wanting to put it down forever at about 20% done. I pressed on, because I knew I had to review it, and I wanted to judge it fairly. In the end, I really regret requesting this book.
I hated every single character in this book. Even the one or two adults who weren’t terrible people were forgettable and sad. The teens were annoying and the adults were so self-absorbed and despicable, I didn’t care if the whole lot of them died at the end. Even the children were jerks. The actual stories themselves seemed shallow. There was nothing in them beyond dialog and the banalities of daily life. I was not touched or moved by anything in any of the stories.
I hate to give negative reviews, but this truly is one of the worst books that I have ever read. If you are thinking of picking up this book because it talks about astronauts and Cape Canaveral, do yourself a favor and run far away from this mess.
I requested this book because the blurb said it deals with people and situations around Cape Canaveral in the 1960’s. I am a gigantic space nerd, and I love anything that has to do with the space program of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. This short story collection sounded perfect. I began reading and found myself wanting to put it down forever at about 20% done. I pressed on, because I knew I had to review it, and I wanted to judge it fairly. In the end, I really regret requesting this book.
I hated every single character in this book. Even the one or two adults who weren’t terrible people were forgettable and sad. The teens were annoying and the adults were so self-absorbed and despicable, I didn’t care if the whole lot of them died at the end. Even the children were jerks. The actual stories themselves seemed shallow. There was nothing in them beyond dialog and the banalities of daily life. I was not touched or moved by anything in any of the stories.
I hate to give negative reviews, but this truly is one of the worst books that I have ever read. If you are thinking of picking up this book because it talks about astronauts and Cape Canaveral, do yourself a favor and run far away from this mess.
May 29, 2016
This is a wonderful collection of funny, insightful, and sometimes heartbreaking stories. Ryan has a knack for describing the ordinary in a way that is anything but. His prose absolutely sings and his love for his characters shines through, even when their behavior isn't all that lovable. A brilliant read–I couldn't put it down.
December 3, 2024
A collection of nine engrossing short stories all set in the vicinity of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This author truly has a gift for setting a vivid scene! This was published in 2016, but I discovered it recently through a recommendation in Ann Patchett’s weekly “If you haven’t read it, it’s new to you” Friday posts on her Parnassus Books instagram site. (Worth checking out for serious book lovers.)
August 7, 2016
Patrick Ryan's collection of short stories, 'The Dream Life of Astronauts', takes on several universal themes. The characters he evokes often appear in more than one story, usually after a passage of time. All of them are searching for ways to find more meaning in their lives, often sliding backwards as they try to go forward. The protagonists are often troubled by addiction, family dysfunction, divorce or loneliness. The one thing they have in common is that they all live in Florida near Cape Canaveral.
In the title story, Frankie is a 16 year old boy who has come out to his family. He goes to the library to hear a retired astronaut speak and is invited to the astronaut's home. What follows is a sexual gambit that is entirely unexpected by Frankie.
'Go Fever' takes place after the Challenger disaster. Wendell is a supervisor at the launching site who believes that his wife Loretta is trying to poison him. The story is told from the viewpoint of an employee and friend of Wendell's who just happens to be having an affair with Loretta.
'Fountain of Youth' is a delightful story about a man in witness protection who is now residing in a retirement community. He states "Life is fickle, you know? You can be somebody one minute and nobody the next, full of yourself in the morning and empty as a tapped well in the afternoon. I don't know who I am anymore, but sometimes, just for a second, I know who I want to be." This excerpt pretty well summarizes the feelings of many characters in this collection.
I loved several other stories in this collection and liked the author's frequent technique of switching narrators within the story. It is interesting to see characters from early stories return in later ones. Frankie, courted by an ex-astronaut as a teen-ager, returns in a later story as 'bird man', a young man who is obviously mentally ill and may be suffering from AIDS. In this same story, we meet the mother of the teen-ager in 'Miss America' who is now raising her daughter's child.
I can't name my favorite story because I loved so many of the nine in the collection. I read the book in one day and I felt that there was a power house of inner worlds and puzzled characters all facing the human condition, attempting to succeed when they were prisoners of fate more frequently than choice.
In the title story, Frankie is a 16 year old boy who has come out to his family. He goes to the library to hear a retired astronaut speak and is invited to the astronaut's home. What follows is a sexual gambit that is entirely unexpected by Frankie.
'Go Fever' takes place after the Challenger disaster. Wendell is a supervisor at the launching site who believes that his wife Loretta is trying to poison him. The story is told from the viewpoint of an employee and friend of Wendell's who just happens to be having an affair with Loretta.
'Fountain of Youth' is a delightful story about a man in witness protection who is now residing in a retirement community. He states "Life is fickle, you know? You can be somebody one minute and nobody the next, full of yourself in the morning and empty as a tapped well in the afternoon. I don't know who I am anymore, but sometimes, just for a second, I know who I want to be." This excerpt pretty well summarizes the feelings of many characters in this collection.
I loved several other stories in this collection and liked the author's frequent technique of switching narrators within the story. It is interesting to see characters from early stories return in later ones. Frankie, courted by an ex-astronaut as a teen-ager, returns in a later story as 'bird man', a young man who is obviously mentally ill and may be suffering from AIDS. In this same story, we meet the mother of the teen-ager in 'Miss America' who is now raising her daughter's child.
I can't name my favorite story because I loved so many of the nine in the collection. I read the book in one day and I felt that there was a power house of inner worlds and puzzled characters all facing the human condition, attempting to succeed when they were prisoners of fate more frequently than choice.
April 17, 2021
Sympathetic stories about disappointed but surprisingly expectant people, most of whom have a new relationship come into their life that ultimately leads to nowhere but more disillusionment. The person who appears to be their ticket out of their life refuses to take them, or turns out to be even more broken than they are. The setting for the stories is the space program in Florida from the 60s to the present day. Set against a horizon lit up by stunningly powerful rockets and spaceships able to go further than man had ever gone before, the characters are trapped in their loneliness in an indifferent world.
Some perverse favorites: the neighborhood bullies who attempt to draw and quarter their favorite victim with two highly uncooperative springer spaniels, the teenage boy who’s seduced by an impotent ex-astronaut and his wife, and the grandma who has a one-afternoon stand with her married driving instructor, who dons a bizarre getup for their rendezvous.
Although well written, the stories felt somewhat pointless, ending untidily and unpoignantly, as if nothing is really over but it’s time to move on. However, the last story, about an unkind 92-year-old mother in a nursing home who’s visited by her middle-aged son, offered a nice counterpoint. Whereas the previous characters were reaching out (toward affairs, fantasies of fame and celebrity, escape, addictions) in their search for solace, the son, Martin, puts up a hedge around his new marriage to protect it and keep the harmful influences of his toxic mother out. He only tells her about the marriage six months after it’s occurred, mentioning that he won’t be introducing her to his new wife. Finally, someone who doesn’t have to fantasize about running off, but can instead stay put and hide a little happiness away.
Some perverse favorites: the neighborhood bullies who attempt to draw and quarter their favorite victim with two highly uncooperative springer spaniels, the teenage boy who’s seduced by an impotent ex-astronaut and his wife, and the grandma who has a one-afternoon stand with her married driving instructor, who dons a bizarre getup for their rendezvous.
Although well written, the stories felt somewhat pointless, ending untidily and unpoignantly, as if nothing is really over but it’s time to move on. However, the last story, about an unkind 92-year-old mother in a nursing home who’s visited by her middle-aged son, offered a nice counterpoint. Whereas the previous characters were reaching out (toward affairs, fantasies of fame and celebrity, escape, addictions) in their search for solace, the son, Martin, puts up a hedge around his new marriage to protect it and keep the harmful influences of his toxic mother out. He only tells her about the marriage six months after it’s occurred, mentioning that he won’t be introducing her to his new wife. Finally, someone who doesn’t have to fantasize about running off, but can instead stay put and hide a little happiness away.
July 25, 2016
“The Dream Life of Astronauts”, a short story collection by Patrick Ryan, captured me with the very first story. “The Way She handles”, is set in the summer of 1973 during the Watergate hearings. I remember it well and appreciated all the references, and I even felt a little rush when the love song from “The Poseidon Adventure” was mentioned and I knew what that was (“The Morning After” by Maureen McGovern”) and then spent the rest of the day trying to get that tune out of my head!
Most of the stories are set in the 1970s and all are set in or around Cape Canaveral and mention the US Space Program. I have worked at the Johnson Space Center here in Houston for over 26 years, so I appreciated many of the details.
It’s rare to like every single story in a short story collection, but in this case, I did enjoy each and every one. Though the longest story, “Miss America”, was my favorite. It’s about 16 year old Dani, who aspires to being Miss Florida and then Miss America one day. Her stepfather has just left her mother, who is not handling it well (whatever that looks like). Her mother suddenly wants them to be “friends” but Dani has a secret and needs a mother very much.
“The Dream Life of Astronauts”, is about a young man named Frankie and his burgeoning sexuality. Later in the collection, as story called “Earth, Mostly” links and continues both Dani and Frankie’s stories.
Ryan is an absolutely wonderful writer, often his descriptions (two brothers who are bullies, or a wife that may-or-may-not be poisoning her husband) are both hilarious and harrowing at the same time; not easy to pull off! I’ll be eagerly watching for more from Patrick Ryan in the future.
Most of the stories are set in the 1970s and all are set in or around Cape Canaveral and mention the US Space Program. I have worked at the Johnson Space Center here in Houston for over 26 years, so I appreciated many of the details.
It’s rare to like every single story in a short story collection, but in this case, I did enjoy each and every one. Though the longest story, “Miss America”, was my favorite. It’s about 16 year old Dani, who aspires to being Miss Florida and then Miss America one day. Her stepfather has just left her mother, who is not handling it well (whatever that looks like). Her mother suddenly wants them to be “friends” but Dani has a secret and needs a mother very much.
“The Dream Life of Astronauts”, is about a young man named Frankie and his burgeoning sexuality. Later in the collection, as story called “Earth, Mostly” links and continues both Dani and Frankie’s stories.
Ryan is an absolutely wonderful writer, often his descriptions (two brothers who are bullies, or a wife that may-or-may-not be poisoning her husband) are both hilarious and harrowing at the same time; not easy to pull off! I’ll be eagerly watching for more from Patrick Ryan in the future.
June 19, 2016
The area around Cape Canaveral, consisting of several long islands, contains a population not all connected to the Space Center, but affected by its proximity in different ways. I was reminded of stories set in and around, say, Las Vegas, in which people leading ordinary lives cannot help but be associated with the Strip even if they never set foot there.
Each of these 9 stories presents a character recognizable in their human qualities. Ryan's writing style is smooth, his situations, distinct. The timeline runs from the 1960's to the present, and in some there is overlap, characters showing up decades later in surprising ways, so the trajectory of their lives can be followed, in many cases, poignantly. The people in these stories may not always be sympathetic. There are cases of bullying, by children against other children, children against parents, in one memorable instance, a mother against her son's cancer stricken wife. And the resolutions are far from cliched. One of my favorite stories actually made me laugh out loud -- a member of the Chicago mob in the Witsec Program finds himself in a retirement community under a different name, but still recognizes his former self when he looks in the mirror. That actually was the only story that made me laugh. The others made me think.
Each of these 9 stories presents a character recognizable in their human qualities. Ryan's writing style is smooth, his situations, distinct. The timeline runs from the 1960's to the present, and in some there is overlap, characters showing up decades later in surprising ways, so the trajectory of their lives can be followed, in many cases, poignantly. The people in these stories may not always be sympathetic. There are cases of bullying, by children against other children, children against parents, in one memorable instance, a mother against her son's cancer stricken wife. And the resolutions are far from cliched. One of my favorite stories actually made me laugh out loud -- a member of the Chicago mob in the Witsec Program finds himself in a retirement community under a different name, but still recognizes his former self when he looks in the mirror. That actually was the only story that made me laugh. The others made me think.
July 30, 2016
I was a goodreads first reads winner of "The Dream of Astronauts:Stories.This is a book of short stories. Most take place in Florida in and around Cape Canaveral.Most of the stories take place around big historical moments, such as Watergate, In 1969 at the time of the rocket sent up for the moon landing. the Challenger explosion. A teenage boy watched the arrival of his hippie uncle and the slow break up of his parent's marriage. A foster girl lives on a farm around the time of the first moon landing. A teenage girl dreams of being in a Miss America pageant.A boy scout leader is sad to see his own so bully another boy. There are many other stories as well. They span from 1969 up to the early 2000's. Some stories are tragic others humorous. I liked the stories. I liked that some took place around important times in history.
August 9, 2016
An excellent collection of short stories with a common thread of the Space Center at Cape Canaveral in Florida. The characters are all drawn from the lower rungs of success, with failed careers, marriages and relationships, populating the pages, set against headline news events such as the Watergate scandal, and more poignantly, the Challenger disaster.
Ryan's characters are all instantly memorable, despite their seemingly normal existences, due to his incredibly evocative writing style. He picks instantly recognisible traits in people, so you feel you know the characters from the off, meaning the reader is engaged and invested in their stories.
A hugely enjoyable collection of wonderful stories. Highly recommended.
Ryan's characters are all instantly memorable, despite their seemingly normal existences, due to his incredibly evocative writing style. He picks instantly recognisible traits in people, so you feel you know the characters from the off, meaning the reader is engaged and invested in their stories.
A hugely enjoyable collection of wonderful stories. Highly recommended.
August 12, 2016
This was an unusual and entertaining book of short stories. They all take place in the Cape Canaveral area of Florida in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Most deal with dysfunctional families and I enjoyed how some of the same characters would show up in a later story under very different circumstances.
The stories immediately grab your attention. Here are 2 of my favorite opening sentences:
“We never would have laid eyes on Ike if his dad hadn’t gone to sleep on a pair of railroad tracks somewhere in Jacksonville.”
“About a month after Challenger blew up, Wendell Troup told me his wife was trying to poison him.”
I will definitely be on the look-out for more books by Patrick Ryan.
The stories immediately grab your attention. Here are 2 of my favorite opening sentences:
“We never would have laid eyes on Ike if his dad hadn’t gone to sleep on a pair of railroad tracks somewhere in Jacksonville.”
“About a month after Challenger blew up, Wendell Troup told me his wife was trying to poison him.”
I will definitely be on the look-out for more books by Patrick Ryan.
September 2, 2016
Enjoyable collection of short stories that draw the reader in from the start. I like how some of the minor characters return as the main character in later stories, usually taking place years down the road. Nice way of tying some of the stories together. Wonderful description too. Not a collection to read if you want only happy endings, however. But at least they're realistic endings.
February 10, 2021
Such an under read author.
Send Me was one of my favourite books of last year. There was something so captivating and addicting about the writing that just had me hooked on that book. So when I finished it and saw that he had a short story collection out as well, I just knew that I needed to read it.
This collection features much of the same weirdness, real ness and short punchy scenes that Send Me has. It also has a story about Frankie, who is one of the main characters in Send Me and one that I friggen loved. It was so nice to see a little more of him here. While that story dealt with a pretty serious topic, it kept in tune with how Send Me was written, ie that alarming things are going on but everyone continues as if it’s the most normal thing in the world. It’s part of why I enjoy his writing so much.
I think there was only one story in here that I didn’t quite like, but all the others were great. Not a bad thing by any means. It���s super rare for all the stories to be great in an entire collection.
His books are pretty hard to get hold of for me. It took me months to get this one and I’m struggling to get my hands on a copy of Send Me that is in fairly good shape. My copy is in a rather sorry state so I’d like to replace it. But if you do see a copy of either of his books then I urge you to give them a go. To me, they are hidden gems.
Send Me was one of my favourite books of last year. There was something so captivating and addicting about the writing that just had me hooked on that book. So when I finished it and saw that he had a short story collection out as well, I just knew that I needed to read it.
This collection features much of the same weirdness, real ness and short punchy scenes that Send Me has. It also has a story about Frankie, who is one of the main characters in Send Me and one that I friggen loved. It was so nice to see a little more of him here. While that story dealt with a pretty serious topic, it kept in tune with how Send Me was written, ie that alarming things are going on but everyone continues as if it’s the most normal thing in the world. It’s part of why I enjoy his writing so much.
I think there was only one story in here that I didn’t quite like, but all the others were great. Not a bad thing by any means. It���s super rare for all the stories to be great in an entire collection.
His books are pretty hard to get hold of for me. It took me months to get this one and I’m struggling to get my hands on a copy of Send Me that is in fairly good shape. My copy is in a rather sorry state so I’d like to replace it. But if you do see a copy of either of his books then I urge you to give them a go. To me, they are hidden gems.
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November 25, 2022I was telling a friend about some stories I’m in the middle of writing; all set in my hometown of Merritt Island. And she says, have you read *this* book?? And handed it to me. And the wind left my sails.
Each story is straight out of my hometown. Weird people doing weird things earnestly, because it’s all they know. Patrick Ryan is a real storyteller. The one saving grace that I’m glad these stories didn’t have, because mine do and will, is a deep love and expression of the natural landscape, and how that shapes a childhood. Many of these stories are through the lens of a child, and written so well through that lens. But what he did not do, which is so glaringly obvious to me, who grew up in all that brackish water day after day, was develop and express gratitude and love for the landscape and the natural wonders there. four stars.
Each story is straight out of my hometown. Weird people doing weird things earnestly, because it’s all they know. Patrick Ryan is a real storyteller. The one saving grace that I’m glad these stories didn’t have, because mine do and will, is a deep love and expression of the natural landscape, and how that shapes a childhood. Many of these stories are through the lens of a child, and written so well through that lens. But what he did not do, which is so glaringly obvious to me, who grew up in all that brackish water day after day, was develop and express gratitude and love for the landscape and the natural wonders there. four stars.
February 12, 2019
These stories will impress you with their scope, humor and humanity. I felt as if I've stood in line at the market with the characters. The Dream Life of Astronauts was a pleasure all the way through.
August 14, 2021
Patrick Ryan’s stories are closely observed and wander into slightly oddball territory before coming right back and ending with an air of sadness and mystery. They’re unfussy but emotionally rich. The title story is incredible.
March 15, 2017
Fast read. Storytelling that feels like the work of someone who really understands the craft. Many of these stories ruminated on the domino effect of cruelty - how one hurt makes the victim lash out at another. I liked that. My favorites were the title story, which was really clever and suspenseful, and then the last - You need not be present to win, which was the most emotionally resonant.
March 22, 2017
Loved this! Great voices, great humor. Captures a time in America I remember well. I don't typically read short story collections, but I found myself looking forward to each new story. I will say there is a bit of unevenness here--some of the stories were standouts, and one or two were not. But that seems to be par for the course with short story collections. I love humor and pathos in equal measure and this had both.
November 12, 2017
More 4.5. A surprisingly strong collection of lives that never really take off but like the Challenger, are glorious in its mess.
June 24, 2016
Ten years ago I read Patrick Ryan’s extraordinary debut novel “Send Me” which focuses on different members of the Kerrigan family and their individual stories over a number of years. It builds a rounded understanding of how families divide, re-bond, change and grow over time. In his new book of short stories “The Dream Life of Astronauts” two stories include Frankie, a vibrantly original personality and one of the sons from the Kerrigan family. Other members of the family appear as well, but in more periphery roles. The title story shows Frankie in his teenage years when he becomes fixated on a former astronaut (who never actually made it into space) named Clark. A crucial misunderstanding occurs when Frankie is drawn into Clark’s life in a way which is both comical and moving.
Read my full review of The Dream Life of Astronauts by Patrick Ryan on LonesomeReader
Read my full review of The Dream Life of Astronauts by Patrick Ryan on LonesomeReader
January 6, 2017
Really solid collection. Ryan writes well from the POV of the elderly. I liked the second half--beginning with "Fountain of Youth"--more than the first, particularly "Go Fever," "Earth, Mostly," and "You Need Not Be Present to Win."
Some people complained that there weren't enough astronauts in the collection, but I thought there were plenty of astronauts, that it was perfectly adequate on the astronaut front. Perhaps these readers should read a nonfiction book that is actually about astronauts.
Some bits I loved:
"As I combed my hair, I thought about how an affair can turn into a microcosm of whatever you're trying to escape."
"Monopoly, Becca knew from experience, took hours to play and ended in crying."
"Life is fickle, you know? You can be somebody one minute and nobody the next, full of yourself in the morning and empty as a tapped well in the afternoon."
Some people complained that there weren't enough astronauts in the collection, but I thought there were plenty of astronauts, that it was perfectly adequate on the astronaut front. Perhaps these readers should read a nonfiction book that is actually about astronauts.
Some bits I loved:
"As I combed my hair, I thought about how an affair can turn into a microcosm of whatever you're trying to escape."
"Monopoly, Becca knew from experience, took hours to play and ended in crying."
"Life is fickle, you know? You can be somebody one minute and nobody the next, full of yourself in the morning and empty as a tapped well in the afternoon."
January 1, 2017
I made it through the first two stories, which were like a cross between Family (minus cute Kristy McNichol) and Afterschool Specials (minus the absurd humor..."I can fly!"). Completely puzzled by the glowing reviews. It's hard not to get annoyed when this is so pedestrian and my wife, an unknown writer, has so much better material that is undiscovered.
September 16, 2016
I received this book from Goodreads for a review.
I read this book, but I can not say I enjoyed it. The stories were all very dark and they all left me feeling sad. I thought these were astronaut stories, but they are stories that are set in the Cape Canaveral area with some loose ties to NASA.
Maybe other people will enjoy this book, but it is not a good match for me.
I read this book, but I can not say I enjoyed it. The stories were all very dark and they all left me feeling sad. I thought these were astronaut stories, but they are stories that are set in the Cape Canaveral area with some loose ties to NASA.
Maybe other people will enjoy this book, but it is not a good match for me.
August 23, 2016
Some really great short stories, with a real sense of place. I was distracted by how some of them intersected but not all of them. I hope the author writes a novel, there seemed to be larger stories to tell.
August 24, 2016
Stunning stories. Compelling, unique, and beautifully written. Ryan's ability to write from so many diverse points of view blows me away. Besides, I LOVE the title of this collection.
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