How to Die in Space: A Journey Through Dangerous Astrophysical Phenomena

by Paul Sutter

So you’ve fallen in love with space and now you want to see it for yourself, huh? You want to witness the birth of a star, or visit the black hole at the center of our galaxy? You want to know if there are aliens out there, or how to travel through a wormhole? You want the wonders of the universe revealed before your very eyes?


Well stop, because all that will probably kill you.


From mundane comets in our solar backyard to exotic remnants of the Big Bang, from dying stars to young galaxies, the universe may be beautiful, but it’s treacherous. Through metaphors and straightforward language, it breathes life into astrophysics, unveiling how particles and forces and fields interplay to create the drama in the heavens above us.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Space, Astronomy, Humor, Audiobook, Physics

507 pages, ebook

First published June 2, 2020

About the author

Paul M. Sutter is an astrophysicist and cosmologist.
He has a PhD in physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, and is now a science educator.
In 2017, Sutter received the award for "Best Director" at the Escape Velocity Film Festival for his film Song of the Stars.
His book "How to Die in Space" was released in 2020.

Reviews

[Sumit RK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever been curious about astronomical phenomena like planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galaxies, and comets? Have you wondered if aliens existed or if space travel was possible? Then this book is just right for you. Paul Sutter, the creator of the popular podcast "Ask a Spaceman!" takes you on a journey of the many mysteries of the Universe in How to Die in Space: A Journey Through Dangerous Astrophysical Phenomena

Astrophysicist Sutter takes an interesting approach to explore the universe. The book catalogs the many things that can kill you when you venture into space. . From Black holes, dying stars, solar flares, supernova explosions, gamma-ray bursts, quasars, blazars, pulsars, and cosmic microwave background radiation, this book documents all the dangers of the universe. It even explores purely theoretical ideas such as dark matter, wormholes, and alien life.

Sutter keeps the language uncomplicated, avoids scientific jargon, and keeps the tone humorous to explain the mysteries of the cosmos and the physics behind it. He introduces complex topics but in a way, almost anyone can understand. Sutter simplifies complicated physics and quantum mechanical concepts with utmost ease and interesting examples, so even someone from a non-science background can understand it.

Sutter adopts a conversational lighthearted approach to explaining difficult concepts but at times (not always) it feels excessive. Maybe the chatty, informal tone suits a podcast more than a book. Some concepts are way too advanced to understand even after simplifying. So without a sound knowledge of some basic physics, you may struggle to grasp them.

Overall the book is a refreshing approach to a vast and complex subject. The author presents astronomy with readers without a science background in mind. If you are interested in science and astrophysics, you will enjoy reading this book.

Many thanks to the publisher Pegasus Books and Edelweiss for the ARC.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't need another harsh reminder that I can't just pick out a rock, travel there and build my farm with goats, geese and space tomatoes. Refreshing and easy read nevertheless.

[Clay Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most humorist science book I have read. The author is part stand up comic part Carl Sagan. A lot of gallows humor. There is a typo in the last paragraph, the first sentence on page 43.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this to be a fun and informative book about everything that could kill you in space, good book to calm down any dreams of travel in space haha. Liked that this was a mix of information and a lot of humor but it's not for everyone. Humor in books are often hit or miss

[Aerin]

DNFing at 50%. This guy's humor is NOT working for me, and I'm trying to get better about just quitting books I'm not enjoying, especially when I'm confident they're not going to improve.

[Adam Mirek · Rating 4 out of 5]

jako osoba, która jest tak odległa od tematu kosmosu jak Słońce od Plutona, muszę przyznać, że zaskakująco mocno mnie to zainteresowało. to chyba przez te żarty co trzy zdania i najluźniejsze podejście do tego tematu, z jakim się kiedykolwiek zetknąłem

[Emma Wight · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pros:
-Some funny bits with intereating information, particularly the early and final chapters.

Cons
-The style of humour and extremely repetitive explanations wear out their welcome fast.
-Some stuff was explained several times that's relatively easy to understand, and other more complicated concepts just once. Too many weird metaphors and asides.
-The whole thing read as more of a list of different things in space that can kill you, but the mechanisms by which they do are in little to no detail. I was more interested in the crossover of biology and astrophysics but got almost nothing out of it for that.

[Matthew Ochal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Im sorry Paul, but i found this book so utterly tedious. Maybe im just not interested in space. Maybe its his style. But i dont even remember what i read. Eurgh what a pity

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

as pretentious as it sounds there wasn’t much in this book i wasn’t already familiar with—this is definitely a book for people who have no prior knowledge of astronomy or physics. i had to put the book down when alice and bob were introduced because i had war flashbacks from the physics class i just finished.

for a book about ways to die in space, the majority of it was just three to five page sections explaining what a thing was and how it does stuff followed by one paragraph explaining why you would die with some oddly timed humor thrown in. i’m spoiling it for you now—at least once per chapter there is something he mentions and then immediately says “don’t worry, i’ll get to that later.”

speaking of chapters, i felt the order of them was off. or that he spent too much time focusing on topics that didn’t really need much explanation.

that said, if you know nothing about astronomy, this book is probably fine for you. to me it just felt like regurgitated information from an astro class i took.

[Raechel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took me SO LONG to slog through. It's an interesting topic, which is what kept me reading, but the author's writing style gets a little annoying after a while. I don't mind the humorous approach, but sometimes the examples used or the little snarky quips grated on my nerves.

There's also a surprisingly large amount of typos, especially in the second half of the book. It made me wonder if the editor was also getting tired of reading this. I was also pretty let down by the aliens chapter. I was really looking forward to it and expected more.

If you're really into science and space, it's a good read. But I found myself just reading it in short bursts before finally making myself power through the last 100 pages today.

[Joe Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great intro level book on the wonders of the Universe! He introduces difficult topics but in a way almost anyone can understand. Using humor and without bogging you down in the math. Rekindle that childlike awe when you first looked up at the night sky and wondered what you were seeing.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

I slogged through this book. Filled with repetitive, gradually unfunny humor and annoying metaphors, I just wanted it to be over already. Granted, I knew a lot of the information in the first place, but even then I was tired of the way everything was presented. This book felt like it could’ve been cut down by a fourth and kept the same information. I was considering DNFing but I just powered through as much as I could.

The information itself is fine (if not presented in a not very entertaining way), but if you’re expecting a more biology focused book regarding dying in space, that is not at all what this book is. It’s more about the things in space that have the ability to harm/kill you. 2 stars.

[Daniel Farabaugh · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book suffered from the fact that the author wrote it like he was preparing science based comedy for an upcoming set on stage. It was distracting and took away from the interesting science. From the poems at the beginning of the chapters, that I can only assume the author penned, to the end this book frustrated me.

[Allyn Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paul Sutter does a podcast or two that I enjoy, so I had an idea what to expect. He is a science communicator that likes to take a jokey approach to explaining difficult concepts without using much maths. That format works well for a 20 minute podcast, but at times I found it a bit grating for a longer read. I listened to the audiobook, read by the author himself. He does a good job of reading it as you would expect.
It took me longer than expected to read this for a couple of reasons:
1 - The jokey style I mentioned above led me to read this in short bursts of maybe 30 minutes or less.
2 - There's some tricky concepts being explained - sometimes with weird contradictions. You really do need to concentrate so this does not lend itself to a casual listen whilst cooking. I think maybe a paper copy would have worked better, though I do enjoy his narrative style.

[Sebastian Gebski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable book on astrophysics.

The humor (omnipresent) is rather crude and unsophisticated, but it doesn't cross the line (of 'cringiness'). Apart from that, I have a single major problem with "How to die ..." - I've expected something more ... practical. Like a "Martian" but w/o a fictional plot. E.g. - let's consider the potential development of technology within 30 years - what will be the obstacles, constraints, what may work, what may not, etc.

"How to die ..." is something entirely different. It doesn't try to speculate, tinker, or experiment. It describes the universe as we know it from books - in a macroscale: nebulae, quasars, supernovae, etc. It still IS fascinating, but: you can find that content in many other books and well - quite soon it becomes very abstract.

It was fun, but not the Carl Sagan fun :) Or the Andy Weir fun :)

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best non-fiction book I have read in a long time! I could not put it down. Paul Sutter is an excellent teacher and author. His sense of humor rescues what could be dry hard science and keeps it fun.

I always wanted to go to outer space. Mr. Sutter might have just discouraged me with his many ways to die.

I highly recommend the Audible version as his voice is so expressive and full of fun. This might be a legit class, and this its textbook. It is a class I would have wanted to take over and over. Maybe eventually, I'd get an A. If not, I still would have loved the education that sunk in.

[Zoe Croman · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s like Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy but with real science!

A super fun way to get a nice grounding (ha! get it?) in astrophysics, from our own solar system to the event horizon edge of black holes.

A fun and very humorous writing style that for the most part is easy to understand as long as you keep a good dictionary handy.

[Robert McCabe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Annoyingly informal and nonsensical toward the end.

[Steve Nolan · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you were looking for, "what if Neil DeGrasse Tyson, but more annoying?" have I got the book for you!

[Bence Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roppant szórakoztató és informatív könyv az űrben ránk leselkedő potenciális veszélyforrásokról a planetáris nebuláktól az ellenséges idegen civilizációkig

[ALEXXX · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ciekawe, ale dziwnie napisane

[T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

In his generalist guide to astrophysics framed as an earnest warning to would-be star-farers, Sutter dispels naive dreams of human space exploration, with slightly dark humor and mostly clear explanations. Even if we sailed further into our solar system, let alone out of it, cosmic threats abound. Cherish the Earth, because this is likely all we are going to get. Readers who like scientific discussion with occasional irreverence should check it out.

[David Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

“How To Die In Space: A Journey Through Dangerous Astrophysical Phenomena” by Dr. Paul Sutter is an astonishingly joyful journey through the astronomical wonders of spacetime. As an avid follower of astronomy, I opened the book with excitement and found myself blown away by Dr. Sutter’s offerings. Covering a detailed, broad range from the life cycle of stars to fascinating topics like dark matter and supermassive black holes, this book, funny enough, ignites an eagerness to explore the universe and its deathly beauties. Whether you’re a science connoisseur or simply have a curious mind, Dr. Sutter’s mix of humor and expertise guides readers in an engaging adventure through space. Good for those with a basic understanding of astrophysics, I would recommend this book for anyone interested about the cosmos and its captivating mysteries.

[Ryan Laferney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be highly enjoyable, humorous and approachable. Paul Sutter is great guide when your traversing the universe and trying to avoid dangerous astrophysical phenomena. Check this book out!

[Wojciech · Rating 2 out of 5]

Książka zapowiada fascynującą podróż przez najbardziej niebezpieczne zakątki Wszechświata. Brzmi jak gotowy materiał na thriller science fiction? Teoretycznie – tak. W praktyce jednak narracja bywa nużąca, a język nie trafia w żadną konkretną grupę odbiorców: dla laików jest zbyt techniczny, dla bardziej zaawansowanych – zbyt uproszczony.
Choć opisywane zjawiska są groźne i spektakularne, autor przedstawia je w sposób suchy, pozbawiony pasji i dramaturgii. W efekcie lektura przypomina momentami podręcznik akademicki – niestety, pozbawiony zarówno przejrzystości, jak i logicznej struktury, które są atutami dobrych opracowań naukowych.
Na plus można zaliczyć próby wprowadzenia humorystycznych akcentów i ciekawostek, które miały rozluźnić trudną tematykę. Niestety, nie zawsze są one trafione – często balansują na granicy banału, przez co wypadają sztucznie.
Podsumowując: książka ma potencjał, ale nie wykorzystuje go w pełni. Dla pasjonatów astrofizyki może okazać się rozczarowaniem, a dla początkujących – zbyt wymagającym i nie do końca przystępnym wprowadzeniem do tematu.

[jedioffsidetrap]

Incredibly irritating. The author can’t go two paragraphs without some forced folksy phrase or awkward Everyman metaphor. His voice is that of the brilliant kid in school who just wants to be cool instead. Like a hipster Neil deGrasse Tyson. But hIs limp attempts at humor & at “enlivening” science just come off as condescending. Really, you don’t have to speak like a snarky teenager. We picked up a book on astrophysics— we can handle it. Geez... so irritating. Unreadable.

One star because it exists as a book. And books are awesome. Even though this one sucks. Wow, I gotta let this go & move on...

[David Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

To me the balance of the subject of the book with the approach of the author felt off. I really enjoyed the information the book imparted, but the attempted humor by Sutter was way over the top. It ends up taking serious topics and making them silly in a way that was off-putting for me. It's a style that might work for a book about the science of every day life or something like that, but here felt off. The idea of taking complicated astrophysics phenomena and attempting to put them into layman's terms is great, but shouldn't require zany humor.

[Ryanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I would enjoy this book because I really love space but this book made me feel like I read nothing. I really tried with this book but the explanations which tried to be simple ended up just being so simple to the point of repetition and ended up never being fully explained. I felt like it was too dumbed down to the point where reading became excruciating.

Here is an excerpt of pretty much how the whole book went:

“So one day you’re doing your sky-reading thing. Moon? Crescent. Venus? Visible. Blazing new star it can be seen during the day? Check.”

[Donna Luu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't really like the tone of the book (jaunty while trying to explain astrophysics), but the topics were interesting and written in a way I could mostly understand.

[Cav · Rating 3 out of 5]

"You’re not going to make it in space.
I said, no.
Look, just because you’re a child of Mother Nature, it doesn’t mean she has to love you.
She can pull you below an event horizon, never to be seen by a living soul again. She can slam a mountain into you at ten thousand miles per hour, smashing you into dust. She can bore you to death, forcing you to spend eon after endless eon just to hop to the next star system. She can even microwave you. Literally cook you with microwaves. She can dose you with so much radiation that if you’re supremely lucky you’ll only get aggressive cancer. She can … you get the idea.
Space is nasty..."

How to Die in Space was an interesting, albeit unorthodox science-driven look into astronomy and astrophysics. The author opens with the quote above, setting the tone for the rest of the book.

Author Paul M. Sutter is a research professor at Stony Brook University and a guest researcher at the Flatiron Institute in New York City. He is the author of Your Place in the Universe: Understanding Our Big, Messy Existence and the host of the "Ask a Spaceman" podcast.

Paul M. Sutter:



Author Paul Sutter writes with a somewhat quirky and unusual style here. He intersplices his writing with many overt, as well as tongue-in-cheek bits of humour, kooky commentatry, and other assorted unconventional narrative devices. This style tread dangerously close to thoroughly irritating the shit out of me. Fortunately, he managed to just pull it off, and it somewhat worked here. A rare and elusive talent that many authors attempt, but few succeed in acheiving.
Although I felt that he mostly managed to pull off this quirky style here; I have to admit that as the book went on, it began to grate on me more and more...

I'm guessing he wrote this way in an attempt to bring the scientific content of this book to the layperson in a relatable fashion, so I'll grant him some leeway in this case, as any attempt(s) to make science more accessible is a noble endeavor, IMHO.

The writing in How to Die in Space also features many interesting factoids throughout. Sutter relates many complex ideas and technical details to the reader in an engaging manner that will likely be suitable even to the scientifically illiterate layperson. Good, effective communication.

The audiobook version I have was read by the author; which is always a nice touch.

The formatting of the book was also well done. The subject matter talked about in the book is broken into 4 broad-based parts; across 17 chapters. They are:
* The Vacuum
* Asteroids and Comets
* Solar Flares and Coronal Mass Ejections
* Cosmic Rays
* Stellar Nurseries
* Stellar-Mass Black Holes
* Planetary Nebulae
* White Dwarves and Novae
* Supernovae
* Neutron Stars and Magnetars
* Supermassive Black Holes
* Quasars and Blazars
* Cosmic Strings and Miscellaneous Spacetime Defects
* Dark Matter
* Hostile Aliens
* Wormholes
* A Final Warning



*****************

How to Die in Space was an interesting look into the topics presented. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts from the author, I found some of this writing a little over-done, long-winded, and tedious at times. His usage of quirky narrative tools was somewhat tolerable at first; but as the book progressed, I found this unorthodox style wearing out its welcome and becoming increasingly grating, overused, and downright annoying.
Although the author likely spent a lot of effort trying to make his writing interesting and engaging, there was something about his style here that did not resonate with me as well as it could have. Most likely a subjective thing, so don't let this dissuade you if this book is on your list.
3.5 stars.