1977.
THE SPACE RACE IS FAR FROM OVER.
Ziggy Da Luca is a linguist recruited by NASA for reasons she can’t quite fathom. After seeing the video they’ve intercepted, it becomes clear her work is far more central to their plans than she realised.
Sent to the moon to investigate a hatch discovered by the Russians, Ziggy faces challenges she’s never trained for. Seen by some as a liability, she must contend with her own crew as well as the Russian cosmonauts, as everyone races to uncover the hatch’s mystery.
What she finds there is beyond anything she could imagine. The future of humankind could be changed for ever. The only question is whether she’ll make it home to tell her story.
An alternative history set during the heyday of the space race. Combining cerebral science fiction with popular history, this is a remarkable examination of empathy and what it means to be human.
Here’s what people have to say about Celestial:
‘A cracking story, with great characters, great writing, and (obviously!) a great setting’ Netgalley reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
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Reviews
Enter a brilliantly conceived extraterrestial wonderland . . . Celestial is a visionary escapade redolant of Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama
Fast-paced, exciting and full of mystery, this lunar-based novel explores deep questions regarding religion, meaning, and the nature of reality itself
I loved Celestial . . . addictively readable: good central mystery, cleverly extended; well-drawn characters, a brisk exciting narration . . . taut and tense and absorbing all the way through
For a science fiction reader looking for a modern feeling novel, but with a nod to some classic sci fi pondering, Celestial is a book that will scratch that itch
A first-contact story with more than just a cold war twist . . . all plot threads are pulled together to a satisfying and enlightening conclusion
A story that is not what you expect, nor one you can you predict
A refreshing change from the usual macho adventure story, one more about inner than outer space