Astronaut Chris Hadfield draws from real-life space thrills in debut novel
Posted February 9, 2021 7:13 am.
Last Updated February 10, 2021 6:54 am.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield’s next literary adventure is set in the far-off world of science fiction.
The 61-year-old from Ontario, best known for his viral rendition of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” while commanding the International Space Station, has now penned a space thriller called “The Apollo Murders.”
Random House Canada says the story centres on a NASA crew racing against their Soviet rivals to reach the far side of the moon, but someone on-board the Apollo module has “murder on the mind.”
Speaking to NEWS 1130, Hadfield explained why he wanted to delve into the world of sci-fi.
“Science fiction is kind of, like how a little kid sees the world, right? It’s this blend of what already exists and what might exist. And I think we need that type of visualization on the edge of reality, in order to help push ourselves into what we really need to solve the problems of the future,” explains Hadfield.
Listen to the full interview with NEWS 1130’s Kurtis Doering and Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield:
The thriller will be rooted in the “little-known reality” of the Cold War-era space race and will feature characters both real and imagined.
The well-accomplished Hadfield, who has also worked as a pilot, engineer, and musician, says the goal of his new book is to give readers a practical sense of what life in space is like; A subject he knows well.
“So that they can really get a sense of what it would be like for them there,” says Hadfield. “How they would face the various challenges? How they deal with the imperfections? And then what it would change about them and do to them as a person? It’s hard to do that in a purely factual way, we almost need to tell an entire story.”
The book hasn’t even been released yet but Hadfield says he’s already thinking about a sequel.
The former commander of the International Space Station already has a proven track record as a bestselling author, with previous titles including “An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth,” “You Are Here” and the children’s book “The Darkest Dark.”
“The Apollo Murders” is scheduled to hit shelves on Oct. 12.
A new book! THE APOLLO MURDERS. It's a thriller, set in space. You can pre-order here: https://t.co/QIUx9Oyu2q pic.twitter.com/qAUV1sVwpr
— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) February 9, 2021
-With files from The Canadian Press
