David Baron examines humanity’s enduring preoccupation with the red planet in The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze That Captured Turn-of-the-Century America. In this engrossing narrative, Baron looks back at Percival Lowell (1855-1916), an astronomer who believed some form of intelligent life had constructed canals on Mars. Lowell’s theories became widespread and helped make the concept of Martians mainstream, giving rise to a planetary obsession that penetrated popular culture. Baron delivers an irresistible survey of this history that offers abundant talking points such as mythmaking, the power of science and the nature of logic and reason.
In Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space, Adam Higginbotham provides an in-depth look at the 1986 tragedy that killed seven astronauts. When the space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff, the catastrophe was televised, and viewers across America watched the event unfold in real time. Drawing on extensive research and interviews, Higginbotham documents a calamity that deeply affected the nation. He recounts the Challenger’s development while focusing on its seven crew members, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe, and explores the controversies surrounding the explosion and the whistleblowers who were ignored. One of BookPage’s top 10 books of 2024, Challenger is a must-read.
Meredith Bagby’s The New Guys: The Historic Class of Astronauts That Broke Barriers and Changed the Face of Space Travel tells the remarkable story of NASA’s milestone Astronaut Class 8 of 1978, which included the first people of color and the first women to journey into space. The group’s time at NASA coincided with the introduction of the space shuttle and other shifts in spaceflight—changes they helped to facilitate. Bagby’s detailed narrative tracks the personal journeys of the astronauts in a tale of innovation and adventure. Themes of diversity, gender and identity will inspire rich discussion among readers.
Garrett M. Graff chronicles America’s quest to discover extraterrestrial life-forms in UFO: The Inside Story of the US Government’s Search for Alien Life Here―and Out There. Skillfully synthesizing several decades of history, Graff presents a fascinating account of flying saucer sightings, the evolution of government programs that address potential hazards from the skies, and the ways in which the Cold War shaped the government’s mentality toward space exploration. In crafting the book, Graff made use of formerly classified materials and archival documents, and the result is a brisk, intriguing narrative that space buffs will savor.