Alan Smale – författare

HAVE YOU READ ONE OF THE BEST SF BOOKS OF 2022?"A nail-biting thriller."−Publishers Weekly"I loved it. Great 'hard' science fiction with convincing space battles. "−Larry Niven"Will delight and enthrall."−Library Journal"A provocative science fiction novel."−Foreword Reviews“A superb mind-expanding sci-fi novel!”−Grady Harp (Amazon Hall of Fame Top100 Reviewer)From the two-time Sidewise Award-winningauthor of the acclaimed Clash of Eagles trilogycomes an alternate 1979 where the US and the Soviets have permanent Moon bases, orbiting space stations, and crewed spy satellites supported by frequent rocket launches.Apollo 32, commanded by career astronaut Vivian Carter, docks at NASA's Columbia space station en route to its main mission: exploring the volcanic Marius Hills region of the Moon. Vivian is caught in the crossfire as four Soviet Soyuz craft appear without warning to assault the orbiting station. In an unplanned and desperate move, Vivian spacewalks through hard vacuum back to her Lunar Module and crew and escapes right before the station falls into Soviet hands.Their original mission scrubbed, Vivian and her crew are redirected to land at Hadley Base, a NASA scientific outpost with a crew of eighteen. But soon Hadley, too, will come under Soviet attack, forcing its unarmed astronauts to daring acts of ingenuity and improvisation.With multiple viewpoints, shifting from American to Soviet perspective, from occupied space station to American Moon base under siege, to a covert and blistering US Air Force military response, Hot Moon tells the gripping story of a war in space that very nearly might have been.

"I loved it. Great 'hard' science fiction with convincing space battles. "−Larry Niven, Grand Master (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association) and author of RingworldTwo-time Sidewise Award-winning author, Alan Smale, brings us an exciting alternate 1979 where the US and the Soviets have permanent Moon bases, orbiting space stations, and crewed spy satellites supported by frequent rocket launches.Apollo32, commanded by career astronaut Vivian Carter, docks at NASA's Columbia space station en route to its main mission: exploring the volcanic Marius Hills region of the Moon. Vivian is caught in the crossfire as four Soviet Soyuzcraft appear without warning to assault the orbiting station. In an unplanned and desperate move, Vivian spacewalks through hard vacuum back to her Lunar Module and crew and escapes right before the station falls into Soviet hands.Their original mission scrubbed, Vivian and her crew are redirected to land at Hadley Base, a NASA scientific outpost with a crew of eighteen. But soon Hadley, too, will come under Soviet attack, forcing its unarmed astronauts to daring acts of ingenuity and improvisation.With multiple viewpoints, shifting from American to Soviet perspective, from occupied space station to American Moon base under siege, to a covert and blistering US Air Force military response, Hot Moon tells the gripping story of a war in space that very nearly might have been.

This is the much-anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed Hot Moon (“A nail-biting thriller”—Publishers Weekly) by two-time Sidewise Award-winning author Alan Smale.Vivan Carter, the electrifying hero from Hot Moon, returns to lead a lunar geological survey team comprised of both Americans and Soviets. Their journey takes them across the harsh and barren lunar surface as they chart the moon and collect samples for this grueling mission. It is dangerous enough, but the stakes become much higher when an ambush threatens the entire mission.The crew must navigate a treacherous path where survival requires ingenuity, courage, and an uneasy alliance with their Soviet counterparts. As the stakes grow higher, the mission becomes a test of skill, endurance, and trust in an era defined by suspicion and rivalry.Dive into an electrifying alternate history where space rivalry takes center stage. Radiant Sky is a thrilling continuation of the highly acclaimed hard science fiction novel that will captivate fans of NASA fiction books, near-future adventures, and hard science fiction series. Set in a meticulously crafted world where the Cold War extends far beyond Earth's atmosphere, humanity's reach into space creates a new frontier of tension and exploration.With breathtaking accuracy from a retired NASA director and an immersive look at the untold stories of space rivalry, Radiant Sky brings hard science fiction alive, capturing the imagination and the thrill of space exploration. Prepare for a pulse-pounding experience that redefines what it means to venture into the unknown.ACCLAIM FOR THE SERIES“Smale’s latest will delight and enthrall.”—Library Journal  *starred review*“A nail-biting thriller set in a plausible alternate 1979.”—Publishers Weekly“Hot Moon is a provocative science fiction novel set in an alternative but plausible reality. It follows a war in space with original, imaginative flourishes.”—Foreword“I loved it. Great ‘hard’ science fiction with convincing space battles.”—Larry Niven“Alan Smale is one of the brightest stars in the hard-SF firmament, and Hot Moon is his best novel yet. ”—Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author“Intriguing, adrenaline-fueled, and engaging, author Alan Smale’s Hot Moon is the perfect sci-fi meets political thriller.”—Anthony Avina’s Blog“A frightening glimpse into what the future may hold. This unforgettable journey takes readers to the very edge of reality, and possibly, our future.”—Mostly Mysteries’ and Other Books Too

On July 4, 1983, Vivian Carter and her NASA crew of seven set off on an audacious double flyby of Venus and Mars, a two-year mission with repurposed Apollo technology that will push their ingenuity and resourcefulness to the limit. Meanwhile, superpower conflicts escalate on Earth, mirrored by a dangerously unstable arms race and battles for valuable mineral resources on the Moon. Full-up lunar military actions and treacherous sneak attacks decimate Vivian’s friends, allies and colleagues on both sides of the Iron Curtain and threaten everything she has worked to achieve.Vivian’s odyssey is a high adventure that will bring mankind new knowledge and unimagined insights … just as the risk of worldwide nuclear war has never been greater. Now, on her triumphant return in 1985, Vivian Carter’s path inevitably brings her back to where she began: a desperate rescue mission with no NASA support and no safety net, to a dangerous, war-torn Moon where she will be hard pressed to tell friend from foe.In the concluding volume of Alan Smale’s highly acclaimed Apollo Rising series ("A nail-biting thriller."−Publishers Weekly) humanity faces a stark choice: a bright new interplanetary future … or nuclear apocalypse on two worlds.

Perfect for fans of military and historical fiction - including novels by such authors as Bernard Cornwell, Naomi Novik, and Harry Turtledove - this stunning work of alternate history imagines a world in which the Roman Empire has not fallen and the North American continent has just been discovered. In the year 1218 AD, transported by Norse longboats, a Roman legion crosses the great ocean, enters an endless wilderness, and faces a cataclysmic clash of warriors, worlds, and gods. Ever hungry for land and gold, the Emperor has sent Praetor Gaius Marcellinus and the 33rd Roman Legion into the newly discovered lands of North America. Marcellinus and his men expect easy victory over the native inhabitants, but on the shores of a vast river the Legion clashes with a unique civilization armed with weapons and strategies no Roman has ever imagined. Forced to watch his vaunted force massacred by a surprisingly tenacious enemy, Marcellinus is spared by his captors and kept alive for his military knowledge. As he recovers and learns more about these proud people, he can't help but be drawn into their society, forming an uneasy friendship with the denizens of the city-state of Cahokia.But threats - both Roman and Native - promise to assail his newfound kin, and Marcellinus will struggle to keep the peace while the rest of the continent surges toward certain conflict.

In AD 1218, Praetor Gaius Marcellinus was ordered to conquer Nova Hesperia and make it a Roman province. But outside the walls of the great city of Cahokia, his legion was destroyed. Accepted by his captors, Marcellinus vowed to fight with them against all enemies, Roman or native.After successfully repelling an invasion by the fearsome Iroqua tribes, the Cahokians are weakened, and Marcellinus knows that the divided people of Nova Hesperia will be unable to resist the might of Rome. But rival factions threaten to tear Cahokia apart, and the empire he once served will not give up its dream of conquest. Even as Marcellinus struggles to unite his new comrades, a new legion is preparing to set sail...

The award-winning author of Clash of Eagles and Eagle in Exile concludes his masterly alternate-history saga of the Roman invasion of North America in this stunning novel. Praetor Gaius Marcellinus came to North America as a conqueror, but after meeting with defeat at the hands of the city-state of Cahokia, he has had to forge a new destiny in this strange land. A decade since his arrival, an unstable peace exists between the invading Romans and a loose affiliation of Native American tribes known as the League. But invaders from the west threaten that peace, plunging the continent into war: The Mongol Horde has arrived.Marcellinus and his Cahokian friends must summon allies both great and small in preparation for a final showdown. Alliances will shift and foes will rise as the dramatic final battle for the future of the continent comes ever closer.