First published 1986
When the Soviet Union launches an enormous space station in the late 1980s, America scrambles to catch up. The protagonist finds himself swept into a national crash program designed to leapfrog Soviet achievements in orbit. By 2010, the American response has not only succeeded beyond all expectations but has triggered an economic revolution back on Earth. The space race transforms from Cold War competition into humanity's greatest leap forward. What began as desperate rivalry becomes the foundation for an entirely new chapter in human civilization. The story captures how individual ambition and national pride can propel our species toward destinations once thought impossible.
Genres: science-fiction, 20th-century, adventure, action, 21st-century, alternate-history
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: impossible-achievements, individual-ambition, national-pride
Setting: Soviet Union, America
Period: 1980s, 2010
409 pages · Hardcover · Baen