Astronaut Vitale
About
What we modified an astronaut's DNA to withstand space?
Short and fiery Jade Vitale doesn’t want to give up her job as full-time astronaut, in a near future where the human race has finally begun colonizing the solar system. So when Vitale discovers that she’s absorbed too much radiation to continue her job, she volunteers for an experimental mission that will never let her return to Earth again.
That turns out to be an attempt to genetically alter human DNA to be able to better stand the rigors of space, including scaly skin that embodies its own radiation-eating bacteria. It's a pleasant side effect that the process also activates long-dormant telepathic abilities in her and her team. Little do any of this team know, that Vitale has been in psychic communication with an alien race since childhood, who have been long grooming her for this exact moment, claiming that humanity has already been through this development process in the distant past to disastrous failure.
The thrilling adventure that results will be loved by fans of traditional space operas, as well as those who enjoy thought-provoking looks at humanity’s past and possible future. Are octopus actually a simpler form of an all-knowing alien race? Is the Bigfoot myth actually stolen glimpses of a competing alien race that’s been charged with monitoring the dangerous humans? And most importantly, will Vitale ever find a haircut that goes well with her new skin?
Find out all the answers in The Great Experiment, Part 1 of the sweeping saga of Astronaut Vitale, as she ushers the rest of us into the next great step in human evolution.
A lot of fun, and a real page-turner! I enjoyed it very much. The hero is engaging and easy to empathize with, and the villain and supporting cast have enough depth to flesh out the story. The science is satisfying to my years of work in support of NASA's manned spaceflight and my lifelong love of hard science fiction. Recommended! Douglas A. Kelly, PhD
Praise for this book
A lot of fun, and a real page-turner! I enjoyed it very much. The hero is engaging and easy to empathize with, and the villain and supporting cast have enough depth to flesh out the story. The science is satisfying to my years of work in support of NASA's manned spaceflight and my lifelong love of hard science fiction. Recommended!
Astronaut Vitale envisions a future where long-term space exploration becomes possible by transcending human biology. A select few, chosen for their potential and altered at the cellular level, are transformed into something no longer entirely human and launched on a mission to establish colonies beyond Earth—or at least try.
Tense, thought-provoking, and laced with dark humor, this novel explores evolution in every sense of the word. It asks a timely and unsettling question: ‘Where do we go next?’—both literally and metaphorically -–
A fanciful yet realistic look at how humanity's colonization of the solar system might one day proceed; or at least, if it happened to involve ancient aliens who look like octopus, humans growing radiation-eating reptile skin, and the Abominable Snowman not only being real but our spacefaring cousin. A rollicking yet plausible thriller, sure to be loved by fans of 'The Expanse' and the wry wit of 'Firefly.'"