KINGS OF INFINITE SPACE

The title and cover art of the 1967 Curtis paperback version of British author Nigel Balchin's novel KINGS OF INFINITE SPACE is, to say the very least, misleading. The pulp science fiction art displayed on the cover would, naturally, make a potential reader believe that he or she was in for a rousing tale of interplanetary action and adventure with Fireball XL-5 style rocket ships being launched from massive space cannons while a Death Star like satellite (10 years before STAR WARS) lurks in the background. You would think, oh, space opera. And you would be wrong.

KINGS OF INFINITE SPACE is actually, believe it or not, a story that takes place in the very near future (as of 1967) and instead of interplanetary derring-do, the narrative focuses on America's NASA space program in the time immediately after the first successful lunar landing mission of Apollo 11 in 1969. NASA has decided to send a four man crew on the next moon mission and the fourth crew member is to be a foreign scientist of some sort. There's also a planned deep space mission, also involving a four person crew and a foreign observer to take place shortly after the moon mission. This mission is for an Apollo like capsule to travel a certain distance beyond the moon before turning back to the Earth. All of this is in preparation for an eventual manned voyage to Mars.

The story is narrated by Dr. Frank Lewis, a British doctor who specializes in analyzing the effects of prolonged fatigue and stress on the human body. He gets the call to join NASA as a  potential fourth crew member on one of the two missions. He's ultimately selected for the deep space journey and begins extensive and exhaustive training.

The trouble is, Lewis is a coward, paralyzed with fear about making the voyage. However, he's determined to overcome his own demons and make the trip no matter what. But as I turned the pages and realized that the end of the book was fast approaching, I began to wonder just if and when this mission was actually going to take place and whether or not Frank would be on board. SPOILER: a last minute automobile accident sidelines Frank from going on the trip and he never has to face his fear of space travel. A French physicist is substituted in his place and the mission goes off as planned.

Despite being a British writer, Balchin brings a great deal of insight and knowledge about the inner workings of NASA into play in this engaging and compelling drama. The relationships of the astronauts, the scientific observers, the mission and flight control personnel, the astronauts wives and girl friends, the nightlife in Clear Lake and Houston, the hyper life style and endless training is all brought to vivid and realistic life. At times, KINGS reminded me of the works of Martin Caidin.

I bought the paperback pictured above for a buck at a library book sale. I thought I was getting one thing and ended up getting something else entirely, but nevertheless, extremely satisfying. Don't let that sensationalistic cover fool you. KINGS OF INFINITE SPACE is a solid, well-crafted examination of the men and women involved in a crucial moment in the history of space exploration. Thumbs up.