The Last Astronaut, by David Wellington

Horror writer David Wellington, veteran of zombie novels, has turned to sci-fi in The Last Astronaut.  He proves himself to be quite comfortable in this new genre.  The last astronaut is Sally Jansen whose ill-fated mission basically ended the US space program.  Now, years later, an alien object seems to be navigating toward earth, and Jansen is called on to lead a mission to intercept it.

I have to admit my bias--this is my favorite sci-fi genre: first contact, alien object.  It reminded me a little of Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama, although it's been decades since I read that one.  Jansen and crew arrive at the object only to discover that a private space mission has beat them to it, and the crew is nowhere to be found.  Jansens crew enters the object to track down the other crew. 

When it turns out that the object isn't a space ship, but an organic, living being, the story really gets interesting.  Like viral microbes inside an animal, the human crew has to figure out how to communicate with the being, prevent it from crashing into the earth, and stay alive inside the alien environment.

The Last Astronaut took some unexpected turns and had some pleasant surprises.  As you might expect, not everyone will survive this adventure, but survival looks different from what you do expect.  Far be it from me to compare Wellington to Clarke; I don't imply that he can measure up.  But hey, that's Clarke, who does?  Wellington does hold his own and writes a good story that fits well in the adventure sci-fi/horror genre.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!