Red Sky

Mikes novel is an exciting page turner. His descriptions are wonderful, especially the Shuttle flight experience from sun rises to functioning in 0 gravity or in the space suits of this era. All of which is told via an exciting novel about love and war. I would love to see it as a movie.

Of all the different types of sci-fi and sci-fantasy that I read, this is my favorite kind. I love sci-fi set in the near future about space exploration and first contact with new worlds. I love rockets and space shuttles and astronauts in environmental suits. This book has the realistic sci-fi elements I love plus suspense, espionage, sex, and romance. Red Sky is primarily a space adventure. Modern day American astronauts are sent on a secret mission to investigate a Soviet communications platform that may be housing a "star wars" type weapon. This weapon was designed to end the cold war, and it will if the Americans don't get to it first. Red Sky is full of drama as we look behind the scenes into the lives of the astronauts and the motivation that drives them to go higher and faster without perceptible fear. We spend time with the team that supports them as well as those that command them. Mullane, a former astronaut, creates a very complete and credible picture of NASA. He also lets us see inside the break-up of the Soviet Union. Or at least, one possible reason behind the break-up, the internal scheming, the plotting, the willingness to do anything for power. Mullane has a good story based on a solid premise. He writes as if he lived this story, he is comfortable, he knows his business. (I love the fight in space with screwdrivers and wrenches rather than laser weapons...too cool and probably more realistic.) I even starting getting into the characters that I did not really like. I wanted them to change and grow. I still want to know these people. I wish Mullane would continue to write and populate his new books with some of these characters say 10, 20, 30 years into the future. Can Mark continue to be a hero in a desk job? Did Judy learn to live her own life? Did Bob and Anna find a way to be together? Did Mason see new patterns in the sky, an extraterrestrial thing? And did Maksimov agree to create something for the US? Tell us Mullane. Give us another book. Sex is very explicit in the context of these complex, adult relationships. Lots of beer drinking, some violence. I highly recommend this book for the mature reader.

Red Sky is a quite interesting and plausible thriller set during the Cold War. Mr. Mullane, a retired astronaut, shows quite a bit of writing savvy and his deep technical knowledge shines through the novel without overpowering it. I found the book a genuine page-turner, and I highly recommend it. Readers should note that this is a novel for adults. It contains realistic adult relationships, including sexual situations.