To infinity and beyond: 10 books on space that will change how you see the universe

Indian Express

4 hours ago

As India prepares to send Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station, a landmark moment in the country's celestial journey, the spotlight returns to our age-old fascination with the stars. Sixty years after Yuri Gagarin first orbited Earth, and four decades since Rakesh Sharma famously looked down and said 'Saare Jahan Se Achha', the cosmos continues to captivate. From the precision of Chandrayaan-3's lunar touchdown to the pioneering Mars Orbiter Mission, ISRO has joined the ranks of the world's premier space agencies.
If you're inspired by this new chapter in Indian spaceflight—or simply curious about what lies beyond the sky—these seven books blend memoir, science, history, and imagination to launch readers into the extraordinary realms of space exploration.
Why read it: In Beyond, Stephen Walker resurrects a forgotten Soviet morning in April 1961 when a young pilot named Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit the Earth. The masterful narrative reconstructs the 108 minutes that changed history aboard Vostok 1. But this is no dry historical chronicle, it's a cinematic retelling, drawn from declassified Soviet documents and firsthand testimonies, that captures the frantic, secretive race to beat America to space.
From the tension-ridden corridors of Sergei Korolev's covert design bureau to Gagarin's near-fatal re-entry, the book makes for a compelling read. As India eyes its own crewed spaceflights, Gagarin's journey reminds us that sending a human into orbit is as much an act of geopolitical theatre as of scientific courage.
Why read it: In this genre-bending work of narrative science, astrophysicist and folklorist Moiya McTier gives literal voice to the galaxy we call home. Speaking in the first person, the Milky Way narrates its own history with equal parts wit, wisdom, and cosmological clarity. McTier blends frontier astrophysics (black holes, stellar death, dark matter) with global creation myths, inviting the reader into a dialogue between science and storytelling. For Indian readers raised on celestial mythology, from Chandra to Rahu, this book provides a uniquely resonant cosmic perspective.
Why read it: Mars has long fired the human imagination, and planetary scientist Sarah Stewart Johnson brings both rigour and reverence to its study. Interweaving personal memoir with planetary science, Johnson traces humankind's evolving obsession with the Red Planet—from Victorian fantasies of Martian canals to the robotic rovers of today.
A standout feature is her fieldwork in Earth's own Martian analogues, from Antarctica's Dry Valleys to Australia's salt flats, where she hones tools to detect extraterrestrial life. The book is a poetic ode to exploration, perseverance, and scientific hope.
4. The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield
Why read it: Astronaut-turned-author Chris Hadfield's gripping debut is part techno-thriller, part Cold War drama, and all grounded in authentic spaceflight detail. Set in an alternate 1973 where the Apollo 18 mission is secretly revived, The Apollo Murders throws the reader into a taut espionage plot orbiting the Moon. With Soviet saboteurs, rogue satellites, and astronauts navigating both political and physical peril, this is fiction steeped in real astronaut experience. Hadfield captures the claustrophobia of capsule life and the terrifying vastness of lunar space with unflinching precision.
5. A Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman by Lindy Elkins-Tanton
Why read it: What compels a woman to pursue planetary science while navigating trauma, sexism, and self-doubt? Lindy Elkins-Tanton's memoir answers the question with grace. As the principal investigator of NASA's Psyche mission, set to explore a metal-rich asteroid that may unlock secrets of planetary formation, Elkins-Tanton is a scientist of extraordinary achievement. Yet her personal journey, from a childhood of abuse to the male-dominated halls of academia, is just as compelling. Indian readers, especially women in STEM, will find inspiration in her resilience.
6. The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
Why read it: Theoretical physicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein confronts the inequities embedded in modern science, while celebrating the profound beauty of the cosmos. One of the few Black women to earn a PhD in physics, she brings a radical clarity to the politics of knowledge. She moves fluidly from quantum chromodynamics to Star Trek, from the physics of melanin to the injustice of underrepresentation. For Indian readers reckoning with caste, gender, and access in science, Prescod-Weinstein offers both a critique and a vision: a more inclusive future in which everyone owns the night sky.
7. Back to Earth by Nicole Stott
Why read it: Nicole Stott has seen Earth from above—and returned changed. In Back to Earth, the retired NASA astronaut reflects on what orbiting the planet taught her about connection, sustainability, and collective responsibility. This is not a technical memoir but a guide for planetary stewardship, drawn from spaceflight's unique vantage point. Stott explores biodiversity, climate resilience, and the ethics of interdependence. She points out that we are all crewmates on a fragile spaceship called Earth.
8. Space: The India Story by Dinesh C Sharma
As a developing nation once seen as an 'underdog,' India has led the space research race with remarkable frugality and innovation, carving a stellar place in the global space community. This book traces six decades of India's journey in space exploration, from grappling with poverty and hunger to becoming a global leader in space research. Highlighting milestones such as the Chandrayaan-3 mission—which cost half as much as the film Oppenheimer—and the ambitious Gaganyaan mission, the narrative blends science and history. It celebrates the unsung heroes of Indian space research, their trials, and triumphs, making Space a compelling and inspiring account of India's cosmic journey.
9. To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery by Neil deGrasse Tyson and Lindsey Nyx Walker
From the world's most celebrated astrophysicist comes an illustrated, witty, and engaging narrative that explores the universe from the solar system to the farthest reaches of space. Tyson and Walker bring astrophysics down to Earth with humor, blending mythology, history, and pop culture references. Readers journey through space and time, learning about phenomena from the Big Bang to black holes, and exploring the mysteries of the cosmos—such as light's dual nature, black holes, parallel worlds, and time travel. This book is perfect for science enthusiasts and anyone fascinated by the universe's greatest puzzles, combining scientific rigor with an entertaining style.
10.Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach
Known as 'America's funniest science writer' (Washington Post), Mary Roach explores the strange and fascinating realities of living and working in space. This bestseller takes readers on a quirky, entertaining journey into the science behind space travel and life without gravity. From the Space Shuttle training toilet to crash tests of NASA's new space capsule, Roach combines humour and hard science to reveal the weird and wonderful aspects of surviving the void. It's an accessible and highly engaging look at what it really takes to live beyond Earth.