Spaceman of Bohemia

Shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award 2018 ‘With its interplanetary shenanigans and lessons in Czech history, this zany satirical debut is bursting at the seams… Spaceman of Bohemia should win many fans. It’s Solaris with laughs.’ – The Guardian Set in the near-distant future, Spaceman follows a Czech astronaut as he launches into space to investigate a mysterious dust cloud covering Venus, a suicide mission sponsored by a proud nation. Suddenly a world celebrity, Jakub's marriage starts to fail as the weeks go by, and his sanity comes into question. After his mission is derailed he must make a violent decision that will force him to come to terms with his family's dark political past. Ranging from daring space epic to fast-paced thriller, this is a startlingly talented debut from a bold new voice in science fiction. Packed full of ideas it explores nationhood, history and family loyalty, offering an extraordinary vision of the endless human capacity to persist - and risk everything - in the name of love and home.