The Eagle Has Landed

May 13, 2019
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Clarke has compiled an eclectic selection of the past 50 years in lunar science fiction, written by a who’s who of speculative fiction writers. Entries include standard adventure fare (“The Lunatics” by Kim Stanley Robinson), the ordinary and extraordinary earthly exploits of retired moon-landing astronauts (“The Eve of the Last Apollo” by Carter Scholz and “Fly Me to the Moon” by Marianne J. Dyson), and philosophical examinations of a future that may yet come to pass (“The Fifth Dragon” by Ian McDonald). Standouts are a cautionary tale of intergalactic imperialism in “The Moon Is Not a Battlefield” by Indrapramit Das and a darkly humorous take on accidental cloning in Rich Larson’s “In Event of Moon Disaster.” There are also widely varied takes on the future that was promised by the space age, but failed to arrive. This uneven but worthwhile collection will appeal to fans of futuristic science fiction and historic space race aficionados.

Starred review from June 1, 2019
This anthology of previously published work from acclaimed editor Clarke (Not One of Us, 2018) focuses entirely on lunar-based sf, but the diverse range of writers put often put similar settings to wildly divergent uses. Some stories focus on the effects of crisis on lunar communities, as in Michael Swanwick's "Griffin's Egg," in which a "schizomemetic" virus attack alters hundreds on a now-isolated moon base, or Robert Reed's "Waging Good," in which an exile from the wealthy far side of the moon is transformed by her time on the barren surface of Earth. There are stories that focus on the ways lunar existence alters lives and bodies, like Ian McDonald's "The Fifth Dragon," about two best friends brought to a crossroads by the effects of low gravity on their bones, or "The Moon is Not a Battlefield" by Indrapramit Das, in which former "asuras" or biologically enhanced lunar warriors struggle to adapt to a world without war. There are also whimsical stories, such as Adam Troy-Castro's "Sunday Night Yams at Minnie's and Earl's," about a mysterious old couple and their golden retriever who remain the best-kept secret of early lunar colonizers. This solid and well-rounded anthology is highly recommended.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)