Space Chronicles

Facing the Ultimate Frontier

By: Neil deGrasse Tyson

Narrated by: Mirron Willis

America's space program is at a turning point. After decades of global primacy, NASA has ended the space-shuttle program, cutting off its access to space. No astronauts will be launched in an American craft, from American soil, until the 2020s, and NASA may soon find itself eclipsed by other countries' space programs.

With his signature wit and thought-provoking insights, Neil deGrasse Tyson - one of our foremost thinkers on all things space - illuminates the past, present, and future of space exploration and brilliantly reminds us why NASA matters now as much as ever. As Tyson reveals, exploring the space frontier can profoundly enrich many aspects of our daily lives, from education systems and the economy to national security and morale. For America to maintain its status as a global leader and a technological innovator, he explains, we must regain our enthusiasm and curiosity about what lies beyond our world.

Provocative, humorous, and wonderfully listenable, Space Chronicles represents the best of Tyson's recent commentary, including a must-listen prologue on NASA and partisan politics. Reflecting on topics that range from scientific literacy to space-travel missteps, Tyson gives us an urgent, clear-eyed, and ultimately inspiring vision for the future.

©2012 Neil deGrasse Tyson (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A compelling appeal, at just the right time, for continuing to look up." ( Air & Space)

A good intro to space exploration history

Some very interesting technical notes. but often very repetitive. same analogies/references said multiple times in slightly different ways.

Its Neil deGrasse Tyson

Neil Tyson talking about Neil Tyson stuff, If you are a fan he never disappoints.

The Logistics of Continued Space Discovery

Would you consider the audio edition of Space Chronicles to be better than the print version?

Sure - Mirron Willis has great expression in his telling of this story.

If you’ve listened to books by Neil deGrasse Tyson before, how does this one compare?

This one is less about science, and more about how we can get around to doing the science. I enjoyed this book, but it was very different from others by the author.

What does Mirron Willis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

What a great voice! He has a style similar to the author, but he is not an imitator.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Another well-written book with dry wit, realism, and an overall passion for science (and doing science).

Any additional comments?

This book talks about the history of US space exploration, particularly the interconnections of space exploration with the drive for military superiority during the Cold War. The overall arch of the story builds toward a compelling argument for the future of NASA, and US space exploration.

Great information but very repetitive

I found the argument about the politics of NASA funding interesting and compelling. I also enjoyed the call to arms. But instead of constantly repeating these I wish he would have explored more topics or delved into other angles.

Love the Book, Don't Love the Reader

Would you listen to Space Chronicles again? Why?

No. Mirron Willis' reading was so distracting.

What didn’t you like about Mirron Willis’s performance?

His voice is incredibly unique, but that made it incredibly distracting. It almost felt like he was trying to do a NDT impression, but made it a caricature instead. He's the reason I didn't listen to the whole audiobook and instead borrowed the actual book from the library. The content of the book is awesome (as with all NDT books) but the read was distractingly bad.