Author Spotlight
Chris Hadfield’s Cosmic Booklist
Plus, the Canadian astronaut takes us into his workspace, pages, and beyond.
“A beautifully written, poignant tale of humanity’s ability to both do marvellous things and destroy itself, told through the lens of the austerity of Mars. This book inspires me to be a better writer.”
Hardcover
$37.00
“The best astronaut autobiography ever written, chronicling Apollo and the race to the Moon. It opened the door of permission for me to imagine myself as an astronaut, and then guided the way to get there."
Paperback
$29.00
“What amazes me is just how right Andy Weir got it—Mark Watney could have been any astronaut in the NASA office, with his deep technical skills, relentless optimism, and unquenchable tenacity.”
Paperback
$25.99
“I read this as a young teen and was transported by Asimov’s imagination and writing skill. I even wrote him about it, but sadly never heard back. If I ever write pure science fiction, Foundation will be the gold standard to aim for.”
Mass Market Paperback
$13.99
“So many people think about aliens, but this was the first real imagining of what they might be, and how first contact could end up. It’s especially poignant with today’s global geopolitics, and since I once spent a memorable day with Arthur C. Clarke.”
Paperback
$23.00
Where do you most like to write?
“Writing, for me, takes not just location and free time, but an emptiness of distraction and obligation. I have written all of my books in a quiet place, mental and physical, with an uninterrupted view of nature.”
What’s the first thing you do after finishing a draft?
“Once I finish a draft set piece or chapter, I re-read it the next day and re-edit it. It helps me re-centre myself for writing the next chapter and also builds a largely completed work as I go. It becomes fun as the book is nearing completion to go back and read earlier chapters; it’s as if someone else wrote them. And I relentlessly, reflexively save my work on my laptop, and independently in Dropbox.”
Who are your favourite writers?
“Robert Munsch for Love You Forever (it makes me cry, every time), L. M. Montgomery for the Anne of Green Gables series (I’m currently reading it with my 10-year-old granddaughter), Yann Martel for Life of Pi (an astoundingly clever and beautiful story), and Gregory Clark for his anthologies (humorous, often sharply poignant insights into the Canada I was born into).”
Describe your writing process in one word?
“Meticulous.”
Available Now
Final Orbit
Hadfield’s most explosive thriller yet hurtles readers into a world where one fatal accident and a secret launch could ignite the Cold War in space.
$27.30
Price reduced from
$39.00
to
$24.00
$24.00
$36.95
$37.95
$22.99