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Ad Astra
In Jack Campbell’s New York Times bestselling Lost Fleet series, Campbell’s hero Captain Black Jack Geary explores the furthest reaches of space. Here, Campbell explores what kinds of problems mankind might face as our horizons expand. The third in a series of collections of Campbell’s short stories includes some of Campbell’s favorite stories, and some of his earliest. A brand new author’s note accompanies each story.
“Lady Be Good” is one of Campbell’s most popular stories, winner of Analog Magazine’s “AnLab” reader poll for Best Short Story and cited in Gardner Dozois' Year’s Best SF. The Lady Be Good is an old ship, running obscure routes, not all on the right side of the law, with her loyal first officer Kilcannon and reclusive captain. When Kilcannon decides to rescue the survivors of an attack on a Vestral Company ship, a mysterious new passenger thanks him by asking difficult questions about the Lady, with unexpected answers.
In “Kyrie Eleison,” the Verio shipwrecked centuries ago on an out-of-the-way planet, and the descendants of the ship’s survivors have gotten along as well as they can by following the orders that were passed on to them. But those orders weren’t intended to govern life on the planet’s surface, and when the Bellegrange arrives on a rescue mission, her captain will have to reckon with the unexpected social order on the planet.
In “Do No Harm”, a ship is so technologically advanced that it can repair itself--but turning over the keys might not be the best idea. And in “Down the Rabbit Hole,” a series of failed attempts at faster-than-light travel lead to a novel approach: sending an untested Naval captain out in a space ship to see if he can figure out what’s gone wrong.
With eleven stories in all, AD ASTRA is the most multi-faceted introduction to the short fiction of Jack Campbell, and an essential complement to his bestselling book-length work.
“Lady Be Good” is one of Campbell’s most popular stories, winner of Analog Magazine’s “AnLab” reader poll for Best Short Story and cited in Gardner Dozois' Year’s Best SF. The Lady Be Good is an old ship, running obscure routes, not all on the right side of the law, with her loyal first officer Kilcannon and reclusive captain. When Kilcannon decides to rescue the survivors of an attack on a Vestral Company ship, a mysterious new passenger thanks him by asking difficult questions about the Lady, with unexpected answers.
In “Kyrie Eleison,” the Verio shipwrecked centuries ago on an out-of-the-way planet, and the descendants of the ship’s survivors have gotten along as well as they can by following the orders that were passed on to them. But those orders weren’t intended to govern life on the planet’s surface, and when the Bellegrange arrives on a rescue mission, her captain will have to reckon with the unexpected social order on the planet.
In “Do No Harm”, a ship is so technologically advanced that it can repair itself--but turning over the keys might not be the best idea. And in “Down the Rabbit Hole,” a series of failed attempts at faster-than-light travel lead to a novel approach: sending an untested Naval captain out in a space ship to see if he can figure out what’s gone wrong.
With eleven stories in all, AD ASTRA is the most multi-faceted introduction to the short fiction of Jack Campbell, and an essential complement to his bestselling book-length work.
197 pages, Paperback
First published February 12, 2013
About the author
Jack Campbell
115 books3,081 followersJack Campbell is a pseudonym for American science fiction author John G. Hemry.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
John G. Hemry is an American author of military science fiction novels. Drawing on his experience as a retired United States Navy officer, he has written the Stark's War and Paul Sinclair series. Under the name Jack Campbell, he has written four volumes of the Lost Fleet series, and on his website names two more forthcoming volumes. He has also written over a dozen short stories, many published in Analog magazine, and a number of non-fiction works.
John G Hemry is a retired United States Navy officer. His father, Jack M. Hemry, also served in the navy and as John points out was a mustang. John grew up living in several places including Pensacola, San Diego, and Midway Island.
John graduated from Lyons High School in Lyons in 1974 then attended the US Naval Academy (Class of '78) where he was labeled 'the un-midshipman' by his roommates.
He lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids. His two eldest children are diagnosed as autistic and suffer from Neuro immune dysfunction syndrome (NIDS), an auto-immune ailment which causes their illness, but are progressing under treatment.
John is a member of the SFWA Musketeers whose motto reads: 'The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword, but the Wise Person Carries Both'.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
John G. Hemry is an American author of military science fiction novels. Drawing on his experience as a retired United States Navy officer, he has written the Stark's War and Paul Sinclair series. Under the name Jack Campbell, he has written four volumes of the Lost Fleet series, and on his website names two more forthcoming volumes. He has also written over a dozen short stories, many published in Analog magazine, and a number of non-fiction works.
John G Hemry is a retired United States Navy officer. His father, Jack M. Hemry, also served in the navy and as John points out was a mustang. John grew up living in several places including Pensacola, San Diego, and Midway Island.
John graduated from Lyons High School in Lyons in 1974 then attended the US Naval Academy (Class of '78) where he was labeled 'the un-midshipman' by his roommates.
He lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids. His two eldest children are diagnosed as autistic and suffer from Neuro immune dysfunction syndrome (NIDS), an auto-immune ailment which causes their illness, but are progressing under treatment.
John is a member of the SFWA Musketeers whose motto reads: 'The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword, but the Wise Person Carries Both'.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
August 17, 2023
These short stories, published in 2014, read like vintage pulp and not in a good way. The introductions were generally more interesting than the stories.
August 22, 2022
3/5 - Lady Be Good
2/5 - As You Know, Bob
4/5 - Do No Harm
3/5 - Down the Rabbit Hole
1/5 - Generation Gap
1/5 - Kyrie Eleison
3/5 - Odysseus
2/5 - One Small Spin
2/5 - Section Seven
1/5 - Standards of Success
2/5 - The Bookseller of Bastet
2/5 - As You Know, Bob
4/5 - Do No Harm
3/5 - Down the Rabbit Hole
1/5 - Generation Gap
1/5 - Kyrie Eleison
3/5 - Odysseus
2/5 - One Small Spin
2/5 - Section Seven
1/5 - Standards of Success
2/5 - The Bookseller of Bastet
June 18, 2023
Campbell's Lost Fleet series got me through a bout with Covid-19 last summer, and I say this with a lot of kindness, but that series is distinctly mid. Decent action, strong moral foundations, and a lot of generic space opera with the good moments spread out over too many books.
This short story collection is a lot of the same mid space opera vibes, but instead of being spread out over too many pages, they're boiled down to a sticky sludge of scifi dank. The opening story, "Lady Be Good" is a genuine classic of a hardluck tramp freighter trying to make do. The other stories don't rise quite to that level, but even the weakest ones, a pair of NASA satires, at least don't overstay their welcome.
This short story collection is a lot of the same mid space opera vibes, but instead of being spread out over too many pages, they're boiled down to a sticky sludge of scifi dank. The opening story, "Lady Be Good" is a genuine classic of a hardluck tramp freighter trying to make do. The other stories don't rise quite to that level, but even the weakest ones, a pair of NASA satires, at least don't overstay their welcome.
October 29, 2024
Great set of short stories about how man gets in its own way just as often as it creates and discovers new possibilities in science and exploration.
May 7, 2025
I've never read anything by Jack Campbell before, so I chose to start with short stories. I was amazed at how much I enjoyed these. The characters are well-developed and likeable. The stories are almost all positive and end on a high note, and some are philosophical. The endings are not surprise or gimmick endings as is common with many short stories. The plots were quite varied and interesting to me.
So yes, five thumbs up.
So yes, five thumbs up.
September 18, 2019
I didn't realize this was a short story collection and it couldn't grab me on my road trip to Florida. It may catch me in the future.
March 31, 2018
A collection of half dozen stories previously published in various magazines. I particularly liked the authors introduction to each story - it’s interesting to learn what inspired the author.
Most of the stories are morality tales where good deeds are satisfyingly rewarded and vice versa. So they are less technology driven and more to do with human psychology. There is quite a bit of humor - for example “Kyrie Eleison” is an amusing allegory on how religious dogma can distort the underlying message. The last two stories are a light hearted, satirical look at NASA bureaucracy and self-promotion.
The audiobook is performed by Adam Verner and deserves 3.5 stars. Verner has a pleasant voice and creates a suitable range of accents and tonality for the characters. There is a slight sing-song quality to the narration that stopped me rating the performance any higher.
Most of the stories are morality tales where good deeds are satisfyingly rewarded and vice versa. So they are less technology driven and more to do with human psychology. There is quite a bit of humor - for example “Kyrie Eleison” is an amusing allegory on how religious dogma can distort the underlying message. The last two stories are a light hearted, satirical look at NASA bureaucracy and self-promotion.
The audiobook is performed by Adam Verner and deserves 3.5 stars. Verner has a pleasant voice and creates a suitable range of accents and tonality for the characters. There is a slight sing-song quality to the narration that stopped me rating the performance any higher.
May 28, 2026
Jack Campbell is best known for his military science fiction novels, but Ad Astra shows that he can write non-military Analog stories when the occasion demands. Some of the stories in this collection spin current news events into a space opera setting. Others make fun of NASA PR-speak and its well-known penchant for nannying astronauts. In one of the best of the collection, he gives a spacecraft’s AI something akin to an autoimmune disease.
December 2, 2025
Jack Campbell’s Ad Astra is a masterful collection that blends thrilling space adventure with thought-provoking explorations of humanity’s future among the stars. Each story—from the daring rescue on the Lady Be Good to the innovative solutions in Down the Rabbit Hole—showcases Campbell’s talent for combining tactical brilliance with rich world-building. Fans of the Lost Fleet series will find familiar depth and clever character work, while new readers will be drawn in by the high-stakes conflicts and imaginative technology. This anthology is a must-read for anyone who loves intelligent, fast-paced science fiction with heart and strategy.
December 29, 2019
While short stories may not give a general sense of the whole -- 'cause they are, after all, short -- the stories here are very interesting, and very good sci-fi.
Honestly, it's really hard to give some indication of how the stories go without going into spoilers.
But, again, there are very good stories, some even touching, some discussing social issues (without being "in your face", like any good Star Trek episode).
And the narration is pretty good too. Easy to read, easy to keep going.
Honestly, it's really hard to give some indication of how the stories go without going into spoilers.
But, again, there are very good stories, some even touching, some discussing social issues (without being "in your face", like any good Star Trek episode).
And the narration is pretty good too. Easy to read, easy to keep going.
January 12, 2021
The first short story of this anthology was the last one I read on the very complicated 2020.
I'm glad I did. In Lady be good we meet the 1st officer Kilcannon a man with a heart of gold, what a beautiful story to be part of, made me think about al those lost and found souls that live in this earth and make it worth living. Sadly not all stories were of this level of accomplishment or kindness.
A good book to read while waiting for your Dr's appointment.
I'm glad I did. In Lady be good we meet the 1st officer Kilcannon a man with a heart of gold, what a beautiful story to be part of, made me think about al those lost and found souls that live in this earth and make it worth living. Sadly not all stories were of this level of accomplishment or kindness.
A good book to read while waiting for your Dr's appointment.
June 11, 2019
Nice little mix of stories. As with many anthologies, there were a few stories that I really loved (the first one and the one that was inspired by the Titanic...I cried) and there were a few stories that I was really meh about (ex: the book seller one that just didn't move me). So this gets rated in the middle, but it's more because some were 5s for me and some were 2s and such inbetween.
February 10, 2021
I love Campbell's space series so I was curious to read what he'd do with short stories. I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed. With collections of stories there are usually ups and downs but with this, all were great and lived up to his reputation. I read it in bits and pieces which makes short stories perfect.
July 25, 2019
An extremely thoughtful collection of stories ranging from a Catch-22 style observation on absurdity of command to exercises in social breakdown/organization under different circumstances. I raced through and advise you to do the same!
January 17, 2022
Science Fiction anthology of Jack Campbell stories. The first one is the very well done i.e. a five start story. The others are good to fine. Some interesting aspects on things in those stories. Recommended.
July 15, 2023
A pretty good collection of stories by Campbell. All his stories are well written with some variation in how well the stories come across for intellectual stimulation, emotional content, and entertainment. Easy to read and quite welcome.
June 5, 2017
I enjoy Hemry's "Black Jack" series and I hope he provides more. These stories show his moral messages pretty clearly. Worth the read.
June 21, 2017
Most of the stories are good. A couple of them were just annoying. Overall I liked the collection.
January 4, 2018
Masterful science fiction short stories
February 10, 2018
Ad Astra was a fun collection of of short stories. I liked most of them.
September 4, 2018
A fun collection of short stories
December 7, 2018
Excellent collection
An interesting read, as well as seeing how the authors writing and story telling evolves. Some interesting dilemmas and conundrums.
An interesting read, as well as seeing how the authors writing and story telling evolves. Some interesting dilemmas and conundrums.
March 31, 2019
Love Jack's stories and this was no exception.
March 2, 2020
Great read, fast pace, worth the time.
August 11, 2021
A mixed bag, overall good but some better than others.
October 13, 2021
Excellent set of short stories.
May 8, 2022
Thougtful Twists & Insights
Clever, old school type science fiction. And each story with something to ponder.
Clever, old school type science fiction. And each story with something to ponder.
August 12, 2022
A compilation of space-themed short stories that closely resemble things happening here on Earth.
October 7, 2022
Sci-fi short stories
Great collection of short stories, your bound to find a few you enjoy. Some where quite humorous while others reminded me of other great sci-fi series.
Great collection of short stories, your bound to find a few you enjoy. Some where quite humorous while others reminded me of other great sci-fi series.
January 27, 2024
Excellent collection of short stories, I found the last two to be hard to immerse in but every other one felt like a unique exploration of under-appreciated themes of science fiction.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews