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Orbit
The year is 2009. For Kip Dawson, winning a passenger seat on American Space Adventure's spacecraft is a dream come true. One grand shot of insanity and he can return to earth fulfilled. But the thrill of the successful launch turns to terror when a micrometeorite penetrates the capsule, leaving the radios as dead as the pilot. Reality Kip isn't going home. With nothing to do but wait for his doomed fate, Kip writes his epitaph on the ship's laptop computer, unaware that an audience of millions has discovered it and is tracking his every word on the Internet. As a massive struggle gets underway to rescue him, Kip has no idea that the world can hear his cries -- or that his heroism in the face of death may sabotage his best chance of survival.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 7, 2006
32 people are currently reading
547 people want to read
About the author
John J. Nance
66 books227 followersJohn J. Nance is an American pilot, aviation safety expert, and author. He served in the USAF during the Vietnam War and also as a Lt. Colonel in Operation Desert Storm.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
July 22, 2008
This book was difficult for me. I found the basic idea fascinating, and the scenes with real action and tension all worked well for me. But the majority of the book I had real problems with. The use of present tense was fine for the previously mentioned action/tension scenes, but made the quiet and emotional scenes fall flat. I found Kip to be mostly obnoxious instead of as likable as the author clearly found him. All of the female characters in the book (all three of them) were one-dimensional and mostly shadows, except for the supposed 'love interest,' whose relationship with Kip I did not find believable at all. The set-up to get Kip into space was tortured, but, as I started with, the idea of him up alone in space and facing himself and his life is an interesting one. I just felt much of this book fumbled with that idea, though the inner workings of NASA felt like they were very realistic. I think the book would have been better off focusing more on that and less on the emotional subplots.
November 28, 2009
this was my first introduction to this aviator thriller author. it was a compelling read, like watching a virtual pseudo-death. it's the story of this guy who wins a space shuttle trip orbiting the earth, and during the first orbit, the spacecraft is hit by debris, killing the pilot and disabling the communication system with earth. so this poor guy is orbiting the earth, knowing he is certain to die when the air runs out, and he begins writing his thoughts on the computer, just rambling and putting things in order, and a 12 yo super hacker kid in australia discovers his feed and turns it in to the space facility, and from then on his every word is broadcast all over the world, unbeknownst to the guy. and people are reacting. a unique plot. well written and thrilling. felt like i was in orbit myself. and it reinforces the wisdom of living each day as if it were your last...
February 18, 2009
*POSSIBLE SPOILERS WITHIN*
It is not often that I am embarrassed for a New York Times bestselling author, but this is one of those cases. An average concept (space tourist all alone in orbit) was squandered by Mr. Nance. A thriller this was not. The premise used to get to the concept was thin, the implementation weak, the characters shallow and the main character's impact on the world overexaggerated to the point of farce. Raised eyebrows and skipped pages were the norm for this read. The longer the book lasted, this effect snowballed for me, and I should have just quit reading it.
A melancholy retrospective on a wasted life, perhaps this is. A chance for the author to indulge in a bit of autobiographical catharsis, perhaps this is also. A gripping science fiction novel this is not. On a personal note, if this book really is autobiographical, Mr. Nance, I feel sorry for you on another level.
The plot was so telegraphed, I kept checking the book's spine for the name "Western Union." The "space bureaucracy/espionage" part of the story was boring and hollow.
If you're looking for a cure for insomnia, this book is the trick. Nance put me to sleep no fewer than a dozen nights as I mindlessly skimmed pages and slogged my way to the book's inevitable, obvious, underwhelming conclusion. He almost took away my desire to read entirely.
I'm really not sure what anyone saw in this book, but I advise you to summarily dismiss it on all levels and never read it.
It is not often that I am embarrassed for a New York Times bestselling author, but this is one of those cases. An average concept (space tourist all alone in orbit) was squandered by Mr. Nance. A thriller this was not. The premise used to get to the concept was thin, the implementation weak, the characters shallow and the main character's impact on the world overexaggerated to the point of farce. Raised eyebrows and skipped pages were the norm for this read. The longer the book lasted, this effect snowballed for me, and I should have just quit reading it.
A melancholy retrospective on a wasted life, perhaps this is. A chance for the author to indulge in a bit of autobiographical catharsis, perhaps this is also. A gripping science fiction novel this is not. On a personal note, if this book really is autobiographical, Mr. Nance, I feel sorry for you on another level.
The plot was so telegraphed, I kept checking the book's spine for the name "Western Union." The "space bureaucracy/espionage" part of the story was boring and hollow.
If you're looking for a cure for insomnia, this book is the trick. Nance put me to sleep no fewer than a dozen nights as I mindlessly skimmed pages and slogged my way to the book's inevitable, obvious, underwhelming conclusion. He almost took away my desire to read entirely.
I'm really not sure what anyone saw in this book, but I advise you to summarily dismiss it on all levels and never read it.
March 6, 2016
This was purported to me to be science fiction. Science fiction, according to my understanding, is a form of literature in which the question of what if is asked and something fantastic is inserted after the what if. It then gives a possible answer to the question. The fantastic is an object, character or event that we do not know to be possible, but is likely to be an extrapolation of what we do know to be scientifically possible. To put it another way, I once read somewhere that if you write a story about an eggbeater, that is not science fiction, but if you write a story about an eggbeater before the eggbeater has been invented then that is science fiction. All the eggbeaters in this story have been invented. This is not science fiction.
The main character is a space tourist who has won a sweepstakes that allows him a trip into orbit and once he gets there a micrometeor or a piece of orbital debris puts a hole in the head of the pilot, but leaves the craft intact even if the radio and some other equipment is damaged. The protagonist, thinking he is about to die and having no way to communicate with ground, starts typing his life story on a laptop computer thinking that no one will ever read it or, if they do, it will be fifty or a hundred years in the future. He names names of the people in his life and writes in the most intimate detail. Unbeknownst to him there is a downlink to his musings to the Internet and around the world billions read everything he writes and hang on to his every word. His friends and family all reconcile with him and he generates good will everywhere and makes himself a hero. People around the world reevaluate their lives and start living in a better way. \Aw! Come on! If that really happened he would make everyone hate him and once he found out that everyone was reading everything he would be humiliated.
Despite my criticisms, though, this was a very enjoyable read.
The main character is a space tourist who has won a sweepstakes that allows him a trip into orbit and once he gets there a micrometeor or a piece of orbital debris puts a hole in the head of the pilot, but leaves the craft intact even if the radio and some other equipment is damaged. The protagonist, thinking he is about to die and having no way to communicate with ground, starts typing his life story on a laptop computer thinking that no one will ever read it or, if they do, it will be fifty or a hundred years in the future. He names names of the people in his life and writes in the most intimate detail. Unbeknownst to him there is a downlink to his musings to the Internet and around the world billions read everything he writes and hang on to his every word. His friends and family all reconcile with him and he generates good will everywhere and makes himself a hero. People around the world reevaluate their lives and start living in a better way. \Aw! Come on! If that really happened he would make everyone hate him and once he found out that everyone was reading everything he would be humiliated.
Despite my criticisms, though, this was a very enjoyable read.
March 17, 2019
Interesting plot, average writing style. A man gets stranded orbiting the earth all alone in a capsule, he has five days of air and all communication is out between him and earth. He does have a laptop which he starts a journal of his life and secret thoughts into wanting posterity to find maybe 50 years after he dies and is recovered. Somehow a 12 year old computer hacker does intercept it and all of earth start following his journal in a live feed, all news networks and blog, he becomes the celebrity of the world and he knows nothing of it.
September 20, 2019
Loved the story, but there were way too many typos.
May 1, 2015
I feel bad about disliking this book, since I met author John J. Nance at an ALA event a few years ago, and he autographed my copy. Still, even a signature and a platitude couldn't save this joyless, preachy, needlessly technical mess.
I'm glad I read The Martian before this one, since they are both ridiculous stories of men abandoned in space and can thus be reasonably compared to one another. While Andy Weir's book (my review here) was also overcomplicated at times, at least he had some fun with it with a hilariously vulgar and engagingly human protagonist whose journey culminates in a ludicrous, over-the-top, beyond-belief-yet-awesome climax that will surely translate poorly to the silver screen.
John Nance writes Orbit straight, and it's the poorer because of it. Kip Dawson's life and marriage is dull and joyless, and his son hates him, and he wins a free seat on a commercial orbiter for a few swings around the planet. Chaos eventually ensues and he's trapped alone onboard without communications, yet somehow a keylogger on the onboard laptop still works and is for some reason downlinking to the internet, and he happens to decide to author his life story after realizing he's likely to die in a few days from CO2 poisoning. Billions of people, including the president, are captivated by this shlub's life and tribulations as if somehow he's the only person willing to speak the truth about modern times. Because no one else on (or off) Earth knows they will be dying in the near-immediate future. So it's trying to be feel-good, but instead it's creepily preachy, like Pay It Forward. And it's boring. All of the remaining characters read like they're coming out of a Tom Clancy novel and are looking around in bewilderment at the story they're supposed to be executing. And the end? It went on for so long that I didn't care at all whether he lived or died.
My favorite part of the book is when the erstwhile love interest slash PR person for the commercial aerospace company, who happens to share a name with a legendary Motown singer for no reason other than for a few lame jokes at the beginning, Googles herself and only comes up with a few hundred hits. I almost hurt myself with the facepalm.
Not recommended.
I'm glad I read The Martian before this one, since they are both ridiculous stories of men abandoned in space and can thus be reasonably compared to one another. While Andy Weir's book (my review here) was also overcomplicated at times, at least he had some fun with it with a hilariously vulgar and engagingly human protagonist whose journey culminates in a ludicrous, over-the-top, beyond-belief-yet-awesome climax that will surely translate poorly to the silver screen.
John Nance writes Orbit straight, and it's the poorer because of it. Kip Dawson's life and marriage is dull and joyless, and his son hates him, and he wins a free seat on a commercial orbiter for a few swings around the planet. Chaos eventually ensues and he's trapped alone onboard without communications, yet somehow a keylogger on the onboard laptop still works and is for some reason downlinking to the internet, and he happens to decide to author his life story after realizing he's likely to die in a few days from CO2 poisoning. Billions of people, including the president, are captivated by this shlub's life and tribulations as if somehow he's the only person willing to speak the truth about modern times. Because no one else on (or off) Earth knows they will be dying in the near-immediate future. So it's trying to be feel-good, but instead it's creepily preachy, like Pay It Forward. And it's boring. All of the remaining characters read like they're coming out of a Tom Clancy novel and are looking around in bewilderment at the story they're supposed to be executing. And the end? It went on for so long that I didn't care at all whether he lived or died.
My favorite part of the book is when the erstwhile love interest slash PR person for the commercial aerospace company, who happens to share a name with a legendary Motown singer for no reason other than for a few lame jokes at the beginning, Googles herself and only comes up with a few hundred hits. I almost hurt myself with the facepalm.
Not recommended.
December 17, 2009
Pandora's Clock by John J. NanceMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Nance does not disappoint.
Here's the background:
Kip Dawson wins a contest for a trip into outer space. It is supposed to be a "three hour tour" but after an accident leaves the pilot dead, Kip is stranded without a radio and no connection to earth. The head of NASA is giddy with delight that the private company running the space tour is in trouble. Kip is left incommunicado. However, he wants to leave a record and he finds a laptop inside the cabin. There he begins to record intimate and private thoughts. He lists his regrets, his loves, his passions, etc. Meanwhile, the words he is writing don't go unnoticed. He does not know that there is a link to an internet server and somehow these words are going out to inner net and after their discovery by a hacker-- they soon are going out to the whole world. It isn't long until pressure begins to build for a rescue operation that Kip doesn't know is coming. Kip's ordeal emotional moves almost everyone on the planet as they begin to read what he thought were private cogitations that might be read in thirty years.
Nance, as usual, does a great job with the tech and flight stuff. This time, however, he uses Kip's written permutations as a highway for his message about living life to the fullest. Along the way he damns some religious ideals and glorifies sexual desire while solidifying the ideal of family ties and other moral values.
I did not agree with the philosophy, but Kip turns out to be a hero more for his ability to put his feelings into words and Nance uses that to advance a life philosophy.
While Nance deals well with human emotion, I think he hits the human emotion nail a little more solidly on the head with "Turbulence."
Still, this books was really, really, good.. another page turner by an excellent author.
View all my reviews >>
January 1, 2016
"The Martian"-lite.
Honestly, just reread The Martian. This book does a handful of things well, like covering the effect it would have on a person where the whole world gets to read your most intimate thoughts. Honestly, this book is better when you realize that that is the plot of the book- what if the whole world got to read your diary? Everything else is superfluous fluff (And I mean fluff, like the backstory of Kip's wife, the corporate espionage, and worst of all, the supposed tension created when a military plane takes off without a full tank. I mean, a team of highly-trained professionals make a stupidly rookie mistake in a moment that matters? That's actually par-for-the-course for this book.)
You don't get much face time with Kip. That's fine, because he's basically Homer Simpson in space. In fact, I could see this book making for an excellent plot for a Simpsons episode. It would be hilarious, and even heartfelt. This book does have its moments, like I said. When the author shifts in tone from his awful present tense narrative into the musings of a man faced with death, it actually is meaningful, deep, and poetic. At the same time, there are mistakes like Kip saying he's not a poet and then five pages later revealing that he actually is one.
So there's a strong message at the end of the book about death and being with loved ones (it sounds hokey to write, but it actually works in the context of a condemned man sharing the message), but then there's the actual ending where we are expected to believe that a guy with mild aviation interests is able to pilot a sophisticated spacecraft through hazards and land it. These scenes represent a true misstep because we are not led to believe that Kip has any degree of competence, and then he becomes a genius. Plus, the author degenerates into using aeronautical terminology that would alienate the general audience. I tried following along, but it was too much for me.
Honestly, read The Martian or watch Gravity. You'll get the same emotional pull without the hokey story.
Honestly, just reread The Martian. This book does a handful of things well, like covering the effect it would have on a person where the whole world gets to read your most intimate thoughts. Honestly, this book is better when you realize that that is the plot of the book- what if the whole world got to read your diary? Everything else is superfluous fluff (And I mean fluff, like the backstory of Kip's wife, the corporate espionage, and worst of all, the supposed tension created when a military plane takes off without a full tank. I mean, a team of highly-trained professionals make a stupidly rookie mistake in a moment that matters? That's actually par-for-the-course for this book.)
You don't get much face time with Kip. That's fine, because he's basically Homer Simpson in space. In fact, I could see this book making for an excellent plot for a Simpsons episode. It would be hilarious, and even heartfelt. This book does have its moments, like I said. When the author shifts in tone from his awful present tense narrative into the musings of a man faced with death, it actually is meaningful, deep, and poetic. At the same time, there are mistakes like Kip saying he's not a poet and then five pages later revealing that he actually is one.
So there's a strong message at the end of the book about death and being with loved ones (it sounds hokey to write, but it actually works in the context of a condemned man sharing the message), but then there's the actual ending where we are expected to believe that a guy with mild aviation interests is able to pilot a sophisticated spacecraft through hazards and land it. These scenes represent a true misstep because we are not led to believe that Kip has any degree of competence, and then he becomes a genius. Plus, the author degenerates into using aeronautical terminology that would alienate the general audience. I tried following along, but it was too much for me.
Honestly, read The Martian or watch Gravity. You'll get the same emotional pull without the hokey story.
October 1, 2010
I am reluctantly giving this 3 stars instead of 2, just because the premise is so cool. A prize winning space tourist finds himself the only remaining living passenger on a shuttle orbiting the planet, with all communications severed. He knows he will die. He finds a laptop and decides to write his life story, including his deepest and most personal thoughts, for discovery after he dies. Unbeknownst to him, the laptop has a separate link to a website on earth. Soon, this everyman's writings are being transmitted to a rapt, worldwide audience. The book does a great job of setting this premise up, leading you along the man's thought processes, taking you through the gradual process of the world catching on to what's happening, the effects his words have on people's lives. This is a great canvas. In the hands of a better author, it could have been a very good book. Unfortunately, this author is a thriller writer, and his thoughts don't get much deeper than you'd expect. He pontificates a lot rather than getting into person life stuff. And his pontifications are, to be blunt, mostly stupid. If you want the real deal, read "Tuesdays with Morrie". [SPOILER ALERT]I had a tremendous extended laugh at the end. During the last 50 pages, the main character, who has no flight training, manages all alone to take the space shuttle from orbit to an perfect landing on an old broken up airstrip while balancing training manuals on his knee to guide him through. WHOO-EEY!
April 12, 2011
Overall I enjoyed about as much as I didn't about this book.
First take the premise. Who wouldn't love to be alone in space? Highly introspective stuff here, and most astronauts express some of the same ideas. Next, the laptop link. This was kind of cheesy and not well explained, although necessary for the story. So, assume positive and move on. The politics of NASA and others? Very believable cast of characters there. The female characters? Only three or five with names, all mostly static. I read a few other reviews which cried foul on the landing. I disagree. The author gave the main character glider experience, and landing a glider is a lot of what you need to know about aviation. The main character knew to keep an eye on rate of descent, stall speed. When you sit the average Joe in front of a simulator and say "land that plane", rate of descent is more than half the reason for a crash. Back to the ramblings of a guy who has accepted he is going to die. Interesting to think of, to put yourself in those shoes. The whole world watching? Maybe. Certainly reality TV shows lead one to believe this could happen.
The conclusion? Rough writing in a few patches and wooden female characters made this a harder read than it should have been. The wonder of space and contemplation of the human condition made this a good thing. The fact that the book was the author's sounding board about the meaning of life was a little too clear behind the veneer of the story. 3 stars.
First take the premise. Who wouldn't love to be alone in space? Highly introspective stuff here, and most astronauts express some of the same ideas. Next, the laptop link. This was kind of cheesy and not well explained, although necessary for the story. So, assume positive and move on. The politics of NASA and others? Very believable cast of characters there. The female characters? Only three or five with names, all mostly static. I read a few other reviews which cried foul on the landing. I disagree. The author gave the main character glider experience, and landing a glider is a lot of what you need to know about aviation. The main character knew to keep an eye on rate of descent, stall speed. When you sit the average Joe in front of a simulator and say "land that plane", rate of descent is more than half the reason for a crash. Back to the ramblings of a guy who has accepted he is going to die. Interesting to think of, to put yourself in those shoes. The whole world watching? Maybe. Certainly reality TV shows lead one to believe this could happen.
The conclusion? Rough writing in a few patches and wooden female characters made this a harder read than it should have been. The wonder of space and contemplation of the human condition made this a good thing. The fact that the book was the author's sounding board about the meaning of life was a little too clear behind the veneer of the story. 3 stars.
April 15, 2010
Well narrated and a great story for narration. The idea of winning a lottery for a chance to ride a private company shuttle into low Earth orbit is not that far fetched. But what if the other three seats had to back out for one reason or another and it would be just you and the pilot? Would you go?
What if something happened to the pilot while you were up there? Could you figure things out and bring the craft back? These are things that happen to the main character, Kip, who discovers a laptop computer and begins pouring his heart out in a word processor program. He figures it won't be read for another fifty years or so and keeps it honest. But with all other forms of communication severed, Kip doesn't know the laptop has a link to the internet that a kid in Australia hacked into. So as he types his life story, his fears, his regrets, and his do-over, everyone on Earth gets his story in real time. Kip becomes a cult favorite and a hero overnight.
It is a great story idea. If you listen to it and you don't at least choke up a little, then you weren't paying attention.
This one will have you thinking after the narration is complete. My favorite one-liner: "Guys give love to get sex and girls give sex to get love."
What if something happened to the pilot while you were up there? Could you figure things out and bring the craft back? These are things that happen to the main character, Kip, who discovers a laptop computer and begins pouring his heart out in a word processor program. He figures it won't be read for another fifty years or so and keeps it honest. But with all other forms of communication severed, Kip doesn't know the laptop has a link to the internet that a kid in Australia hacked into. So as he types his life story, his fears, his regrets, and his do-over, everyone on Earth gets his story in real time. Kip becomes a cult favorite and a hero overnight.
It is a great story idea. If you listen to it and you don't at least choke up a little, then you weren't paying attention.
This one will have you thinking after the narration is complete. My favorite one-liner: "Guys give love to get sex and girls give sex to get love."
October 14, 2019
Having previously enjoyed the Kat Bronsky books by Nance my interest was piqued when I saw Orbit, although the proposed idea gives a somewhat Martian vibe, it is a different setting with different challenges and I can't say I have bothered to see which was written first. Regardless it sounded like an interesting idea, a guy trapped in space with one way communication to earth, typing out his rawest thoughts on a laptop in the spaceship under the idea no one will read them for decades yet a huge portion of the earth is hanging on his every word.
I found it to be quite an enthralling book, the slow unfolding marital troubles, the shifting family dynamics, the idea of a regular everyday guy getting trapped in space after a once in a lifetime competition win goes astray with a space accident. Then the unfolding narrative as he comes to terms with his impending dead 4-5 days away, all the while a huge rescue mission is being organised beneath him completely unbeknownst to him.
The subplot of sabotage within said NASA rescue mission was also well done and dovetailed neatly with the other aspects of the story, all of which lead to quite a climactic ending which resolved the story line very nicely.
I found it to be quite an enthralling book, the slow unfolding marital troubles, the shifting family dynamics, the idea of a regular everyday guy getting trapped in space after a once in a lifetime competition win goes astray with a space accident. Then the unfolding narrative as he comes to terms with his impending dead 4-5 days away, all the while a huge rescue mission is being organised beneath him completely unbeknownst to him.
The subplot of sabotage within said NASA rescue mission was also well done and dovetailed neatly with the other aspects of the story, all of which lead to quite a climactic ending which resolved the story line very nicely.
July 23, 2012
In short, a very very fascinating exploration of the idea of how emotional honesty and transparency (and an attendant voyeuristic-fascination by others) as such coincide in the life of one man chronicling his final 5 days of air aboard a low-altitude earth orbit space craft, and the life reflection such a situation brings about in him.
I recommend this book to every person, if only for the challenge to persons to be more emotionally honest, and intentional about vision casting for their own lives. It is a clean, albeit honest book.
I recommend this book to every person, if only for the challenge to persons to be more emotionally honest, and intentional about vision casting for their own lives. It is a clean, albeit honest book.
October 17, 2024
For maybe the first half of the book I might have given it four stars. It is the story of an accidental space tourist, who wins a trip on a private space craft (Space X style). The trip is supposed to be three orbits in low earth orbit and come back down the same day. But early on they are hit by a micro meteorite that comes through the windshield (?), hits the pilot square in the forehead, killing him instantly, and continues on to wipe out all the radio communications, telemetry, etc and all the engine controls. And besides our hero, there were supposed to be two other passengers, but for some reason they bailed at the last minute. The flight goes anyway with half the number of people on board as planned. So Kip ends up alone in space. Thus, to start with the setup requires a fair amount of suspension of disbelief, that this projectile that hit them, goes through the pilot's skull and continues on to wipe out most of the important systems in the ship, but does so little damage to the ship that they can fly on for a good while, while Kip figures out what is happening and then he can easily patch it.
But okay we will give him the set up, let's just say "somehow" Kip ends up in low earth orbit, alone in a non-functional space craft with no communication with the outside world and no idea how to work the thing, no flight experience. That is the exciting part and he tells it pretty vividly, with lots of believable technical detail. I'm not a pilot, I have no idea how accurate all the technical detail is, but it sounds convincing.
So he finds a laptop, set up for word processing and decides to start keeping a journal of the experience. Then he turns the journal into a story of his life, processing all his relationships and unfinished business. At this point he is convinced that he has no more than five days to live before too much CO2 builds up in the ship's atmosphere and kills him. And he believes no one will ever see what he is writing or not for fifty years when the ship finally falls out of orbit. But "somehow"the laptop ends up transmitting to Earth when nothing else can, but only to some obscure place that "somehow" a 12 year old boy genius hacker in Australia discovers and shares with the authorities. "Somehow " it gets leaked and pretty soon the entire world is reading what Kip is typing, in real time as he types it.
So his dying man musings about life get transmitted everywhere and a billion people on Earth are following them breathlessly, staying home from work to keep reading. The trouble is they are hardly transfixing. His journal entries as shown in the book are preachy, maudlin, clichéd. Live life to the fullest, pay attention, life is short-- tell people you love them. The book gets dragged down by the interpolation of the little sermons. And at one point he confesses to have been aware of crimes the company he worked for was committing and doing nothing. And he says I still have all the evidence in this file cabinet in my bedroom in a file folder with a red tab and a rubber band around it. So of course the authorities go get the evidence and arrest the wrong doers. But it made no sense to me that if he really believed no one would see this stuff and he was near death at that point, he would bother typing out the detailed description of the folder and its location.
The whole thing is completely predictable. From as soon as the situation was set up, the reader KNOWS that he will fly himself home, make a perfect landing, be a hero, reconcile with his family and get the girl. It would have been a much bolder choice to draw out the suspense and then let him die. The Russian astronauts who are coming to rescue him get there just too late and just bring the corpse home to a hero's welcome and a grand funeral. His words would have just as much impact (maybe more) to change the world and make people behave better.
But okay we will give him the set up, let's just say "somehow" Kip ends up in low earth orbit, alone in a non-functional space craft with no communication with the outside world and no idea how to work the thing, no flight experience. That is the exciting part and he tells it pretty vividly, with lots of believable technical detail. I'm not a pilot, I have no idea how accurate all the technical detail is, but it sounds convincing.
So he finds a laptop, set up for word processing and decides to start keeping a journal of the experience. Then he turns the journal into a story of his life, processing all his relationships and unfinished business. At this point he is convinced that he has no more than five days to live before too much CO2 builds up in the ship's atmosphere and kills him. And he believes no one will ever see what he is writing or not for fifty years when the ship finally falls out of orbit. But "somehow"the laptop ends up transmitting to Earth when nothing else can, but only to some obscure place that "somehow" a 12 year old boy genius hacker in Australia discovers and shares with the authorities. "Somehow " it gets leaked and pretty soon the entire world is reading what Kip is typing, in real time as he types it.
So his dying man musings about life get transmitted everywhere and a billion people on Earth are following them breathlessly, staying home from work to keep reading. The trouble is they are hardly transfixing. His journal entries as shown in the book are preachy, maudlin, clichéd. Live life to the fullest, pay attention, life is short-- tell people you love them. The book gets dragged down by the interpolation of the little sermons. And at one point he confesses to have been aware of crimes the company he worked for was committing and doing nothing. And he says I still have all the evidence in this file cabinet in my bedroom in a file folder with a red tab and a rubber band around it. So of course the authorities go get the evidence and arrest the wrong doers. But it made no sense to me that if he really believed no one would see this stuff and he was near death at that point, he would bother typing out the detailed description of the folder and its location.
The whole thing is completely predictable. From as soon as the situation was set up, the reader KNOWS that he will fly himself home, make a perfect landing, be a hero, reconcile with his family and get the girl. It would have been a much bolder choice to draw out the suspense and then let him die. The Russian astronauts who are coming to rescue him get there just too late and just bring the corpse home to a hero's welcome and a grand funeral. His words would have just as much impact (maybe more) to change the world and make people behave better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2024
I have enjoyed all the John J. Nance books I have read thus far. I read a lot of aviation fiction and Nance's knowledge and technical detail are perfect for an aviation nerd like myself.
This story is slightly different, as it is not about aeroplanes, rather, it's about space travel, the human condition and self-reflection - it's almost a self-help book mingled with a space accident, it's the therapy you didn't know you needed.
Imagine being the Average Joe who wins a chance to go up in a space shuttle with an astronaut, but as the day approaches you start to notice your spouse is angry rather than excited, you're aware that your strained relationship with your adult son is not getting any better and you feel torn between your dreams and your somewhat underwhelming love life, is it any surprise you are both nervous and excited.
The journey of your lifetime starts a bit rocky with your personal life being a mess, but you resolve to enjoy your experience and work on that once you are back on earth the day after tomorrow, however, shortly after launch and leaving the Earth's atmosphere you find yourself in a space shuttle with a death astronaut, no power, limited oxygen and no clue as to how to get yourself and the vessel you are floating around in back down on the planet you call home.
The storyline is both engaging and emotional, you are taken on a journey of self-reflection and emotional turmoil as Kip spends five days trying to come to terms with his own demise and work through the things in his earthly life that have been weighing him down before he runs out of oxygen.
I found myself laughing, cringing and crying as Kip goes through all the emotions of knowing that he only has a set amount of time left to live, he types all his ups and downs on a laptop and takes you, the reader on this journey.
I enjoyed this story, it was a good mixture of technical knowledge, likeable characters and just the right amount of humour.
This story is slightly different, as it is not about aeroplanes, rather, it's about space travel, the human condition and self-reflection - it's almost a self-help book mingled with a space accident, it's the therapy you didn't know you needed.
Imagine being the Average Joe who wins a chance to go up in a space shuttle with an astronaut, but as the day approaches you start to notice your spouse is angry rather than excited, you're aware that your strained relationship with your adult son is not getting any better and you feel torn between your dreams and your somewhat underwhelming love life, is it any surprise you are both nervous and excited.
The journey of your lifetime starts a bit rocky with your personal life being a mess, but you resolve to enjoy your experience and work on that once you are back on earth the day after tomorrow, however, shortly after launch and leaving the Earth's atmosphere you find yourself in a space shuttle with a death astronaut, no power, limited oxygen and no clue as to how to get yourself and the vessel you are floating around in back down on the planet you call home.
The storyline is both engaging and emotional, you are taken on a journey of self-reflection and emotional turmoil as Kip spends five days trying to come to terms with his own demise and work through the things in his earthly life that have been weighing him down before he runs out of oxygen.
I found myself laughing, cringing and crying as Kip goes through all the emotions of knowing that he only has a set amount of time left to live, he types all his ups and downs on a laptop and takes you, the reader on this journey.
I enjoyed this story, it was a good mixture of technical knowledge, likeable characters and just the right amount of humour.
July 21, 2020
Really had a very difficult time trying to figure out whether give this a 3 or a 4. The book, to me, is a winner on reflective issues but mundane in most other respects. For a book that can be consider Science Fiction, set in the current world, it is not truly a space fantasy but more a 'what if' story. The story is set around an average guy winning a trip into space with a private commercial space operation. Leading up to the launch is sort of boring but, what would you expect. Yes you would be excited and everyone else would be simply be business like. Once in space things go very wrong. The pilot is killed and all communications are gone. Our hero is suddenly alone in space with no way to communicating or getting down. What do you do with all this time you have knowing that it is very likely you are going to die, isolated and alone, some 300 miles above the earth. This is where, to me, the story becomes most interesting and very uniquely reflective.
The writing is good but the story, except some very reflect portions, is so so at best. The writer does move the story along on an acceptable pace that fits very comfortably with the each point of the story. I found it difficult to get into the story as it was fairly slow paced building up to the launch. Once the story got started it moved along at a pace very driven by the circumstances, in this part felt the writer did an exceptional job in creating a pace that was very insync with the action.
If for no reason than the reflective introspective part of the book would recommend this book to anyone who wants to see within another's mind and soul. There are some points that would cause many to think about their loves and life and what is truly meaningful. Not terrible deep but poignant in several respects.
The writing is good but the story, except some very reflect portions, is so so at best. The writer does move the story along on an acceptable pace that fits very comfortably with the each point of the story. I found it difficult to get into the story as it was fairly slow paced building up to the launch. Once the story got started it moved along at a pace very driven by the circumstances, in this part felt the writer did an exceptional job in creating a pace that was very insync with the action.
If for no reason than the reflective introspective part of the book would recommend this book to anyone who wants to see within another's mind and soul. There are some points that would cause many to think about their loves and life and what is truly meaningful. Not terrible deep but poignant in several respects.
August 28, 2025
*"Orbit" by John J. Nance: A Kentus Review*
I'm not sure what kind of freakin' wizardry John J. Nance employed to craft "Orbit," but this book's got more twists and turns than a peyote-fueled DOGE budget meeting. It's a thriller, a page-turner, a gut-wrencher – and I'm not just sayin' that 'cause I'm still reelin' from the Bustelo cafe and guava pastry-fueled all-nighter I pulled to finish it.
This is not just any old space thriller, this one's a ticking time bomb of bureaucratic red tape, technical malfunctions, and good ol' American ingenuity. Nance's prose is like a wild ride on the Space Shuttle – it's got velocity, it's got attitude, and it's got close calls.
Now, I know what you're thinkin', "Kentus this sounds like some far-out sci-fi nonsense." But trust me, kids, "Orbit" is the real deal. Nance's got a grasp on the technical aspects of space travel that's tighter than a well-worn pair of aviator sunglasses.
The plot's a maze of twists and turns and it's intense and touching . But Nance's got a steady hand on the tiller, keepin' the story hurtlin' forward like a runaway rocket. You'll be on the edge of your seat keeping the hope as if it's you in the hot seat.
So if you're lookin' for a book that'll blow your mind, rattle your cage, and leave you beggin' for more – look no further than "Orbit."
I've bought this book for 4 people that I love.
I'm new to "Goodreads" let me know what you think about this book if you've read it?
*Rating:* 5/5 Kentus stars
*Recommendation:* If you're a fan of Tom Wolfe, Stephen King, or just good ol' fashioned storytelling – you owe it to yourself to strap in and ride the "Orbit" rocket. Just don't say I didn't warn you...
I'm not sure what kind of freakin' wizardry John J. Nance employed to craft "Orbit," but this book's got more twists and turns than a peyote-fueled DOGE budget meeting. It's a thriller, a page-turner, a gut-wrencher – and I'm not just sayin' that 'cause I'm still reelin' from the Bustelo cafe and guava pastry-fueled all-nighter I pulled to finish it.
This is not just any old space thriller, this one's a ticking time bomb of bureaucratic red tape, technical malfunctions, and good ol' American ingenuity. Nance's prose is like a wild ride on the Space Shuttle – it's got velocity, it's got attitude, and it's got close calls.
Now, I know what you're thinkin', "Kentus this sounds like some far-out sci-fi nonsense." But trust me, kids, "Orbit" is the real deal. Nance's got a grasp on the technical aspects of space travel that's tighter than a well-worn pair of aviator sunglasses.
The plot's a maze of twists and turns and it's intense and touching . But Nance's got a steady hand on the tiller, keepin' the story hurtlin' forward like a runaway rocket. You'll be on the edge of your seat keeping the hope as if it's you in the hot seat.
So if you're lookin' for a book that'll blow your mind, rattle your cage, and leave you beggin' for more – look no further than "Orbit."
I've bought this book for 4 people that I love.
I'm new to "Goodreads" let me know what you think about this book if you've read it?
*Rating:* 5/5 Kentus stars
*Recommendation:* If you're a fan of Tom Wolfe, Stephen King, or just good ol' fashioned storytelling – you owe it to yourself to strap in and ride the "Orbit" rocket. Just don't say I didn't warn you...
April 29, 2019
Overall, this book was a fast-paced and interesting read. It had a creative plot and storyline; unlike any other book about space travel I know of. One of the main captivating aspects of this book was the author’s obvious knowledge of space and flight. Nance was a former Air Force pilot and Lieutenant Colonel in the USAF Reserve, and this showed in his writing. As someone who doesn’t know much on this topic, I found it fascinating to learn more about space travel through the eyes of Kip, who also had very little knowledge. It was like we were learning and were on this trip, together. Another part of this book that I enjoyed was the multiple perspectives and storylines throughout. The perspective on the story constantly changed between Kip, NASA, the ASA, Kip’s family, and more. This kept the book from becoming too stagnant and monotonous. It was interesting to see how all the storylines connected. However, there were still some aspects of this book that I wish were better. One, for example, is the stagnant and flat characters involved. Kip’s character had some emotional development, but everyone else had a very typical and basic persona that made the book boring and predictable at times. Also, while the book did have a good ending, it was predictable and ended almost too perfectly in my opinion. There were multiple outcomes of this book that I saw coming and was left wishing for something more that never came. All and all, it was a good book if you are interested in space travel and exploration, but be prepared for some uneventful parts.
July 9, 2023
Despite his wife’s premonitions of disaster, pharmaceutical salesman Kip Dawson thought he was the luckiest man in the world to have won a passenger seat on a commercial space flight. That is, until a tiny piece of space debris hits the craft, killing the pilot/astronaut instantly. All communications and main control systems were gone, and he knew that the company had been warned not to expect government help if anything went wrong. Kip remembered enough of his preflight training to calculate that he had maybe six days before he ran out of oxygen. To combat boredom and loneliness, he dug out the laptop, ascertained that it wasn’t connected to the Internet, and began to type his epitaph, as he thought of it, on the word processor. Not expecting that anyone would find it for decades—if ever—he was frank, discussing everything from his first sexual encounter to his current dissatisfaction of his marriage, plus his lifelong regrets. Little did he know that a 12-year-old Australian hacker had somehow stumbled across his narrative. Before long, the entire world was doing little else but following his writing, while debate ensued whether rescue attempts should be made and by whom—and was someone really trying to sabotage these efforts?
This was a real page-turner. Despite the abundance of technological details (the author is a pilot and aviation analyst), the non-techie reader can easily follow the sequence of events and enjoy the mounting suspense.
This was a real page-turner. Despite the abundance of technological details (the author is a pilot and aviation analyst), the non-techie reader can easily follow the sequence of events and enjoy the mounting suspense.
January 21, 2019
Wow, I did not like this. I'm not even sure where to begin, to be honest. It felt so much like a wish fulfillment for an unimpressive, entitled, mis-guided, lazy,sexist, white middle class man. Not to mention that it felt very unbelievable-in plot as well as widespread love for this character. As a woman, I'd have NO interest in this man or his stories, or personality, or plight, etc. This man is supposed to play the role of an "everyman", one that everyone relates to-trust me when I say my boyfriend wouldn't and that's why I'm with him. Maybe the character is an average man. I'm not impressed.
Also, this man had 4 kids. But he literally only talks or focuses on one. We only get to see perspectives from that one. Nope, not OK. Oh, and of course, it's a son, not a peep about his daughters.
I feel a little like this was trying to latch on to a bit of what the Truman Show accomplished, except that does an awesome job of it, and this botches everything up.
Definitely just not my type of thing.
Also, this man had 4 kids. But he literally only talks or focuses on one. We only get to see perspectives from that one. Nope, not OK. Oh, and of course, it's a son, not a peep about his daughters.
I feel a little like this was trying to latch on to a bit of what the Truman Show accomplished, except that does an awesome job of it, and this botches everything up.
Definitely just not my type of thing.
August 20, 2017
In some ways this novel reminded me of the movie, Gravity. Individual trapped alone in space with little of no chance of survival.
What makes this one different is the fact that Kip Dawson, in Orbit is the winner of a passenger seat on a spaceflight, sponsored by a privately-owned spacecraft company. This makes the story (written in 2006) pretty timely with today's news. When tragedy strikes, Kip and the world believe he's doomed. He begins typing a "stream of consciousness" journal about his feelings, his past mistakes and successes, and his regrets. Through a quirk in the design of the spacecraft everything he types actually downloads to a server on Earth and, eventually, nearly everyone on the planet is following his writings in real time.
The impact all of this has on the world and Kip is more of the story than any of the science fiction aspects. But it is moving in many ways and worth the quick read.
What makes this one different is the fact that Kip Dawson, in Orbit is the winner of a passenger seat on a spaceflight, sponsored by a privately-owned spacecraft company. This makes the story (written in 2006) pretty timely with today's news. When tragedy strikes, Kip and the world believe he's doomed. He begins typing a "stream of consciousness" journal about his feelings, his past mistakes and successes, and his regrets. Through a quirk in the design of the spacecraft everything he types actually downloads to a server on Earth and, eventually, nearly everyone on the planet is following his writings in real time.
The impact all of this has on the world and Kip is more of the story than any of the science fiction aspects. But it is moving in many ways and worth the quick read.
April 13, 2023
A thrilling ride for those interested in space travel, excitement, and the human spirit. The author spins a story that was way before its time. The premise is based on civilians in space. Kip Dawson wins a trip on a space shuttle that is to last a few orbits and a quick return to earth. Everything goes wrong, all the other passengers cannot make the flight and the only ones on board are Kim and the Commander of the flight. The Commander is killed in an accident and Kip is alone with little knowledge of how to return to earth. Unable to communicate with earth Kip begins to realize his death and begins a diary of his life, telling of the god and the bad. He, unknowingly, becomes a celebrity because the world is watching his story play out. Kip is able to return to earth safely by repairing and guiding the shuttle. This provides for some entertaining and unbelievable acts by Kip. A truly enjoyable read.
October 12, 2024
Saw this on a random list and so I read it... Pleasantly surprised? I feel the writing could be better but I think a lot of the scenes are very well set up and the situation the book presents is actually quite captivating and well thought out. I am surprised not a lot of people have read and reviewed this book but I think some more attention should be brought to it. Give it a chance, could perhaps catch your eye!
July 18, 2025
I started reading this book because I bought it 10 years ago and I never touched it, and needed something to kick my old reading habits back.
First thing I would say, it did not get old well. There are captivating pieces of it still, about collective human action, pain of existence, and death itself. For that I praise the author. However, the descriptions, storyline, and stupidity of the main character takes me out of that atmosphere he is trying to depict as "helpless"
First thing I would say, it did not get old well. There are captivating pieces of it still, about collective human action, pain of existence, and death itself. For that I praise the author. However, the descriptions, storyline, and stupidity of the main character takes me out of that atmosphere he is trying to depict as "helpless"
November 26, 2017
The premise and execution of this book were both exciting and engaging! Some of it was pretty technical, and some parts were needlessly preachy, especially about the differences between men and women, but overall, I enjoyed it. My favorite parts were when you could see the same event through different perspectives.
June 5, 2018
An Aviation novel about the first passenger or rider other than the pilot and co'pilot. The launch is a success and the space draft is supposed to orbit Earth a set number of orbits before returning home. Halfway through the flight a meteorite hits the spacecraft, killing the pilot, and almost knocking the space crate out of orbit. The co-pilot is injured, but fortunately there is a space draft design engineer in board. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
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December 21, 2021I have loved ever other one of John Nance's books that I have read but not this one. The narrator is a whiny 'innocent' victim of his wife and the description of their relationship was so offensive, I knew that when he got up into space and was in danger of losing his life, I was going to hope he did. I put it down. I hope John does better next time.
July 20, 2024
just by reading the back you know what is going to happen but I still enjoyed how it went down. The techie stuff about all the flight info was maybe overkill and the way the women on earth spoke to eachother were a bit off but still a fun read . looked forward to reading it every night to see what was going to happen next
July 31, 2024
How this book has not been made into a movie astounds me. I was first exposed to Nance with the excellent Saving Cascadia and bought this based on that. It is in all ways better. Interesting characters, a believable script, with a rip roaring ending that will demand it be read over a couple of times. I highly recommend this author and book.
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