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.

Great compilation

This book is really a compilation of multiple stories, Editorial's, interviews, and other essays written by Tyson. His passion, enthusiasm, and knowledge of the topic is infectious. It is inspiring, and thought-provoking.

The narration itself is robotic, and marred by frequent mispronunciations of mostly technical names. Xenon, Anton Von Leowenhoek, tertiary, Saturn V (pronounced by the narrator as 'Vee' instead of five) and so on, are just an example of some of the numerous mispronunciations you have to get past to truly enjoy this book.

Great book, narrator lacking

Another great NDT book, as always. Huge fan! Met him in Salt Lake 2 years ago. The narrator just sounds so stuck up throughout the entire book. It bothered me every day how pompous his voice sounds in this reading.

Against the forming idiots you

Neil points to a possible direction the U.S. May be headed unless we continue to advance.

Brilliant and mind opening

Great listen! Makes you think outside the box... And outside of Earth. Very simple and compehensible. Can't get enough of this!

Entertaining and intelligent

I enjoyed the book, but it was a repetitive. Maybe because Dr. Tyson is a professor, he's accustom to repeating himself.

Either way, this is a book worth listening to.