Jaroslav Kalfar - Spaceman of Bohemia (2nd Hand Hardback)
Synopsis
Shortlisted for the Centre for Fiction's 2017 First Novel Prize.
New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice.
Shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Science Fiction.
"An intergalactic odyssey of love, ambition, and self-discovery."
Orphaned as a boy, raised in the Czech countryside by his doting grandparents, Jakub Procházka has risen from small-time scientist to become the country's first astronaut.
When a dangerous solo mission to Venus offers him both the chance at heroism he's dreamt of, and a way to atone for his father's sins as a Communist informer, he ventures boldly into the vast unknown. But in so doing, he leaves behind his devoted wife, Lenka, whose love, he realizes too late, he has sacrificed on the altar of his ambitions.
Alone in Deep Space, Jakub discovers a possibly imaginary giant alien spider, who becomes his unlikely companion. Over philosophical conversations about the nature of love, life and death, and the deliciousness of bacon, the pair form an intense and emotional bond. Will it be enough to see Jakub through a clash with secret Russian rivals and return him safely to Earth for a second chance with Lenka?
Rich with warmth and suspense and surprise, Spaceman of Bohemia is an exuberant delight from start to finish. Very seldom has a novel this profound taken readers on a journey of such boundless entertainment and sheer fun.
Details
- Format : 2nd Hand Hardback with Dust Jacket
- Condition : Very Good
- Category : Fiction - Science Fiction
- Published : 2017 (Sceptre - 1st Edition, 1st Printing)
- ISBN : 9781473639966
- SKU : B002788
- PPC : SP450gm
- RRP : £12.99 (Unclipped)
- Quantity Available : 1 only.
External Reviews
"A frenetically imaginative first effort, booming with vitality and originality . . . Kalfar's voice is distinct enough to leave tread marks." - Jennifer Senior, New York Times.
"Spaceman of Bohemia is unforgettable: a work of breath-taking scope and heart, and a reflection of humanity that's raw and strange and profound and true." - Lisa McInerney, author of The Glorious Heresies, winner of the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction.
"Spaceman of Bohemia should win many fans. With its interplanetary shenanigans and lessons in Czech history, this zany satirical debut is bursting at the seams." - Tibor Fischer, Guardian UK.
"An exhilarating concoction of history, social commentary, and irony. Reading like Arthur C. Clarke's 2001 crossed with a Milan Kundera novel, set in a Philip K. Dick universe, with a nod to Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis, it manages to be singularly compelling while still providing mass appeal. Highly recommended." - Library Journal.
The Author
Jaroslav Kalfar was born and raised in Prague, Czech Republic, and immigrated to the United States at the age of fifteen. He earned an MFA at New York University, where he was a Goldwater Fellow and a nominee for the inaugural E. L. Doctorow Fellowship. He lives in Brooklyn. Spaceman of Bohemia is his first novel.
Internal Reviews
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