The Last Astronaut

At first, we thought it was just a comet or an asteroid. Until it slowed down. That’s when we knew that aliens had entered the solar system, and they were headed to Earth. NASA, a shell of its former self after losing the second space race, has one chance to make the first contact and potentially avert catastrophe. But their only hope is the former astronaut and recluse whom many blame for NASA’s fall from grace.

The Last Astronaut is a redemption story, a mystery, and a rollercoaster all at once. Wellington perfectly merges science fiction and horror by exploring truths about space travel and potential interaction with extraterrestrial beings. Space is an incredibly hostile environment, one where you can make zero mistakes and still die in an instant. And there’s a good chance that any alien beings we encounter will be so foreign and unrelatable that first contact could easily go terribly wrong.

By couching these ideas in solid science and intriguing near-future technological advances, the author manages to evoke wonder and terror in equal measure, while still allowing strong, engaging characters the time to grow and develop before the reader’s eyes.

This is exploration, with all its possibility and tragedy, boiled down and distilled into pure storytelling. What a ride.