As for the good people of Augusta, to the best of my knowledge they have never been practitioners of the fine arts of espionage and conspiracy. My experience of the place was hospitable and friendly, a home to good, ordinary people living good, ordinary lives. I hope they will forgive my dramatic re-interpretation of their civic history. I recommend a visit to anyone travelling in that part of Kansas.
About the Author
Jay Lake lives and works in Portland, Oregon, within sight of an 11,000 foot volcano. In addtion to Rocket Science, he is the author of dozens of short stories, three collections, and a chapbook. Jay is also the co-editor with Deborah Layne of the critically-acclaimed Polyphony anthology series from Wheatland Press, as well as the highly successful All-Star Zeppelin Adventure Stories with David Moles. In 2004, Jay won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. He has also been a Hugo nominee for his short fiction and a World Fantasy Award nominee for his editing. Jay can be reached via his Web site at http://www.jlake.com/
Also by Jay Lake
Greetings From Lake Wu
American Sorrows
Dogs in the Moonlight
Green Grow the Rushes-Oh
Review
Nobody but Jay Lake could combine more Americana than you could ask for in a non-stop adventure better than this.
Rocket Science is an auspicious debut, paying tribute to SF’s golden age without mawkish sentimentality, action-packed without being shallow.
Starred Review
When sharp-but-not-bright Floyd Bellamy returns from the war, Augusta, Kansas, has a parade for him. His polio-crippled best friend, Vernon Dunham, has been home all along, studying aeronautical engineering, learning to fly, then holding a job at Boeing in Wichita and getting Lois to consider him. Now things default to normaclass="underline" Floyd gets the girls, and Vernon plays pal, though he sometimes wonders why. Sometimes become full-time after he helps Floyd hide a tank and an aircraft (ostensibly bought from some Germans) in the Bellamys’ barn. Vernon won’t regret it, Floyd says, after he sees the plane. For once, Floyd’s right. This is no ordinary flying machine. For one thing, it talks. Unfortunately, others know about it, and Vernon, the aircraft’s new master (he unwittingly found its remote control), becomes most wanted by die-hard Nazi agents, U.S. military intelligence, Reds masquerading as moonshiners, and the Kansas City Mob. Eventually, Vernon has to take off, vertically; this, fortunately, the aircraft, “Pegasus,” can do—fast. Sixty years ago—exactly when it is set—this low-tech (well, except for Pegasus) sf romp, chock-full of surprises, might have made one of the best B movies ever. Nowadays, Hollywood would destroy the situational rather than dialogue-dependent humor, the non-ironic characterizations, the clean talk, and the good manners that Vernon must ruefully flout. This is a real tour-de-force by a top-flight talent.
Copyright
ROCKET SCIENCE
A Fairwood Press Book
August 2005
Copyright © 2005 by Joseph E. Lake, Jr.
All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Fairwood Press
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Auburn, WA 98092
Cover image © Getty Images
Cover and Book Design by Patrick Swenson
ISBN: 0-9746573-6-0
eISBN: 978-1-62579-091-0
First Fairwood Press Edition: August 2005
Printed in the United States of America