Mesklin is a vast, inhospitable, disc-shaped planet, so cold that its oceans are liquid methane and its snows are frozen ammonia. It is a world spinning dizzyingly, a world where gravity can be a crushing 700 times greater than Earth's, a world too hostile for human explorers. But the planet holds secrets of inestimable value, and an unmanned probe that has crashed close to one of its poles must be recovered. Only the Mesklinites, the small creatures so bizarrely adapted to their harsh environment, can help. And so Barlennan, the resourceful and courageous captain of the Mesklinite ship Bree, sets out on an heroic and appalling journey into the terrible unknown. For him and his people, the prize to be gained is as great as that for mankind... Hal Clement's MISSION OF GRAVITY is universally regarded as one of the most important and best loved novels in the genre. The remarkable and sympathetic depiction of an alien species and the plausible and scientifically based realisation of the strange world they inhabit make it a major landmark in the history of hard SF.

A New York Times–bestselling author’s moving novel about an astronaut returning to Earth, and the small steps and giant leaps love requires. Richard Baedecker thinks his greatest challenge was walking on the moon, but then he meets a mysterious woman who shows him his past. Join Baedecker as he comes to grips with the son and wife he lost owing to his passion for space exploration, his forgotten childhood, and the loss he experienced during the deadly flight of the Challenger. The most difficult exploration of his life is not the cold, rocky crevices of the moon, but the warm interior of his heart. Brilliant and beautifully written, Phases of Gravity is a masterpiece about love and loss that transports readers far beyond the confines of space and time. Phases of Gravity is a thoughtful, deeply involving novel from an author who has earned numerous honors, including the World Fantasy Award for Song of Kali and the Hugo Award for Hyperion.

While Nick Gardner's family is falling apart, his best friend, Scooter, is dying from a freak disease. The Scoot's final wish is that Nick and their quirky classmate, Jaycee Amato, deliver a prized first-edition copy of Of Mice and Men to the Scoot's father. There's just one problem: the Scoot's father walked out years ago and hasn't been heard from since. So, guided by Steinbeck's life lessons, and with only the vaguest of plans, Nick and Jaycee set off to find him. Characters you'll want to become friends with and a narrative voice that sparkles with wit make this a truly original coming-of-age story.

THE ANSWER TO AMERICA'S RENEWAL LIES DIRECTLY ABOVE US. The Gravity Well reveals an astronomical mystery and offers the best promise for our nation's future. Humans have been trying to escape the Well for more than a century. Today, our greatest entrepreneurs are building a space economy, accomplishing remarkable technological feats, while climbing only a tiny fraction of the way. What will it take to break out of the Well? The entire nation. The cost? It will surprise you. The Gravity Well explains the true, poorly understood challenge of space, while making an inspiring case for meeting that challenge.

In this propulsive, “nonstop read” (USA TODAY) from the New York Times bestselling author of The Shape of Night, a NASA doctor is in a deadly race against time to destroy a lethal microbe as it multiplies in the International Space Station. Dr. Emma Watson’s lifelong dream of working and studying aboard the International Space Station has finally come true. But it quickly becomes a nightmare when a culture of single-celled organisms begins to regenerate out of control—and infects the crew. Emma must contain the outbreak and prevent as many deaths as possible while, back on Earth, her estranged husband is frantically working with NASA to bring her home. But with a contagion threatening all of humanity, there will be no rescue. “Thrilling…fast-paced, scary, and loaded with insider information” (The Plain Dealer, Cleveland), Gravity is an unputdownable thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page.

For a profit -- and adventure -- Barlennan would sail thousands of miles across uncharted waters, into regions where gravity itself played strange tricks. He would dare the perils of strange tribes and stranger creatures -- even dicker with those strange aliens from beyond the skies, though the concept of another world was unknown to the inhabitants of the disk-shaped planet of Mesklin. But in spite of the incredible technology of the strangers and without regard for their enormous size, Barlennan had the notion of turning the deal to an unsuspected advantage for himself . . . all in all a considerable enterprise for a being very much resembling a fifteen-inch caterpillar! This book also contains Hal Clement's classic article "Whiligig World."

This book reviews the principle and rationale for using artificial gravity during space missions, and describes the current options proposed, including a short-radius centrifuge contained within a spacecraft. Experts provide recommendations on the research needed to assess whether or not short-radius centrifuge workouts can help limit deconditioning of physiological systems. Many detailed illustrations are included.

Time was running out for Bob Kinnaird. Without much warning, the Hunter - the green protoplasmic alien that lived inside him and cured all his ills - had suddenly become his destroyer. Day by day Bob grew weaker and weaker, but only specialists from the Hunter's distant world would know what was wrong with him and, more importantly, how to save him. But the only way searchers from his planet could find him was to locate his missing spaceship . . . a spaceship that had crashed beneath the ocean years before, its location still very much a mystery. Once again leading an investigation against time - as he had done so many years before - the Hunter knew he had to find comrades and find them fast . . . before someone murdered his best friend.

**As seen on Top Gear** 'Richard Browning is a real-life Tony Stark.' - Wired --------------- For fans of Adrian Newey, Guy Martin and Chris Hadfield, in Taking on Gravity inventor Richard Browning tells the inspiring story behind his iconic jet suit, and shares his creative principles for generating true innovation. From Icarus to Iron Man, the dream of human flight has always inspired and challenged us. Now, with his pioneering jet suit, Richard Browning has redefined what is possible. Richard Browning's story is one of groundbreaking innovation. Building an aviation business from his garage, he has invented a whole new form of personal flight - a fantasy previously reserved for the pages of science fiction. His iconic jet suit has captured the imaginations of millions around the world, triggered ongoing developments in technology and engineering, and inspired a new generation of creative minds to pursue their dreams. In Taking on Gravity, Browning reveals the creative principles of his multimillion-pound company, Gravity Industries, and shows us how grass-roots innovation can disrupt established industries in exciting and unexpected ways. On this journey into the sky we'll experience what it's like to take flight, to test the limits of the human body, and to convert moonshot ideas into tangible results. The Gravity story is an inspiring example of human creativity and our ceaseless desire to push the boundaries of what is possible. Where we go next is up to you. READERS LOVE THE 'TAKING ON GRAVITY' STORY ***** 'Tony Stark Lite' ***** 'Must read for anyone looking for inspiration to continue pursuing their dream' ***** 'Taking on Gravity by Richard Browning is equal parts inspiring, inquisitive, soulful and ultimately a fantastic read that I will return to again.'

When Valentina Tereshkova blasted off aboard Vostok 6 on June 16, 1963, she became the first woman to rocket into space. It would be 19 years before another woman got a chance—cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya in 1982—followed by American astronaut Sally Ride a year later. And by breaking the stratospheric ceiling, these women forged a path for many female astronauts, cosmonauts, and mission specialists to follow. In Women in Space, author Karen Bush Gibson profiles 23 pioneers, all of whom achieved greatness in orbit. Read about Eileen Collins, the first woman to command the Space Shuttle; Peggy Whitson, who has logged more than a year in orbit aboard the International Space Station; Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space; as well as astronauts from Japan, Canada, Italy, South Korea, France, and more. Learn, too, about the Mercury 13, American women selected by NASA in the late 1950s to train for spaceflight. Though they matched and sometimes surpassed their male counterparts in performance, they were ultimately denied the opportunity to head out to the launching pad. Their story, and the stories of pilots, physicists, and doctors who followed them, demonstrate the vital role women have played in the quest for scientific understanding. Karen Bush Gibson is the author of Women Aviators, Native American History for Kids, and three dozen other books for young readers. She lives in Norman, Oklahoma.