Ceridwen Dovey, an award-winning science writer, was in the midst of working on the final installment of her new short story collection, Only the Astronauts, when she received the devastating news of her thyroid cancer diagnosis. The collection delves into the story of NASA’s Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft, launched in 1977 and still exploring space to this day. Despite the stress of her diagnosis, Dovey found solace in contemplating the Voyager twins as they journeyed through interstellar space.
In an interview with ABC RN’s The Book Show, Dovey expressed her fascination with the spacecraft as they gradually turned off their instruments but continued to embark on new adventures in the vastness of space. Each story in Only the Astronauts is narrated from the perspective of a human-made object in space, adding a unique and captivating element to the collection.
Dovey’s love for space exploration dates back to her profile of Australian space archaeologist Alice Gorman, also known as Dr. Space Junk, published in the New Yorker in 2017. During her cancer treatment, Dovey found comfort in exploring exoplanets, planets in other solar systems, which served as the inspiration for her next writing project.
The author’s deep dive into the world of exoplanets led her to engage with scientists who speculate on the appearance and characteristics of these distant worlds. This blend of speculation and evidence-based science provided Dovey with a source of endless fascination and pleasure during a challenging period in her life.
Dovey is not the only writer to explore celestial themes in her work. Australian poet Alicia Sometimes, in her latest collection Stellar Atmospheres, delves into weighty questions of astronomy and physics. For Sometimes, the stars serve as a reflection of the human condition, highlighting our shared mortality and interconnectedness.
The magic of space objects is a central theme in Dovey’s Only the Astronauts, where each story is narrated from the perspective of a human-made object in space. These objects, such as the Fallen Astronaut sculpture on the Moon and Starman, the mannequin launched into orbit by SpaceX, hold a special allure for humans on Earth.
In her collection, Dovey gives voice to these objects, exploring themes of love, betrayal, and mortality. Stories like Requiem, set on the aging International Space Station, contemplate the station’s impending demise and the astronauts who have called it home. The emotional depth of these narratives is further explored in an experimental short film featuring real-life astronauts reading sonnets dedicated to the ISS’s decommissioning.
Alicia Sometimes, like Dovey, found solace in her literary connection with the stars during her battle with cancer. The poet’s love for astronomy, inspired by childhood fascination, led her to explore abstract concepts through poetry, drawing parallels between the mysteries of the cosmos and the complexities of human existence.
The article also delves into the philosophical implications of space exploration, questioning the necessity of human colonization of space. Dovey challenges the idea that space is a frontier to conquer, advocating for a deeper understanding of our relationship with the cosmos. She emphasizes the importance of language and perspective in shaping our perception of space and our place within it.
In conclusion, the article highlights the profound impact of space exploration on writers like Ceridwen Dovey and Alicia Sometimes, who find inspiration and solace in the mysteries of the universe. Their work serves as a testament to the enduring fascination with space and the profound connections between humanity and the cosmos.
