This Kingdom of Dust (David Dyer, Penguin)

In his sophomore novel, David Dyer skilfully blurs history and fiction to pose the question: What if the Apollo mission had failed to return from the Moon? This Kingdom of Dust is a tautly paced literary thriller and period piece in the vein of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The story is told from multiple perspectives, and focuses mainly on Aquarius, a Pulitzer-winning author with the unwanted task of writing about the Moon landing; Buzz, the second man on the moon; and Buzz’s wife, Joan, cloistered in suburban Houston, awaiting news of her husband’s fate. The short, punchy perspectives maintain a sense of urgency across the tight timeline. The characters—a mix of entirely fictional figures and those based loosely on real people—are exquisitely crafted, complex and flawed. Dyer has evidently found joy in researching aerospace engineering and the technicalities of space travel, which shows in his ability to engage the reader without becoming didactic or losing narrative momentum. The research is fascinating and educational, completely transporting the reader to the setting. This Kingdom of Dust is full of metaphysical twists and turns and ponders big philosophical questions: Where do God and religion fit into space exploration, and what is behind humanity’s compulsion to conquer nature? With themes of loyalty, hope in hopelessness, and humanity, this book will appeal to readers of literary and speculative fiction, those interested in sci-fi and space travel, and readers of alternate histories, such as Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld and Dyer’s first novel, The Midnight Watch.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Kate Dunphy is an emerging writer and bookseller based in Meanjin. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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