This was a great space thriller that was translated fairly smoothly. The writing style felt more formal but that was just probably due to the translations. The politics sort of mimic today's and it is overall a very compelling novel to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and to HarperVia for the ARC of Inner Space by Jakub Szamalek.

It's hard to fully describe the plot of this novel without giving away any spoilers, but basically, an American and Russian crew are aboard the International Space Station. An ammonia leak begins after a solar flare when all the astronauts are confined to their quarters for safety. Is it some sort of accident from the flare causing the leak? Or is it sabotage? And when the truth is figured out, will there still be a space station?

In a story that takes us on the ground, into space, with family members and with political aficionados, we see the wide range of how the events on the space station play out for the astronauts, their families, and their countries.

While the book starts slow, the real action not beginning until after the 50% mark, this gave me hints of Michael Crichton in the way the events are recounted and described. When the action is high, it feels most similar to the intensity of his novels, especially with each action's far reaching implications in the moment and for earth. It also has the Crichton style of describing characters and their actions while still keeping you a bit distanced from them - so while I did not feel a strong emotional connection to any of the characters, I felt I understood their machinations and personalities. I think in the first 35% we don't truly have an idea yet of what the incident is going to be or catalyze toward, but once it does, the story has incredibly engaging action.

in the down times, Szamalek really goes into depth on how the space station functions and what the astronauts are experiencing. I found his acknowledgement that the same experiments being run by the astronauts can be run by drones or robots - meaning the reason we spend so much money to maintain humans in space is to study humans / for the prestige of the old space race. I think that adds a lot of interesting context to everyone involved in aerospace/space/defense budgets/political supporters.

I think, reading this in February 2025, that the topics covered in the story also are really interesting in today's political climate / today's international relations, and it's sure to be food for thought for plenty of book clubs that take this story on.

4.3 stars

Translated from the Polish by Kara Beresford.

It’s 2021 and Lucy Poplasky is the commander of a six month stay at the International Space Station at a time when cooperation between the U.S. and Russia is at a very low ebb. There are two cosmonauts and three other Americans on board during this time, one a space tourist tourist who is horribly space sick. Back home Steve Ayer’s at NASA keeps constant tabs on what is going on while Lucy’s husband worries for her safety.

An ammonia leak threatens the astronauts, could it have been caused by sabotage? More fractures among the group appear. What will become of this mission?

This was a really good book and I am enjoying it even more in retrospect since I’m now reading Samantha Harvey’s ORBITAL which is also set on the ISS (I nearly always enjoy books set in space that aren’t hard sci-fi and aren’t fantasy/crazy alien stories.) This was a nice space thriller that also speaks to the politics of the day as well as sexism, racism and what money can buy. Highly recommended if the premise sounds good to you.

The story is a good one and the trivia about the manned flight into space are fascinating, but I could not tell if the more formal (stilted?) style of writing is just the author's voice or is because of the translation from Polish to English. At some points it's just fine, but at others it seems a bit uneven. For those who are not distracted by the style, the story is intriguing.

Thanks to HarperVia and NetGalley for this ARC of 'Inner Space' by Jakub Szamalek.

This is a really tight and enjoyable thriller set on the International Space Station where an ammonia leak sparks an international crisis both in orbit and on Earth.
\We know something seriously untoward transpires on this mission since each chapter is preceded by the relevant page of transcript from a congressional hearing but it's so well paced and constructed that it just drives the narrative and gives hints as to what's to come but not in a spoiler sense.

A bit like in 'The Martian' you're unobtrusively informed and educated in the science and practicalities of being in space for prolonged periods of time. The effects of that existence on the human body and mind and, conversely, the effects of the human body and mind on that environment are laid out in a compelling way. Really fascinating and done in a such a way that it's very enjoyable and not at all dull (but can be a bit gross!).

There's plenty of action as well as talk and much geopolitics in this one so very appealing in multiple ways. In some ways it put me in mind of some the classic thrillers of Robert Ludlum and Frederick Forsyth.

The characters are believable throughout and you're kept guessing about who's done what until the author is ready to reveal it.

Recommended.

Loved it!
It is both a psychological thriller and a hard science fiction novel, and I think both aspects are perfectly executed.
The details and description of the life aboard the ISS paint a very vivid picture of the situation of the characters and make for a completely immersive story.
The thriller and political aspects are great, and the characters are well fleshed out but still mysterious.
The story moves fast and the stakes are so high I couldn't put it down.
This is a very compelling book and I would gladly recommend it.

When I first realized that this was being translated from Polish to English, I was hesitant to read. When reading translated books, sometimes the language does not sound smooth and fluid. I’m happy to say that is not the case here. The writing was great.
I LOVE when a book takes place in space. It’s very easy to drop the ball with them because the space setting can sometimes become repetitive and boring. However, Inner Space was Intense and action-packed, and I had a good time reading it. There were some definite Andy Weir Project Hail Mary vibes going on at times.
I liked the length of the chapters and I also liked that almost every chapter began with a Hearing Transcript as it really added some character to the story.
My only con is that some parts were a bit too verbose and made me feel like I was reading a textbook so I started to lose interest.
Can’t wait to read more !