The Eagle Has Landed

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Clarke has compiled an eclectic selection of the past 50 years in lunar science fiction, written by a who’s who of speculative fiction writers. Entries include standard adventure fare (“The Lunatics” by Kim Stanley Robinson), the ordinary and extraordinary earthly exploits of retired moon-landing astronauts (“The Eve of the Last Apollo” by Carter Scholz and “Fly Me to the Moon” by Marianne J. Dyson), and philosophical examinations of a future that may yet come to pass (“The Fifth Dragon” by Ian McDonald). Standouts are a cautionary tale of intergalactic imperialism in “The Moon Is Not a Battlefield” by Indrapramit Das and a darkly humorous take on accidental cloning in Rich Larson’s “In Event of Moon Disaster.” There are also widely varied takes on the future that was promised by the space age, but failed to arrive. This uneven but worthwhile collection will appeal to fans of futuristic science fiction and historic space race aficionados. (July)