Stephen Blanchard’s Gagarin and I (Vintage, £5.99, ISBN 0 09 954871 2) is what is called nowadays a “rite of passage” novel. Leonard, an even-tempered, sharp observer of incident and people of the 1950s, progresses through adolescence obsessed with the pioneering stages of space travel. Blanchard’s ear for common speech and conversation is acute, the stoicism of his characters impressive.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Life
Has the answer to life's origins been hiding in our cells all along?
Features
ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû1000¼¯ºÏ
Sperm have been made magnetic to allow IVF inside the body
News
ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû1000¼¯ºÏ
The social media ban is an experiment – here’s how it will be studied
News
Technology
Inside the start-up aiming for a giant leap in robot intelligence
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Has the answer to life's origins been hiding in our cells all along?
2
We may have finally solved cosmology's chicken-or-the-egg problem
3
Fully autonomous drones have killed human soldiers for the first time
4
The relationship recession is even bigger for Gen Z than we thought
5
Toy universe shows that time could be a quantum illusion
6
How to sparkle in conversation with strangers
7
Sperm have been made magnetic to allow IVF inside the body
8
Mirror life: Scientists clash over threat of lab-engineered bacteria
9
Vaping after quitting smoking is linked to lung cancer
10
Quantum computer quickly mines cryptocurrency while using less energy
