Inner Space was a nice easy read. A science fiction/mystery novel that explores the human condition more than anything. I enjoyed the ISS scenes as well as the dramatic spacewalk.
I also enjoyed the many points of view as we had three different points of view. This book was great right up until the end which kind of left it hanging more than I would like.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to Net Galley and HarperVia for the ARC. This was a book that sounded excited but was actually super boring and slow.

I thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. This is science fiction, a mystery thriller set in the closed in sealed in area known as the international space station. Sexual intrigue and infidelity as well as coverups and politics are woven through the story in a very interesting way. The book closed with details being handled realistically. It was reminiscent in tone to the Martian by Andy Weir. A great read!

✧₊‧˚⁀➷ 1.8/5 .ᐟ

➺ i'd like to remove the fact that this book even exists from my memory, thanks.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ setting .ᐟ the international space station, during the russian-ukrainian war (?). somewhere on the station, there's a nitrogen leak, and it's up to commander lucy (derogatory) to investigate. is it the russians? is it the trumpie? is it an accident? that's what lucy's here to find out! alternates between lucy's and some space admin's pov so we can get the whole background on russo-american relations.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ writing .ᐟ i feel like i could forgive everything else i hated about this—corny, non-existent mystery, insufferable characters, most boring politics of all time (ooh look at the evil russians!! so now what)—if the writing was remotely interesting. unfortunately, it was not. i didn't actually know this was translated until the author's note at the end, and it makes so much sense. the word choice, the sentence structure, everything is so bizarrely stiff. it's especially apparent with the dialogue—people don't speak like that in english. not to mention the annoying interjections meant to build character background take place entirely outside of the narrative. why are all these characters randomly daydreaming in the middle of important conversations?

ʚɞ ⁺˖ plot .ᐟ definitely not a thriller. no suspense, no mystery. we have three "suspects" at the beginning, the russian duo and the trumpie, ezra. except it's quite obvious it's not going to be the russians. the evil russians did it trope would make for an even blander book than this already was, and no author would write that, especially for something that's supposed to be an innovative political thriller. and of course it wasn't going to be the trumpie; there's no way an american would do anything wrong in these things. (he's not written to be a sympathetic character, but he's somehow more humanized than anton and lev.) so it's obvious that it's going to end up an accident. and the way it's written, this ending is more dull than the other two options combined.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ politics .ᐟ (white) american paternalism + anti-russian sentiment always gives me the creeps. a) these people almost never hate the 'i' place like that, so you can tell it's not about human rights. b) they're even more revolting towards the us-hated racialized countries like china and cuba. the paternalism in this was so blatant, i genuinely thought this was satire for like 99% of it, and if it is, + 1 star, but the hearing with the russian ambassador in the last chapter is seriously giving me doubts. it gets to a point where the satire is just a cia piece; you'd get as much out of this as you would out of black hawk down.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ characters .ᐟ i hope they all get taken out by a bomb the day after the book ends, but then, they're all purposefully written to be disgusting, so this is the one part of the book i can excuse. of course, it's funny that lucy, the only character written to be sympathetic, is more vile than the rest of them combined, except for steven. microaggressions towards devaki, the indian doctor. weird white savior complex towards lafayette, the black man. stupid, annoying as fuck, ridiculous victim complex. like maybe the misogyny should have won, sorry.

The coolest thing I noticed about the space thriller Inner Space was how setting the story in space made the people who work there more sympathetic and relatable (minor spoilers follow).

Lucy Hunt’s entire career has led up to one thing: Commanding a mission to the International Space Station (ISS). She’s highly qualified, intelligent, hardworking, and has the right blend of fairness and toughness needed to lead a diverse, strong-willed crew. But there’s an important catch: an astronaut’s life sucks on many levels.

The first part is the training. Not because of what astronaut training provides, but because of what it takes away: time. Time to be a partner, a parent, for self-reflection, or even decent sleep. An astronaut’s life goes on pause for years while they load up their mind and body for a mission. Often just one mission. And everyone they know is along for the ride, whether they realize it or not.

Then there’s the job itself. Sealed for months in a space station with the interior volume of a large classroom, crowded with gear, dirty laundry, and garbage. Shared with people that didn’t choose to be with each other, breathing recycled air and drinking recycled urine. Hundreds of miles above the Earth, where a meteor strike or equipment failure could mean instant death. And don’t get me started about the noise or what it smells like after 25 years in orbit.

In other words: Astronauts trade the best years of their lives for a chance to live for a few months in a filthy, human-sized hamster maze with people they don’t really know. And they could die at any time — on camera. Because all day, every day, astronauts are monitored by video from ground control stations on Earth, and every minute of those days is scheduled in advance by ground teams focused on maximum crew productivity.

It’s hard work and, in this day and age, thankless, because the ISS and its astronauts are an expensive, orbiting monument to something that doesn’t exist any more — a fleeting, post-cold war fantasy of global cooperation on space research and exploration. The training and work are no less demanding than they ever were, but the reality is that even schoolchildren are now more interested in the universe within their smartphones than the one beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

All the above is true in Inner Space, of course, until the day it isn’t. When communications go out, something goes wrong, and the world starts paying attention. When Lucy Hunt, the obedient, remote-controlled team player, must lead her crew to first save the ISS and, by the end, their own lives. And the difference between life and death comes down to skill, experience, and — most importantly — trust. Trust that Lucy must build with her international crew in the face of their secret agendas, and something she desperately needs from loved ones on Earth.

This gets to what Inner Space delivers so effectively. Lucy Hunt has one of the most storied, challenging jobs in the world, so it would normally be hard to relate to her struggles and decisions. At least not without falling back on stereotypes from history or science fiction, which tend to be one-dimensional. But Inner Space reveals what life as a modern astronaut is really like, why some people still devote their adult lives to such a career, and how that devotion can be a very good thing.

On the heels of this, Inner Space gave me a sense of what enjoyable stories set in space that aren’t specifically science fiction could be like. I think this is important because too much fiction set in space is mostly about the mechanics of survival in such an extreme environment. This leaves little room to get to know people involved and, in the end, makes space exploration seem less interesting and worthwhile.

Inner Space turns this on its head by being very much about people who happen to be astronauts. Exceptional people who are at the same time just like the rest of us. Even when they’re very, very far from home.

Okay, this was awesome! It was tense, it felt authentic (though the complete lack of any mention of COVID even though the book takes place in 2021 kind of threw me, if I’m being honest), and it married the tension and danger of space with human politics and the very real and messy history of space travel. I will be honest, I wasn’t expecting something quite so realistic when I read the synopsis.

My one significant gripe was that including Nate’s sections really cut the tension and took me out of the life-or-death situation that was unfurling for Lucy and being manipulated by Steve. Nate’s anxiety and paranoia make his contributions super repetitive, and his relative safety (and general lack of information that couldn’t be otherwise shared by Steve or Lucy) made his sections feel less important.

Overall, though, a very very solid tense mystery set in space amidst very fraught political tensions.

This was a perfectly serviceable space thriller that explores what happens when geopolitics follow us into space. The result, as you might expect, are complicated and not always as they may seem. It takes critical thinking and an open mind to examine all the implications, particularly when cut off from the typical channels one might use to address the effects.

What an excellent space mystery/thriller! The plot really keeps you guessing and does a great job switching between the POVs. You leave a POV wanting to come back to it but also wanting to read the next POV. Not a lot of authors do that well, balance the intrigue of the different characters.

I appreciated all the relevant scientific detail. It was fascinating and didn’t feel boring or bogged down. I was initially a little disappointed to find this was regular thriller versus what I consider a true to genre science fiction (missing the aliens or futuristic tech) however the plot sucked me.

I felt like I had lived on the ISS for a week after I finished this book. Space is ever intriguing to me. This book is perfect for those NASA, astronaut, space groupies.

Thank you to HarperVia and NetGalley for this ARC. Inner Space is set to publish on 7/15/2025.

I'll start by saying this book was translated from Polish to English, but the translator did a fantastic job and the reading was very fluid.

I really enjoyed this space psychological and political thriller. I appreciate Jakub Szamalek's research and providing a realistic view of life on the International Space Station and the toll this profession has on personal and family relationships.

The book switches between various points of view and timelines. It adds important perspective between the astronauts, political heads, and family. The plot was fast-paced and engaging throughout the book. While I don't think there was a "significant twist" as you might get from the thriller genre, I do believe it falls in line with the realistic view the story takes.

I loved the afterward where the author asks the question of whether this story really could have taken place. A great "what if" question with the final statement of "Not yet, at least." This story certainly spoke to today's politics along with sexism and racism.

While the premise appealed to me, nothing really happens for most of the story. I enjoyed the details about the ISS but the plot was WAY too slow.

Thankfully this story is based on a scenario of what could have happened at the ISS (International Space Station) should the US and Russia become involved in an adversarial situation. The ISS is divided into two sections, one US and one Russian. When the US side develops a problem with mounting amounts of ammonia, the two countries blame each other for the problem.

With four people in the American ISS and two in the Russian, there is an an unsolvable problem. Adding to the problem is that the Americans return vehicle can only hold three. Does the US leave one astronaut to stay on the ISS with the only way to return in an emergency is by the Russian capsule.

Adding to the problem is that one of the Americans is anti-Russian and not afraid to show it. When the Russians decide to test a missle that can destroy satellites during and American EVA, things get overheated.

I gave this three stars because is presents the characters as one dimensional and the 'final' confrontation seems to fabricated.

Let me start with how beautiful the translation of this book is - there's none of the stilted, awkward turns of phrase that often mar translations from Eastern European area languages (at least in my small, humble reading experience). Absolutely perfect.

Inner Space is one of those books that in this (North American) political climate hits very close to home, up to a point. Russian and American astronauts are aboard the ISS and a mysterious ammonia leak is threatening the health and future of this expedition. Russia is (obviously) blaming the American cooling system, whereas the USA is (obviously) suspecting Russian interference.

Aside from the myriad details about the structure and function of the ISS and the difficulties of keeping it in running order, Inner Space delves into the interpersonal conflicts between the astronauts as tension ramps up and ammonia levels continue to rise.

Large spoilers - At one point, the "close to home" feeling falls apart. I'm not sure when the Polish edition of this book was published, but there's an explicitly racist, sexist, aggressively MAGA character who takes a violently anti-Russian stance that completely drives the climax of the book. And now MAGA (in the real world) is Russia's best friend. But had current events not happened as they have in this year of Our Lord, 2025, this book would be spot on. I do not count that against the book at all - it's a work of fiction and does not need to adhere to real life, but the sheer amount of detail the author has put into researching everything made it feel real.

Great book, 4.5/5. Tense, beautiful, and with so much humanity in these flawed characters. Thanks to author/publisher/NetGalley (and translator!) for the opportunity to read.

Inner Space is a fun hard science thriller with excellent pacing and interesting twists. It is descriptive the technical parts, especially the International Space Station, are easily accessible and understandable by people who are not technical. Each of the characters is portrayed as a real person with real motivations and weaknesses.. All the characters get torn between what they should do, what they can do, and what would be best for themselves. All of the book weaves together and engaging, thoughtful, and suspenseful story that holds your attention and makes you want to know what is going to happen next!

This was a great book! It had the great elements of a psychological thriller, plus the science fiction elements made this a great book and a great story! It was well written, it kept me hooked from the start and it was full of lots of twist and turns!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

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.