Creative and full of credible future scenarios, Moon Luck is a sight into what the future might look like. It is the perfect novel for science nerds and space.

Once in 28 days, people see the moon in its full glory. Humanity calls it a full moon. The moon phases impact life on earth in various ways – some apparent and others not so much. Low tide and high tide are examples. Full moon customs are activities you can do to enhance your luck when the moon is evident.

But being an astronaut is another story. Becoming an astronaut is more complex than getting into an Ivy League school. NASA has even selected only 338, and they are hoping to mark their footprint in space.

Astronaut candidates must endure a time-consuming, grueling test to check if they can make the grade. There is a compiled list of skills that an aspiring astronaut needs to master to become an astronaut, which can be found in NASA.

The requirements to be space travelers have changed since the first group of astronauts was selected in 1959, considering the effort of America’s space program to include people of color, women, and those with diverse experiences.

The question is, how lucky can you be in Moon Luck?

Moon Luck by W. Scott Harral

In Moon Luck by Wayne Scott Harral, it is 2039, and astronauts from around the globe have been brought to the Venturous, a moon base station. Further research is carried out, and discoveries and developments are made daily. ‘Moon luck’ is a saying that the astronauts like to use, meaning that everything that happens on the moon is up to chance. One day, when everything is going as expected (well, scheduled for the moon, anyway), a low-pressure warning alerts the crew that something is wrong. There had been an explosion in the tool shed while someone was inside it. When foul play is suspected, Special Agent Aaron Ghiassi is called on to investigate the matter, earth-side, at NASA headquarters. Will Ghiassi figure out what or who harmed the astronaut and stop it, or will there be even more “accidents” on the Venturous?

Moon Luck is written very methodically, with great detail and many space facts. Analogous to a rocket launch, the book builds up in the beginning, but with patience, readers will notice it picks up around page 80 or so. Readers can tell that the author knows a lot about space exploration and that he wanted to apply it in some way, and a fiction novel was his medium of choice. There are over 40 characters in this story, and placing a character list in the back of the book for reference was good thinking on the author’s part because it is very much needed. And for as many different perspectives as this book rolls through, it is brief at just 338 pages. Character development is a challenge with so many characters. However, a few people do stand out. Two of them are Dr. Kormendy, a bold and stubborn Hungarian woman, and Jim Sheppard, an American and family man who has been on the moon for three years. In this story of astronauts living on the moon, one can imagine more adventures on the Venturous.

About The Author: Wayne Scott Harral

W. Scott Harral has been around since 1957. In that time, he has done various things and been to many places.

Wayne has a BS and MS in Civil Engineering and an MBA. He has made a career of providing construction management services mainly to the rail industry throughout the United States. Abroad, he has worked in Qatar, in the Middle East, which was indeed an eye-opener to the world. On that note, Wayne has traveled extensively, having visited over forty countries. Not to mention that he is in the Italian Alps every year.

He enjoys life and stays active. And his hobbies are numerous and varied. Just in this century, they include martial arts, flying, winemaking, and, as noted above, traveling!