Nicholas Sheffield: 13 books

The new launcher has been a revelation with its ability to get equipment into orbit at an economical price. But can it be used to launch humans? There's only one way to find out... fire up a chimpanzee and hope for the best. Danny is his name. He's been training for months. But when it comes to the big day will he be in the right frame of mind for the mission?

The Jacobite comet is coming back after a two hundred year absence. Riding on it should be an antiquated probe. The device was deployed on the comet's last pass, so just like the comet it hasn't been seen for two hundred years. The probe was meant to begin transmitting when it entered...

Rhys is very familiar with the capabilities of synthetic eyes. When he sees a distressed aircraft heading for disaster he has a golden opportunity to make use of them. It's a chance in a million. But is it a helpful use of technology or just a case of wanton opportunism?

This exposition presents the blueprint for a future city. Its detailed design is a complete overhaul of contemporary layouts and bestows numerous new benefits. Some of the highlights are: every residential property overlooks a park; pedestrians never cross the path of a vehicle; commuters travel from...

Why can't we build a streamlined city? We have the technology but seemingly lack the motivation. Are we so used to our substandard way of life that we simply can't imagine anything better? Are we so besotted by the current rambling designs? We don't need robots to carry our shopping, we simply...

They copied Lewis Bregman's brain slice by microscopic slice, capturing every cell and every electrical connection that made up his consciousness. Then they reassembled it in an android's head, creating a perfect emulation. But how should they view that hybrid head now sitting on the lab bench?...

It took them five months to get there. Now the two astronauts have finally arrived on Mars. Their mission is to recover samples from a deep-well exploration rig, which has been stranded for twelve years. One of those samples in its lab - a new metal element - could have a huge impact on power...

Sierra is charged with managing the closure of a cryogenics center - a place where dead people are suspended in the hope that a future civilization will revive them. Only Sierra is part of that future civilization, and technology hasn't progressed enough. She goes about her grim task...

On a clear night they can be seen racing through the heavens. Amidst the myriad of galactic lights they materialize like clockwork - suddenly appearing above one horizon, streaking across the sky, vanishing into another. They’re not shooting stars. They're man-made satellites rushing headlong through...

Science fiction short story collection, including: Silicone Lady - A group of middle-aged pranksters try to dupe a drunken friend into falling for a lifelike gynoid. But can a person really be so intoxicated that they don't notice? Immortal Mind - Pierre’s brain has a degenerative...

On the brink of imploding, the last thing the ruling government of an economic backwater wants is a scandal. Miguel, a senior political figure in that government, knows that better than anyone. Unfortunately he finds himself in the middle of one at the most inopportune moment.What’s worse,...

Short, light-hearted poem.Four Scots look up at the night sky and contemplate life and the universe.

The comet Nefarious is on a collision course with Earth. Apparently. And the US is scrambling to stop it.But Tamas, a seasoned journalist in the Eastern world, discovers that there may be an ulterior motive for putting a huge arsenal of weapons into space.His information suggests that...