
A fragile peace hangs over a world divided by two rival orbital platforms, each a symbol of national pride and fear. In a quiet garden in Geneva, the aging U.S. President and the stern Russian Premier meet for a final, tense negotiation, aware that any concession could spark political ruin at home. Their uneasy dialogue is shadowed by a bright, unknown object climbing into the sky—a massive space station that could tip the balance of power.
Above the planet, the American Goddard circles the Earth in a cramped, hastily‑built orbit, its aging systems creaking under the strain of a mission meant to outpace its Soviet counterpart. Engineer Jerry Blane, one of the original builders, now oversees the outpost while the chain of command shifts unexpectedly to a civilian. As the crew contends with technical glitches and hidden cargo, the looming specter of “thunder” in space threatens to ignite a conflict that the world’s leaders hope to avoid.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (70K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
New York, NY: Ziff-Davis Publishing Company, 1962.
Credits
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2023-12-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1915–1993
A major figure in American science fiction, this writer helped shape the genre both on the page and behind the scenes as an editor. He is especially remembered for early classic stories, popular books for younger readers, and his role in building the Del Rey Books imprint.
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by Lester Del Rey

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by Lester Del Rey

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by Lester Del Rey

by Lester Del Rey

by Lester Del Rey