Space is the subject of inspiration for many artists and scholars, ordinary observers and even NASA scientists that have worked with it for many years. Space has also inspired three Ukrainian teenagers to write their own books in English about one of the most mysterious planets of the Solar system – Mars.
How the story began
“Smart Osvita” NGO is implementing the project “Ukraine Speaks English“, where Ukrainian children can speak English with volunteers from all over the world. And once, a science popularizer and author of space books, Bruce Callow, joined this meeting. Among other things, Bruce was a communications advisor to a famous NASA astronaut, Dr. Franklin R. Chang-Díaz, who has been on seven space missions. Bruce is also the author of books, and he has been volunteering and helping Ukraine and Ukrainians since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
When I worked in the UK Embassy in Costa Rica, I worked with a former NASA astronaut Franklin R. Chang-Díaz on a multimedia film project about climate change, and then I started writing books about people from Central America who worked for NASA. After our first book was published, I officially started teaching children about space with a predominant focus on a career in space business. I attended the Laboratory of jet propulsion, Johnson and Kennedy Space Centres, and Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex. During the COVID-19 pandemic I organized a series of Friday night space conferences with the most interesting people in the space business. Currently, I am still conducting web-conferences about space together with Create & Learn. There is so much that you can teach and learn,” says Bruce.
Bruce joined the project and conducted a session “Learning about space together”, where he talked about the Agency’s activities, space missions, the life of the astronauts, science, and many other things. That is when he noticed that children were really interested in astrophysics, that they ask many questions and want to know more. So, Bruce started his own project – he invited those interested and creative Ukrainian teenagers to write their own short stories about the colonization of Mars. This is how two Illias, Vlad and Bruce started their own book-space travels.
“I have been interested in space since childhood. When I was a child, I was following the Apollo missions and watched the original Star Trek. Back then it seemed like anything was possible in the space program, and there was a serious plan, put forward by the NASA director in 1969, to send astronauts to Mars by 1981. We are a bit behind the schedule. But the young people do not want to wait, that is why they are writing their own stories about the future they want to see,” says Bruce.
Red Genesis from Vlad and Illia
The first book, Red Genesis was written by two friends from Odesa – Vlad Andrukhiv and Illia Garbazhii-Romanchenko. This is a story about humanity’s bold and important adventure to colonize Mars. The short story tells about the world of high risks and scientific innovation, where against the background of political maneuvers and technical precision the race to establish the colony is under way.
You can read it here.
And listen to it here.
Vlad is an eighth-grade student of Richelieu scientific lyceum. His interests include astrophysics, and he is considering it for his future career. The boy is very active in school competitions, he has a bronze medal of the 2023 International astronomy and astrophysics Olympiad for junior students, multiple awards from Ukrainian physics and astronomy olympiads.
“My interest in astronomy and science appeared in the fourth grade: I was watching popular scientific videos online, and I had many questions most of which I can answer now. I went to an astronomy circle and started taking part in scientific olympiads.
One of Smart Osvita’s English classes was about NASA, and I decided that I must attend this online meeting. The class was conducted by Bruce Callow. I told him about my interest in astronomy and asked about some competitions that he could recommend. Bruce gave me his contact information and answered some of my questions, and then he emailed me and offered to contribute a story to the book about Mars. I was happy to accept this offer and called my older friend Illia to write a book together,” says Vlad.
Illia is an eleventh-grade student of the physics class at Richelieu scientific lyceum. He is fond of astronomy and physics, he likes reading books and also his hobby is swimming. He is considering the profession of a physicist, but he has not yet made up his mind regarding his future profession. He was a silver medalist of the 2023 International astronomy and physics Olympiad, and an absolute winner of the Ukrainian astronomy olympiad.
“I have been interested in space since childhood. I do not know or remember why. When I was 13 or 14, I was interested in astronautics, and since I was 15, I have been more interested in astronomy.
I met Bruce through Vlad. We were riding a cable car in Lviv on our way back from the astronomy olympiad, when he told me that one Canadian offered him to write a book about space, and he needed a co-author. I decided that it would be an interesting experience.
The subject was offered either by Vlad or by Bruce, and I accepted it. At first, I thought we would write a documentary about the first piloted mission to Mars, but then I remembered there has not been one yet, so we would write a science fiction story,” says Illia.
This is how they started working on this scientific political story. In the story, a team of astronauts is selected for the mission based on an intensive training program. Their individual stories entwine with the general storyline, embodying the spirit of human resilience in the face of challenges. Red Genesis is captivating in its combination of scientific explanations and very real descriptions of the difficult challenges that humanity would face when colonizing Mars.
“It took us two months to write the book, once a week would team up in zoom and reread everything we have created in the last seven days. We split the chapters so that each of us would enjoy writing his part. We had agreed on the plot, and then gradually improved it and added more details.
The story behind the title is quite interesting. “Red” means the color of the planet where the astronauts are flying, and “Genesis” has a more philosophical touch to it. The astronauts flying to Mars are going to be the first people to arrive there. This event is a new stage for humanity. That is why we chose the word Genesis, as it means “beginning”, “inception”, “discovery”. It is a symbol of the beginning of the new era, that came as a result of humanity’s technological progress,” says Vlad.
“I have known Vlad for several years, we attend the same Astro-circle, we went to several olympiads together. It facilitated our cooperation. Vlad generated ideas like fountain splashes, and I was trying to get it all together, so that ultimately, we would have a wholesome and comprehensive work. Each of us wrote his own chapter, and at the final stage we were editing the book together. Bruce edited some chapters during the working process, and then reviewed the whole book at the end, and gave us helpful advice.
I was really inspired, as I really like science fiction. The key inspiration for me was my favorite “Foundation” by Asimov. I do not know where Vlad had taken his ideas from. Probably he has a small factory of ideas, as he has so many of them 🙂
We really liked this experience. First, we needed to have a lot more discussions than I had hoped, and make sure that we understand each other. Overall, this was a great experience. It was really interesting, and I will benefit from it a lot, as this helps to learn to skillfully formulate your ideas,” says Illia.
So, we recommend Red Genesis to all readers who are interested in space exploration, especially those, who also dream of going on a space journey to Mars one day.
Red Horizon Odyssey from Illia Zhupanov
The second book is called the Red Horizon Odyssey by Illia Zhupanov from Kyiv. This is a chronicle of a bold mission of the spaceship Red Horizon and its fearless crew who leave Earth to explore the mysterious red planet.
You can read it here.
And listen to it here.
Illia is a ninth-grade student of Slavonian grammar school. He is fond of video games, geopolitics, technology, and science fiction. He would like to choose a profession connected with engineering or IT, but he is still considering his options.
“I have been interested in space since childhood: when I was 6, I started reading space encyclopedias, and then I got interested in space science fiction. I like reading about the latest technology implemented in space exploration. Why Mars? I am a big fan of “The Martian” by Andy Weir. Moreover, Mars is a more likely first planet to be visited and colonized by humanity. For me, this book is an attempt to try to imagine how the first piloted mission to Mars would unfold. I really hope I will live to see it,” says Illia.
After meeting Bruce, Illia started writing his story about the mission that would become a turning point in humanity’s ambition to become a multiplanetary species. The crew of the Red Horizon headed by their captain, John Brown, is a diverse and ambitious team, in which each crewmember contributes their own skills and personal characteristics. From the meticulous Executive Officer Andreas Lundström, to the technology-savvy Engineer Nils Fischer and fashion-conscious Biologist Camilla Deveraux, the crew provides a believable and entertaining human connection to a very technological mission.
“It took me two months to write the book, I discussed my ideas and technical features (for instance, the orbits and the realistic duration of the mission) with Bruce. He also reviewed it and helped with the wording. Overall, my English level was sufficient to write it, but the space vocabulary was somewhat lacking 🙂
I drew inspiration from my favorite books of the sci-fi genre, especially from my favorite, “The Martian” by Andy Weir, both the book and its screen version. The main difficulty was trying to write the dialogues for the characters at the beginning, but gradually I settled into their roles and started imagining how they would respond to a situation. When creating the characters, I was inspired by the people I knew (or know), or by the traditional characters in similar books (for instance, the fearless captain of the mission who grew up in the mountains and is not afraid of the cold). I also lent some of my personal features to some of the characters (for example, the love of cats). Sometimes my friends helped me by offering ideas that I later incorporated into the story.
It was a lot of fun writing the book, conceptualizing the characters and the Universe. As a fan of the genre, I really enjoyed trying to write a sci-fi story. It was a great experience, and I am really thankful to Bruce and everyone who somehow contributed to the book. If I have time and inspiration, I would like to write a sequel or a spin-off in the future. Maybe I will work in the space industry, but I have not yet made up my mind,” says Illia.
We highly recommend the book Red Horizon Odyssey, which offers fascinating adventures and an unshakable faith in the reality of space missions to Mars in the not-so-distant future.
Follow–up to the space authorship
Currently Bruce is working with a new group of teenagers to implement in paper their dreams of colonizing another mysterious planet – Titan.
“I really enjoy working with Ukrainian teenagers on the books about the colonization of Mars, and now Titan. Each book is unique. Teenagers have various interests and skills that they contribute to the writing process. As their instructor/editor, I am helping to improve some of their ideas and helping them with the structure of the book. Sometimes the challenge is to narrow down the number of ideas, as there are so many of them!
It is really amazing and inspiring to see how devoted the Ukrainian authors are to their books. These teenagers have a tight school schedule and a lot of other duties, yet they finished their books in time. Moreover, English is not their native language, but they brilliantly coped with the task. I really respect them, and I hope that in the future I will have an opportunity to work with more young Ukrainian authors!” says Bruce.
You can follow the release of new books and join English conversation clubs on our website and in the telegram of the Ukraine Speaks English project.
The project is implemented with the support of Global Giving, Educo , “Classrooms Without Walls”, Ocean Wise Conservation Association, Strive2Thrive, and our volunteers.
Author: Olha Leshchyk
Journalist, acting teacher, director
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