I am talking about actual novels brought for recreational purposes. As in manuals don't count. Also, I would like to know who and on what mission these were brought.
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3$\begingroup$ Considering that even early Soviet space stations had stocked libraries at launch for Cosmonaut recreation, it would be difficult to answer this kind of question. $\endgroup$– blobbymcblobbyMar 14 at 1:09
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2 Answers
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I did some research and even though I couldn’t find an exact number I did find a handful of books brought by different astronauts into space. These were:
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams - taken by astronaut Michael Foale to the Russian space station Mir in 1997.
"The War of the Worlds" by H.G. Wells taken by astronaut Buzz Aldrin on the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.
"2001: A Space Odyssey" by Arthur C. Clarke - taken by astronaut Frank Borman on the Apollo 8 mission in 1968.
"Dune" by Frank Herbert - taken by astronaut Koichi Wakata on the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1994.
"The Martian" by Andy Weir - taken by astronaut Tim Peake on the International Space Station in 2016.
"The Right Stuff" by Tom Wolfe - taken by astronaut Robert Gibson on the Space Shuttle Atlantis in 1991.
"The Journals of Lewis and Clark" - taken by astronaut Michael Collins on the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.
"A Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne - taken by astronaut Terry Virts to the International Space Station in 2015.
"The Time Machine" by H.G. Wells - taken by astronaut William Pogue on the Skylab 4 mission in 1973.
"The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" by Robert A. Heinlein - taken by astronaut Michael Collins on the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.
"The Invisible Man" by H.G.Wells - taken by astronaut Shannon Lucid on the Space Shuttle Atlantis in 1996.
"The Bible" - taken by various astronauts on multiple missions, including Buzz Aldrin on the Apollo 11 mission in 1969 ( The Bible that was taken up into space).
"The Lord of the Rings" trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien - taken by astronaut Clay Anderson on the International Space Station in 2007.
"The Diary of Anne Frank" - taken by astronaut Daniel Tani on the Space Shuttle Discovery in 2007.
"A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens - taken by astronaut Eugene Cernan on the Apollo 10 mission in 1969.
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams - taken by astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti on the Expedition 42 mission in 2014 https://www.cnet.com/culture/astronaut-reads-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-in-space/.
"Roughing It" by Mark Twain - taken by Frank Borman on Gemini VII in 1965.
"Drums along the Mohawk" by Walter D. Edmonds - taken by astronaut Jim Lovell on Gemini VII in 1965.
answered Mar 14 at 5:51
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3$\begingroup$ nit: While this answer uses the word "books", the question and title both use the word "novels". Several of the books listed here, while definitely not manuals, are also not novels. Examples include "The Journals of Lewis and Clark", "The Bible", and "The Diary of Anne Frank". I'm also going to guess that astronauts who took the Bible into space were probably not doing so for recreational purposes as specified in the question. $\endgroup$ Mar 18 at 17:51
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3$\begingroup$ @TheRocketfan Thanks for that link. But it seems to confirm my suspicion. The story states that Aldrin brought a "handwritten card containing a bible verse". Which is very different from bringing a bible. (Yes, there were microfilm bibles 5/16" in size brought along on later Apollo missions. But that's clearly not what the question was about... airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/bible-microform-apollo-13/…) $\endgroup$ Mar 18 at 21:30
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2$\begingroup$ Similarly, I am doubtful about the ""The Journals of Lewis and Clark" being brought by Michael Collins on Apollo 11 without a reference. $\endgroup$ Mar 18 at 21:31
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2$\begingroup$ Similarly, I am doubtful about "A Tale of Two Cities" taken by Gene Cernan on Apollo 10. Please provide references for these claims. This stack exchange encourages answers backed by references. That way we can better assess the quality of answers. $\endgroup$ Mar 18 at 21:36
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2$\begingroup$ Given the workload of each of the Apollo astronauts, when on a space mission, when did they get time to read a novel, when away from Earth? I've read many biographies of the Apollo astronauts & non of them mention taking a printed book with on a mission so they could read it. A number commented how weight was an issue & that they were only permitted to take a small pack of personal items & each pack had to be under a specified weight. I can imagine some of the Gemini astronauts possibly taking a book; particularly those on long endurance missions where they sat & did almost nothing for days. $\endgroup$– FredMar 19 at 2:03
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In addition to The Rocket Fan's list, the nonprofit Story Time From Space has sent 23 children's books to the ISS for astronauts to read on camera (usually while they're located in the Cupola).
https://storytimefromspace.com/books-2/books-approved-for-launch/
