S3 E2: Veronica Cartwright

Published in 1979, 'The Right Stuff' by Tom Wolfe is a seminal work of nonfiction that delves into the lives of the pilots and astronauts involved in the U.S. postwar research with experimental rocket-powered aircraft and the early human spaceflight program, Project Mercury. Wolfe's book is based on extensive research, including interviews with test pilots, astronauts, and their families. It focuses on the bravery, machismo, and the unspoken code of 'the right stuff' that defined these individuals. The book contrasts the Mercury Seven astronauts with other test pilots like Chuck Yeager and Scott Crossfield, highlighting their courage, skills, and the risks they undertook. Wolfe's narrative is characterized by its vivid descriptions and use of literary techniques to evoke the era and the people involved in the early days of American space exploration.

First published in 1955, 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' is a science fiction horror novel set in the small town of Mill Valley, California. The story follows Dr. Miles Bennell as he discovers that alien life-forms are taking over the bodies and minds of his neighbors, friends, and family by replacing them with perfect physical duplicates devoid of human emotion. The novel explores the ultimate alien invasion and the human spirit's resistance against an invisible enemy. Unlike some of its film adaptations, the novel ends on an optimistic note with the aliens leaving Earth due to the strong resistance they encounter.