Kosmonaut z Čech

Jaroslav Kalfař's Kosmonaut z Čech follows Czech scientist Jakub Procházka, the sole member of a mission to a mysterious cloud in the solar system. During the flight, professional ambition collides with loneliness, family history, and his deteriorating marriage to Lenka. An unlikely extraterrestrial companion turns the journey into a philosophical exploration as well.

About the book

Raised by his grandparents after losing his parents, Jakub sees his childhood dreams of heroism fulfilled when the Czech government selects him for a daring space mission. The farther he travels from Earth, the more he recognizes the cost of his ambition and what he has left at home.

The science-fiction premise connects with questions of love, memory, guilt, and identity. Distance gives his memories and relationships new significance, creating a setting for personal reflection.

Main themes

• Loneliness: The space mission isolates Jakub from people and ordinary life.
• Ambition: He reassesses the cost of professional success.
• Marriage: His relationship with Lenka is a central emotional thread.
• Czech identity: The story engages with Czech history, family, and national context.

Characters

• Jakub Procházka: A Czech scientist and the sole member of a dangerous space mission.
• Lenka: Jakub's wife, whose relationship with him weakens during the mission.

Setting

The near future, spanning the Czech Republic, Earth, and a space mission toward Venus.

Who is it for?

For readers of literary science fiction, psychological novels, and stories about identity, family, and loneliness.

Literary context

This Czech edition is a translation of Spaceman of Bohemia, originally written in English.

Edition details

Czech translation by Veronika Volhejnová. Czech-language e-book, 320 pages, in EPUB, PDF, and MOBI formats.