Genre
Science Fiction
Setting and Context
Initially in the Czech Republic; later, in space near the planet Venus.
Narrator and Point of View
Told from a first person point of view through the narrator, Jakub Procházka.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the novel is scientific, optimistic, and candid. The mood of the novel is anxious, energetic, and lonely.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Jakub Procházka (protagonist); Jakub Procházka's past (antagonist).
Major Conflict
Jakub Procházka's attempt to complete his mission and deal with his troubled past, all while being millions of miles away from home.
Climax
When Jakub is captured by the Russian shuttle and told that he will be imprisoned once they return home.
Foreshadowing
Jakub eventually being stranded in space is foreshadowed by the conversations he has with his wife.
Understatement
The extent to which people in Jakub's life, including his wife, will miss him and are devastated by his life is understated throughout the novel.
Allusions
The book alludes to the long and fractured history of the Czech Republic and Russia, to other popular culture (particularly science fiction, including films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Interstellar), to the Bible, to other religions, and to Greek and Roman mythology.
Imagery
As Jakub goes deeper into space and closer to the Chopra, imagery surrounding Jakub's loneliness and disconnectedness becomes more common.
Paradox
Jakub seemingly has a great life and a great wife, but is still deeply unhappy with his life and wants to escape.
Parallelism
n/a
Metonymy and Synecdoche
n/a
Personification
Hanuš, the creature that Jakub meets in space, is given human characteristics and is personified in the novel.
