Alternate timelines novel, different first moon landers

[dotmatrix]

I am looking for the name of a novel I read in paperback in the UK around 1990. The book was set on earth with an element of time travel/alternate timelines. I remember a table at the back of front of the book with various information about different times including for each one the name of the first moon lander (sometimes Neil Armstrong, sometimes not). Anyone remember?

I'd be really glad for any thoughts.

 

[Danny McG]

I'm thinking of Voyage by Stephen Baxter, but that was mid nineties.
It has moon landings at the start but then it goes alt history with a Mars mission

 

[dotmatrix]

Thanks but it is not that. It was definitely out in paperback in the UK no later than 1990. I am not sure that the moon landings were central to the plot but I do remeber that first man on the moon was one of the points of diferntionation in a table of alternative histories.

 

[chrispenycate]

The Heinlein Number of the Beast and The Cat who walked through walls specify universes in the human multiverse by the first astronaut to make it to the moon. But not all that many of the scenes were on Earth (though several were on the moon).

 

[dotmatrix]

Thanks. I am pretty certain that is the one. Have jsut ordered it and will know soon. I really appreciate your help.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Could be a number of different Heinleins -- all of the books in his multiverse collection referred to the timelines by who was first on the moon. To Sail Beyond the Sunset and Time Enough for Love are two others, and I'm pretty sure Stranger in a Strange Land also mentioned a different first man on the moon. And The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.

 

[NannyOgg]

Do you remember anything else about the plot? If so, we can probably figure out which Heinlein it is.

 

[NannyOgg]

Just to add: The ones that use that device are the later Lazarus Long stories, so it probably would have been 'The Cat Who Walks Through Walls' or 'To Sail Beyond The Sunset'. Various others of his ('The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress', 'Stranger In A Strange Land', 'The Rolling Stones') later got retconned into the Lazarus Long series, but the alternate timelines thing wasn't officially a part of the books as written, so they probably wouldn't have the table in the front.

 

[chrispenycate]

I don't think it can be anything from before the number of the beast, in that that was where alternative universes are explored. I think it was the bit in The Cat who Walks through Walls, the discussion of the circle of Ourobos' graduation of universes by moon landing - page 326 in my copy. I can't remember another actual conversation about Leslie LeCroix and Neil Armstrong, the difference between NASA, free enterprise and military control of space, but he got to repeating ideas a lot in his later volumes. Assuming it is Heinlein, of course - my infallibilty is not my greatest talent.

 

[NannyOgg]

Ooops - just noticed that the OP said it was set on Earth. If so, that rules out 'The Cat Who Walked Through Walls', which was nearly all set on the Moon (which directly affected at least some of the plot - in particular, there was a scene where the protagonists had to pay for their air supply while staying in a city and this caused an argument with one of their party, who was the strawman Communist for Heinlein to disagree with).

 

[chrispenycate]

'The Cat Who Walked Through Walls', which was nearly all set on the Moon

And started on Golden Rule, and passed some time on Tertius - the only bit on Earth is the meeting of the Companions of the Circle of Ourobos, very short.

 

[dotmatrix]

Hi

I can't remember the plot. I think it was set on Earth but now I am doubting myself. Main thing I recall (other than enjoying it) was some kind of table in the back or front of the book with points of differentiation between the different timelines including the first moon lander. Not sure if that is a common Heinlein device.

I'll explore some summaries and see if anything jogs my memory. I have ordered Number of the Beast.

Thanks all.

 

[hitmouse]

Hi

I can't remember the plot. I think it was set on Earth but now I am doubting myself. Main thing I recall (other than enjoying it) was some kind of table in the back or front of the book with points of differentiation between the different timelines including the first moon lander. Not sure if that is a common Heinlein device.

I'll explore some summaries and see if anything jogs my memory. I have ordered Number of the Beast.

Thanks all.

Heinlein's Future History series has a table with dates, stories, characters and significant events (I think) but not alternative timestreams, iirc.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Well, if you haven't read much other Heinlein, don't get thrown off by Number of the Beast. See the extensive thread here about that. It's more than a bit on the weird side, and not really representative of any other Heinlein.