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This is the first Michener book I've read. I picked it up with the anticipation of delving into a detailed and immersive account of the Apollo program, and I wasn't let down. However, what truly surprised me was the deeper central contrast that Michener skillfully draws in the social, religious, and political developments from the end of World War II through to the Reagan era. It's remarkable how relevant this contrast is to the conflicts we are currently facing. He accomplishes this mainly through the character of Strabismus. Initially, Strabismus capitalizes on the Sputnik anxiety to promote tabloid stories about little green men, posing as a phony academic and making a fortune by selling mail-order degrees. He continuously anticipates the shifting public opinion to amass money and power, eventually tapping into a wave of anti-science, fundamentalist sentiment that propels him to power as a prominent televangelist. Michener presents this as a regression into the dark ages, in contrast to the relative pinnacle of Enlightenment values represented by the moon landings. It's difficult to dispute this analysis, especially when we see how evolution, vaccination, cell phone towers, heliocentrism, and the moon landings themselves have become the targets of an increasing number of conspiracy theorists. What's truly striking is how Stanley Mott, the scientific protagonist of the novel, approaches all of this. Mott doesn't rage against this affront to science. He doesn't enter politics to engage in a tit-for-tat battle. He doesn't succumb to despair. Instead, he doggedly continues to advocate for progress and truth. And finally, he manages to break through to Strabismus himself by appealing to his curiosity and sense of wonder, of all things. Perhaps there is a valuable lesson here for us all.
