Putting the “Out” in Outer Space
The Gravity of Us, Mars Exploration, and the Queerness of the Cosmos
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21409282 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michelle Ann Abate (Gender Studies, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-20 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Children s Literature in Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0045-6713 • E-ISSN: 1573-1693 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s10583-025-09645-8 |
| OpenAlex | W7130730021 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 1 |
This essay examines a recent acclaimed YA novel that explores the impact of the cosmos on terrestrial life: The Gravity of Us (2020) by Phil Stamper. In the opening chapter, seventeen-year-old white protagonist Cal Lewis, Jr. receives unexpected news: his father has been chosen as an astronaut for the first mission to land humans on Mars. The main plot of the narrative chronicles NASA’s preparations for this historic event, while the subplot follows a far different story: the queer romance between Cal and Leon Tucker, the teenaged son of another Mars recruit. Throughout Stamper’s text, NASA’s upcoming human exploration of the Red Planet invites and even encourages the two young male characters to explore their lives, identities, and, above all, sexualities. Accordingly, this essay unpacks the way that The Gravity of Us puts the “out” in outer space and, in so doing, calls attention to the queerness of the cosmos
Cosmos (plant) · Mars Exploration Program · Narrative · Planet · Queer · Romance · Space exploration and regulation · Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life · Utopian, Dystopian, and Speculative Fiction
| Highly cited | No |
|---|