Hold Back the Stars

Two astronauts, Carys and Max, find themselves adrift in the void with only ninety minutes of oxygen remaining. Set against a near-future Earth where romantic love has been outlawed by a society that prizes collective order above personal bonds, Katie Khan's debut novel weaves between the couple's desperate present and the forbidden relationship that brought them here. The premise is intimate and urgent, a ticking-clock survival story wrapped around a love affair that society deemed illegal.

Gemma Whelan, best known for her work in prestige television, brings a grounded intensity to the dual timelines, navigating the claustrophobic terror of open space and the warmth of remembered moments with equal assurance. Her voice carries the emotional weight of the story without tipping into melodrama, and the contrast between the cold silence of orbit and the vivid flashbacks lands especially well in audio. At just over eight hours, the runtime suits the story's compressed, breathless energy.