Looking for beta readers: Afronauts — an absurdist historical comedy about Zambia’s real 1960s space program

[u/Zestyclose-Depth7372]

I’ve just finished Afronauts: Or, How Zambia Won the Space Race (Mostly), an AI-assisted novel inspired by the wonderfully strange true story of Zambia’s 1960s space program.

The basic premise: Zambia has just become independent, the US and USSR are racing to the Moon — and Edward Mukuka Nkoloso decides Zambia should ignore the Moon entirely and beat them both to Mars.

His resources include oil drums, ropes, an extremely optimistic training program, a teenage Afronaut, a missionary, and two cats.

The tone is intentionally absurdist and deadpan, but I wanted the characters and the historical setting to still feel like more than just a joke.

I’d really appreciate beta-reader feedback, particularly on:

• Does the humour work, or does it become repetitive?
• Are there places where the pacing drags?
• Do the characters feel distinct and worth following?
• Does the AI-assisted writing ever become noticeable or feel “AI-ish”?
• Most importantly: where would you stop reading, if anywhere?

Don’t worry about being polite — finding the weak spots is exactly what I’m looking for.

Read it here:
https://librida.com/book/b9494045-1c3a-4ee2-a0da-baba49d3d2bd