The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy

Moiya McTier utilizes her unique loves of astrophysics and folklore to tell the story of the Milky Way in sassy, snarky tones that make what can be a difficult subject to understand relatable to the casual space geek. I can't remember ever laughing while reading an astronomy book, and there were points during this book where I howled with laughter. McTier both anthropomorphizes the galaxy and its companions, including a long-festering distaste for Larry (aka the Large Magellanic Cloud), the discomfort and shame of Sarge (aka the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy) and an adoration for Andromeda, while simultaneously pointing out how self-absorbed and puny humans can be. McTier covers not just the science of the universe and the Milky Way, but also delves into astronomical discoveries over time, and the mythologies that early civilizations had about the galaxy and night sky, making the story feel even more comprehensive in nature. Readers should take note that while this may look like a fiction book, it is non-fiction. As someone who has always had a love for astronomy and outer space, this is a perfect book for the fun, conversational way it conveys information about space. If you love the idea of space but find textbooks intimidating, this book is for you. If you're a teenager and want to read a book about space that namechecks Beyonce and "those hunky brothers from Australia" this book is for you. If you're uptight and think all books about astronomy should be dry, boring and only readable by people with a doctorate in astronomy or astrophysics this book probably isn't for you - but it wasn't meant to be, you stick-in-the-local neighborhood Larry! I absolutely loved this fresh, fun take on the Milky Way, the universe and physics in general.

The Milky Way by Moiya McTier is an excellent one volume introduction to the history of our galaxy. Once you accept the narrative voice of a galaxy that barely has time for something as transient as humans, you'll find yourself pulled in by the ease, clarity, and depth of McTier's way of telling a story and in fact conveying the most up to date state of our understanding of the galaxy and the formation of the universe itself. The illustrations are very nice and compliment the text well. Star maps or pictures of celestial phenomena would be a nice addition in later editions. The author seems to be at her best when she considers the galaxy through the light of human folklore and mythology. This is a fun and easy book to read. You'll be surprised at how much you'll learn, and how quickly and easily.

If you ever wanted to meet the Milky Way this is your chance. Hear about the struggles and challenges of our exceptional Galaxy. Learn some facts while also getting the lowdown on juicy intergalactic relations.

We often beseech the stars to help us with our Earthly woes on a clear night… but it isn’t often that the Milky Way talks back. Dr. Moiya McTier’s new book The Milky Way: An Autobiography of our Galaxy casts our home galaxy as a wise sage lecturing humanity on our coming of age in the cosmos. Warning: the Milky Way has a touch of a snarky attitude, and it doesn’t shy away from ridiculing the follies of our species. Through the narrative, McTier adds in the history of how we’ve come by our hard-won knowledge on the cosmos, as well as where our cutting-edge understanding in the fields of cosmology and astrophysics sits. The Milky Way is a great read, and weaves a wonderful modern myth around our home address in time and space.

I have no science background, but was always really interested in space. So when I got this book, I was shocked at how quickly I became emerged. I literally couldn’t put it down!!! I was just looking for an introduction into the topic, but what I didn’t expect was how entertaining this author made this topic….even funny (which I was not expecting at ALL). So props to the author for making a science book that you actual enjoy reading and come away with actually having learned a lot. Honestly, I found it hard to put this book down at times and couldn’t recommend it more : )

This fun-to-read book combines the latest thinking on both our galaxy and the evolution and structure of the universe as a whole. The author cleverly combines science with snarky language in this galactic "autobiography." This approach puts human concerns and actions in their humble place in the overall setting of the unimaginable scale of the universe, both in time and in space. Maybe this perspective will help us humans be friendlier to each other and our planet, to be more cooperative and preserve our gorgeous earth.Usually scientists make this attempt at filling us with awe just by throwing out lots of large numbers on how many stars there are, how many likely exoplanets, etc. However this book, by telling a story and creating cosmic characters, makes the information so much more compelling and memorable than just dry numbers do. I wish all science writers would do such an outstanding job drawing me into their subject matter.

This is an honest science book on the one hand and on the other, a companion to great storytellers of humorous mythology such as Stephen Fry in his Mythos Trilogy. If you love Mythos, you should love this book! Similar tone while maintaining educational relevance. This would be a great book for teens uninitiated to the field or wizened professionals looking for a light(er) read. Any and all would enjoy.The book doesn’t shy away from more difficult topics, however, they’re approached in a way that neither infantilizes nor over assumes the readers background to the subject.I preordered this book following Dr. McTier’s guest episode on Queer Movie Podcast where she plugged the new release. The author was a delight to listen to in podcast form - funny and relatable. I myself am hoping to mix myth and science in my future, and I also hope to graduate from Harvard. If you’re reading this Dr. McTier, know that I am so very grateful for the space you’ve made for others to follow behind you. I hope one day to thank you in person. Keep going. ❤️