Heir Apparent by Alan Edward Nourse

A rain-drenched opening and the death of a famed space traveler set the tone for a story steeped in sacrifice, danger, and the price of glory. Ben, returning home from the hospital, finds his friend Bart and Bart's girlfriend Marny waiting with news that Bart has passed the first screening for Dillon's ambitious interplanetary space program. For Bart, the test is a triumph: a chance to leave Earth behind and join the expanding frontier of space. The screening has judged not only his technical ability but also the psychological toughness needed for brutal, long-distance voyages, and he is thrilled by the possibility of adventure and purpose. But Marny sees only risk. Horrified by what his success could mean, she begs him not to trade love, safety, and the life they know for a career that may end in repeated flights and an early death. As Bart tries to reassure her that nothing is certain yet, the argument sharpens into a painful truth: their future together may be impossible if he chooses the stars. Ben watches their relationship fracture under the pressure of ambition, fear, and the seductive pull of the unknown. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.