The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy
McTier’s new tell-all on behalf of our galaxy explains the importance of story in scientific discovery. Read it with us this December.
Welcome to the SciFri Book Club page about The Milky Way. There’s lots of ways to participate: Read the book, listen to our interview with the author, join our community space, attend an event, or send a message on the SciFri VoxPop app.
This December, the SciFri Book Club will seek answers among the stars with The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy by astronomer, folklorist and author, Dr. Moiya McTier. Published this summer, this book stretches from the beginning of the universe to the birth of our planet, and then on to the eventual theoretical end of the cosmos. The narrator is our galaxy, the Milky Way—13.6 billion years old, all-knowing, and a little sassy. Along the way, we learn both the science of how stars form and galaxies collide, and the many stories and myths humans have told about these bodies throughout our relatively brief lives.
The Milky Way brings together a range of topics, including astronomy, folklore and science storytelling, astrophysics, galaxy formation and evolution, and more—and we’ll touch on these ideas throughout this Book Club season. You can get your copy from your local bookstore or on Bookshop.org.
This Book Club season kicks off Thursday, December 1, and you can read along with us! We’ll be (loosely) following this schedule, but all our readers are welcome to join us at their own pace:
- Chapters 1-3 from December 1-4
- Chapters 4-6 from December 5-11
- Chapters 7-9 from December 12-18
- Chapters 10-12 from December 19-25
- Chapters 13-15 from December 26-31
Plus, we’ll be hosting virtual and in-person events throughout the month! Keep an eye out on our website or join our Events newsletter to be the first to know.
There are so many ways to dive in and participate! You can grab a copy of the book (and support the author and SciFri), read an excerpt from The Milky Way, join the discussion in our online Book Club community, sign up for our email newsletter, or RSVP for our upcoming Book Club events. Check out all the details below.
Grab Your Own Copy
If you’d like to purchase a physical copy, we encourage you to start local! Check out the SciFri Book Club partner bookstores and libraries—if you’re in the area, consider supporting your local bookseller or public library (plus, mention our Book Club for a percentage off your purchase at participating shops!).
If they don’t have the book in stock or you’d rather purchase online, you can support Science Friday by buying your copy on our Bookshop.org page.
Save The Date: SciFri Book Club Events
Stories Under The Stars: A Science Friday x Amateur Astronomers Association Star Party
**Moved to rain date!** Science Friday and the Amateur Astronomers Association are teaming up to celebrate the stars in Jerome Park in The Bronx, NYC!
We’ll be on site with telescopes, hot cocoa, and lots of space lovers—including Dr. Moiya McTier herself. We’re gathering not just to look in wonder at the stars together, but to tell locals all about AAA’s efforts to bring NYC’s first public observatory to the park. Join in to stargaze and tell stories with us!
The Galaxy Muse: Moiya McTier and The Milky Way – SciFri Zoom Call-in
Do you find yourself looking up at the stars, wondering what (or who) else is out there? Come to this Zoom Call-in event with your questions for Dr. McTier about the beginning of the universe, the birth of our planet, or anywhere in between!
Join us for a SciFri Book Club event, where attendees can hear from experts about a topic related to our Book Club pick. Listeners chat with fellow attendees, ask questions to our guests via chat, and could be selected to ask their question live—just like our call-in show!
SciFri Book Club December community meeting: The Milky Way
Want to meet other SciFri Book Club members, talk about the book selection, and find more resources for deeper learning—all without leaving your home? Our community meeting is the place for you!
This discussion meeting will focus on themes and topics featured in The Milky Way. You’re welcome to join us no matter your reading progress—come chat with other science-interested folks about nature, animal intelligence and communication, technology, conservation, and more!
Join Our Community Space
And as you start reading, join us on our online community space: the Science Friday Book Club is now on Mighty Networks, a platform where we can gather, read and discuss science books together. We’ve built this community space because you told us you wanted a better way to be connected with other SciFri Book Clubbers, and we hope you’ll join us there!
Read An Excerpt
Not sure this is the book for you? Want to read an excerpt before you commit? We’ve got you covered.
Grand Central Publishing, the publisher of The Milky Way, has offered SciFri Book Clubbers an excerpt of the book! You can read this sample on our website.