Apple TV+’s early hit, For All Mankind, has shown audiences love sci-fi dramas that imagine different versions of history. Now that the show is ending after six seasons, it’s a good moment to develop another series based on an alternate history concept.
While For All Mankind isn’t the only show exploring alternate histories – others like The Man in the High Castle, Watchmen, Hollywood, 1983, have done so before – there’s one book that feels especially ready for a TV series now that For All Mankind has ended. Stephen Baxter’s 1996 novel, Voyage, would be a natural fit for a television adaptation.
Why Stephen Baxter’s Voyage Is For All Mankind’s Perfect Successor
Though the Soviets achieved a lunar landing before the US, the novel Voyage rewinds history to the Kennedy assassination of November 22, 1963. In this alternate timeline, John F. Kennedy survives the assassination attempt but is left severely injured. Lyndon B. Johnson still becomes President, and the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing proceeds as planned. However, a recovering JFK then challenges humanity to set its sights on reaching Mars.
Focusing on getting ready to send people to Mars ultimately meant ending lunar missions. The last Apollo mission landed on the Moon in 1971, and NASA then shifted its attention to Mars, restarting the NERVA program, modifying Skylab, and planning the first Mars mission, Ares. Although Ares successfully touched down on Mars in 1986, funding for this endeavor came at a cost: several robotic probes like Viking, Pioneer, and Voyager were cancelled, limiting our ability to explore the rest of the solar system.
The core idea behind Voyage – its realistic depiction of space travel, NASA missions, scientific accuracy, and focus on characters – strongly echoes For All Mankind. While For All Mankind demonstrated the potential of this type of story, Voyage has the opportunity to offer a fresh perspective. Specifically, Voyage’s setting, where limitations on space exploration existed during the Space Race, could create compelling drama when visually portrayed.
In 1999, Dirk Maggs turned Voyage into a popular British radio drama starring Laurel Lefkow as Natalie York. While the radio version closely follows the book’s plot, it doesn’t delve deeply into the characters or their stories. This makes a television adaptation of Voyage a more desirable option and a promising project.
For All Mankind Will Leave a Huge Void When It Concludes
The show will end after its sixth season, planned for release in 2027. Each season has jumped forward a decade, and the final season will bring the story up to the present day. This was the creators’ original vision – to imagine how the world would be different if the space race had continued. The future of the show, and space exploration itself, remains open-ended.
The fifth season of For All Mankind will introduce a new storyline focusing on the Soviet space program and their achievement of landing on the Moon in the 1960s. While the future beyond this Star City arc is uncertain, Apple TV+ might seek new opportunities for similar science fiction and alternate history projects, as other streaming services are likely interested in competing for such high-quality dramas.
Space travel is gaining a lot of attention recently, with the Artemis II mission planning to send astronauts farther than the Moon, and Artemis IV aiming to land humans on the Moon again for the first time in over 50 years. Besides Star City, Voyage feels like a fitting follow-up to For All Mankind.
Epic science fiction dramas set in space have consistently proven popular with audiences. Shows like The Expanse, Foundation, Lost in Space, and Andor have all offered fantastic sci-fi experiences, but For All Mankind stands out for its longevity and lasting impact.
Not only is Voyage a great book for readers who enjoy the genre, but it would also make an excellent television series – and could be just as popular.
Found an error? Send it so it can be corrected.
Read More
- Solo Leveling’s New Character Gets a New Story Amid Season 3 Delay
- Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Gets a New Release After Season 2 Finale
- Surprise Isekai Anime Confirms Season 2 With New Crunchyroll Streaming Release
- All 7 New Supes In The Boys Season 5 & Their Powers Explained
- Pragmata Shows Off Even More Gorgeous RTX Path Tracing Ahead of Launch
- HBO Max Just Added the Final Episodes of a Modern Adult Swim Classic
- Crimson Desert’s Momentum Continues With 10 Incredible New Changes
- PRAGMATA ‘Eight’ trailer
- Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden Are So in Sync During Rare Public Outing
- Dragon Quest Smash/Grow launches April 21
2026-04-16 22:08