Orbit (2006) - John J. Nance

Blasted in vivid detail into Earth orbit, a heaven-sent (almost literally) for techno-thrill-seekers, this exploration of space tourism and an accompanying tragedy---one that Kip Dawson has to live through (again, literally) alone in a disabled orbiter 300 miles above home---offers a welcome addition to a lackluster year in tech fiction.

A real-time account of a helpless man's candid thoughts, joys and regrets pervades every corner of a watching world, as Dawson unknowingly streams his life story onto a laptop tethered back wirelessly to Earth in what otherwise would have simply been his long-winding digital epitaph for his future rescuer, or coroner, who would surely not come any earlier than the five days of remaining life support he has in his damaged, zero-communications death craft.

Below, a frantic race to rescue.

Drama and techno-babble aside, Nance also entertains with a curious look into the next generation travel hotspot and stakes his share of original thoughts reserved only to those who look far ahead (far enough to be plausible, mind you). Well, not sci-fi thoughts, but something new---funny within context and some, morbid:
- "Mission Control...ASA Mohave...somebody...please come in....we have a big f**king problem up here!" Nice touch, he thinks...my first communication from space and it's the "F" word.
- The argument for a minimum of two astronauts on each flight had even worried the Federal Aviation Administration until Congress swatted the FAA and decided that the word "aviation" did not include "space."
- He unclips the laptop...surprised to find a garden-variety Dell...just like millions of its counterparts below...and then clicks on the Internet icon, not surprised when it comes up showing no connection.
- Senator: "All through the cold war, all through the space race, all through our history of manned...spaceflight, our nation has maintained...the value of even one human life...even Stalin said the loss of one life is a tragedy." President: "Yes, and the rest of that quote is that a million deaths is a statistic. Terrible thing to quote in part."

And best of all:
- My God, Kip thinks, Jerrod will be almost eighty before this spacecraft falls into the atmosphere and my long-dead body burns up on reentry. How awful for Jerrod and the girls to know their dead father is flying by overhead every ninety minutes your entire life.