In his latest novel, 鈥淭he Moon and The Other鈥� (Simon & Schuster/2017), science fiction writer envisions a collection of people living on the moon in the middle of the 22nd century. The story follows four main characters as they navigate the social structures of each colony, including the 鈥淪ociety of Cousins,鈥� where men receive societal privileges but are denied the right to vote.

Host Frank Stasio talks with Kessel about setting a novel on the moon and how social structures on Earth influenced the book. Kessel is a professor of creative writing and American literature at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.