First in Space

• Extensively researched, First in Space is based on the true-life adventures of Ham, a chimpanzee the Americans trained for the first sub orbital flight. The story follows his training and experiences through the launch, as well as those of the other chimps and trainers involved. Because it is Ham's exciting adventure, it is told primarily through his eyes, along with anecdotal information that provides a snapshot of that time in America's conquest of space.

After graduating from art school in 2000, Jim Vining spend four and a half years as a boatswain's mate in the US Coast Guard. After his release, he spent the spring and summer of 2005 working on First in Space, his first self-written published work. He currently lives in Indianapolis where he is continuing his education and researching his next project.