The Calculating Stars
Books | Fiction / Fantasy / General
4.1
(251)
Mary Robinette Kowal
Mary Robinette Kowal's science fiction debut, 2019 Winner of the Hugo and Nebula Award for best novel, The Calculating Stars, explores the premise behind her award-winning "Lady Astronaut of Mars." Winner 2018 Nebula Award for Best NovelWinner 2019 Locus Award for Best NovelWinner 2019 Hugo Award for Best NovelFinalist 2019 Campbell Memorial AwardFinalist 2021 Hugo Award for Best SeriesNamed one of Esquire's 75 Best Sci-Fi Books of All TimeLocus Trade Paperback Bestseller ListPublishers Weekly Best Books of 2018—Science Fiction/FantasyWinner 2019 RUSA Reading List for Science Fiction—American Library AssociationLocus 2018 Recommended Reading ListBuzzfeed—17 Science-Fiction Novels By Women That Are Out Of This World Locus Bestseller ListChicago Review of Books—Top 10 Science Fiction Books of 2018Goodreads—Most Popular Books Published in July 2018 (#66)The Verge—12 fantastic science fiction and fantasy novels for July 2018 Unbound Worlds—Best SciFi and Fantasy Books of July 2018Den of Geek—Best Science Fiction Books of June 2018Publishers Weekly—Best SFF Books of 2018Omnivoracious—15 Highly Anticipated SFF Reads for Summer 2018Past Magazine—Best Novels of 2018Bookriot—Best Science Fiction Books of 2018The Library Thing—Top Five Books of 2018On a cold spring night in 1952, a huge meteorite fell to earth and obliterated much of the east coast of the United States, including Washington D.C. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render the earth inhospitable for humanity, as the last such meteorite did for the dinosaurs. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated effort to colonize space, and requires a much larger share of humanity to take part in the process.Elma York’s experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition’s attempts to put man on the moon, as a calculator. But with so many skilled and experienced women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn’t take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can’t go into space, too. Elma’s drive to become the first Lady Astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions of society may not stand a chance against her.
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More Details:
Author
Mary Robinette Kowal
Pages
431
Publisher
Tor Publishing Group
Published Date
2018-07-03
ISBN
0765378388 9780765378385
Community ReviewsSee all
"Really enjoyed the premise and plot, but some occasionally yikes writing."
M R
Max Rosenthal
"Just ok. I echo other reviews, characters development wasn’t there so you don’t really connect with the characters and nor do you care about their fates. The attempts at romance in the book were awkward. The book could’ve done without it. More science would’ve helped too. "
E
EJ
"This was FANTASTIC!! It was everything I loved about Hidden Figures (which I read last year in honor of the moon landing anniversary) with the added bonus of a really supportive husband. I want to mention Nathaniel early and often as I firmly believe he is the standard to which all husbands should be held. But as to the plot, I loved the slight tweaking of history here and there to give us a believable story that focused on the women and people of color who contributed to the successes of the space program. In real life this was also true, though it is not addressed as openly as it should be given the time period, which many modern historians are working to change. <br/><br/>I also love a book with a great central character, and Elma is the quintessential badass female protagonist who probably wouldn’t see herself as a hero but totally is. She actually reminded me a lot of my sister, who is an engineer and math whiz, so needless to say I’ll be encouraging her to read this. And again, I must emphasize my love for Nathaniel, as he was far and away my favorite character. The pessimistic side of me feels that his unwavering support of his wife in the 1950s is probably unrealistic, but I’m going to imagine the best of men...gentleman, don’t let me down. <br/><br/>Overall this was the perfect science fiction novel for me: very feminist, a little bit historical, and relatively light on the super technical aspects of engineering. I can’t wait to read the sequel!"
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Allie Peduto
