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A review by squid_vicious
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
5.0
Earlier this year, I read "The Lady Astronaut of Mars" by Mary Robinette Kowal (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22057102-the-lady-astronaut-of-mars) and fell in love with Elma York really hard. That tiny little story packed such a huge punch about love, grief, passion and space: it took me a few days to recover... and it was less than 50 pages! When I heard there would be two upcoming Lady Astronaut novels, I actually screamed. And dropped everything else I was reading almost as soon as my copy was delivered.
In spring of 1952, a meteorite hits the Atlantic ocean just off the east coast of the United-States, and destroys Washington D.C. But this impact has more dire consequences than the flooding of the cities on the coast: the cataclysm triggers an extinction event not unlike that which lead to the extinction of the dinosaurs. If humanity is to survive, they need to find a way to get off the planet. Fast.
Elma York is a former WASP pilot and a brilliant mathematician. She and her husband Nathaniel work for the NACA - NASA's ancestor agency. Her calculations and discovery earn her a place on the team put in charge of figuring out how to put a man on the Moon, and eventually colonize it to save humanity. She soon decides that she wants to be more than a computer: she wants to become an astronaut. But a few things stand in her way, mostly the simple fact that she is a woman...
If you've seen (or read) "Hidden Bodies" and enjoyed it, you'll love this story of incredibly brilliant women working their asses off to be recognized for their work, and not just as someone's wife or daughter. Not unlike the tiny short story that lead me to this book, I went through it wondering how Kowal managed to talk about so much in so few pages: feminism, civil rights, science, politics, mental health! Each issue is approached with realism and compassion, doing what the best science-fiction books do: make you understand what being human really means while appearing to tell you a story about space exploration.
Elam's character is strongly built, and as you read her story, you share her love of her work, her anxiety about public-speaking, her anger at the way women in the program are being treated by the men in charge, her frustration and powerlessness in the face of other discrimination and prejudices. Her relationship with her wonderful and supportive husband Nathaniel is sweet - perhaps a touch too sweet, really - but it's heartwarming to see her partner treating her like an equal as she has to fight tooth and nails to prove that she is just as qualified as the men she works with. I enjoyed the ever-shifting rapport with her nemesis, the horrid Stetson Parker: they hate each other, but begrudgingly respect each other at the same time, which makes their interaction fascinating. I also appreciate that Elma has some prejudices of her won she has to confront and overcome, showing that we can all do better.
Kowal might have written an alternate history novel set in the 50's, but her commentaries are quite relevant to current events: the real world is still full of people who feel that women and black people can't do certain things or should be treated differently, not to mention people who don't believe that science is real... Speaking of which, she clearly did her homework with scientific and technological research: I don't know if her aviation and engineering jargon is accurate, but the way the scientists talk and behave feels absolutely authentic.
If you like good sci-fi, strong and well-realized female leads, alternate history and excellent writing, do yourself a favor and read this book! I can't wait for "The Fated Sky" later this summer!
In spring of 1952, a meteorite hits the Atlantic ocean just off the east coast of the United-States, and destroys Washington D.C. But this impact has more dire consequences than the flooding of the cities on the coast: the cataclysm triggers an extinction event not unlike that which lead to the extinction of the dinosaurs. If humanity is to survive, they need to find a way to get off the planet. Fast.
Elma York is a former WASP pilot and a brilliant mathematician. She and her husband Nathaniel work for the NACA - NASA's ancestor agency. Her calculations and discovery earn her a place on the team put in charge of figuring out how to put a man on the Moon, and eventually colonize it to save humanity. She soon decides that she wants to be more than a computer: she wants to become an astronaut. But a few things stand in her way, mostly the simple fact that she is a woman...
If you've seen (or read) "Hidden Bodies" and enjoyed it, you'll love this story of incredibly brilliant women working their asses off to be recognized for their work, and not just as someone's wife or daughter. Not unlike the tiny short story that lead me to this book, I went through it wondering how Kowal managed to talk about so much in so few pages: feminism, civil rights, science, politics, mental health! Each issue is approached with realism and compassion, doing what the best science-fiction books do: make you understand what being human really means while appearing to tell you a story about space exploration.
Elam's character is strongly built, and as you read her story, you share her love of her work, her anxiety about public-speaking, her anger at the way women in the program are being treated by the men in charge, her frustration and powerlessness in the face of other discrimination and prejudices. Her relationship with her wonderful and supportive husband Nathaniel is sweet - perhaps a touch too sweet, really - but it's heartwarming to see her partner treating her like an equal as she has to fight tooth and nails to prove that she is just as qualified as the men she works with. I enjoyed the ever-shifting rapport with her nemesis, the horrid Stetson Parker: they hate each other, but begrudgingly respect each other at the same time, which makes their interaction fascinating. I also appreciate that Elma has some prejudices of her won she has to confront and overcome, showing that we can all do better.
Kowal might have written an alternate history novel set in the 50's, but her commentaries are quite relevant to current events: the real world is still full of people who feel that women and black people can't do certain things or should be treated differently, not to mention people who don't believe that science is real... Speaking of which, she clearly did her homework with scientific and technological research: I don't know if her aviation and engineering jargon is accurate, but the way the scientists talk and behave feels absolutely authentic.
If you like good sci-fi, strong and well-realized female leads, alternate history and excellent writing, do yourself a favor and read this book! I can't wait for "The Fated Sky" later this summer!