Science Fiction · HopefulAfter a meteorite strikes in 1952, a mathematician and former WASP pilot argues for women in a space program
The Calculating Stars
A meteorite, a space program and a woman who insists on flying
Tor Books published the novel on 3 July 2018, and the first edition has 432 pages. It is the first book of the Lady Astronaut series, followed by The Fated Sky, and a prequel to the 2012 short story "The Lady Astronaut of Mars". A meteorite strikes the US East Coast in 1952, and Elma York, a mathematician and former WASP pilot, calculates that Earth will become uninhabitable within decades. Women are initially excluded from the resulting space colony program, and Elma campaigns for their inclusion.
More about this book
Who
Elma York, her husband Nathaniel York, Stetson Parker and Norman Clemons.
World
An alternate 1950s after a meteorite strike.
What makes it different
It won the Nebula, the Hugo, the Locus Award and the Sidewise Award. It is a prequel to a 2012 short story.
Feel
Determined and hopeful.
Page count and cover shown for: Selected edition
Further reading
- The Calculating StarsWikipedia