Easy reading alternate history of space program

In an alternate version of Earth's history, a meteorite strikes the USA in 1952, obliterating Washington and most of the US government. Pilot/mathematician Elma and her rocket scientist husband Nathaniel York escape immediate death by a combination of coincidence and intelligence, and make it to safety at a military base where their expertise leads them into an advisory position to the new acting president (former minister of agriculture). As Elma calculates the climate impact from the meteorite will be an initial cooling and then an escalating greenhouse effect that will be so severe the oceans will start to boil, both push for a desperate escalation of a space program to establish a colony on the moon before humanity is wiped out entirely.

In this alternate history, the story follows Elma and Nathaniel as Earth struggles to establish a moon colony on a vastly earlier timeline than ours, in an America where segregation is still very present, women are still in the "Mad Men" style roles of homemakers and decorations, yet are also the "Hidden Figures" style computers who are essential to spaceflight before actual electronic computers reliably exist. As a former WASP pilot, Elma struggles for the inclusion of women in the astronautics program.

I had an extremely low opinion of Kowal's first "Glamourist" book but decided to give this one a try as it's a completely different genre, and I enjoyed it a lot more. Part of this may be due to picking this one up as an audiobook - if she made as many terrible spelling choices, I wouldn't notice in audiobook form - but mainly as an American author I think the characters and setting of this book are just much more within her ability to write well (while pseudo Austin-esque last-century British characters are clearly NOT). The main character was enjoyable and, as a woman in a STEM field myself, it's always a joy to see a smart and capable heroine. Even though she seems to make some particularly stupid decisions, it was possible to frame those as a side effect of the era and attitudes towards women of the time.

The other characters were likeable enough but did seem rather stereotypical or tokenistic. Nathaniel is apparently the perfect feminist enlightened and supportive husband in every possible way, which seems more than a bit improbable given the era. The characters of other races and nationalities were good to have, but didn't really do much more for the plot than representing their race and/or nationality. The fact she's Jewish was brought up repeatedly but ultimately didn't seem to have any meaning or impact, even when she meets Wernher von Braun in person. While Kowal was clearly trying to bring up the topics of race and ethnicity and discrimination, it's done with a very shallow touch that doesn't really have any impact on anything. Elma is also a heroine with every possible advantage imaginable so that everything works out perfectly for her - rich family, perfect supportive husband, brilliant mind, brother who coincidentally happens to have exactly the right skills and job to help with her climate modelling, military father who protected her in her WASP days, etc etc. So yes, everything's just a bit easy for our heroine all the way through.

It's more of a joyful romp down alternate history while eating popcorn than a gripping novel of actual hardship, but read it eating a candy bar and it's still a fun story of an alternate history that might have been.

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1 person found this helpful

This was hard to rate properly

This was a well-written book. The characters are interesting and engaging, the narration is spot on, and the experience of prejudice based on race, sex, and mental illness was very believably described. There is not a lot of science fiction per se in the story but I note that it is the first of a larger trilogy so I expect that will expand later on.

My difficulty in rating it (and finishing it) is purely personal. I work in mental health. I read for escapism. I do not need to be reminded of the bleak helplessness of some people’s lives, of just how awful people can be to each other, and how unfair the world can be to those who have no power to protect themselves.

So even though I could not finish it, I would also highly recommend it to anybody who does not have my particular relationship with the world.

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Captivating story with perfect narration

Mary Robinette's novel is set in an alternate universe where, in 1952, a huge meteorite hits the earth just off the eastern seaboard of North America, taking a huge bite out of the continent and throwing ejecta and water vapour into the atmosphere. The protagonist, Dr Elma York, a WASP pilot in WWII, and a world class mathematician and physicist, works for the USA government as a "computer" for a rocket test lab survive by being away from DC on holiday and eventually calculates that it is an "extinction level event" that will eventually become completely inhospitable to most life. This kick starts the space program almost a decade earlier than in our universe with the express purpose of eventually founding extraterrestrial colonies. And Elma very much wants to go into be one of the first "

Kowal has done her research and the story is filled with hard science facts and real world considerations. But she also brings a measure of humanity, in all its glory and its folly, in Dr York's character and the lense through which she perceives and handles the world around her and her drive to be a Lady Astronaut in a world still so heavily steeped in a, largely white and wholly patriarchal societal environment.

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Started in an interesting fashion

I bought this novel because I'm going through the Hugo/Nebula award winners and thought I may as well get the 2019 winner.

It started in an interesting fashion but then wandered from sci-fi/fantasy into a kind of novel with clumsy sex scenes and interpersonal intrigues as filler. Exploring the gender and racial aspects of the space program would have been interesting by itself. Climate change is a secondary character that could have been brought to the front.

I guess a 58 year old guy is not this book's audience.

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Seveneves in the 50's

really a fantastic tale that pounds home a lot of sad but true suffragette and racism problems from the past. really looking forward to part 2

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Do You Remember?

There are a lot of sour-faced people out there who don't follow Mary Robinette Kowal on her twitter or on Writing Excuses claiming bad science and bad history, I assure you that you are wrong and she has done her research and that it's a wonderfully researched and character-driven world. Strong female characters and a diverse cast, it is a wonderful change of pace. I loved every page of it and loved that Elma has anxiety because it made me feel so connected with her.

Maybe this book isn't for you, but damn it all it was everything for me.

#Audible1

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2 people found this helpful

science, strong female characters, smart & sexy!

I've read and/or listened to this book about 6 times now, and never get tired of it. Mary Robinette has clearly researched space travel extensively, and delivers a wide cast of layered characters to take us on this adventure. Having an award-winning author who is also a talented narrator brings this book to life in a way nobody else could. My next credit is going towards book 2!

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Wow. Mary is amazing at both writing and acting.

This book had me in tears more than once. To say this book helped give me empathy for the environment that those who are subject to prejudice would be an understatement. Not only are the characters amazingly developed, but Mary's acting was phenomenal. movie often don't come close to the emotion she can carry on a single word.

and the icing on the cake was the believable world and real physics. just the right about of detail to keep engineers like me keen, but also easy enough to explain without being condescending.

this book makes me want to go back and remove a star from all my previous reviews.

amazing

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it's really nice to have the author narrating

Ms Kowal is an excellent author and narrator, and it's especially nice to have her reading her own story - she clearly knows every beat and voice inside and out, and did an excellent job personifying her characters. Also, it's just a good story with believable adversaries and ultimately very human characters.

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easy read, loved her voice performance

I found the book to be okay, not great but it wasn't boring either. the voice acting was amazing and kept you wanting to listen. The story was captivating at times but seemed to end very abruptly. this being said, I liked the book enough to want to read the second book.

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