Reviews
Praise for The Calculating Stars
“This is what NASA never had, a heroine with attitude.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Textured with strong scientific research and achingly real characters, The Calculating Stars is a lively time machine to an alternate past.”—Esquire
“In The Calculating Stars, Mary Robinette Kowal imagines an alternate history of spaceflight that reminds me of everything I loved about Hidden Figures.”—Cady Coleman, Astronaut
“The Lady Astronaut series might be set in an alternate past, but they’re cutting-edge SF novels that speak volumes about the present.”—The Verge
“Fans of [Hidden Figures] will definitely find something to like in this novel.”—SF Revu
“Readers will thrill to the story of this “lady astronaut” and eagerly anticipate the promised sequels.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Kowal’s book was revelatory for me, because here is a version of history where men eventually, finally, listen to women.”—Tor.com
“If you like: lady scientists and lady astronauts, space science, lovely romance, the historical fight for equality, if you read or watched Hidden Figures and loved it, if you watched the Netlfix’s documentary Mercury 13 (about the very real 13 women who underwent secret testing to become Astronauts in the 60s), please don’t miss this one.”—Kirkus
“A fine balance of integrating historical accuracy—including mid-twentieth-century sexism, racism, and technology—with speculative storytelling.”—Booklist
“Readers will be hooked.”—Library Journal
“Kowal has produced a novel that sheds light on how we can build a better future.”—Escapist Magazine
“I couldn’t put this paperback down, and I was mad at everything that kept me away from it.”—While Reading and Walking
“This is a book about fortitude, about preservation, and strength in the face of injustice, resilience as a flag against oppression and politics. Parts of this book makes me cry. I cry in rage, in defiance, in support, and in triumph.”—Utopia State of Mind
“An engrossing alternate history with a unique point of view, The Fated Sky dramatically demonstrates the technical problems with going to Mars—but the technical problems are the not the only ones. Never backing down from vital issues of race and gender, The Fated Sky confronts the human issues of space travel in a United States made increasingly desperate by a massive meteor strike. Plausible, convincing, and ultimately moving.”—Nancy Kress, author of the Hugo Award-winning “Yesterday’s Kin”
