The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowel (2018)
Unfocused narrative
Book cover blurb
On 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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My Review
I have to admit I struggled with keeping up my interest while reading this book. It's good, and nicely written, but for me, it just divided my attention too much. I love the idea of the main premise, I thought it held so much potential, but the further I read the more it felt like that main story took a back seat. An overpowering amount of social commentary gradually overshadows the driving events. There's nothing wrong with anything in this book, it just feels like it should have been two separate novels. To my mind, the end of the world should have held more importance, but that initial storyline becomes more of a back story to sexism and male versus female hierarchies. Of course, those are important issues in their own right and should command focus, which just baffles me even more as to why the author would confuse readers with just what this book is supposed to be about.
A story about Armageddon surely should be fast-paced and terrifying, while a story about women's struggles against a male-chauvinist world should be meandering and thought-provoking. Trying to do both of those things at the same time is never going to work, at least in my opinion.
My copy of this novel
Tor paperback edition.
Published in 2018
421 pages
ISBN 9780765378385