The Calculating Stars

The Calculating Stars
	First edition
Author	Mary Robinette Kowal
Country	United States of America
Language	English
Series
Genre	Science fiction
Publisher	Tor Books
Publication date	July 3, 2018
Pages	432
ISBN	978-0-765378385
Followed by

The Calculating Stars is a science fiction novel by American writer Mary Robinette Kowal. The book was published by Tor Books on July 3, 2018.^[1] It is the first book in the "Lady Astronaut" series and is a prequel to the 2012 short story "The Lady Astronaut of Mars".

Plot[]

Shortly after President Thomas Dewey leads the United States to victory in the space race in 1952, a meteorite strikes the Chesapeake Bay, obliterating most of the Eastern Seaboard. In the aftermath, mathematician and former WASP pilot Elma York calculates that the resulting climate change will make the planet uninhabitable within 50 years. This threat accelerates efforts to colonize space and leads to Elma joining the International Aerospace Coalition in its attempt to reach, first the Moon, then Mars.

Reception[]

The Calculating Stars won the 2019 Nebula Award for Best Novel,^[2] the 2019 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel,^[3] the 2019 Hugo Award for Best Novel,^[4] and the 2019 Sidewise Award for Alternate History.^[5]

Publishers Weekly considered it "outstanding," with Elma's personal life "provid(ing) a captivating human center to the apocalyptic background."^[6]

James Nicoll praised Kowal for being willing to include historically accurate racial and gender issues.^[7]

References[]

^ "The Calculating Stars - Mary Robinette Kowal - Macmillan". Retrieved 16 July 2019.
^ "Nebula Awards 2019". Science Fiction Awards Database. Locus. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
^ locusmag (2019-06-29). "2019 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
^ 2019 Hugo Award & 1944 Retro Hugo Award Finalists, by Cheryl Morgan, at TheHugoAwards.org; published April 2, 2019; retrieved July 23, 2019
^ 2018 Sidewise Award Nominees, at Locus; published August 19, 2019; retrieved August 20, 2019
^ "Fiction Book Review: The Calculating Stars: A Lady Astronaut Novel". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
^ "Ages and Ages Hence". James Nicoll Reviews. July 12, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2019.

External links[]

"The Calculating Stars" on Kowal's website
Interview with Kowal about the process of writing the novel, on Space.com
We Interrupt This Broadcast, prequel short story

[1] "The Calculating Stars - Mary Robinette Kowal - Macmillan". Retrieved 16 July 2019.

[Loc19-2] "Nebula Awards 2019". Science Fiction Awards Database. Locus. Retrieved 2019-04-07.

[3] usmag (2019-06-29). "2019 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online. Retrieved 2019-07-03.

[Hugo-4] 2019 Hugo Award & 1944 Retro Hugo Award Finalists, by Cheryl Morgan, at TheHugoAwards.org; published April 2, 2019; retrieved July 23, 2019

[Sidewise-5] 2018 Sidewise Award Nominees, at Locus; published August 19, 2019; retrieved August 20, 2019

[6] "Fiction Book Review: The Calculating Stars: A Lady Astronaut Novel". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 17 July 2019.

[Nicoll-7] "Ages and Ages Hence". James Nicoll Reviews. July 12, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2019.

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v t Hugo Award for Best Novel
Retro	The Sword in the Stone by T. H. White (1939) Slan by A. E. van Vogt (1941) Beyond This Horizon by Robert A. Heinlein (1943) Conjure Wife by Fritz Leiber (1944) Shadow Over Mars by Leigh Brackett (1945) The Mule by Isaac Asimov (1946) Farmer in the Sky by Robert A. Heinlein (1951) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1954)
1953–1975	The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester (1953) They'd Rather Be Right (aka: The Forever Machine) by Mark Clifton and Frank Riley (1955) Double Star by Robert A. Heinlein (1956) The Big Time by Fritz Leiber (1958) A Case of Conscience by James Blish (1959) Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein (1960) A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. (1961) Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein (1962) The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick (1963) Here Gather the Stars (aka: Way Station) by Clifford D. Simak (1964) The Wanderer by Fritz Leiber (1965) Dune by Frank Herbert / ...And Call Me Conrad (aka: This Immortal) by Roger Zelazny (1966) The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein (1967) Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny (1968) Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner (1969) The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (1970) Ringworld by Larry Niven (1971) To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip José Farmer (1972) The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov (1973) Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke (1974) The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin (1975)
1976–2000	The Forever War by Joe Haldeman (1976) Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm (1977) Gateway by Frederik Pohl (1978) Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre (1979) The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke (1980) The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge (1981) Downbelow Station by C. J. Cherryh (1982) Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov (1983) Startide Rising by David Brin (1984) Neuromancer by William Gibson (1985) Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (1986) Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card (1987) The Uplift War by David Brin (1988) Cyteen by C. J. Cherryh (1989) Hyperion by Dan Simmons (1990) The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold (1991) Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold (1992) A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge / Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (1993) Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson (1994) Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold (1995) The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson (1996) Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson (1997) Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman (1998) To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis (1999) A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge (2000)
2001–present	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling (2001) American Gods by Neil Gaiman (2002) Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer (2003) Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold (2004) Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (2005) Spin by Robert Charles Wilson (2006) Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge (2007) The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon (2008) The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (2009) The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi / The City & the City by China Miéville (2010) Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis (2011) Among Others by Jo Walton (2012) Redshirts by John Scalzi (2013) Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (2014) The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu, translated by Ken Liu (2015) The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin (2016) The Obelisk Gate by N. K. Jemisin (2017) The Stone Sky by N. K. Jemisin (2018) The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (2019) A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine (2020) Network Effect by Martha Wells (2021)

v t Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
1980–1990	Titan by John Varley (1980) The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge (1981) The Many-Colored Land by Julian May (1982) Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov (1983) Startide Rising by David Brin (1984) The Integral Trees by Larry Niven (1985) The Postman by David Brin (1986) Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card (1987) The Uplift War by David Brin (1988) Cyteen by C. J. Cherryh (1989) Hyperion by Dan Simmons (1990)
1991–2000	The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons (1991) Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold (1992) Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (1993) Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson (1994) Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold (1995) The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson (1996) Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson (1997) The Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmons (1998) To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis (1999) Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson (2000)
2001–2010	The Telling by Ursula K. Le Guin (2001) Passage by Connie Willis (2002) The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson (2003) Ilium by Dan Simmons (2004) The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson (2005) Accelerando by Charles Stross (2006) Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge (2007) The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon (2008) Anathem by Neal Stephenson (2009) Boneshaker by Cherie Priest (2010)
2011–2020	Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis (2011) Embassytown by China Miéville (2012) Redshirts by John Scalzi (2013) Abaddon's Gate by James S. A. Corey (2014) Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie (2015) Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie (2016) Death's End by Liu Cixin (2017) The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi (2018) The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (2019) The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders (2020)
2021–present	Network Effect by Martha Wells (2021)
Best Novel (1971–1981) Best SF Novel (1980–present) Best Fantasy Novel (1978–present) Best First Novel (1981–present) Best Horror Novel (1989–1997, 1999, 2017–present) Best Young Adult Book (2003–present) Best Novella (1973–2018) Best Novelette (1975–present) Best Short Story (1971–present)