Mary Robinette Koval really hits a sweet spot with this re-imagining of the history of spaceflight. It is a coincidence that at the core of Koval's alternate history are female mathematicians, who, as dramatised in the novel and film 'Hidden Figures' were the providers of the equations and calculations which, hidden behind the curtain, contributed to the success of the US Space Program. Koval's novel was written before either of these works were made and published. At the centre of the story is the seminal outward urge, that quest for knowledge that swept so many of us who grew up with the excitement of the Space Race of the 1960s. And who, were disappointed and confused when the grand adventures came to a grinding halt in the 1970s, mired in budget constraints and a lack of an overarching existential purpose.
Koval provides the impetus for continuing the dream of space exploration by means of a meteor impact which obliterates the city of Washington DC and devastates much of the US east coast. It brings with it an Impact Winter, followed by the prospect of a runaway greenhouse warming, making the Earth potentially uninhabitable. No choice then, to find another basket for the earthly eggs.
It is the story of Elma York, pilot and math savant who yearns for the stars, and of her fellow computational workers who likewise dream of joining the program as astronauts. The forces of conservatism and discrimination are ranged against them, personified by the archetypal handsome cleft-chinned First Man in Space, Stetson Parker (great name!), who is determined that the womans shall remain grounded. All of the underlying and prevalent discriminations of our age get a decent hearing in these pages. Sex discrimination, racial and religious prejudice and the stigma of mental illness are factors in the narrative, as is the exploitation of celebrity by the media.
It is to Koval's credit that none of these characters is one dimensional or cardboard. Each is well rounded, with strengths and flaws which they bring to the table. The story rattles along at a page-turning pace, keeping the reader interested and engaged. If there is a flaw, it is that this book ends on a cliffhanger, awaiting the second half of the story in 'The Fated Sky'. Fortunately, it has already been published.
Eligible for the 2019 Hugo Award for Best Novel, and likely to be on my ballot.
Koval provides the impetus for continuing the dream of space exploration by means of a meteor impact which obliterates the city of Washington DC and devastates much of the US east coast. It brings with it an Impact Winter, followed by the prospect of a runaway greenhouse warming, making the Earth potentially uninhabitable. No choice then, to find another basket for the earthly eggs.
It is the story of Elma York, pilot and math savant who yearns for the stars, and of her fellow computational workers who likewise dream of joining the program as astronauts. The forces of conservatism and discrimination are ranged against them, personified by the archetypal handsome cleft-chinned First Man in Space, Stetson Parker (great name!), who is determined that the womans shall remain grounded. All of the underlying and prevalent discriminations of our age get a decent hearing in these pages. Sex discrimination, racial and religious prejudice and the stigma of mental illness are factors in the narrative, as is the exploitation of celebrity by the media.
It is to Koval's credit that none of these characters is one dimensional or cardboard. Each is well rounded, with strengths and flaws which they bring to the table. The story rattles along at a page-turning pace, keeping the reader interested and engaged. If there is a flaw, it is that this book ends on a cliffhanger, awaiting the second half of the story in 'The Fated Sky'. Fortunately, it has already been published.
Eligible for the 2019 Hugo Award for Best Novel, and likely to be on my ballot.