One woman. One mission. One chance to save the world.
It’s 1952, and the world as we know it is gone. A meteorite has destroyed Washington DC, triggering extinction-level global warming. To save humanity, the world unites to form the International Aerospace Coalition. Its mission: to colonise first the Moon, then Mars.
Elma York, World War Two pilot and mathematician, dreams of becoming an astronaut – but prejudice has kept her grounded. Now nothing – and no man – will stop her from reaching for the stars.
Summary: The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal is an aspirational, feminist, alternate history story about an extraordinary woman in extraordinary circumstances, that never loses sight of what makes us human. Elma never gives up, and her drive coupled with her experiences makes her an excellent example of a hero who doesn’t let the way things are stop her from trying to get to the way things should be.
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Writings of a Doomscribe 