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, DC. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render 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 computer. But with so many skilled and experience 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 …
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, DC. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render 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 computer. But with so many skilled and experience 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.
Kun kohtalaisen kokoinen meteoriitti kopsahtaa otsaan, eihän siitä mitään hyvää seuraa. Tällä kertaa seuraukset ovat sen verran vakavat, että ihmiskunta alkaa tosissaan valmistella maisemanvaihdosta.
Kowalin päähenkilö Elma York on matemaattinen nero, joka päätyy laskijaksi avaruusohjelmaan mutta haaveilee pääsystä astronautiksi. Matka sitä kohti kerrotaan taiten, ja siinä sivussa käsitellään myös naisten asemaa, ihonväriin kohdistuvaa syrjintää, uskontoon kohdistuvia ennakkoluuloja jne. Nämä kaikki onnistutaan upottamaan tarinan kulkuun suhteellisen sujuvasti, vaikka hetkittäin päähenkilöt vaikuttavat olevan asennemaailmaltaan hiukan aikaansa edellä.
Libraco, me ha encantado, disfrutando de una trama que engancha para hablar de un tema profundamente feminista, mezclando novela histórica sobre el espacio con ciencia ficción.
¿Por qué no se conoce más este libro? Deseando leer el siguiente
This novel uses an alternate history to explore female astronauts, climate change, and international cooperation. At times a little heavy handed, it is still a well researched and interesting story - and the first part of a duology.
In this timeline, a meteorite wipes out Washington DC and a chunk of the east coast. This near extinction level event also kick starts a race to establish a human presence off planet - culminating in a trip to the moon much earlier than it happened in our history. This alteration naturally changes other things, and it is interesting to see which change and which stay the same (unfortunately, abuse of race and privilege). Told only from the perspective of the main character, news reports at the top of each chapter give the reader glimpses into the wider world, and some events also make into the narrative.
The author really knows this …
This novel uses an alternate history to explore female astronauts, climate change, and international cooperation. At times a little heavy handed, it is still a well researched and interesting story - and the first part of a duology.
In this timeline, a meteorite wipes out Washington DC and a chunk of the east coast. This near extinction level event also kick starts a race to establish a human presence off planet - culminating in a trip to the moon much earlier than it happened in our history. This alteration naturally changes other things, and it is interesting to see which change and which stay the same (unfortunately, abuse of race and privilege). Told only from the perspective of the main character, news reports at the top of each chapter give the reader glimpses into the wider world, and some events also make into the narrative.
The author really knows this world, and has written short stories set here also. The main character is strong, well written, and also female. The anxiety, while humanizing, seems a bit overdone. The relationship with her husband is also well written, with double-entendre's hinting at more behind closed doors. The male lead astronaut, her main foil, is a caricature for much of the book, but not all. I would have appreciated more science, more knowledge of this world - and I wonder that there isn't a bigger drive to repair what went wrong. That impetus was well evident in the 50s and 60s, looking only at the end goal, and could have worked here - but it isn't in the scope of the main character's world I guess.
After thinking about this for a few days, I think the overall rating is 4 stars (out of 5), and I plan to read the sequel soon. The audio book versions are narrated by the author.
