The Fated Sky: A Lady Astronaut Novel

Description

Continuing the grand sweep of alternate history laid out in The Calculating Stars, The Fated Sky looks forward to 1961, when mankind is well-established on the moon and looking forward to its next step: journeying to, and eventually colonizing, Mars. Of course the noted Lady Astronaut Elma York would like to go, but could the International Aerospace Coalition ever stand the thought of putting a woman on such a potentially dangerous mission? Could Elma knowingly take the place of other astronauts who have been overlooked because of their race? And could she really leave behind her husband and the chance to start a family? This gripping look at the real conflicts behind a fantastical space race will put a new spin on our visions of what might have been.

Mary Robinette Kowal is the 2008 recipient of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, a multiple Hugo winner, and a frequent finalist for the Nebula and Locus Awards. A professional puppeteer and voice actor, she spent five years touring nationally with puppet theaters. She lives in Chicago with her husband Rob and nine manual typewriters.

Praise for The Fated Sky "An immersive world that will stay with the reader well past the final page."--Publishers Weekly, starred review "The Lady Astronaut series might be set in an alternate past, but they're cutting-edge SF novels that speak volumes about the present."--The Verge "Tantalizing."-Locus "An alternative look at the midcentury space race led by an intelligent, well-meaning, but flawed heroine."--Booklist "From dangers on Earth from wild protestors, to the dangers of a three-year trip to Mars, the tale is an exciting, yet well-researched tale. Excellent."--Philadelphia Weekly "This is by no means just for Sci Fi lovers."--Caroline Bookbinder "This was a fabulous sequel."--Marzie Reads Praise for The Calculating Stars "This is what NASA never had, a heroine with attitude."--The Wall Street Journal "In The Calculating Stars, Mary Robinette Kowal imagines an alternate history of spaceflight that reminds me of everything I loved about Hidden Figures."--Cady Coleman, Astronaut "Readers will thrill to the story of this "lady astronaut" and eagerly anticipate the promised sequels."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Kowal's book was revelatory for me, because here is a version of history where men eventually, finally, listen to women."--Tor.com "A fine balance of integrating historical accuracy--including mid-twentieth-century sexism, racism, and technology--with speculative storytelling."--Booklist "Readers will be hooked."--Library Journal "An engrossing alternate history with a unique point of view, The Fated Sky dramatically demonstrates the technical problems with going to Mars--but the technical problems are the not the only ones. Never backing down from vital issues of race and gender, The Fated Sky confronts the human issues of space travel in a United States made increasingly desperate by a massive meteor strike. Plausible, convincing, and ultimately moving."--Nancy Kress, author of the Hugo Award-winning Yesterday's Kin