La historia alternativa bien hecha me flipa siempre.

Leyendo este libro, no podía evitar imaginarme una serie que adaptase esta historia, no sé a que están esperando para hacerla.

La descripción de la caída del meteorito impresiona y te engancha las primeras paginas para ya no soltarte, pero es luego el costumbrismo y rutina de una agencia espacial, y el personaje de Elma, lo que hace que no quieras parar de pasar cada pagina. Si a estos ingredientes base le sumamos una critica al racismo y las discriminación de la época, aunque sea otra realidad, dota al libro de muchos momentos únicos que explorar.

Tengo muchas ganas de leer la continuación. ( )

A curates egg. Marred by toe curling sex scenes. ( )

The main character was frustrating at times, but I generally enjoyed it. ( )

Kowal won a Hugo for the novelette that was the seed of this book. I worry that might prevent her getting nominated for a Hugo for this wonderful, entertaining, and provocatively enlightening novel. I cannot wait for the next in this series. I am also relatively sure I will be re-reading/re-listening to this book, raising it to a 5-star rating.
[Audiobook note: Kowal, herself, reads the audiobook. She is an accomplished audiobook narrator of other authors' works. So I knew she was going to do a good job with her own material. I was not disappointed.] ( )

The Calculating Stars (the first in the Lady Astronaut series) is an outstanding work of alternative history and deserves all the praise it has received. It won the 2019 Nebula Award for Best Novel , the 2019 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel, the 2019 Hugo Award for Best Novel, and the 2019 Sidewise Award for Alternate History. So, this book is kinda a big deal.

The Calculating Stars is an alternate history about the space race, in which a catastrophe (a meteorite crashing into the earth propelling rapid global warming) necessitates an earlier reach for the stars in the 1950s. We follow Elma York, WASP pilot and mathematician as she earns her place as part of the International Aerospace Coalition's team. But Elma isn't satisfied with just being a computer, she's a damn good pilot, and believes that herself and other women in the program are just as qualified to go to the moon as the men are. So Elma attempts to confront various gender barriers in order to become the first Lady Astronaut while a looming apocalypse ensues.

Meticulously researched, The Calculating Stars feels very authentic. The Apollo-era technology is well-researched and well-presented and always feels organic—more organic often than the characters. But Elma is the real start of the story here and by the end of the novel, you'll come to appreciate the time you've spend with her. Elma's personal life provides a fascinating human center to the story.

If you love the history of the space race, alternative history, or just a great story of a women breaking gender barriers to reach the stars, pick up this book ( )