The Calculating Stars
Author: Mary Robinette Kowal
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication Date: July 2018
“In the early hours of the morning a meteorite struck just outside the capital of the United States of America with a force greater than the bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” In the 1952 of Mary Robinette Kowal’s The Calculating Stars, a meteorite the size of the one that wiped out the dinosaurs fell on the east coast of the United States, obliterating everything within a 50 mile radius. As they were for the dinosaurs, the effects are catastrophic worldwide. Elma York, former WASP (Women's Airforce Service Pilot) is now a “computer” for the International Aerospace Coalition and her husband, Nathaniel York, is the organization’s lead engineer. As the devastating implications of the meteor strike become clear, the IAC becomes determined to colonize space in order to ensure humanity’s survival. Elma and Nathaniel are helping to lead the space program, but all of its astronauts and head administrators are male. Elma determines to recruit women astronauts. A combination of gender stereotyping and her own anxiety are set against Elma’s hard-earned skills and perseverance as she ventures into the world of news and television to promote her mission. Space is Elma’s dream, and she will not be held down by either the prejudices of men or the physics of her planet.
The Calculating Stars is a remarkably written piece of historical fiction, conveying the drive and desperation of women held back by society while also exploring an event that could be the future of humanity, not just a fictional past. The math and science-infused plot is a treat for STEM-inclined young readers. Unfortunately, the number of intimate scenes seems a little gratuitous and disruptive to the story. The book might also be a bit more appropriate for older readers because the mathematical and scientific terms are many and can be challenging to decipher.
D. K. Nuray, age 13
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