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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Ich habe etwas länger überlegt, ob ich diesem Buch 3 oder 4 Sterne gebe. Am Ende wäre meine Kritik „kein PewPew im Weltraum“ gewesen und das wäre lächerlich.
Wir erleben hier den Werdegang einer Frau, die nach einem Meteoriteneinschlag in den 1950er Jahren sich in einer von Männern dominierten NACA beweisen muss.
Gerade als Mann ist es interessant, über die inneren Monologe der Protagonistin und die Beziehungen der Frauen innerhalb der Agentur, den strukturellen Sexismus und Rassismus der damaligen und heutigen Zeit zu erfahren.
Ich will eigentlich nicht zu viel verraten. Tolle Charaktere, spannende Geschichte und sicherlich noch interessanter für Leute die sich mit Militärgeschichte auskennen. Kein PewPew im Weltraum. Zum Glück!
Wir erleben hier den Werdegang einer Frau, die nach einem Meteoriteneinschlag in den 1950er Jahren sich in einer von Männern dominierten NACA beweisen muss.
Gerade als Mann ist es interessant, über die inneren Monologe der Protagonistin und die Beziehungen der Frauen innerhalb der Agentur, den strukturellen Sexismus und Rassismus der damaligen und heutigen Zeit zu erfahren.
Ich will eigentlich nicht zu viel verraten. Tolle Charaktere, spannende Geschichte und sicherlich noch interessanter für Leute die sich mit Militärgeschichte auskennen. Kein PewPew im Weltraum. Zum Glück!
This book and I really got off on the wrong foot. If you work in climate science at all, you know the fact that water vapor is a "stronger" greenhouse gas than CO2 or methane (which is technically true!) leads to misconceptions that may actually cause people to dismiss the role of anthropogenic emissions in climate change. Water vapor alone cannot cause a runaway greenhouse effect because IT CONDENSES! During the several years described in this book where it was much colder following the impact (which would have happened due to the particulates, or potentially other gases (i.e. sulfur) ejected into the atmosphere) the majority of the water vapor would have condensed and fallen out of the atmosphere as either rain or snow - if it fell as snow, that would have furthered the cooling by increasing the reflectivity of the earth (it's a positive feedback loop - which is why the current melting of ice sheets we're seeing as a result of the increase in non-condensing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere - again CO2, methane, etc. - is making the problem worse). Water vapor AMPLIFIES the greenhouse effect (as warming occurs, is takes more water vapor to "saturate" the atmosphere. As more water vapor remains in the atmosphere, it can further increase the greenhouse effect (maybe - assuming cloud cover doesn't offset this)), but it needs another push. That other push is either something like CO2 or (in the case of Venus (or, tbf, Earth in about a billion years)) the sun getting bigger as part of its natural life cycle.
Ultimately, climate science is really complicated. There are a lot of variables, but this book does not provide a nuanced or clear explanation of its premise in a way that shows this. It just says water vapor = runaway greenhouse effect. I would hate for people to walk away from this story with this misconception about water vapor either reinforced or put into their minds for the first time. I think it's actually a problem.
So, yes, wrong foot, which may have made me pick at the book more than I would have if the premise weren't so problematic. That being said, I find very little to recommend about this novel. The story really doesn't follow up on the personal or global devastation something like the asteroid would have caused (although it is very difficult to get a handle on the scope of the impact). There are no major food shortages; the only impact of the refugee crisis that would have ensued that we see is that there are high housing prices for our affluent characters; and, despite having severe anxiety, our protagonist does not seem to have any PTSD from being at the center of a major catastrophe that killed most people she knew. The characters are largely two dimensional, our protagonist is an oddly privileged and highly self-centered white (albeit Jewish) person from Jim Crow North Carolina who CAN'T SEEM TO REMEMBER THAT RACISM IS A THING. I can't tell if the only Civil Rights leader the author is aware of is Dr. King or if she thinks that's the only contemporary person the reader would be aware of (there are multiple mentions of characters reaching out to Dr. King directly, but there is nary a mention of, idk, the NAACP?). There are no character arcs. There is almost no problem solving done by our protagonist. Every issue she confronts is neatly resolved by someone else in her life. Her husband is perfect to the point of it being twilight zone eerie. I could go on and on and on and on.
I don't read a lot of contemporary sci-fi and fantasy, but those genres must be in pretty dire straits if this was the best they had to offer in 2019.
Ultimately, climate science is really complicated. There are a lot of variables, but this book does not provide a nuanced or clear explanation of its premise in a way that shows this. It just says water vapor = runaway greenhouse effect. I would hate for people to walk away from this story with this misconception about water vapor either reinforced or put into their minds for the first time. I think it's actually a problem.
So, yes, wrong foot, which may have made me pick at the book more than I would have if the premise weren't so problematic. That being said, I find very little to recommend about this novel. The story really doesn't follow up on the personal or global devastation something like the asteroid would have caused (although it is very difficult to get a handle on the scope of the impact). There are no major food shortages; the only impact of the refugee crisis that would have ensued that we see is that there are high housing prices for our affluent characters; and, despite having severe anxiety, our protagonist does not seem to have any PTSD from being at the center of a major catastrophe that killed most people she knew. The characters are largely two dimensional, our protagonist is an oddly privileged and highly self-centered white (albeit Jewish) person from Jim Crow North Carolina who CAN'T SEEM TO REMEMBER THAT RACISM IS A THING. I can't tell if the only Civil Rights leader the author is aware of is Dr. King or if she thinks that's the only contemporary person the reader would be aware of (there are multiple mentions of characters reaching out to Dr. King directly, but there is nary a mention of, idk, the NAACP?). There are no character arcs. There is almost no problem solving done by our protagonist. Every issue she confronts is neatly resolved by someone else in her life. Her husband is perfect to the point of it being twilight zone eerie. I could go on and on and on and on.
I don't read a lot of contemporary sci-fi and fantasy, but those genres must be in pretty dire straits if this was the best they had to offer in 2019.
Hopefully from the synopsis you can gather that this is a Science-Fiction book, and an alternative history one at that. Imagine starting the space race a decade early, with all of the nations of the world united to work together rather than competing. Now remember that it was before the Civil Rights movement in the US, women were barred from the military and positions of authority and imagine how that would shape things.
If you've read [b:Hidden Figures|25953369|Hidden Figures|Margot Lee Shetterly|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1481844518l/25953369._SY75_.jpg|45855800] or seen the movie, you're familiar with how women were employed as ‘calculators’, allowed to do the routing and rote mathematical work but not required (or even allowed) to work as scientists or engineers. In The Calculating Stars we follow Elma York - one woman who despite her Phd and flying experience shuttling planes around during the war is under-utilised, employed as a calculator when she dreams of voyaging into space. On paper she's the perfect astronaut, except for her gender (something which ironically should make her more suitable, not less - as the book explains). She quickly discovers she is not alone among the women working towards the goal of space, and begins to agitate for change. Many reviews picked up on the similarity to the movie, and even the book's cover is reminiscent of the movie poster, but it's far from just a re-dressing of the same story.
Politically charged without being preachy, and a wonderfully researched view of a space program that almost was, I absolutely loved this book. Even if you're not a fan of Sci-Fi, the human relationships are glorious and occasionally heartbreaking, the world Kowal imagines is supremely realistic and far from the ‘Humanity Pulls Together’ utopia a lot of Science Fiction often inhabits. Race relations are front and centre given the time period, gender issues also - and you do wonder whether the efforts to save humanity are going to truly benefit all of humankind… or just the white, male portions.
Our protagonist Elma is far from perfect too, she's almost blind to issues of race at the start and only slowly comes to realise that it's not just women that are held back. As she fights to be included in the astronaut program she ends up as the very public face of the push to space. Struggling with almost crippling anxiety when forced to speak in public, she soldiers on, and ends up being christened ‘The Lady Astronaut’ - a title that many hold over her as an insult.
Still not sure if it's for you? How about if I told you that these two books are actually prequels to a short story Kowal wrote in 2012, which won a Hugo award? And what if I told you that short story was available to read absolutely free?
It doesn't spoil the books to know ‘how it all ends’ - in that story Elma is living in our first Mars colony, all but retired when she's offered one final chance to go into space for the good of all humanity. The short story brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye, and I knew I'd be buying the novels as soon as they came out to see how she (and the rest of us) got there.
Once again I've picked these as much for their remarkable story as their brilliant writing. Reading them has again let me ‘level up’ my own writing skills, watching how Kowal weaves a world around fully-realised characters is inspiring.
Read the amazing short story first, if you're interested - or save it until last.
If you've read [b:Hidden Figures|25953369|Hidden Figures|Margot Lee Shetterly|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1481844518l/25953369._SY75_.jpg|45855800] or seen the movie, you're familiar with how women were employed as ‘calculators’, allowed to do the routing and rote mathematical work but not required (or even allowed) to work as scientists or engineers. In The Calculating Stars we follow Elma York - one woman who despite her Phd and flying experience shuttling planes around during the war is under-utilised, employed as a calculator when she dreams of voyaging into space. On paper she's the perfect astronaut, except for her gender (something which ironically should make her more suitable, not less - as the book explains). She quickly discovers she is not alone among the women working towards the goal of space, and begins to agitate for change. Many reviews picked up on the similarity to the movie, and even the book's cover is reminiscent of the movie poster, but it's far from just a re-dressing of the same story.
Politically charged without being preachy, and a wonderfully researched view of a space program that almost was, I absolutely loved this book. Even if you're not a fan of Sci-Fi, the human relationships are glorious and occasionally heartbreaking, the world Kowal imagines is supremely realistic and far from the ‘Humanity Pulls Together’ utopia a lot of Science Fiction often inhabits. Race relations are front and centre given the time period, gender issues also - and you do wonder whether the efforts to save humanity are going to truly benefit all of humankind… or just the white, male portions.
Our protagonist Elma is far from perfect too, she's almost blind to issues of race at the start and only slowly comes to realise that it's not just women that are held back. As she fights to be included in the astronaut program she ends up as the very public face of the push to space. Struggling with almost crippling anxiety when forced to speak in public, she soldiers on, and ends up being christened ‘The Lady Astronaut’ - a title that many hold over her as an insult.
Still not sure if it's for you? How about if I told you that these two books are actually prequels to a short story Kowal wrote in 2012, which won a Hugo award? And what if I told you that short story was available to read absolutely free?
It doesn't spoil the books to know ‘how it all ends’ - in that story Elma is living in our first Mars colony, all but retired when she's offered one final chance to go into space for the good of all humanity. The short story brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye, and I knew I'd be buying the novels as soon as they came out to see how she (and the rest of us) got there.
Once again I've picked these as much for their remarkable story as their brilliant writing. Reading them has again let me ‘level up’ my own writing skills, watching how Kowal weaves a world around fully-realised characters is inspiring.
Read the amazing short story first, if you're interested - or save it until last.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A very readable alternate history of a space race that started early because of a catastrophic meteor strike off the eastern coast of the U.S.
I've bounced off this author in the past, and honestly wasn't expecting to care for this book that much. But I found it compulsively readable. (I read it in just over 2 days.)
I did appreciate how the novel actually acknowledges the misogyny and racism of the era. It's really a very hopeful book.
One personal aside:
I'm not really used to reading books written from a woman's point of view where the woman isn't trying to be like a man. I don't know if that makes sense. Elma, the protagonist, is a highly skilled mathematician and pilot. She's also a wife who's devoted to her husband, and who has lots of women friends. And she's "womanly." I decided while I was reading this that that was why I have issues with some novels, and maybe why I don't read romance. I've never been "womanly" and I don't quite understand it. I'm solidly female, but that's it. I don't really know what it's like to have a strong group of female friends. So I am always slightly bemused when I read books like this. It doesn't seem quite "realistic" to me, because it doesn't reflect MY "reality."
YMMV.
I've bounced off this author in the past, and honestly wasn't expecting to care for this book that much. But I found it compulsively readable. (I read it in just over 2 days.)
I did appreciate how the novel actually acknowledges the misogyny and racism of the era. It's really a very hopeful book.
One personal aside:
I'm not really used to reading books written from a woman's point of view where the woman isn't trying to be like a man. I don't know if that makes sense. Elma, the protagonist, is a highly skilled mathematician and pilot. She's also a wife who's devoted to her husband, and who has lots of women friends. And she's "womanly." I decided while I was reading this that that was why I have issues with some novels, and maybe why I don't read romance. I've never been "womanly" and I don't quite understand it. I'm solidly female, but that's it. I don't really know what it's like to have a strong group of female friends. So I am always slightly bemused when I read books like this. It doesn't seem quite "realistic" to me, because it doesn't reflect MY "reality."
YMMV.
After not reading much fiction, I really enjoyed this book. It had a fun story while also touching on real topics in a non cliche way. Topics like religion, race, science, climit change, gender stereotypes. I'm looking forward to reading the next book.
emotional
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death, Racism, Sexism
Minor: Child death
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring