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A review by dracorum
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
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
4.5
I greatly enjoyed The Calculating Stars. I put off reading it for a long time because I honestly thought it was nonfiction, or at least history-heavy historical fiction. (I think I was conflating it with Hidden Figures, even though I knew Hidden Figures’ title, and so knew this had to be something different.) I picked TCS up now because both the series and the third book in the series are nominated for Hugos.
I’m not a big alternate history person, but I LOVE astronomy and space and math. And while reading, I never felt like I was missing out on any historical references or Easter eggs. I’m sure they were there! But I didn’t feel the empty gaps where I knew there was a reference I wasn’t getting. And everything else was so interesting, I didn’t even think about what I must be missing. (Plus it is an *alternate* history.)
***very minor character-related spoilers below***
I really loved Erma, and I loved the way the author approached Erma’s anxiety and panic attacks. It’s fairly rare to see protagonists tackle issues with their mental health. (Plug for the Murderbot series, whose main character also suffers from social anxiety and whose friends just adjust their interactions to make it feel more comfortable.)
I saw a review that said Erma’s husband was too understanding and supportive. Part of me can see where they’re coming from (it is set in the 1950s after all, and Erma faces sexism from other characters), but a bigger part of me was just happy to see a rich, heathy, happy, mature relationship. (They’re already married at the start of the story, so there’s no annoying will-they-won’t-they romance subplot.)
I think because I hadn’t read The Lady Astronaut of Mars (a novella set later in the timeline but written before this book), I had a bit more anxiety about what was going to happen with the characters than I was meant to, so I read this a bit more slowly than I normally would.
I read “We Interrupt This Broadcast” first (since it was listed as #0.5 in the series and was published first), and I spent the whole of TCS thinking I knew a huge spoiler. But Mary Robinette Kowal’s website says that no one in the series knows that plot point, so it’s not actually a spoiler, just info that the reader knows but the characters don’t. (I’m case you’re wondering, she says you can read the books in publication order or chronological order.)
Overall, recommended if you like SPACE, strong female characters confronting sexism and racism, supportive loving married couples, characters facing their mental health head-on, and/or alternate history.
I’m not a big alternate history person, but I LOVE astronomy and space and math. And while reading, I never felt like I was missing out on any historical references or Easter eggs. I’m sure they were there! But I didn’t feel the empty gaps where I knew there was a reference I wasn’t getting. And everything else was so interesting, I didn’t even think about what I must be missing. (Plus it is an *alternate* history.)
***very minor character-related spoilers below***
I saw a review that said Erma’s husband was too understanding and supportive. Part of me can see where they’re coming from (it is set in the 1950s after all, and Erma faces sexism from other characters), but a bigger part of me was just happy to see a rich, heathy, happy, mature relationship. (They’re already married at the start of the story, so there’s no annoying will-they-won’t-they romance subplot.)
I think because I hadn’t read The Lady Astronaut of Mars (a novella set later in the timeline but written before this book), I had a bit more anxiety about what was going to happen with the characters than I was meant to, so I read this a bit more slowly than I normally would.
I read “We Interrupt This Broadcast” first (since it was listed as #0.5 in the series and was published first), and I spent the whole of TCS thinking I knew a huge spoiler. But Mary Robinette Kowal’s website says that no one in the series knows that plot point, so it’s not actually a spoiler, just info that the reader knows but the characters don’t. (I’m case you’re wondering, she says you can read the books in publication order or chronological order.)
Overall, recommended if you like SPACE, strong female characters confronting sexism and racism, supportive loving married couples, characters facing their mental health head-on, and/or alternate history.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide attempt