Hugo Award Best Novel Winner
The Calculating Stars
by Mary Robinette Kowal
Summary
In an alternate 1950s, a meteorite strike devastates the eastern United States and pushes the space program to accelerate as Earth's climate begins to fail. Mathematician and pilot Elma York fights sexism and racism for a place among the astronauts who might give humanity a future off planet. Kowal blends meticulous period detail with a hopeful story about science, anxiety, and women reaching for the stars.
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Historical Context & Significance
The novel opens the Lady Astronaut series and won both the Hugo and Nebula awards for Best Novel.