trade paperback, 431 pages
English language
Published Oct. 10, 2018 by Tom Doherty Associates.
On a cold spring night in 1952, a huge meteorite fell to Earth and obliterated much of the east coast of the United States, including Washington, DC. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render Earth inhospitable for humanity, as the last such meteorite did for the dinosaurs. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated effort to colonize space, and requires a much larger share of humanity to take part in the process.
Elma York's experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition's attempts to put man on the moon, as a computer. But with so many skilled and experience women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn't take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can't go into space, too.
Elma's drive to become the first Lady Astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions …
On a cold spring night in 1952, a huge meteorite fell to Earth and obliterated much of the east coast of the United States, including Washington, DC. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render Earth inhospitable for humanity, as the last such meteorite did for the dinosaurs. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated effort to colonize space, and requires a much larger share of humanity to take part in the process.
Elma York's experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition's attempts to put man on the moon, as a computer. But with so many skilled and experience women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn't take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can't go into space, too.
Elma's drive to become the first Lady Astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions of society may not stand a chance against her.
This description comes from the publisher.
Libraco, me ha encantado, disfrutando de una trama que engancha para hablar de un tema profundamente feminista, mezclando novela histórica sobre el espacio con ciencia ficción.
¿Por qué no se conoce más este libro? Deseando leer el siguiente
Alternate history. What if a meteor had hit the Earth in 1952 and the space program was accelerated? I loved that the story is told through the eyes of a woman: Elma York, ex-WASP pilot, mathematician, PhD and a computer. Yes, back in the '50s without the power of digital computers the calculation were made manually by women, called "computers". So, men were engineers, women were computers. And also, men were astronauts. So the book has this cool feminist feel because women want to be astronauts too! Why not?
I was excited to share with Elma the fascination about science. In a sense the story could have been told today, when women in STEM are still a minority. Elma and her husband (Nathaniel), a rocket engineer, form an amazing couple. They have their struggles and it was so nice to see this great "nerdy" relationship. Also, I could completely relate …
Alternate history. What if a meteor had hit the Earth in 1952 and the space program was accelerated? I loved that the story is told through the eyes of a woman: Elma York, ex-WASP pilot, mathematician, PhD and a computer. Yes, back in the '50s without the power of digital computers the calculation were made manually by women, called "computers". So, men were engineers, women were computers. And also, men were astronauts. So the book has this cool feminist feel because women want to be astronauts too! Why not?
I was excited to share with Elma the fascination about science. In a sense the story could have been told today, when women in STEM are still a minority. Elma and her husband (Nathaniel), a rocket engineer, form an amazing couple. They have their struggles and it was so nice to see this great "nerdy" relationship. Also, I could completely relate to Elma's nerdiness and being completely out of place in public speaking situations: "Give me an unpowered landing and I was fine. Addressing a roomful of people? Thank you, but no."
This was the type of book that got me excited to research things like: - Who were the WASPS during Second World War? I want to see pictures! - What are the specs of T-33 and T-38 jets? - What is a Dilbert Dunker? How does it work? - What is the formula to calculate the amount of fuel needed to send a rocket to space? - How was the Apollo mission to the Moon? Now I want to see a documentary.
And this book actually ends in an almost cliffhanger, (view spoiler) I mean, I really do want to read the next one.
Brilliant. Well written and researched. A good story too.
Confirmed on the reread. Great characters and realistic conflict. Parker: The world is ending but the real danger is women in space! LOL
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!
I wonder if this is another story where curmudgeony dudes whine about women in SF, and where's the hard science?
Well, tough shit, there's hard science here in this alternative history of manned space exploration in the 1950s. The difference between their Artemis and our Apollo program: space exploration is more important because in 1952 a meteorite crashes into the ocean just off the coast from DC, obliterating the East Coast, and starting a chain reaction that would cause Earth to heat up. An extinction event.
At the forefront of it all is our first-person protagonist Elma, who is a mathematician. Her husband is assigned as lead engineer of the American space program, which later becomes an International Program. Elma works as a computer, doing all the calculations required by hand, a job done by women. Female mathematicians become computers, dudes become engineers, you see.
Elma was also a pilot …
I wonder if this is another story where curmudgeony dudes whine about women in SF, and where's the hard science?
Well, tough shit, there's hard science here in this alternative history of manned space exploration in the 1950s. The difference between their Artemis and our Apollo program: space exploration is more important because in 1952 a meteorite crashes into the ocean just off the coast from DC, obliterating the East Coast, and starting a chain reaction that would cause Earth to heat up. An extinction event.
At the forefront of it all is our first-person protagonist Elma, who is a mathematician. Her husband is assigned as lead engineer of the American space program, which later becomes an International Program. Elma works as a computer, doing all the calculations required by hand, a job done by women. Female mathematicians become computers, dudes become engineers, you see.
Elma was also a pilot during WWII, and longs to go to the stars. Throughout the books she pushes for the inclusion of women in the program, despite opposition, especially from 'star' astronaut Stetson Parker.
Have to say, the rampant sexism was hard to bear at times, but it's an accurate reflection of how it was, or would have been if women had already been included so much earlier, and not just as computers.
One thing I really hope for with the next book: less sexy times between Elma and Nathaniel using rocket metaphors, because sheesh. It gold old real fast for me.
All in all, very enjoyable.
