In Fairness...
Sep. 20th, 2018 10:23 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chris_gerribIn fairness to Comcast, having grumbled about my slow Internet, they did get out last night and fix it. Also as part of the fixing, I got a new TV box and a $70/month reduction in my bill. Go me!
In other news, I read and devoured Mary Robinette Kowal's latest novel, The Fated Sky. It's book 2 of her "punchcard punk" universe, in which a large asteroid forces man to accelerate the space race in the early 1950s. In this edition, Elma York, our "Lady Astronaut" goes to Mars. It's a wonderful book, but you'll never look at a donut or rice the same way again. In even better news, Mary signed a six-figure deal with Tor to produce three more books in the same universe. Yeah team!
Finally, I backed a Kickstarter project for Unidentified Funny Objects 7, an anthology of humorous SF. My ebook came today. More on that anon.
In other news, I read and devoured Mary Robinette Kowal's latest novel, The Fated Sky. It's book 2 of her "punchcard punk" universe, in which a large asteroid forces man to accelerate the space race in the early 1950s. In this edition, Elma York, our "Lady Astronaut" goes to Mars. It's a wonderful book, but you'll never look at a donut or rice the same way again. In even better news, Mary signed a six-figure deal with Tor to produce three more books in the same universe. Yeah team!
Finally, I backed a Kickstarter project for Unidentified Funny Objects 7, an anthology of humorous SF. My ebook came today. More on that anon.
no subject
Date: 2018-09-21 02:01 pm (UTC)I'm not sure what your heartburn with the book is. Mary (whom I know personally) diverged her world from ours with Dewey winning in 1948. He promptly put nuclear warheads in orbit, forestalling the Korean War. Then the asteroid hit, described in the short story "We Interrupt This Broadcast." Things flow logically from there.
I don't recall the Soviet Union being mentioned in "The Fated Sky." They are certainly not portrayed as helping or good. Since Mary's history diverges at the start of the Cold War, it's a much different place.
Regarding the non-white non-male characters, Mary did extensive research into real contributions from real non-white non-male characters of the era. Elma York, the Lady Astronaut, spent WWII like many female pilots, ferrying combat aircraft to combat airfields. The female "computers" are based on real people. I could go on but won't.
no subject
Date: 2018-09-21 03:32 pm (UTC)> Praise for The Calculating Stars”
> - is deeply disturbing to read.
The first sentence above is where your entire reply missed. I wasn't talking about Fated Sky, or Calculating Stars per se either. I was talking - as I said! -
about the comments, the "praise" that cared nothing about any of what you describe above, but ONLY the Revolutionary zeal of the author! It was deeply troubling. [The book does sound interesting.]