So, I was wondering if anyone else here had read the book Calculating the Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal? I heard about the book on the podcast "Stuff You Missed in History Class," and it's been a fun find. I've been listening to the audio book most of the day.
It's set in an alternate 1950s (where Thomas Dewey won in 1944 and apparently won reelection in 1948). The Americans have made three successful satellite launches by the time the book opens in 1952, when tragedy strikes in the form of a devastating meteorite impact off the coast of Maryland which wipes out DC and utterly wrecks the East Coast. The water vapor sent up into the atmosphere sets off a chain reaction that scientists realize will ultimately result in an extinction level event in a century or so (it was implied by 2000 there would be no snow in North America at all). This realization leads to the UN and the USA focusing on a global space effort to "not put all our eggs in one basket," and start colonizing space before the Earth dies.
Main character is a former WASP who is married to a senior NACA engineer. The two survive the blast and eventually become involved in the space effort. There's a good focus on women wanting to be involved in the space program and also race issues in this alternate 1950s.
I've found it pretty charming so far (about halfway through listening as of this posting), and there is a sequel out now called The Fated Sky.
Anybody else want to fanboy out about this a bit?
It's set in an alternate 1950s (where Thomas Dewey won in 1944 and apparently won reelection in 1948). The Americans have made three successful satellite launches by the time the book opens in 1952, when tragedy strikes in the form of a devastating meteorite impact off the coast of Maryland which wipes out DC and utterly wrecks the East Coast. The water vapor sent up into the atmosphere sets off a chain reaction that scientists realize will ultimately result in an extinction level event in a century or so (it was implied by 2000 there would be no snow in North America at all). This realization leads to the UN and the USA focusing on a global space effort to "not put all our eggs in one basket," and start colonizing space before the Earth dies.
Main character is a former WASP who is married to a senior NACA engineer. The two survive the blast and eventually become involved in the space effort. There's a good focus on women wanting to be involved in the space program and also race issues in this alternate 1950s.
I've found it pretty charming so far (about halfway through listening as of this posting), and there is a sequel out now called The Fated Sky.
Anybody else want to fanboy out about this a bit?