The Fated Sky: A Lady Astronaut Novel

Mary Robinette Kowal

Aug 2018 · Lady Astronaut Book 2 · Sold by Tor Books

About this ebook

Mary Robinette Kowal continues the grand sweep of alternate history begun in The Calculating Stars, The Fated Sky looks forward to 1961, when mankind is well-established on the moon and looking forward to its next step: journeying to, and eventually colonizing, Mars.

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Of course the noted Lady Astronaut Elma York would like to go, but there’s a lot riding on whoever the International Aerospace Coalition decides to send on this historic—but potentially very dangerous—mission? Could Elma really leave behind her husband and the chance to start a family to spend several years traveling to Mars? And with the Civil Rights movement taking hold all over Earth, will the astronaut pool ever be allowed to catch up, and will these brave men and women of all races be treated equitably when they get there? This gripping look at the real conflicts behind a fantastical space race will put a new spin on our visions of what might have been.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Ratings and reviews

I'm a huge fan of alternate timeline stories, and this series satisfies that craving. This novel in particular builds on its predecessor in an intelligent way, by detailing the steps humanity would be taking in its next step from a moon colony to its first manned Mars mission. During this adventure we get to experience the continued story of mankind dealing with the social issues of the 50's and 60's as we are forced to "grow up" quickly as a united and equal humanity of all races, colors, creeds, and genders to ensure the continuity of our species off of our slowly dying homeworld. 5 out of 5 star rating, and I hope to see more of Elma and Nathaniel York's adventure on Mars soon!!!!

MRK writes fantastic tales, but this one is especially good. Scene after scene just rang with joy, compassion, passion, and humor. I stayed up late many a night while reading this one.

About the author

Mary Robinette Kowal is the author of the historical fantasy novels Ghost Talkers and the five books in The Glamourist Histories series. She is also a multiple Hugo Award winner. Her short fiction has appeared in Uncanny, Tor.com, and Asimov’s. Mary, a professional puppeteer, lives in Chicago with her husband Robert and over a dozen manual typewriters.