The Sword and Laser discussion

The book finally came in off library hold and I'm reading it now. Will likely go straight on to the sequel as it's almost there as well.

I'm going to spoiler protect for politeness' sake even though the book is well past its read month. I'd appreciate if peeps could not spoil past where I am, which is 40% of the book right now. Yep, I read 40% in the first 24 hours I had the book.

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Part of that is due to the stellar beginning. This is the best opening since a period so long I can't recall a better one. While reading it I thought that the author couldn't possibly keep it up. That turned out to be true, but it's less a comment on the overall book (to date) than the quality nature of the opener.

The characters are tight and plausible. Divergence from "our" reality, hard to be sure. I don't think just the election of Dewey would have led to black fighter pilots given the Jim Crow nature of the 1950s, so there must be a divergence further back.

Parts of the science bothered me. I have a hard time believing that a meteorite could cause the oceans to boil, or it would have happened during one of the other meteor impacts and we wouldn't be here to talk about it. Water vapor in the atmosphere leads to clouds which reflect sunlight.

But, the scientific "gimmes" needed were less than people grant Seveneves. Let's look at that for a moment. The space station that's the entire hope of humanity manages to fumble away EVERY sperm cell, with a starting choice of some 3 billion or so men? A group of miners is better at preserving themselves underground than EVERY government, and none other survive or, apparently, even try? And then there's the water effort. Why weren't governments building vast undersea citadels in the time left? So much was forced into the storyline.

And that's kinda where I sit with The Calculating Stars. Not sure I believe all of the science, but that's the story Kowal wanted to tell. The space program is the US a decade early. Women face exactly the kinds of challenges that actual 1950s women did. Racism pretty much exactly as it existed. If anything is less than believable it's the perfect husband Nathaniel represents.

While I appreciate the look at the space program, I kinda feel like it's off point. Why the emphasis on this "When Worlds Collide" mini colony? How about, instead, hauling up huge sheets of film or perhaps aluminum to block sunlight and cool the Earth. Paint vast swathes of Earth white to reflect sunlight back into space. While Americans worry about their political issues, every animal, every plant, a billion years of evolution faces death. Preserve the Earth first.

I quibble, partly because this book is such a rich tapestry. The characters leap off the page. They feel real. I've seen harassment like they experience.

Great book so far...will likely make significant inroads by tomorrow. (hide spoiler)]

I'm glad you're enjoying it.

The good news. The sequel is even better :-)

Regarding one of your questions (No spoilers, but I'll answer your spoiler tagged question in spoiler tags)

(view spoiler)[The science is spot on. MRK used real rocket scientists, astronauts and astronomers for the technical parts of the story

The meteorite strike and runaway greenhouse effect part was suggested to MRK by astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luciann...

MRK explains all this in the acknowledgements section of the book. It is worth reading, once you are finished. (hide spoiler)]

^Thanks Tassie Dave.

Now at 60%. This is definitely the "small" story set against the backdrop of the catastrophe. A character study rather than action oriented plot. Although I have a feeling Elma and her group will loom large in the overall action.

I'm right at the point where (view spoiler)[Elma is being tested for the next group of Astronauts, and Stetson sits nodding during her interview as she describes why she went to space. Is her largest obstacle about to become her biggest fan?

Also, the personal reveals are heartbreaking and completely plausible. The suicide attempt fits with the anxiety we've seen. The despair after the meteorite strike would tend to keep a person from searching for family. I can only imagine the guilt Elma feels for not seeking out her grandmother. (hide spoiler)]

Kowal seems to be making several subtle points. One is that it's okay to take medication for mental health issues. Another seems to be a model for men to support their significant others. Nathaniel is too good to be true, but then, perhaps that's the point. He isn't real world so much as a template.

Aaaand...done! What a fabulous book. I love how she built her coalition despite fears, and (view spoiler)[ was immune to being outed for her anti-anxiety medication use because of that coalition.

The way she got the other astronauts to break in her favor was completely realistic.

The quick aside for Grissom, Aldrin and Armstrong made me chuckle.

As for Parker, he's exactly the kind of highly skilled jerk that succeeds in large organizations. We have a few in my company. There's a groundswell against such behavior since it ruins teams, but many companies turn a blind eye. Is his being a good teacher a redeeming moment? Not sure, will see how the sequel treats him. It's not enough for me. I've seen firsthand the damage these kinds of people do.

Speaking of, The Fated Stars just came in. Time for round 2! (hide spoiler)]

A lot of your comments are covered in the previous discussion threads, so necromance away!

^ Been reading them! Perhaps I shall perform some threadurrections....

John (Taloni) wrote: "^ Been reading them! Perhaps I shall perform some threadurrections...."

Erm, as much as I know you are combining the words 'thread' and 'resurrection' that does not stop me from giggling at what it unfortunately sounds like!

Happy reading with the sequel! Looking forward to seeing how you find it.

I would recommend reading the Lady Astronaut of Mars novelette as well. You see Nathaniel and Elma as they deal with issues due to getting older. There is also a nice throwback to (technically foreshadowing since the novelette was written first) an event in The Fated Sky.

^Yep, gonna get that and the shorts as well. This is great stuff.

I'm partway into the sequel. Loved the(view spoiler)[ namecheck of Grissom btw. And the sheer joy of the Mars probe's landing fits my own reactions, probably most geeks as well. (hide spoiler)]

Ruth (tilltab) Ashworth wrote: "Erm, as much as I know you are combining the words 'thread' and 'resurrection' that does not stop me from giggling at what it unfortunately sounds like! "

Hah! I hadn't thought of that. Although, with Elma and Nathaniel's healthy sex drive who *knows* what was in the back of my mind.

Thought about using "Frankenthread" but it hasn't been that long.

I kind of liked how (view spoiler)[Elma was persona non grata with the Mars team at first. Even after she gets some grudging respect she's still bumbling around. The two black characters have to talk her out of making trouble with Mission Control as they try to keep their heads down and let the storm pass. (hide spoiler)]

John (Taloni) wrote: "I kind of liked how (view spoiler) "

Agreed. (view spoiler)[I thought it was very cleverly written in that you could see how guilty and isolated Elma felt yet were not so close in her POV that you didn't notice how her attempts to make amends were inappropriate and made everything harder. It is such a complex and difficult situation and it hurt to read because I could see how hard she was trying. There was no simple solution that would make things better, and I loved that. (hide spoiler)]

Now at the 80% mark of Fated Sky. Sooooo much to unpack. I'm sure I'll miss something of what I've been thinking, but don't want to wait until the end of the book to write. So, off the top...
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* The deaths in space are poignant and realistic. One person dead just from trying too hard while sick. Another one in a situation that would be easy to solve on the ground, but has fatal consequences in space.

* Following on that, the treatment of homosexuality in the 1960s and how the astronauts hid it while Parker's affairs can be known to all and not even commented on.

* The scene with the corpse in the bag. Brr. Just brr. I could feel every jolt.

* The references to actual media are a little odd. I wouldn't have caught that Lost in Space was too early (saw that in another thread) but I don't know as Lost in Space would even have been done following the meteorite strike. Similarly I get that Martian Chronicles would be available since it was completed before the strike, but I doubt that Stranger in a Strange Land would have been written. (When one of the astronauts says "Valentine Michael Smith just smiled.")

* Got a chuckle over Elma reading "Gods of Mars" and wanting "Princess of Mars" from the other ship. Kept thinking "just get it on a tablet" and then had to remember it's the 1960s and tablets are four decades away...

* Race relations are an especially difficult knot to unravel. Florence and Leonard get annoyed at Elma for trying to help, and their reactions are genuine. Along the way though they are alienating potential allies. Meanwhile Parker looks like the jerk for assigning them janitorial duties, but Parker and Mission Control are actually trying to protect Leonard.

* I've gotten to love to hate Parker so much I'm not sure how I feel about his personal growth! But the way he apologized to Elma worked wonderfully.

In all of this, Elma is not a Mary Sue. She's a real person with strengths and failings. Her own personal issues bring the narrative alive. (hide spoiler)]

Finished The Fated Sky plus the shorts. Will comment on the shorts in their own thread.

First...how could I forget! The naming of the ships was inspired. These days we look askance at Columbus and wouldn't name a mission after his trip to the New World. Back in the 1950s/60s he was still revered, so naming the Mars mission ships the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria would come naturally to a person of that era.

As for the remaining 20% of the book not yet commented on...

(view spoiler)[Parker does seem to have some compassion after all. I'm not sure I buy that he would leave himself out of the landing trips. A month after finding out about his wife's death someone as rock solid as the Parker we see in the first book would have gotten it together. Not a huge deal though.

I'm glad for one thing NOT done, which would have been for Elma and Parker to cross the line. They are both lonely, a year out from Earth, and seeking solace in each other. It could have turned into an affair. I am so, SO glad it stayed on the level of professional respect with a touch of humanity. Some lines just shouldn't be crossed.

Love what they did with Leonard. Some of his allies just couldn't be overt about it. Based on the story I don't think even he knew he was tapped to be the first person to set foot on Mars.

I totally didn't pick up on Kam. Thought she was just getting familiar with Elma and didn't want to deal with long hair in space. Makes total sense in retrospect, after reading the end notes.

I finished and thought "that can't be the end, there's so much more story to tell!" Then I looked and there's two more books coming. But I have to wait until 2020! *pout*
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