Today, I’m excited to share the final #FearlessWomen title. The Fated Sky by Mary Robinette Kowal, which is the sequel to The Calculating Stars, an earlier #FearlessWomen title. I loved the first one, and excited the sequel is being released in such short time. I really enjoyed my excerpt for this one as well (since it makes a Computer Science joke, which was my major and is now my career)
About FearlessWomen
(from Tor Books)
Women are shining in every genre of speculative fiction, and it is no longer enough to say “Women are here.” Instead, #FearlessWomen everywhere are taking a stand to say “Women will thrive here.”
Highlighting major titles from bestselling authors V.E. Schwab, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jacqueline Carey as well as titles from acclaimed and debut authors such as Mary Robinette Kowal, Tessa Gratton, Sam Hawke, and Robyn Bennis, #FearlessWomen will be a coordinated social media celebration encouraging fans to start a dialogue about women in publishing, their worlds, their voices, and their unique stories.
Tor Books’ handles across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@torbooks) will be using the hashtags #FearlessWomen (and #FearlessFantasy and #FearlessSF) to promote excerpts, exclusive content, quizzes and giveaways beginning in May. There will also be exclusive giveaways at BookCon, San Diego Comic-Con, and New York Comic Con. Follow Tor Books online, join the conversation – and get reading!
About the Book
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.
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.
Exclusive Excerpt:
The reporter, a white man in his mid- fifties, rested a note pad on his paunch as he scribbled. “I’ll try not to take up much of your time . . . Jerry. How do you want them?”
“Natural. How do you two usually work together?”
We didn’t. Not these days, at any rate. I glanced at Nathaniel and shrugged. “What are you working on?”
Um . . .” He went around to his desk and sat down. The desk drawer squeaked as he dragged it open. “I was reviewing the flight plans for the supply ships to Mars.”
As he laid the folder on the desk, I went around to stand behind him. Leaning over his shoulder, I studied the equations and once again felt out of touch. I rested a hand on his back, frowning as I tried to figure out what “AMz squared” referred to.
A flash went off.
“Try to look happy.” Jerry, the photographer, leaned in closer. Behind the camera, his lank black hair draped across his forehead.
I smiled. That damn regulation smile. Everything is wonderful and I just love outer space! Don’t you?
Flash. I couldn’t see the numbers on the page through the purple splotches floating in my vision. Flash. 2, 3, 5, 7 . . .
“Dr. York— Elma. May I call you Elma?” The photographer didn’t wait for a response, he just came forward and patted the edge of the desk. “Can I have you sit on the desk? I love the costume you have on, and I can’t really see it behind your husband. Nathaniel, right? Great—right here. Good. Perfect.”
I sat on the desk, which made it hard to look at the equations, but no more awkward than being in one of the early capsules.
“Is there something more sciencey you could do?” The reporter stepped forward, tapping his pencil on his note-pad. “I mean . . . you could be looking at tax returns here.”
Nathaniel looked down at the equations, which were really “sciencey,” and rubbed the back of his neck. “Um . . . I just sent all of the models over for wind- tunnel tests. Blue-prints?”
“What about one of these?” Betty lifted a punch card out of a box sitting on the edge of the desk.
“Don’t—” Nathaniel pulled it out of her hand. “Don’t get them out of sequence.”
The reporter’s eyes rounded at the sight of the card, as if Nathaniel had said nothing. “Oooo! That’s perfect. Better than a model, which any kid could put together. But programming an electronic computer? That’s Science with a capital S.”
About the Mary Robinette Kowal
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.
Check out more #FearlessWomen content, reviews and excerpts at these blogs:
- This is a Metaphor
- Dark Faerie Tales
- Cherry Blossoms & Maple Syrup
- SciFiChick
- Books, Bones, & Buffy
- The Bibliosanctum
- Itching for Books
- Across the Words
- Fantasy Literature
Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure 🙂
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday – Mahimata by Rati Mehrotra
An author I really need to read – very soon. I’ve been wanting to read the Glamourist series for so long.
Lynn 😀
I really enjoyed the Glamourist series. A bit different from my typical go-to books, but I found them fun, quick reads. Great for when I’m stressed 🙂
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday – Mahimata by Rati Mehrotra
I need to get cracking on the first book!
They are pretty quick reads. 🙂 If I had this one when I finished the first, I probably would have just rolled straight into it
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday – Mahimata by Rati Mehrotra
I want to read this one. I finished The Calculating Stars recently and enjoyed it. Anne – Books of My Heart
Glad to hear!
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday – Mahimata by Rati Mehrotra