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Lady Astronaut Universe #4.5
The Lady Astronaut of Mars
Thirty years ago, Elma York led the expedition that paved the way to life on Mars. For years she's been longing to go back up there, to once more explore the stars. But there are few opportunities for an aging astronaut, even the famous Lady Astronaut of Mars. When her chance finally comes, it may be too late. Elma must decide whether to stay with her sickening husband in what will surely be the final years of his life, or to have her final adventure and plunge deeper into the well of space.
33 pages, ebook
First published December 1, 2012
310 people are currently reading
5838 people want to read
About the author
Mary Robinette Kowal
252 books5,412 followersMary Robinette Kowal is the author of the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus award winning alternate history novel The Calculating Stars, the first book in the Lady Astronaut series which continues in 2025 with The Martian Contingency. She is also the author of The Glamourist Histories series, Ghost Talkers, The Spare Man and has received the Astounding Award for Best New Writer, four Hugo awards, the Nebula and Locus awards. Her stories appear in Asimov’s, Uncanny, and several Year’s Best anthologies. Mary Robinette has also worked as a professional puppeteer, is a member of the award-winning podcast Writing Excuses, and performs as a voice actor (SAG/AFTRA), recording fiction for authors including Seanan McGuire, Cory Doctorow, and Neal Stephenson. She lives in Denver with her husband Robert, their dog Guppy, and their “talking” cat Elsie.
Her novel Calculating Stars is one of only eighteen novels to win the Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards in a single year.
Her novel Calculating Stars is one of only eighteen novels to win the Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards in a single year.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 800 reviews
October 28, 2017
A charming, bittersweet - very Bradburyesque short story.
Elma York was a pioneering astronaut who was the face and soul of the first Mars expedition. She led the way to colonize Mars, and being a woman, gave more than her share of time to the public relations part of the job. Years later, a Mars colonist, she is given a unique opportunity to return to space. But her aging computer programmer husband is terminally ill and she finds the decision whether or not to go difficult for several reasons.
Author Mary Robinette Kowal won the Hugo Award for the Best Novelette in 2014. I am unsure how many of the other entrants I have read, but I cannot imagine a more simply elegant choice for that honor. Ray Bradbury was paid tribute (in more ways than one) by her mention of the Bradbury Center on Mars. But more than that, Kowal has captured the humanity that Bradbury was able to convey with great effect in a short story. Never a "hard science fiction" writer, Bradbury used Mars as his "other" - his fantasy place upon which to cast metaphor and allegory about who we are and what we can become. Kowal has demonstrated her ability in this very special regard here.
Elma York was a pioneering astronaut who was the face and soul of the first Mars expedition. She led the way to colonize Mars, and being a woman, gave more than her share of time to the public relations part of the job. Years later, a Mars colonist, she is given a unique opportunity to return to space. But her aging computer programmer husband is terminally ill and she finds the decision whether or not to go difficult for several reasons.
Author Mary Robinette Kowal won the Hugo Award for the Best Novelette in 2014. I am unsure how many of the other entrants I have read, but I cannot imagine a more simply elegant choice for that honor. Ray Bradbury was paid tribute (in more ways than one) by her mention of the Bradbury Center on Mars. But more than that, Kowal has captured the humanity that Bradbury was able to convey with great effect in a short story. Never a "hard science fiction" writer, Bradbury used Mars as his "other" - his fantasy place upon which to cast metaphor and allegory about who we are and what we can become. Kowal has demonstrated her ability in this very special regard here.
July 29, 2016
"It's a hard thing to look at something you want and to know that the right choice is to turn it down."
Wow! A short, sci-fi story giving me all the feels! That was dang heartbreaking! I just watched The Martian a few days ago and even though it amused me, it also made me realize that being an astronaut (although is noble and heroic) is one of the saddest jobs out there. This short story only proved that true.
At the near end of her career, Elma (an astronaut) is offered a last chance to go back to space but to go back means to leave behind her dying husband. For her ultimate choice, you can read the story for free through Tamara's review that basically reflects everything I think about this short read. Do check out Kuya Alejandro's brilliant review too.^^
More importantly, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Tamara. I didn't have enough time to read a full length novel for you so I read this shortie instead. As the saying goes, it's the thought that counts, right? hehe. May you have all the smiles, blessings and of course books this special day could bring. Happy birthday, girlie! <3
June 1, 2014
When you love the stars, even if you are on Mars, you still are confined to a planet.
This is a short story that were presented initially on a audio format on an anthology titled Rip-Off!.
It seems that the concept of the anthology was to combine known literaty characters and/or historic figures with science fiction stories set in more contemporary settings even in the future.
I was attracted to read this short story due its linking to the realm of "Oz" along with Dorothy Gale.
I have to say that the linking is quite weak and forced, since even Dorothy Gale isn't one of the main characters but merely a secondary character where she doesn't do anything that any other character couldn't do too. I mean, you have Dorothy Gale but she is a medical doctor here that it's a cool idea (sometime Dorothy should grew up and choosing some career), however her role in the sci-fi short story was done in a way that any other literary character could do just the same and even her role is quite kept at minimum time.
So, you may wonder... why then a 5-star rating?
Well, while the "rip-off" concept was a cheap trick to make people reading the short story. The short story itself is a wonderful and smart science fiction tale that I am quite glad of having read.
The Lady Astronaut in Mars is like the european film Amour meets The Martian Chronicles, where the Amour part of the story is managed way, WAY, better, since honestly I didn't like the film, I understood the ideas that they wanted to show but I didn't enjoy the form of the development there. However, here, on The Lady Astronaut in Mars, you can really enjoy the love of an old couple between themselves but also balancing it with their own personal passions and how much each other is able to sacrifice for the other but also how much is the other really expecting that to be sacrificed.
Moreover, while the story is based on human emotions and topics that anybody can relate, the author knew that since it's a science fiction tale, the aspect to develop an interesting setting of technology and a cool futuristic ambiance.
Remarkable reading that I recommend to any fan of sci-fi short stories.
This is a short story that were presented initially on a audio format on an anthology titled Rip-Off!.
It seems that the concept of the anthology was to combine known literaty characters and/or historic figures with science fiction stories set in more contemporary settings even in the future.
I was attracted to read this short story due its linking to the realm of "Oz" along with Dorothy Gale.
I have to say that the linking is quite weak and forced, since even Dorothy Gale isn't one of the main characters but merely a secondary character where she doesn't do anything that any other character couldn't do too. I mean, you have Dorothy Gale but she is a medical doctor here that it's a cool idea (sometime Dorothy should grew up and choosing some career), however her role in the sci-fi short story was done in a way that any other literary character could do just the same and even her role is quite kept at minimum time.
So, you may wonder... why then a 5-star rating?
Well, while the "rip-off" concept was a cheap trick to make people reading the short story. The short story itself is a wonderful and smart science fiction tale that I am quite glad of having read.
The Lady Astronaut in Mars is like the european film Amour meets The Martian Chronicles, where the Amour part of the story is managed way, WAY, better, since honestly I didn't like the film, I understood the ideas that they wanted to show but I didn't enjoy the form of the development there. However, here, on The Lady Astronaut in Mars, you can really enjoy the love of an old couple between themselves but also balancing it with their own personal passions and how much each other is able to sacrifice for the other but also how much is the other really expecting that to be sacrificed.
Moreover, while the story is based on human emotions and topics that anybody can relate, the author knew that since it's a science fiction tale, the aspect to develop an interesting setting of technology and a cool futuristic ambiance.
Remarkable reading that I recommend to any fan of sci-fi short stories.
November 30, 2016
Oh Wow! The cool book cover drew me in on this one and the anticipation of reading a bit of sci-fi so I dived in cold turkey and was totally surprised by where Elma and Nathaniel's story took me.
THE LADY ASTRONAUT OF MARS novelette is an interesting mix of a past literary character named Dorothy (we all know and love) brought into the futuristic world of living on planet Mars. But mostly, it's about truly loving someone (til death do us part) and making the very toughest of choices with the willingness to sacrifice your dream. (Oh Nathaniel.....you're the man!)
Terribly sad. Emotionally charged. Uniquely exceptional. Loved every word!
"I'm not alone though someone who doesn't know me might think I appear to be.
I have the stars.
I have my memories.
And I have Nathaniel's last program. After it runs, I will make an eagle and let my husband fly." (no spoiler here)
August 6, 2016
It’s a hard thing to look at something you want and to know that the right choice is to turn it down.
review to come
read it for yourself here:
http://www.tor.com/2014/04/19/the-lad...
July 18, 2018
HOLY WOW!
No wonder the author won a HUGO with this novelette.
This story is 31 pages short.
I've read short stories before but NEVER EVER have 31 pages managed to fully encompass and enthrall me and suck me into a story like this! The range of emotions I felt while reading these 31 pages is so wide I don't even know how to find the approriate words.
The story about an aging female astronaut who accomplished what should be one of the greatest milestones in mankind's history but is already losing gravity (pun intended) tells of the difficulty of life choices and the consequences we face after. It also tells of human interaction and the way our views can change. It tells of love and responsibility and heartbreak and it does so with the utmost impact, getting close up and personal with the reader - in just 31 pages!
I'm not quite sure if the shortness is what makes the story so profound. Maybe the effect would have been lost in a longer story. It just goes to show that some things can be told with a minimum amount of words - if you arrange these words the right way.
In short: my mind just got blown and I guess I'll have a book hangover from this for a while for I have cried through at least 29 of the 31 pages of this story.
No wonder the author won a HUGO with this novelette.
This story is 31 pages short.
I've read short stories before but NEVER EVER have 31 pages managed to fully encompass and enthrall me and suck me into a story like this! The range of emotions I felt while reading these 31 pages is so wide I don't even know how to find the approriate words.
The story about an aging female astronaut who accomplished what should be one of the greatest milestones in mankind's history but is already losing gravity (pun intended) tells of the difficulty of life choices and the consequences we face after. It also tells of human interaction and the way our views can change. It tells of love and responsibility and heartbreak and it does so with the utmost impact, getting close up and personal with the reader - in just 31 pages!
I'm not quite sure if the shortness is what makes the story so profound. Maybe the effect would have been lost in a longer story. It just goes to show that some things can be told with a minimum amount of words - if you arrange these words the right way.
In short: my mind just got blown and I guess I'll have a book hangover from this for a while for I have cried through at least 29 of the 31 pages of this story.
November 24, 2016
I don't read many books in the science fiction genre but this novella caught my attention.
The premise of an aging female astronaut living in a Mars colony was impossible to resist, especially since I started watching the awesome new series "Mars" on the National Geographic network.
A very short but engaging read, I will definitely look for more books written by this author.
The premise of an aging female astronaut living in a Mars colony was impossible to resist, especially since I started watching the awesome new series "Mars" on the National Geographic network.
A very short but engaging read, I will definitely look for more books written by this author.
April 16, 2016
Time was when I couldn’t walk anywhere on Mars without being recognized as the Lady Astronaut. Now, thirty years after the First Expedition, I was just another old lady, whose small stature showed my origin on Earth.
Sixty-three-year-old Elma is offered her dream - one more mission in space. The only problem is, she'll be gone for three years. Her beloved husband has less than a year to live.
I wanted to get off the planet and back into space and not have to watch him die. Not have to watch him lose control of his body piece by piece.
And I wanted to stay here and be with him and steal every moment left that he had breath in his body.
This is just a beautiful, sad story, probably more romance than science fiction, that manages to be a tale of both an ending AND a beginning.
Read here: http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/04/th...
Sixty-three-year-old Elma is offered her dream - one more mission in space. The only problem is, she'll be gone for three years. Her beloved husband has less than a year to live.
I wanted to get off the planet and back into space and not have to watch him die. Not have to watch him lose control of his body piece by piece.
And I wanted to stay here and be with him and steal every moment left that he had breath in his body.
This is just a beautiful, sad story, probably more romance than science fiction, that manages to be a tale of both an ending AND a beginning.
Read here: http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/04/th...
July 5, 2018
Since I am about to read The Calculating Stars, I decided to revisit this novelette that I read back in 2015, and once more was touched by Kowal’s style, mixing the bittersweetness of a life reaching its end with the hopefulness of discovery and wonder.
August 6, 2016
Rating: 4* of five
My review is live today at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud. The 2014 Hugo Award for best novelette was never more fairly given, and Mary Robinette Kowal deserved it!
My review is live today at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud. The 2014 Hugo Award for best novelette was never more fairly given, and Mary Robinette Kowal deserved it!
December 5, 2014
A really beautiful and heartbreaking story. I can see why it was the winner of the 2014 Hugo Award for Best Novelette. You can read it here for free.
For anyone interested, the story was first published in audio format in 2012 as part of RIP-OFF, an original audiobook anthology from Audible.com. In Rip-Off!, 13 writers pick their favorite opening line from a classic piece of fiction and then use it as the first sentence of an entirely original short story. In this case, the author chose The Wizard of Oz for inspiration. She takes the first sentence of the Wizard of Oz and twists the story from there. But make no mistake, Dorothy is not our main character here, Elma -the famous Lady Astronaut of Mars- is.
Elma struggles. A lot. Thirty years ago, she was the one who led the expedition that paved the way to life on Mars but now she is too old for space. She misses exploring the stars. She misses being an astronaut. She misses her job. So when the opportunity comes for one last visit to stars, Elma faces with a really hard decision. Should she go or should she stay with her sickening husband?
Realistic story. Realistic marriage. Realistic characters. Only 32 pages but really emotional. I highly recommend it!
For anyone interested, the story was first published in audio format in 2012 as part of RIP-OFF, an original audiobook anthology from Audible.com. In Rip-Off!, 13 writers pick their favorite opening line from a classic piece of fiction and then use it as the first sentence of an entirely original short story. In this case, the author chose The Wizard of Oz for inspiration. She takes the first sentence of the Wizard of Oz and twists the story from there. But make no mistake, Dorothy is not our main character here, Elma -the famous Lady Astronaut of Mars- is.
Elma struggles. A lot. Thirty years ago, she was the one who led the expedition that paved the way to life on Mars but now she is too old for space. She misses exploring the stars. She misses being an astronaut. She misses her job. So when the opportunity comes for one last visit to stars, Elma faces with a really hard decision. Should she go or should she stay with her sickening husband?
Realistic story. Realistic marriage. Realistic characters. Only 32 pages but really emotional. I highly recommend it!
April 15, 2018
I was not expecting this...
If I had read this beautiful and bittersweet short story a few years back, it might not have moved me the way it did. But reading it now made something inside me swell up as if it would explode. That's why we read, though, isn't it? To feel all the feels.
Elma York's work as an astronaut blazed the trail to the colonization of Mars. But she is 68 now, and she misses the stars from her sort-of retirement. An opportunity for a final mission comes along, but accepting it would mean leaving behind her terminally ill husband...
I love when sci-fi makes you feel more human. Kowal poured so much about love, loyalty, dreams and sacrifice in this handful of pages, and it took my breath away. I won't be missing the Elma York novel coming out this summer.
If I had read this beautiful and bittersweet short story a few years back, it might not have moved me the way it did. But reading it now made something inside me swell up as if it would explode. That's why we read, though, isn't it? To feel all the feels.
Elma York's work as an astronaut blazed the trail to the colonization of Mars. But she is 68 now, and she misses the stars from her sort-of retirement. An opportunity for a final mission comes along, but accepting it would mean leaving behind her terminally ill husband...
I love when sci-fi makes you feel more human. Kowal poured so much about love, loyalty, dreams and sacrifice in this handful of pages, and it took my breath away. I won't be missing the Elma York novel coming out this summer.
November 4, 2018
Beautiful and poignant. Extra point for having an old lady as the main character - we need more of those in SFF.
September 13, 2022
Ahoy there me mateys! I had read the book ghost talkers by this author last year and loved it. I was checkin' other works of hers from the library when I saw this title. Lady astronaut . . . sign me up. I clicked it immediately and began reading only to be startled when it shortly ended! Once again, me wish to not be spoiled by the blurb meant that I had inadvertently picked up what happened to be book 2.5 of a series and a novelette at that!
But not just any novelette. It won the Hugo Award for Best Novelette (2014). And I completely see why. These 19 pages packed an emotional punch. I was immediately wrapped up in the characters and the plot and the small amount of world-building that was here. It didn't matter that I didn't read the two books in the series. I was completely bowled over by the Lady Astronaut, her current predicament, and the ending. It was not an easy read due to the emotional toil 2017 gave me, but it was very much a wonderful story that I am glad was me first read of 2018. I do plan on reading the other books in the series and more of this author's work!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
But not just any novelette. It won the Hugo Award for Best Novelette (2014). And I completely see why. These 19 pages packed an emotional punch. I was immediately wrapped up in the characters and the plot and the small amount of world-building that was here. It didn't matter that I didn't read the two books in the series. I was completely bowled over by the Lady Astronaut, her current predicament, and the ending. It was not an easy read due to the emotional toil 2017 gave me, but it was very much a wonderful story that I am glad was me first read of 2018. I do plan on reading the other books in the series and more of this author's work!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
April 5, 2016
The Lady Astronaut of Mars is a free short sci fi story and it was 2014 Hugo award finalist for Best Novelette, and rightly so!
'For years she's been longing to go back up there, to once more explore the stars'
Elma York is a famous astronaut who led the expedition that paved the way to life on Mars. After thirty years, she's given a new opportunity to go to space; the mission is well-suited to her age, experience in space and public image. This unexpected opportunity comes at a difficult time in her life forcing her to make an impossible choice between going on a once in a lifetime opportunity and a final adventure in space or staying and looking after her terminally ill beloved husband. Her husband wants her to follow her dream but the decision is not that simple.
'I wanted to get off the planet and back into space and not have to watch him die. Not have to watch him lose control of his body piece by piece. And I wanted to stay here and be with him and steal every moment left that he had breath left in his body.'
It's emotional and bitter-sweet story without being angst filled or overwhelming. The sci-fi elements are woven into the story in a natural and believable way giving the story emotional impact. But the emotional vulnerability of the main character and her strength is what makes this short story a winner for me. I love it when a female character flies above the expected gender role and is well fleshed out and complex and The Lady Astronaut of Mars did just that. I only wish the story was longer.
You can read the free short story here.
'For years she's been longing to go back up there, to once more explore the stars'
Elma York is a famous astronaut who led the expedition that paved the way to life on Mars. After thirty years, she's given a new opportunity to go to space; the mission is well-suited to her age, experience in space and public image. This unexpected opportunity comes at a difficult time in her life forcing her to make an impossible choice between going on a once in a lifetime opportunity and a final adventure in space or staying and looking after her terminally ill beloved husband. Her husband wants her to follow her dream but the decision is not that simple.
'I wanted to get off the planet and back into space and not have to watch him die. Not have to watch him lose control of his body piece by piece. And I wanted to stay here and be with him and steal every moment left that he had breath left in his body.'
It's emotional and bitter-sweet story without being angst filled or overwhelming. The sci-fi elements are woven into the story in a natural and believable way giving the story emotional impact. But the emotional vulnerability of the main character and her strength is what makes this short story a winner for me. I love it when a female character flies above the expected gender role and is well fleshed out and complex and The Lady Astronaut of Mars did just that. I only wish the story was longer.
You can read the free short story here.
March 4, 2018
A prequel, or rather a bitter-sweet epilogue, read as a teaser to an upcoming new series about a female astronaut in the 1950s, Mars and an alternate timeline.
I liked it very much. I almost cried at the end. Written in first person, with a clear, concise prose. I could relate, I felt with her and I am pretty sure I will pick up the first full-length novel of this world.
To find for free here at Tor.com:
https://www.tor.com/2013/09/11/the-la...
I liked it very much. I almost cried at the end. Written in first person, with a clear, concise prose. I could relate, I felt with her and I am pretty sure I will pick up the first full-length novel of this world.
To find for free here at Tor.com:
https://www.tor.com/2013/09/11/the-la...
January 16, 2020
4, 5 / 5
'La señorita astronauta de Marte' nos lleva hasta la colonia humana en Marte, donde Elma York, una veterana astronauta, espera su última oportunidad de viajar al espacio mientras convive día a día con la enfermedad terminal de su marido, un ingeniero espacial. Ganadora del Premio Hugo a mejor novelette en 2014 (aunque había sido descalificada el año anterior) y del Ignotus a Mejor cuento extranjero en 2016, Mary Robinette Cowal construye una tierna y emotiva historia que refleja la dureza que supone tanto envejecer como ver morir a tu círculo más cercano de seres queridos. Una historia de amor enmascarada por un escenario de ciencia ficción que se adentra en la cercana relación de una mujer con su marido. Un relato sobre el dilema de una decisión con la que podría cumplir su último sueño, pero con la que cargaría el peso propio de la culpa. Una decisión que pasa por pisar de nuevo las estrellas.
Leído en A la deriva en el mar de las Lluvias y otros relatos con traducción de María Pilar San Román.
'La señorita astronauta de Marte' nos lleva hasta la colonia humana en Marte, donde Elma York, una veterana astronauta, espera su última oportunidad de viajar al espacio mientras convive día a día con la enfermedad terminal de su marido, un ingeniero espacial. Ganadora del Premio Hugo a mejor novelette en 2014 (aunque había sido descalificada el año anterior) y del Ignotus a Mejor cuento extranjero en 2016, Mary Robinette Cowal construye una tierna y emotiva historia que refleja la dureza que supone tanto envejecer como ver morir a tu círculo más cercano de seres queridos. Una historia de amor enmascarada por un escenario de ciencia ficción que se adentra en la cercana relación de una mujer con su marido. Un relato sobre el dilema de una decisión con la que podría cumplir su último sueño, pero con la que cargaría el peso propio de la culpa. Una decisión que pasa por pisar de nuevo las estrellas.
Leído en A la deriva en el mar de las Lluvias y otros relatos con traducción de María Pilar San Román.
May 3, 2015
This sci-fi tale had great human tensions. Nothing was too fantastic in terms of space opera or hard sci-fi. It was about the pull between loyalty and love for her husband against the visceral need to be on a mission. It was love and guilt versus a spectacular career, and this is where the story really shined. A colony on mars is merely setting. Colonizing the stars is merely a long term goal.
The reader's heart is torn, and the MC had heroic actions open to her.
The true hero is in her husband. It's a classic turnaround of the old tales of astronaut's wives, except this might have a little more pathos.
So far, I understand perfectly why this one got the Hugo. The love was both timeless and solid.
The reader's heart is torn, and the MC had heroic actions open to her.
The true hero is in her husband. It's a classic turnaround of the old tales of astronaut's wives, except this might have a little more pathos.
So far, I understand perfectly why this one got the Hugo. The love was both timeless and solid.
July 10, 2018
Beautiful, and wrenching, at the same time, as Elma, an astronaut, and her husband, have to decide whether she’ll leave on a mission.
April 15, 2017
This. This was really really good because it's puts you in her shoes, and makes you question, what would I do?
A story of a lady astronaut from Mars who in her youth had been an astronaut. Ridden through space. Colonized Mars. Journeyed from planet to planet, soaring through the stars. Now, advanced in age, keeps her astronaut status valid, maintaining her health, going to routine physicals, in the very very off chance that for some reason or another they might call her, despite her age, (early 60's) and send her back into space. But, her husband is at this point, very ill. Only months left, and even less until his body begins to deteriorate. He has a hard road ahead of him, slow and painful, and no hope for recovery. So when she gets that fated call, from her old boss back at the factory, saying they need her specifically. They will be facing a mission with unknown repercussions. The radiation might cause significant damage, amongst other threats, and it is specifically her advanced age that makes her the viable option. She is in her 60's. That's a life lived. Sure, she may have a lot of life ahead of her but she's already lived a happy and full life, already made and long ago passed the decision to not have children, she has only her husband to miss her, but will be gone in a few short months anyway, making her the perfect candidate for this dangerous mission. But it is not out of duty or obligation that she feels she has to go, she wants to go. The stars are calling. But if she leaves, she leaves behind her husband, and knows that he won't be there when she returns, that she will be trading in his final moments for a visit to the stars. He tells her to go, but, understandably, she is torn.
Well. I know what I would do. Personally. There could never exist anything that could tear me away from my beloved husband's bedside, as he's dying. Nothing that I would trade even a moment with him for. And that's fully selfishness talking, that's me wanting to have every single moment I could, knowing that they are limited. But what about the fact of him dying alone? Not having his beloved there with him during his final moments, those scary moments just before facing oblivion, facing the infinite void?! I would want to be there to hold his hand, to squeeze it and say, "it's ok. I will see you, again. I am here with you now, & you are not alone." There is nothing on God's green earth that could tear me away. But then again, I've never had a calling so clear and distinct, I've never had a passion like that, a passion above all passions. I've never heard the stars calling me, like the lady astronaut from Mars. Maybe I've heard an airplane calling, foreign locations, beaches and famous cities, but a trip to Barcelona certainly ain't pulling me from hubby's dying bedside. My biggest passion has consistently been, throughout my lifetime thus far, books. But there isn't a book in the world that could tear me away, that could prevent me from sharing my husband's final moments with him. Even if someone said, if you come with me now, then your future will consist of you writing an amazing piece of literature, it will be your magnum opus and millions of people will read it all over the world forever and ever, it will be a classic that is studied and read for decades and centuries to come. Even then, I would stay. I wouldn't even hesitate. Maybe that's why the story touched me so, because it literally was a story of a woman who's pull to the stars ✨ far outweighs any other pull or draw or thing or moment in her life. What would that be like? I couldn't even imagine.
This is a beautiful, touching, poignant little story and I obviously won't be writing reviews for every little short story I read, but this one was special. Very very special. I'm not generally a fan of short stories, but this one was so sweet. Bittersweet. I loved it. 5 stars!
A story of a lady astronaut from Mars who in her youth had been an astronaut. Ridden through space. Colonized Mars. Journeyed from planet to planet, soaring through the stars. Now, advanced in age, keeps her astronaut status valid, maintaining her health, going to routine physicals, in the very very off chance that for some reason or another they might call her, despite her age, (early 60's) and send her back into space. But, her husband is at this point, very ill. Only months left, and even less until his body begins to deteriorate. He has a hard road ahead of him, slow and painful, and no hope for recovery. So when she gets that fated call, from her old boss back at the factory, saying they need her specifically. They will be facing a mission with unknown repercussions. The radiation might cause significant damage, amongst other threats, and it is specifically her advanced age that makes her the viable option. She is in her 60's. That's a life lived. Sure, she may have a lot of life ahead of her but she's already lived a happy and full life, already made and long ago passed the decision to not have children, she has only her husband to miss her, but will be gone in a few short months anyway, making her the perfect candidate for this dangerous mission. But it is not out of duty or obligation that she feels she has to go, she wants to go. The stars are calling. But if she leaves, she leaves behind her husband, and knows that he won't be there when she returns, that she will be trading in his final moments for a visit to the stars. He tells her to go, but, understandably, she is torn.
Well. I know what I would do. Personally. There could never exist anything that could tear me away from my beloved husband's bedside, as he's dying. Nothing that I would trade even a moment with him for. And that's fully selfishness talking, that's me wanting to have every single moment I could, knowing that they are limited. But what about the fact of him dying alone? Not having his beloved there with him during his final moments, those scary moments just before facing oblivion, facing the infinite void?! I would want to be there to hold his hand, to squeeze it and say, "it's ok. I will see you, again. I am here with you now, & you are not alone." There is nothing on God's green earth that could tear me away. But then again, I've never had a calling so clear and distinct, I've never had a passion like that, a passion above all passions. I've never heard the stars calling me, like the lady astronaut from Mars. Maybe I've heard an airplane calling, foreign locations, beaches and famous cities, but a trip to Barcelona certainly ain't pulling me from hubby's dying bedside. My biggest passion has consistently been, throughout my lifetime thus far, books. But there isn't a book in the world that could tear me away, that could prevent me from sharing my husband's final moments with him. Even if someone said, if you come with me now, then your future will consist of you writing an amazing piece of literature, it will be your magnum opus and millions of people will read it all over the world forever and ever, it will be a classic that is studied and read for decades and centuries to come. Even then, I would stay. I wouldn't even hesitate. Maybe that's why the story touched me so, because it literally was a story of a woman who's pull to the stars ✨ far outweighs any other pull or draw or thing or moment in her life. What would that be like? I couldn't even imagine.
This is a beautiful, touching, poignant little story and I obviously won't be writing reviews for every little short story I read, but this one was special. Very very special. I'm not generally a fan of short stories, but this one was so sweet. Bittersweet. I loved it. 5 stars!
August 18, 2014
Excellent short novelette from Mary Robinette Kowal about having to choose between having children and striking out amongst the stars. Except it isn’t about that at all. It’s about having to choose between watching your husband die, slowly and with less dignity every day, and striking out amongst the stars. Or maybe it’s about growing old, and the way the old are manipulated and treated, trotted out like icons from a fading past. Or perhaps it’s how women are held up against an impossible measuring stick: you need to have a career, have children, be beautiful, be dignified, be smart, be compliant….
Well, this is sounding complex for a 19-page story!
That’s the wonderful thing about “The Lady Astronaut of Mars”: it’s complex without requiring much effort. Kowal doesn’t get bogged down in the minutiae of how humanity colonizes Mars. We’re there, Elma is there, and she has a choice to make. Kowal fleshes this out by exploring Elma’s past and her motivations and using that to cast light on how she can make this choice. It’s a situation where there is no easy, no right answer. Either way she will feel like she is losing something, giving something up, in order to gain or even just maintain the status quo. Such is life: the making of impossible choices.
“The Lady Astronaut of Mars” delivers everything a novelette should. It’s a smart and fast-paced narrative that makes it easy to keep reading. At the same time, as I said above, it has layers of complexity. Elma becomes a fully-realized, three-dimensional character. The secondary characters, such as her husband Nathaniel, are understandably less developed but still important and interesting. It says a lot about this future that Nathaniel is being cared for the way he is. We’ve managed to make it to Mars, but confronting end-of-life care is something that remains difficult and daunting.
This is a powerful story that harnesses some of the best qualities of science fiction: its ability to make a reader think in new ways about everyday parts of our existence. It has a retro feel, with talk of rockets and programmers and tapes and punch cards, but the problems Kowal explores are still present in the modern world, and they will dog us all the way to Mars.
Well, this is sounding complex for a 19-page story!
That’s the wonderful thing about “The Lady Astronaut of Mars”: it’s complex without requiring much effort. Kowal doesn’t get bogged down in the minutiae of how humanity colonizes Mars. We’re there, Elma is there, and she has a choice to make. Kowal fleshes this out by exploring Elma’s past and her motivations and using that to cast light on how she can make this choice. It’s a situation where there is no easy, no right answer. Either way she will feel like she is losing something, giving something up, in order to gain or even just maintain the status quo. Such is life: the making of impossible choices.
“The Lady Astronaut of Mars” delivers everything a novelette should. It’s a smart and fast-paced narrative that makes it easy to keep reading. At the same time, as I said above, it has layers of complexity. Elma becomes a fully-realized, three-dimensional character. The secondary characters, such as her husband Nathaniel, are understandably less developed but still important and interesting. It says a lot about this future that Nathaniel is being cared for the way he is. We’ve managed to make it to Mars, but confronting end-of-life care is something that remains difficult and daunting.
This is a powerful story that harnesses some of the best qualities of science fiction: its ability to make a reader think in new ways about everyday parts of our existence. It has a retro feel, with talk of rockets and programmers and tapes and punch cards, but the problems Kowal explores are still present in the modern world, and they will dog us all the way to Mars.
December 23, 2015
You can read this short story on tor.com.
I read this story thinking it would be a retelling about Dorothy and some science fiction Land of Oz. I was wrong. This is a story about a woman astronaut who was on the First Mars Expedition. Now she's living on Mars and is in her 60s. Her husband is dying, so she's considered the best option for a three years mission to a distant habitable planet. This is a no-return journey.
Truth be told, I don't feel anything about this story.
I didn't like it and I didn't hate it.
I read this story thinking it would be a retelling about Dorothy and some science fiction Land of Oz. I was wrong. This is a story about a woman astronaut who was on the First Mars Expedition. Now she's living on Mars and is in her 60s. Her husband is dying, so she's considered the best option for a three years mission to a distant habitable planet. This is a no-return journey.
Truth be told, I don't feel anything about this story.
I didn't like it and I didn't hate it.
July 27, 2022
Soaring Through the Stars!
Dorothy joined a space program when she was young and she traveled to Mars.
During those days, women were not a major part of the space travelers. So that made her a pioneer.
Now she is in her sixties, and though she would love to return to space, she feels conflicted about it.
Her husband, Nathaniel, is deathly ill and she doesn’t want to leave him behind on Mars. She feels guilty about leaving him alone while he is so sick.
Still, everyone is telling her to go. Including Nathaniel. Will she do it?
The story is told through Dorothy’s point of view and we follow her thoughts and feelings.
Dorothy joined a space program when she was young and she traveled to Mars.
During those days, women were not a major part of the space travelers. So that made her a pioneer.
Now she is in her sixties, and though she would love to return to space, she feels conflicted about it.
Her husband, Nathaniel, is deathly ill and she doesn’t want to leave him behind on Mars. She feels guilty about leaving him alone while he is so sick.
Still, everyone is telling her to go. Including Nathaniel. Will she do it?
The story is told through Dorothy’s point of view and we follow her thoughts and feelings.
June 15, 2020
Oh so bittersweet! A wonderful, wonderful story.
And the 2014 Hugo Award winner for best novelette.
I tend to agree.
And this will be a series now. woo-hoo
The first novel The Calculating Stars will be out in July 2018.
I can't wait!
4.5 stars for this one.
You can read it here.
And the 2014 Hugo Award winner for best novelette.
I tend to agree.
And this will be a series now. woo-hoo
The first novel The Calculating Stars will be out in July 2018.
I can't wait!
4.5 stars for this one.
You can read it here.
June 30, 2020
Spanish | English
3.5
You think they would have sent me to Mars if it weren’t intended to be a colony? I was there to show all the lady housewives that they could go to space too. Posing in my flight suit, with my lips painted red, I had smiled at more cameras than my colleagues.
First thought: That was... depressing.
Elma York es la Dama Astronauta de Marte, una de las pioneras de los viajes espaciales en esta historia alternativa de 1950s que forma parte de la serie conocida también como "punch card" (por las tarjetas perforadas que usaban para programar). Treinta años después de la primera expedición, ella tiene 63 años, vive en Marte con su esposo , un ingeniero programador , y aun sueña con las estrellas y el espacio.
Esta novellete ganadora de un Hugo en 2014 presenta un drama humano que toca a muchos, como lidiar con no la vejez precisamente, sino el paso de los años que es a veces demasiado cruel. Elma a su vez presenta esa dicotomia que asalta a muchas mujeres profesionales entre la vida personal, el hogar y su profesión, y eso además con el estar consciente de haber sido presentada con una imagen designada para los medios de comunicación.
Nathaniel el esposo esta enfermo, y sin embargo existe la posibilidad de que ella pueda seguir pilotando. ¿Cuál será su decisión?
Es triste , melancolico, y a la vez evocativo de otra época. Sobre todo con ese guiño a Oz {y mejor no me hagan empezar a elucubrar cuánto le gustaria a Ambrose -aka Glitch- estar alli en el espacio ;) }
La pueden encontrar aqui:
https://www.tor.com/2013/09/11/the-la...
--------------------------------------
Elma York is the Lady Astronaut of Mars, one of the pioneers of space travel in this alternative history of the 1950s that is part of the series also known as "punch card punk" (for the punched cards they used to program). Thirty years after the first expedition, she is 63 years old, lives on Mars with her husband, a programmer engineer, and still dreams of the stars and space.
This 2014 Hugo-winning novellete features a human drama that touches many, like dealing with not exactly old age, but the passing of the years that is sometimes too cruel. Elma in turn presents that dichotomy that assaults many professional women between personal life, the home and their profession, and that also with being aware of having been presented with an image designated for the media.
Something like that.
Nathaniel the husband is ill, and yet there is a chance that she could continue to pilot. What will be your decision?
It is sad, melancholic, and at the same time evocative of another era. Especially with that wink to Oz {and better not make me start to wonder how much Ambrose -aka Glitch in Tin-Man- would like to be there in space;)}
You can find the story here:
https://www.tor.com/2013/09/11/the-la...
Also did you know that there could have been a woman in space in the 50s?
https://changematrix.org/jerrie-cobb-...
And watch 'Mercury 13' chronicles first US women tested for spaceflight
3.5
You think they would have sent me to Mars if it weren’t intended to be a colony? I was there to show all the lady housewives that they could go to space too. Posing in my flight suit, with my lips painted red, I had smiled at more cameras than my colleagues.
First thought: That was... depressing.
Elma York es la Dama Astronauta de Marte, una de las pioneras de los viajes espaciales en esta historia alternativa de 1950s que forma parte de la serie conocida también como "punch card" (por las tarjetas perforadas que usaban para programar). Treinta años después de la primera expedición, ella tiene 63 años, vive en Marte con su esposo , un ingeniero programador , y aun sueña con las estrellas y el espacio.
Esta novellete ganadora de un Hugo en 2014 presenta un drama humano que toca a muchos, como lidiar con no la vejez precisamente, sino el paso de los años que es a veces demasiado cruel. Elma a su vez presenta esa dicotomia que asalta a muchas mujeres profesionales entre la vida personal, el hogar y su profesión, y eso además con el estar consciente de haber sido presentada con una imagen designada para los medios de comunicación.
Nathaniel el esposo esta enfermo, y sin embargo existe la posibilidad de que ella pueda seguir pilotando. ¿Cuál será su decisión?
Es triste , melancolico, y a la vez evocativo de otra época. Sobre todo con ese guiño a Oz {y mejor no me hagan empezar a elucubrar cuánto le gustaria a Ambrose -aka Glitch- estar alli en el espacio ;) }
La pueden encontrar aqui:
https://www.tor.com/2013/09/11/the-la...
--------------------------------------
Elma York is the Lady Astronaut of Mars, one of the pioneers of space travel in this alternative history of the 1950s that is part of the series also known as "punch card punk" (for the punched cards they used to program). Thirty years after the first expedition, she is 63 years old, lives on Mars with her husband, a programmer engineer, and still dreams of the stars and space.
This 2014 Hugo-winning novellete features a human drama that touches many, like dealing with not exactly old age, but the passing of the years that is sometimes too cruel. Elma in turn presents that dichotomy that assaults many professional women between personal life, the home and their profession, and that also with being aware of having been presented with an image designated for the media.
Something like that.Nathaniel the husband is ill, and yet there is a chance that she could continue to pilot. What will be your decision?
It is sad, melancholic, and at the same time evocative of another era. Especially with that wink to Oz {and better not make me start to wonder how much Ambrose -aka Glitch in Tin-Man- would like to be there in space;)}
You can find the story here:
https://www.tor.com/2013/09/11/the-la...
Also did you know that there could have been a woman in space in the 50s?
https://changematrix.org/jerrie-cobb-...
And watch 'Mercury 13' chronicles first US women tested for spaceflight
December 15, 2016
4 stars
A beautiful novelette about a older woman astronaut who wants to make one last trip into space but wrestles with the strain of leaving her loved ones.
A beautiful novelette about a older woman astronaut who wants to make one last trip into space but wrestles with the strain of leaving her loved ones.
May 7, 2019
Wow. That was absolutely amazing...what an emotional story.
January 4, 2020
3.7.⭐ Rounded up.
Eborrowed this from my library, not knowing it was a novella, and a sweet one.
From what I've subsequently read here, a whole series of books have sprung up from the story, which takes place in a retrograde, alternate reality.
Elma York is a Martian pioneer, who established the first human colony on Mars, safeguarding humanity from a meteor scarred Earth. Now in her sixties, she's offered the chance to help found a new colony. To do so she would have to leave her beloved, dying husband during his final months.
It's a sentimental tale that tugs expertly on the heartstrings. There's a slightly out of focus, unreal feeling about the story, which is added to by a cameo appearance by Dorothy, from "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz", in her grownup form. It also evokes "Hidden Figures," with its 50's and 60's attitudes towards women, its retro-tech and it's laborious calculations but it was written well before both the movie and the book the movie was based on.
This is a quick and pleasant read, that leaves a good aftertaste. I wouldn't have voted for it for the Hugo award, but understand why others did.
Eborrowed this from my library, not knowing it was a novella, and a sweet one.
From what I've subsequently read here, a whole series of books have sprung up from the story, which takes place in a retrograde, alternate reality.
Elma York is a Martian pioneer, who established the first human colony on Mars, safeguarding humanity from a meteor scarred Earth. Now in her sixties, she's offered the chance to help found a new colony. To do so she would have to leave her beloved, dying husband during his final months.
It's a sentimental tale that tugs expertly on the heartstrings. There's a slightly out of focus, unreal feeling about the story, which is added to by a cameo appearance by Dorothy, from "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz", in her grownup form. It also evokes "Hidden Figures," with its 50's and 60's attitudes towards women, its retro-tech and it's laborious calculations but it was written well before both the movie and the book the movie was based on.
This is a quick and pleasant read, that leaves a good aftertaste. I wouldn't have voted for it for the Hugo award, but understand why others did.
August 28, 2014
I wanted so much to like Mary Robinette Kowal. Everybody else does, and I like the idea of her; for instance I love that she went to the Hugo Awards ceremony in a Regency-style dress:
Her work sounds just like the kind of stuff I would like.
But so far, no joy. I was alternately bored and annoyed by the first of her Glamourist Histories, and I didn't care for this bland, sentimental novelette at all. It just won a Hugo, though, so my opinion is not the popular one.
You can read it online at Tor.com.
Her work sounds just like the kind of stuff I would like.
But so far, no joy. I was alternately bored and annoyed by the first of her Glamourist Histories, and I didn't care for this bland, sentimental novelette at all. It just won a Hugo, though, so my opinion is not the popular one.
You can read it online at Tor.com.
April 8, 2018
Available to read for free at: https://www.tor.com/2014/04/19/the-la...
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