If you loved
The Calculating Stars
Mary Robinette Kowal · Book · 2018
What hooked you in The Calculating Stars was the way the immense pressure of space exploration forces humanity to overcome prejudice.
Films on the same thread
Hidden Figures
Film · 2016
Explores: Racial segregation, Women in STEM, Gender equality.
If you appreciated the fight for inclusion in The Calculating Stars, you will admire this true story of the women who shattered barriers to fuel the American space program.
The Martian
Ridley Scott · Film · 2015
Shares a thread with The Calculating Stars: Space Exploration.
The Calculating Stars highlights the necessity of scientific ingenuity during a crisis, a theme mirrored in this gripping survival tale of a lone astronaut solving impossible problems on Mars.
2001: A Space Odyssey
Stanley Kubrick · Film · 1968
Explores: Existentialism, Human Evolution, Artificial Intelligence.
This film provides the classic cinematic foundation for the space exploration themes found in The Calculating Stars, grounding its grand scope in the persistent human drive to reach further.
First Man
Film · 2018
Shares 3 threads with The Calculating Stars: Space Race, Scientific Discovery, Space Exploration.
Much like the personal sacrifices depicted in The Calculating Stars, this film examines the heavy toll and intense ambition required to secure humanity's first steps on the Moon.
Series on the same thread
For All Mankind
Ronald D. Moore · Series · 2019
Shares 2 threads with The Calculating Stars: Space Exploration, Space Race.
This series shares the alternate history premise of The Calculating Stars, exploring how a more aggressive space race would have fundamentally reshaped global politics and domestic life for generations.
The Expanse
Mark Fergus · Series · 2015
Explores: Interplanetary Conflict, Corporate Conspiracy, Social Stratification.
If the complex social stratification in The Calculating Stars intrigued you, this series offers a deeper, darker look at the political tensions inherent in expanding humanity across the solar system.
Lost in Space
Irwin Allen · Series · 2018
Explores: Family Survival, Interplanetary Colonization, Human vs. Environment.
Much like the desperate mission to survive climate change in The Calculating Stars, this show focuses on a family forced to adapt to a hostile environment in deep space.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Habitat
Gimlet · Podcast · 2020
This podcast captures the same psychological realism found in The Calculating Stars, detailing how humans maintain their humanity while living in the confined, stressful conditions of a space habitat.
Ologies with Alie Ward
Alie Ward · Podcast · 2026
Explores: intellectual curiosity, scientific wonder, human obsession.
The Calculating Stars celebrates the joy of scientific discovery, a passion this podcast shares by exploring the curiosities of our world through deep dives into specialized fields of study.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Calculating Stars part of a series?
Yes, The Calculating Stars is the first novel in a series. The work was recognized as a finalist for the 2021 Hugo Award for Best Series, confirming its status as the beginning of a larger narrative arc within the Lady Astronaut universe.
What awards did The Calculating Stars win?
The Calculating Stars received significant critical acclaim, winning the 2018 Nebula Award for Best Novel, the 2019 Locus Award for Best Novel, and the 2019 Hugo Award for Best Novel. It also served as a finalist for the 2019 Campbell Memorial Award.
How does The Calculating Stars relate to the Lady Astronaut of Mars?
The Calculating Stars explores the backstory and premise behind the award-winning short story Lady Astronaut of Mars. Mary Robinette Kowal uses this debut novel to expand upon the foundational concepts established in her earlier work regarding the space program.
When was The Calculating Stars published?
The Calculating Stars was published in 2018. Following its release, the novel gained widespread recognition, winning the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel in 2019 and establishing the author as a prominent voice in science fiction.