Mary Robinette Kowal Book order (chronological)

Years after a meteorite strike obliterated Washington, D.C. -- triggering an extinction-level global warming event -- Earth's survivors have started an international effort to establish homes on space stations and the Moon. The next step - Mars. Elma York, the Lady Astronaut, lands on the Red Planet, optimistic about preparing for the first true wave of inhabitants. The mission objective is more than just building the infrastructure of a habitat - they are trying to preserve the many cultures and nuances of life on Earth without importing the hate. But from the moment she arrives, something is off. Disturbing signs hint at a hidden disaster during the First Mars Expedition that never made it into the official transcript. As Elma and her crew try to investigate, they face a wall of silence and obfuscation. Their attempts to build a thriving Martian community grind to a halt. What you don't know CAN harm you. And if the truth doesn't come to light, the ripple effects could leave humanity stranded on a dying Earth...

In Belle Epoque Paris, a monster is on the loose, targeting powerful men, and it may take a woman to stop it. Samantha Harker, a researcher at the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena, is more accustomed to dealing with papercuts than knife fights. However, she possesses a unique ability to delve into the minds of monsters, a skill that could either solve the case or land her in an asylum. Dr. Helena Moriarty, the Society’s top agent, has built a successful career despite the dark legacy of her infamous father. With a history of partners meeting mysterious ends, the elusive Professor Moriarty looms in the background. Their investigation leads them from the opulence of Paris' opera house to its shadowy catacombs, confronting magic, monsters, and men. As their partnership develops, deeper feelings emerge. This narrative weaves together the worlds of Dracula and Sherlock Holmes, offering a thrilling exploration of feminine power. Readers have praised it as a captivating blend of murder mystery, gothic horror, fantasy, and historical fiction, highlighting its strong female characters and dark atmosphere.

Exploring the profound implications of first contact, this book delves into how encounters with extraterrestrial beings or newfound sentience on Earth could reshape our perspectives on technology, philosophy, and humanity. It examines the potential cognitive dissonance society might face and challenges readers to consider the broader definitions of consciousness and existence. Through thought-provoking scenarios, it invites reflection on our place in the universe and the nature of sentience itself.

The Spare Man is a stylish murder mystery by Hugo, Locus, and Nebula award- winning author Mary Robinette Kowal set on an interplanetary liner between Earth and Mars.

Mary Robinette Kowal continues her Hugo and Nebula award-winning Lady Astronaut series, following The Calculating Stars and The Fated Sky, with The Relentless Moon. The Earth is coming to the boiling point as the climate disaster of the Meteor strike becomes more and more clear, but the political situation is already overheated. Riots and sabotage plague the space program. The IAC’s goal of getting as many people as possible off Earth before it becomes uninhabitable is being threatened. Elma York is on her way to Mars, but the Moon colony is still being established. Her friend and fellow Lady Astronaut Nicole Wargin is thrilled to be one of those pioneer settlers, using her considerable flight and political skills to keep the program on track. But she is less happy that her husband, the Governor of Kansas, is considering a run for President.

The first mission to Mars is go for launch, against a backdrop of gender politics, civil rights and featuring the Lady Astronaut.

The Right Stuff meets Hidden Figures by way of The Martian. A world in crisis, the birth of space flight and a heroine for her time and ours; the acclaimed first novel in the Lady Astronaut series has something for everyone., On a cold spring night in 1952, a huge meteorite fell to earth and obliterated much of the east coast of the United States, including Washington D.C. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render the earth inhospitable for humanity, as the last such meteorite did for the dinosaurs. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated effort to colonize space, and requires a much larger share of humanity to take part in the process. Elma York's experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition's attempts to put man on the moon, as a calculator. But with so many skilled and experienced women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn't take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can't go into space, too. Elma's drive to become the first Lady Astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions of society may not stand a chance against her.

Pride and Prejudice meets Macbeth by way of Moby Dick and a dollop of the speculative, in this hugely entertaining anthology where authors such as John Scalzi get inspiration for short stories from the first lines of famous works of literature. Edited by hugely respected anthologist Gardner Dozois, the collection includes stories by John Scalzi, Tad Williams, Elizabeth Bear and many others.

The charming sequel to Shades of Milk and Honey. Glamour in Glass continues following the lives of beloved main characters Jane and Vincent, in a story rich with drama and intrigue and magic.

Shades of Milk and Honey is an intimate portrait of Jane Ellsworth, a woman ahead of her time in a version of Regency England where the manipulation of glamour is considered an essential skill for a lady of quality. But despite the prevalence of magic in everyday life, other aspects of Dorchester’s society are not that different: Jane and her sister Melody’s lives still revolve around vying for the attentions of eligible men.Jane resists this fate, and rightly so: while her skill with glamour is remarkable, it is her sister who is fair of face, and therefore wins the lion’s share of the attention. At the ripe old age of twenty-eight, Jane has resigned herself to being invisible forever. But when her family’s honor is threatened, she finds that she must push her skills to the limit in order to set things right–and, in the process, accidentally wanders into a love story of her own.