The Martian Contingency

Paperback, 400 pages

English language

Published March 18, 2025 by Tor Books.

ISBN:: 978-1-250-23705-7
OCLC Number:: 1429658511
ISFDB ID:: 3406759
Goodreads:: 211004140

(2 reviews)

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 …

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…

3 editions

heavyboots reviewed The Martian Contingency by Mary Robinette Kowal (Lady Astronaut, #4)

One of the better ones

4 stars

We find our heroine just landed on Mars with the 2nd mission, and naturally, nothing goes quite according to plan, both due to machinations from Earth and also from within the mission crew…

This (for me) was one of the better of the series. Kowal always packs a ton of social/political awareness stuff into her books and sometimes it can be frustrating because it really doesn't actually fit very well. In this case, it did fit well and didn't overwhelm the plot or characters as I've seen it do in past Lady Astronaut novels, so that was a huge plus.

In the end, this was a very enjoyable read overall and recommended.

SocProf reviewed The Martian Contingency by Mary Robinette Kowal (Lady Astronaut, #4)

Not the best entry in the series

4 stars

MRK needs a good editor. Not every hesitation or uncertainty requires a character to bite, chew, gnaw on that lip or cheek or some other part of their mouth. The story is a bit weaker than the other entries in this series because there isn't any tension. It's still a nice easy read.