"The Relentless Moon" by Mary Robinette Kowal (Lady Astronaut Universe Book 3)

Like books one and two, which I reviewed here, Kowal has very well written characters, with good narrative structure and pace. So "The Relentless Moon" is an easy reading page turner. Even though it's not my typical cup of tea: it is rigorously well researched hard sci-fi, but relatively low concept, big picture wise. 

Set in an alternative 1960s where severe climates change, caused by a large asteroid a decade hence, is spurring a much more ambitious manned (and womanned!) space exploration and colonisation program. To escape the inevitable runaway greenhouse effect.

[Goodreads]

We ride inside the mind of Nicole Wargin, while our previous protagonist, Elmer York, is on her way to Mars; this is a spin-off plot, running in parallel to the second half of book 2. We met Wargin before: one of the first batch of (lady) astronauts. The wife of a senator, who is now angling to run for president of the US.

There's a slightly lighter reprise of dealing with sexist (and racist) discrimination. While, in place of York's anxiety, Wargin's personal psychological struggle is with anorexia nervosa. Which is unique and very cool, to see an extremely smart and powerful woman, in her 50s too, battling a mundane issue which affects many women. Along with "Earth First" dastardly plots. This book is more of a mystery thriller. Spy vs spy, almost. With the camaraderie of some close friends, too, becoming a bit of a Scooby gang.

It was nice to explore life, and different challenges, in the lunar colony. There's much attention to detail, in the mechanics of how all the systems work, as well as subtleties of human behaviour. However, as I said in my last review, it very cleanly glosses over the impossibility of the huge lunar base structures. There's not really any info on how those were launched there, or how they are planning to expand them.  There's no encounters with regolith moving equipment or even how they are refuelling their "busy bees" for commuting half way around the moon. We don't go inside any of the other bases, or deal with why they are so far apart. They're struggling just to exist and get people up and down from the moon.

There is very good suspension of disbelief, despite the contextual impossibilities, if you can set them aside. But, throughout reading this book, I was wondering if it was going to take a major U-turn; would the protagonist start to come around to the view of the Earth Firsters? Mass extra-terrestrial colonisation being proved infeasible.

I mean, there's no way they launch millions of people to live sustainably off-Earth. Let alone billions. Before semiconductors are even in everyday use! But we never err from the axiomatic assertion that Earth is definitely doomed, though conveniently liveable for a couple more decades. So I guess they've got to try anyway...

At least it does touch on major political discontent: the younger generations, in particular, who expect to have literally no future to look forwards to. Which, like the theme of climate change, mirrors our contemporary outlook: millennials saddled with debt and zoomers not even getting a look-in. But its treatment feels naïve, in that Senator Wargin succeeds by simply listening to complaints and taking notes. 

Then again, with the epilogue, I felt that turn of events was a nicely hopeful touch to end with (you'll know what I mean if you've read it). But it rang false, verses the tumultuous (post-truth) times we've been going through in the reality of the last 6 years or so (in US and UK).

Another majorly timely parallel was the part played in this book by polio. But this topic was apparently purely coincidence; according to Kowal's author notes, she finished writing this book before the pandemic hit. As with our Covid situation, a lack of (some) vaccinations prove pivotal. 

The books describe the often lifelong paralysis kicking in days *after* typical acute infection, which is most commonly asymptomatic or mild. I'd hope this should come as a splash of cold water, for readers in Western countries, where we are now pushing through with essentially allowing everyone to become infected with Covid and it's uncertain long term health burdens...

Poliomyelitis, apparently, only moves from gut to nervous system in about 0.5% of cases [Wikipedia]. So maybe Kowal overdoes it it in the book, with the number of characters hospitalised with paralysis, unable to walk, etc. Certainly fluky with which characters are hit, specifically. Then there's post-polio syndrome [Wikipedia], which can apparently kick in 15-30 years after recovering from an initial paralytic attack, or even in those who only had mild initial infections.

Much like Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS), which occurs following around 10% of infections from various viruses, including EBV (glandular fever). "Long Covid" occurs following 10% of all infections, including mild ones. With at least half of those looking exactly like ME/CFS; new, often crippling neurological conditions kicking in as lungs, etc, recover from acute symptoms. Then, given SARS-COV-2 also enters the brain, etc, there seems likely to be new long term problems we don't know about yet...

Anyway, a very minor criticism of the book: As a dyslexic, I wish she'd spelled out the coded message in one of the letters, rather than purely leaving it to the reader to tease out of the prose; a tricky cognitive chore for me. Though maybe fun for most, being given the respect to work out what was said.

So overall, a solid book. I'm not disappointed I read it. Perhaps this series would make a good bridge for readers curious to cross over, either way, between regular fiction and sci-fi. Although, personally, I'm not very motivated to pick up (soon to be released?) book 4, set on Mars. I think it takes place before the epilogue of this book, if I understand correctly. Which would mean the reader knowing certain outcomes were off the table.

I can't help feeling that it'd be more worth my time to go back to higher concept novels, like Greg Egan's. Although I have the much vaunted Ursula K. Le Guin up next. Of whom I've read no works.

Psychology addendum:

The original lady astronaut, Elmer York was quite clearly non-neurotypical. An autistic spectrum maths savant with debilitating social anxieties, ticks and self soothing techniques, etc. Wargin explicitly states she's the complete opposite - quite clearly an adept socialite. But she also details herself consciously constructing her personality. AKA masking. So I'm not sure if there's an argument to be made for her being ASD, too? 

Or perhaps, is she half way to sociopathy? “ASPD”, formally. With barely suppressed Machiavellian ambitions. She does mention her (Swiss) finishing school, where proper female composure was drilled into her. So maybe she had the kind of private boarding school education, with adverse social conditions, which has shaped so many Tory (right wing UK) politicians, and other boys club elites, into narcissists and sociopaths. (Our current PM, Boris Johnson, being a prime example.)

There’s far fewer women diagnosed with ASPD. Though perhaps the contrast is more a reflection of societal expectations shaping girls away from violence, rather than neurological differences. With ASD, we know that’s massively under-diagnosed in females, because it looks superficially different. Two completely different diagnosis, btw, for all the shared letters. Which is why I wonder what, exactly, Kowal’s portrayal of Nicole Wargin is aiming for? And if it’s insightful.

Either way, Wargin’s husband says of her, endearingly, that she only truly likes a dozen people in the world. Likening her to a cat (our fluffy little psychopath babies). But she’s a devoted monogamist, compassionate about issues that don’t affect her or family directly (e.g. racism and the continued existence of all humanity). She seems genuinely empathetic, often selfless and feels guilt, etc. 

So, I don’t know. I’m probably reading too much into it, based on topics of (fairly recent) interest to me. I wonder if the author has spoken explicitly about any of this...?

The main supporting male characters, Kenneth Wargin and Eugene Lindholm, are interesting in that, like Nathaniel York, they are bastions of virtuous men. All of them revere their wives and would never harm them physically, or psychologically, if they can avoid it. Good role models for male readers and perhaps setting the bar for what all women should aspire to?