The Martian Contingency: Lady Astronaut #4    by Mary Robinette Kowal Order:  USA  Can Tor, 2025 (2025) Hardcover, Softcover, e-Book     Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Mary Robinette Kowal's The Martian Contingency is the fourth in her feminist Lady Astronaut series, following The Relentless Moon. Reading episodes in order is advised in order to understand relationships and prior events. The series started with a meteorite strike that destroyed most of east coast U.S.A. in 1952 and initiated catastrophic climate change, that would eventually make Earth uninhabitable for humanity. Massive resources were spent on an accelerated space colonization program. The moon colony was sustained in the previous episode and now Lady Astronaut Elma York lands on Mars. The objective is to establish infrastructure for a habitat to support initial colonists, with an emphasis on a multicultural community. Elma keeps noticing signs of something kept secret that happened in the First Mars Expedition - what was it? The Mars teams' efforts are hindered by accidents and, as usual, by Earth politics. When disaster strikes, it ties back to what happened and was kept secret, angering Elma and seriously injuring three of the astronaus working on the habitat. Will they be able to muster what's needed to keep momentum on building a place for humanity on Mars? This series is especially interesting since settlement of both the Moon and Mars seems to be ahead of us, or of generations that come soon after us - and catastrophic climate change is also in the air. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more SF books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews