Author Mary Robinette Kowal sat down with Mariko Hewer at the Gaithersburg Book Festival on Saturday, May 17, to discuss her latest novel, “The Martian Contingency: A Lady Astronaut.”
Kowal is the award-winning author of “The Calculating Stars,” which won the Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards. Her Lady Astronaut series continues in 2025 with “The Martian Contingency.” She also wrote “The Spare Man,” “Ghost Talkers,” and the Glamourist Histories series.
In addition to writing, Kowal works as a professional puppeteer and voice actor, and co-hosts the Hugo Award–winning podcast Writing Excuses. She lives in Denver with her husband, their dog Guppy, and their “talking” cat Elsie.
Watch their full conversation to hear how Kowal blends science fiction with strong characters, world-building and suspense.
