The Martian Contingency cover art

The Martian Contingency

Lady Astronaut, Book 4

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About this listen

Mary Robinette Kowal returns to Mars in this latest entry to the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Lady Astronaut series.

Years after a meteorite strike obliterated Washington, DC—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 ...

  • Lady Astronaut
  • The Calculating Stars
  • The Fated Sky
  • The Relentless Moon
  • The Martian Contingency
©2025 Mary Robinette Kowal (P)2024 Audible, Inc. Hard Science Fiction Science Fiction Space Exploration Solar System Mars
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Honestly it moves at quite a slow pace, and probably just because I'm in love with the concept and the world built in this series, I would have loved for it to explore the actual settlement and exploration of mars in more detail. But it was good to come back to these characters, and it still left me with the same feel good moments as the rest of the series.

Slow burner plot wise, but all the heart of the rest of the series.

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Really enjoyed this and can’t wait for the next one! Love all the character stories

Another great book in series

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