M
Mary Robinette Kowal
Lady Astronaut
After a meteorite strike in 1952 devastates the Eastern Seaboard, this series imagines an alternate history where the space race accelerates. Elma York, a former WWII pilot and mathematician, joins the International Aerospace Coalition to colonize space. This is a story of human ingenuity and resilience in the face of global catastrophe.
The series is best read in publication order, starting with "The Calculating Stars," as the narrative follows a continuous timeline and character development across the books.
There is a prequel novella, "The Phobos Incident," which provides additional background to the events leading up to the main series.