Andy Weir is called out

I bought Andrew "Andy" Weir's Project Hail Mary today and in advance of a review, I'll discuss how #woke it isn't.

Mary Robinette Kowal came to The Bezos Blog May 2021 to float problems - which, she insinuates, be Problematics. To whit: the main character instantly genders the alien as a male, even though it's herm. And there's not enough rainbow in space. Thus, Kowal.

I noted independently of Kowal - because she doesn't even notice - that the main character doesn't ever call the star 40 [ο²] Eridani "Qayḍ", that bogus Arabic name which the IAU has foisted upon it. As "ο²" implies, the dot we 40°N'ers see over the long winter nights is an asterism of not one, not even three but four stars; the Arabs, with their lens-less observatories, called the whole mess "Bayḍ" like Bayer called it "Omicron Eridani". Well now Bayḍ is the big star behind the three small stars.

Kowal, I believe, has noted that Weir might be a fat target. He's not a Protected Group. Kowal by contrast has access to Washington Post. Also Weir didn't take a lot of chances with this book, which is not a very good book (as I'll note tomorrow); but it sold units.

ISLAMOPHOBIA 10/12 Why didn't Kowal think of mentioning Qayḍ?