Record of a Spaceborn Few
Wayfarers 3
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4.3 • 100 Ratings
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
'The best speculative fiction currently being written' John Connolly.
*THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND HUGO AWARD WINNER FOR BEST SERIES*
From the ground, we stand. From our ship, we live. By the stars, we hope.
The incredible new novel by Becky Chambers, author of the beloved The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.
#SpacebornFew
Centuries after the last humans left Earth, the Exodus Fleet is a living relic, a place many are from but few outsiders have seen. Humanity has finally been accepted into the galactic community, but while this has opened doors for many, those who have not yet left for alien cities fear that their carefully cultivated way of life is under threat.
Tessa chose to stay home when her brother Ashby left for the stars, but has to question that decision when her position in the Fleet is threatened.
Kip, a reluctant young apprentice, itches for change but doesn't know where to find it.
Sawyer, a lost and lonely newcomer, is just looking for a place to belong.
And when a disaster rocks this already fragile community, those Exodans who still call the Fleet their home can no longer avoid the inescapable question:
What is the purpose of a ship that has reached its destination?
PRAISE
'Richly human, believable [and] compelling . . . underlain with a deep compassion and a feeling for community' Tor.com.
'Terrific. . . a masterly exploration of characterisation and diversity wrapped in intensity, heartbreak and tension.' Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat.
'An emotional, moving look at what it means to be human, and the importance of heritage and legacy' Lauren James, author of The Loneliest Girl in the Universe.
'Exactly what I hoped it would be and more . . . Moving in what feels like small personal ways but is actually big, universal ways and it is uplifting on the same scale' Forbidden Planet.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Becky Chambers' science-fiction universe is less about flash-bang space battles and more about bringing a new level of inclusivity to the genre. The third instalment of her Wayfarers series weaves six individual stories into a humorous, deeply moving tale about love, tradition and belonging. By delving into up-to-the-minute topics like immigration, gender and race, Record of a Spaceborn Few shows just how crucial equality and coexistence is … in every time and dimension. Keep the tissues handy; Chambers' rich, fascinating characters touched us in ways we didn’t expect.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The delightful third book set in Chambers's Galactic Commons universe (after A Close and Common Orbit) takes place in and around the Exodan Fleet, the set of generation ships in which humankind left an ecologically destroyed Earth. Following humans' entry into the Galactic Commons, the Exodan ships were granted a star to orbit and given a lot of new alien technology. The effects of these things on the Exodan culture, which prioritizes resource conservation and does not use money, are far-reaching. A mother tries to deal with her daughter's new fears after a horrific disaster; a young man from a planetary colony tries to emigrate to the Fleet; an alien ethnologist comes to study the Exodan ways of life. The multiple narrators and seemingly unrelated plot lines converge thematically into an intensely powerful and multifaceted meditation on time, history, change, and memory, leavened with a welcome touch of humor. The characters are distinct and lovable, each shedding light on a different facet of the Fleet. Chambers uses the interconnections inevitable in such a small society to provide moments of both horrific pain and soaring grace, and to make it clear that those things are inextricably intermingled. This is a superb work from one of the genre's rising stars.
Customer Reviews
Good, but still missing something
In Becky’s previous two books I feel as if she set the standards really high, and although this book was a fantastic read exploring some interesting ideas, it didn’t have the same grip as the last two books in the series.
Thank you for creating this universe Becky, I admire what you have done, and want to personally thank you for the hours of entertainment that you have presented in your work thus far.
The heart of sci fi
Good literature examines the human condition and the best sci fi certainly does this. This is a heartwarming and engaging look at human life and love in the wider sense on well used star ships. With occasional aliens. What could be better?
What’s the point?
I liked the first book in this series. The second was interesting if limited. But I’ve only managed to get a quarter of the way through this one as I just can’t see the point. There is no story. It is just a set of small, disjointed outtakes from some characters lives. We don’t know the characters, and the outtakes aren’t interesting - woman does her job, man loses job, man eats sandwich he doesn’t like, etc. Very disappointing.