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onsee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
sheri_g's review against another edition
4.0
This one is more about space exploration and its function. Really enjoyed it and the bonus questions at the end with her astrobiologist consultant (her mother).
fedak's review against another edition
4.0
A science fiction novella that simply follows one of the first small manned missions to explore the exoplanets in a neighboring solar system.
No guns or space battles, no real conflict. Just a tale of frontier exploration and a very rare take that focuses on space travel as a scientific/research endeavor rather than one of colonialization/resource mining
(The title is a line from the recorded message included with the Voyager 1 probe: "I send greetings on behalf of the people of our planet. We step out of our solar system into the universe seeking only peace and friendship, to teach if we are called upon, to be taught if we are fortunate")
No guns or space battles, no real conflict. Just a tale of frontier exploration and a very rare take that focuses on space travel as a scientific/research endeavor rather than one of colonialization/resource mining
(The title is a line from the recorded message included with the Voyager 1 probe: "I send greetings on behalf of the people of our planet. We step out of our solar system into the universe seeking only peace and friendship, to teach if we are called upon, to be taught if we are fortunate")
x_naerwen_x's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
aesselya's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
penofpossibilities's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
I enjoyed this alot and read it almost in one sitting, to me the pacing was really pleasant and I didn't feel infodumped upon despite the amount of new terms and concepts to learn. The only reason I am disappointed in the ending is that if you present a mystery to me, I am going to want it answered. Rarely does an open ending work satisfactory to me. I figured, after reading a psalm for the wild built, that Becky Chambers is more about creating a world and some characters in order to explore philosophical questions, and isn't particularly interested in developing a clear cut answer for you. That's nice and interesting, but I still wanted to know so many specifics what happened to earth, what happened to the lawki 5,...
I don't want to criticise the book for this though - it's definately more a style/genre preference on my end than a fault of the book or the writing. I like Becky Chambers' writing a lot and will probably read her other works as well.
I don't want to criticise the book for this though - it's definately more a style/genre preference on my end than a fault of the book or the writing. I like Becky Chambers' writing a lot and will probably read her other works as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Cursing
Moderate: Suicide attempt
Minor: Sexual content, War, Violence, and Grief
natural disasters (minor)jhanway's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
klp_reads's review against another edition
5.0
I listened to this on audio, and I highly recommend reading it that way. The narrator is fantastic!
To Be Taught, If Fortunate is a sciency look at what it means to be human against the unknown and potential of space.
This little novella packs a punch and will be something I think about for a long time.
To Be Taught, If Fortunate is a sciency look at what it means to be human against the unknown and potential of space.
This little novella packs a punch and will be something I think about for a long time.