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A review by dytiscusfriend
To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I'll start with the recs because the rest of what I've written is making me cry. If you love Interstellar or The Martian or have an interest in the future of space travel, I urge you to check out this quick read.
I cannot sing the praises of Becky Chambers highly enough. Her books, short stories, and this novella in particular have had profound resounding impacts in my life. So to simplify, I'll tell a story.
[cw for illness and death mention]
As long as I can remember, my dad's greatest joy and ambition has been space travel. I shared his enthusiasm for some time as a child, ranging from attending a space camp day at our local library with him where we set off bottle rockets to applying for colleges with aerospace engineering programs. But my interest waned as I started to pay closer attention to the enormous challenges facing people still on this planet. My dad, though deeply invested in the well-being of his fellow humans, continues to have one eye to the stars. I had forgotten we connected over this until I picked up this book a few years ago simply because it was short and the author's name was familiar from a friend's recommendation for the Wayfarer series (Thank you endlessly for this and all other book recommendations, Kaysy.) I devoured it. Immediately upon finishing it, I contacted all my friends who I knew loved science fiction, space travel, or even just reading. This novella filled me with joy, terror, tension, and wonder in that special way that only books can. I was utterly transported to the stimulating (if sometimes horrifying) locales our protagonist visits. I fell deeply in love with the richness of the writing of the characters and the characters themselves. I imagined, for the first time since beginning my medical gender transition, the possibility of experiencing space first-hand (due to a truly magnificent example of trans representation.) I bought my dad a copy the first chance I had and wrapped it up for a yule gift. But then I couldn't wait and he was going out of town for an extended period so I pushed him to open it early. Ever since, we rarely go a single visit or call without mention of this little book. My heart is full of love not only for this raw and riveting story but also the connection borne from it with my ailing dad. We may never see this pale blue dot from a lunar vantage point together or share a nervous glance as we feel the g's start to hit us-- rocketing toward the stars side by side, but we will always have this book. And when I imagine the world without my sweet, wise, brilliant, goofy father it feels less empty to know that I can return to that world Becky Chambers has allowed us to travel in together.
I cannot sing the praises of Becky Chambers highly enough. Her books, short stories, and this novella in particular have had profound resounding impacts in my life. So to simplify, I'll tell a story.
[cw for illness and death mention]
As long as I can remember, my dad's greatest joy and ambition has been space travel. I shared his enthusiasm for some time as a child, ranging from attending a space camp day at our local library with him where we set off bottle rockets to applying for colleges with aerospace engineering programs. But my interest waned as I started to pay closer attention to the enormous challenges facing people still on this planet. My dad, though deeply invested in the well-being of his fellow humans, continues to have one eye to the stars. I had forgotten we connected over this until I picked up this book a few years ago simply because it was short and the author's name was familiar from a friend's recommendation for the Wayfarer series (Thank you endlessly for this and all other book recommendations, Kaysy.) I devoured it. Immediately upon finishing it, I contacted all my friends who I knew loved science fiction, space travel, or even just reading. This novella filled me with joy, terror, tension, and wonder in that special way that only books can. I was utterly transported to the stimulating (if sometimes horrifying) locales our protagonist visits. I fell deeply in love with the richness of the writing of the characters and the characters themselves. I imagined, for the first time since beginning my medical gender transition, the possibility of experiencing space first-hand (due to a truly magnificent example of trans representation.) I bought my dad a copy the first chance I had and wrapped it up for a yule gift. But then I couldn't wait and he was going out of town for an extended period so I pushed him to open it early. Ever since, we rarely go a single visit or call without mention of this little book. My heart is full of love not only for this raw and riveting story but also the connection borne from it with my ailing dad. We may never see this pale blue dot from a lunar vantage point together or share a nervous glance as we feel the g's start to hit us-- rocketing toward the stars side by side, but we will always have this book. And when I imagine the world without my sweet, wise, brilliant, goofy father it feels less empty to know that I can return to that world Becky Chambers has allowed us to travel in together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement