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A review by richardbakare
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
4.0
Samantha Harvey’s “Orbital” offers a compelling perspective on existence packed into a swift read. What’s more is that there is no underlying catalyst or event that moves the story other than the question of what it all means to even exist. In that sense, the book is a stealth series of essays in the guise of a novel.
Harvey uses the 3rd person omniscient to examine the big question from every angle. This approach is perhaps the only way to analyze how an analysis like this could play out. No one perspective is valued better than another. All claims are equal and suspect at the same time. It is a study of a group of six that says something profound about the fragile unity of the larger human collective.
The broader unifying theme is of looking at Earth as the home we all share but only truly grasped from the unique perspective of space. There is a line in the book that grips you and perfectly encapsulates this theme; “Without that planet, there is no life.” Harvey also develops an invisible tether of love between humans as a plot device that demonstrates how our personal connections create orbits between people.
Overall, the book offers intriguing insights into what the extraterrestrial experience is like for astronauts. Moreover, Harvey has crafted a love letter to Earth, our solar system, the International Space Station, and astronauts. That love is represented by some of the most beautiful lines I’ve ever read.
Harvey uses the 3rd person omniscient to examine the big question from every angle. This approach is perhaps the only way to analyze how an analysis like this could play out. No one perspective is valued better than another. All claims are equal and suspect at the same time. It is a study of a group of six that says something profound about the fragile unity of the larger human collective.
The broader unifying theme is of looking at Earth as the home we all share but only truly grasped from the unique perspective of space. There is a line in the book that grips you and perfectly encapsulates this theme; “Without that planet, there is no life.” Harvey also develops an invisible tether of love between humans as a plot device that demonstrates how our personal connections create orbits between people.
Overall, the book offers intriguing insights into what the extraterrestrial experience is like for astronauts. Moreover, Harvey has crafted a love letter to Earth, our solar system, the International Space Station, and astronauts. That love is represented by some of the most beautiful lines I’ve ever read.