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A review by selfmythologies
Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
What's the purpose of a ship that has reached its destination?
That's the question in the blurb, and it really is the perfect summary of what this book is about. It centers around the lives of people on the Exodus fleet, the spaceships that carried humans away from a destroyed Earth into the galaxy.... but now they've been accepted into the larger galactic community, most humans have moved on, settled on other planets, mingled in with the rest - as they planned to do all along. But what's the purpose then for those staying behind?
That's what all the characters here grapple with in one way or another, and it's kind of truly fascinating as a topic, but one that fits well to Becky Chambers as a writer like no one else - after all she is known for her character-centered approach to science fiction that pokes at the big questions. Now this book as a result is even less plot-centered than the two before it - there is really not much happening at all until about 3/4 in. But in this case more than in the previous books, that approach to storytelling makes SO much sense for the topic of the book, to the point where I felt like the whole thing came together so perfectly - content and form and style.
Because, instead of things happening, things changing and characters having to react to that change - which is ultimately what most stories are about at a very basic level, I guess - this book is about having to deal with a world that does not change, where everything happens according to an established cycle of routines - from managing resources to the structure of a day to the cycle of life and death itself (beautifully written about in Eyas' chapters). And the question is not 'how do we deal with all of this?' but 'we're dealing just fine, our way of life has kept us going - but what's the point of all of it?'
I also just love the idea of the Exodus fleet as basically this ecosocialist commune. I just want to live there honestly. Everyone lives in a little community that is a part of wider communities, all work is valued and respected (especially the ugly work no one wants to do), and all resources are carefully managed so nothing goes to waste and everything is re-used or re-purposed in some way - even human bodies after death. and it influences their whole philosophy, placing a strong emphasis on their ancestors' legacy and memory. Because everything they live by, literally, is formed by the past.
As I said in the updates though, none of this is idealized either - because the community is so insulated and closed-off, there is a certain scepticism towards foreigners that can tip into prejudice, and because of the strong focus on preserving the past, there are tensions around developments such as new technologies replacing old ways of life. But I loved how nuanced this whole idea of keeping the past alive was approached - after all it's at its core a very conservative notion, and yet it doesn't have to be close-minded or constraining, and can actually be very progressive. idk, there are so many layers to this and this book just felt so.....human (heh), so warm and thoughtful.
Now there are some characters and perspectives I liked more than others - I liked the alien ethnographer in Isabel's chapters a lot (the 'alien species commenting from the outside about humans' thing NEVER gets tiring to me), I loved everything about Eyas and her profession. I thought Kip's story was a pretty standard teenage coming-of-age story that fit really well into the story but personally I connected to a bit less. And I guess a similar thing can be said for Tessa's perspective as a mother. I liked it, it just didn't feel as relevant to me personally. But of course, as usual, the variety of different (forms of) relationships depicted is beautiful and validating, and I loved reading about all the different constellations and how they worked.
Then of course there is the one event that happens in the middle of the book......man, I'm not okay. It makes so much sense, in retrospect, and it really drives home the themes of this book in the most bittersweet way but I was so not prepared and was actually really shaken by this character death...... maybe because Sawyer's story was the one I think I saw myself personally in the most? The way he was always anticipating and hoping for this feeling of community and belonging and kept being let down by the world around him which was never terrible to him and treated him just fine but also never really was what he expected or dreamed of...... and then he always tried to tell himself that it's okay but kept being quietly disappointed.... ouch. Ouch ouch ouch. Yeah, that got a little too real. And he was such a good soul. I felt so close to him and so sorry for him.
But I loved how the aftermath of it unfolded with everyone coming together in some way. It nearly made me cry.
So what's the answer, at the end, what's the purpose? I don't know but to me, just reading about this world made me realize once again how beautiful and absolutely awe-inspiring it can be to literally just be alive, to be in the world. To walk around in a garden. To share a meal with someone. To do work that gives you a sense of purpose and meaning. I imagined sitting in that theatre room where videos of the Earth were projected all around the viewers, and that realization of 'hey, this is where we're from. and in that vast expanse of space, we're here together now in this moment'. Maybe that's what it's all about.
I didn't necessarily like this more (or less) than the first two books, just differently. This book strikes the perfect balance between comfort and melancholy (with emphasis on the comfort), and ..........obviously, I love it. I mean. No surprise. I think I'll even get that main Exodus phrase printed to put on my walls. (From the ground we stand, by our ships we live, by the stars we hope. That's just so beautiful.)
(review from 2021)
That's the question in the blurb, and it really is the perfect summary of what this book is about. It centers around the lives of people on the Exodus fleet, the spaceships that carried humans away from a destroyed Earth into the galaxy.... but now they've been accepted into the larger galactic community, most humans have moved on, settled on other planets, mingled in with the rest - as they planned to do all along. But what's the purpose then for those staying behind?
That's what all the characters here grapple with in one way or another, and it's kind of truly fascinating as a topic, but one that fits well to Becky Chambers as a writer like no one else - after all she is known for her character-centered approach to science fiction that pokes at the big questions. Now this book as a result is even less plot-centered than the two before it - there is really not much happening at all until about 3/4 in. But in this case more than in the previous books, that approach to storytelling makes SO much sense for the topic of the book, to the point where I felt like the whole thing came together so perfectly - content and form and style.
Because, instead of things happening, things changing and characters having to react to that change - which is ultimately what most stories are about at a very basic level, I guess - this book is about having to deal with a world that does not change, where everything happens according to an established cycle of routines - from managing resources to the structure of a day to the cycle of life and death itself (beautifully written about in Eyas' chapters). And the question is not 'how do we deal with all of this?' but 'we're dealing just fine, our way of life has kept us going - but what's the point of all of it?'
I also just love the idea of the Exodus fleet as basically this ecosocialist commune. I just want to live there honestly. Everyone lives in a little community that is a part of wider communities, all work is valued and respected (especially the ugly work no one wants to do), and all resources are carefully managed so nothing goes to waste and everything is re-used or re-purposed in some way - even human bodies after death. and it influences their whole philosophy, placing a strong emphasis on their ancestors' legacy and memory. Because everything they live by, literally, is formed by the past.
As I said in the updates though, none of this is idealized either - because the community is so insulated and closed-off, there is a certain scepticism towards foreigners that can tip into prejudice, and because of the strong focus on preserving the past, there are tensions around developments such as new technologies replacing old ways of life. But I loved how nuanced this whole idea of keeping the past alive was approached - after all it's at its core a very conservative notion, and yet it doesn't have to be close-minded or constraining, and can actually be very progressive. idk, there are so many layers to this and this book just felt so.....human (heh), so warm and thoughtful.
Now there are some characters and perspectives I liked more than others - I liked the alien ethnographer in Isabel's chapters a lot (the 'alien species commenting from the outside about humans' thing NEVER gets tiring to me), I loved everything about Eyas and her profession. I thought Kip's story was a pretty standard teenage coming-of-age story that fit really well into the story but personally I connected to a bit less. And I guess a similar thing can be said for Tessa's perspective as a mother. I liked it, it just didn't feel as relevant to me personally. But of course, as usual, the variety of different (forms of) relationships depicted is beautiful and validating, and I loved reading about all the different constellations and how they worked.
Then of course there is the one event that happens in the middle of the book......man, I'm not okay.
But I loved how the aftermath of it unfolded with everyone coming together in some way. It nearly made me cry.
So what's the answer, at the end, what's the purpose? I don't know but to me, just reading about this world made me realize once again how beautiful and absolutely awe-inspiring it can be to literally just be alive, to be in the world. To walk around in a garden. To share a meal with someone. To do work that gives you a sense of purpose and meaning. I imagined sitting in that theatre room where videos of the Earth were projected all around the viewers, and that realization of 'hey, this is where we're from. and in that vast expanse of space, we're here together now in this moment'. Maybe that's what it's all about.
I didn't necessarily like this more (or less) than the first two books, just differently. This book strikes the perfect balance between comfort and melancholy (with emphasis on the comfort), and ..........obviously, I love it. I mean. No surprise. I think I'll even get that main Exodus phrase printed to put on my walls. (From the ground we stand, by our ships we live, by the stars we hope. That's just so beautiful.)
(review from 2021)