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A review by sweekune
Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4/5
The third entry in the Wayfarer series and this time it's a slice of life look at the Fleet: the human colony ship that housed everyone who fled earth. We follow an archivist, a parent, a bored teenager, a caretaker (someone who cares for the dead) and someone moving to the Fleet for the first time.
- As always, the world-building is stunning. Chambers has thought about every small detail and macro facet of the ship, the society and its benefits and flaws. We learn how it was constructed, how people exchange goods, how everything (including bodies) are recycled and so much more. Chambers also talks about the social implications, culture and societal changes that these systems cause. I enjoyed learning about this new aspect of the world but occasionally it did come across as a bit of an infodump.
- The characters we follow are very human. Worrying that you're not the parent your kids need, not knowing where to go in life once you've achieved goals, feeling stuck and imprisoned, trying something new and starting over: these and so much more are explored extremely well.
- Possibly my favourite part of this book was the sense of history and completeness it imparted. It was easy to believe this could be a real place, a real society. If the reader turned left when the author turned right on the plot, you could believe that path would also be fleshed out, detailed and real. Not many books achieve this and it was really wonderful to feel.
Seriously, if you like immersive, believable sci-fi and stupidly detailed and thought-out worlds, give this series a go.
The third entry in the Wayfarer series and this time it's a slice of life look at the Fleet: the human colony ship that housed everyone who fled earth. We follow an archivist, a parent, a bored teenager, a caretaker (someone who cares for the dead) and someone moving to the Fleet for the first time.
- As always, the world-building is stunning. Chambers has thought about every small detail and macro facet of the ship, the society and its benefits and flaws. We learn how it was constructed, how people exchange goods, how everything (including bodies) are recycled and so much more. Chambers also talks about the social implications, culture and societal changes that these systems cause. I enjoyed learning about this new aspect of the world but occasionally it did come across as a bit of an infodump.
- The characters we follow are very human. Worrying that you're not the parent your kids need, not knowing where to go in life once you've achieved goals, feeling stuck and imprisoned, trying something new and starting over: these and so much more are explored extremely well.
- Possibly my favourite part of this book was the sense of history and completeness it imparted. It was easy to believe this could be a real place, a real society. If the reader turned left when the author turned right on the plot, you could believe that path would also be fleshed out, detailed and real. Not many books achieve this and it was really wonderful to feel.
Seriously, if you like immersive, believable sci-fi and stupidly detailed and thought-out worlds, give this series a go.