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A review by silvae
Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
4.0
TW: xenophobia, murder, spacestation accidents, grief and death
I have this weird thing with Becky Chambers' novels where I always need a second go to read through one of her books. This isn't necessarily the books' fault, but rather a case of reading a sequel, expecting a continuation of the story previously told and instead getting something completely different. Anyway who read The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and then followed up with A Closed and Common Orbit will know what I mean - the books tell their stories in different ways, and while we know and love the characters that carry over, it can come as a cold shock.
Record of a Spaceborn Few stands out in comparison to the two books preceding it - the cast of narrators is much larger than before and we seldom leave the Asteria. Instead of an adventure (the Wayfarer hopping through space on its way to the big job) or a trauma-tinged character study, we are read about the daily goings on aboard a giant city of a ship, ranging from life to death, including the obligatory stoner teenagers in the middle. Record of a Spaceborn Few is textbook slice of life and that may be a reason so many people did not enjoy it. There isn't much of a plot: the big "disaster" that is foreshadowed in the blurb - which, by the way, did NOT represent the book well at all, in my opinion - happens about three thirds into the book. For those who prefer books with a heavy focus on plot: how did you end up reading these books in the first place, but also: this book is not for you.
2020/21 has shown me that I truly love slow paced books that put more focus on character dynamics, atmosphere and the mundane, where stakes are low and you know that nothing bad will happen to characters you love. Each of the Wayfarers books asks you: what does it mean to be human? what does life mean? how should we exist? And I truly appreciate all the different angles Becky Chambers uses to scope out those questions. Still, I think the story could have benefited from fewer perspectives or a tighter pacing, which is why I cannot give it the 5 star rating I was hoping to give it.
I have this weird thing with Becky Chambers' novels where I always need a second go to read through one of her books. This isn't necessarily the books' fault, but rather a case of reading a sequel, expecting a continuation of the story previously told and instead getting something completely different. Anyway who read The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and then followed up with A Closed and Common Orbit will know what I mean - the books tell their stories in different ways, and while we know and love the characters that carry over, it can come as a cold shock.
Record of a Spaceborn Few stands out in comparison to the two books preceding it - the cast of narrators is much larger than before and we seldom leave the Asteria. Instead of an adventure (the Wayfarer hopping through space on its way to the big job) or a trauma-tinged character study, we are read about the daily goings on aboard a giant city of a ship, ranging from life to death, including the obligatory stoner teenagers in the middle. Record of a Spaceborn Few is textbook slice of life and that may be a reason so many people did not enjoy it. There isn't much of a plot: the big "disaster" that is foreshadowed in the blurb - which, by the way, did NOT represent the book well at all, in my opinion - happens about three thirds into the book. For those who prefer books with a heavy focus on plot: how did you end up reading these books in the first place, but also: this book is not for you.
2020/21 has shown me that I truly love slow paced books that put more focus on character dynamics, atmosphere and the mundane, where stakes are low and you know that nothing bad will happen to characters you love. Each of the Wayfarers books asks you: what does it mean to be human? what does life mean? how should we exist? And I truly appreciate all the different angles Becky Chambers uses to scope out those questions. Still, I think the story could have benefited from fewer perspectives or a tighter pacing, which is why I cannot give it the 5 star rating I was hoping to give it.