Centuries after the last humans left Earth, the Exodus Fleet is a living relic, a place many are from but few outsiders have seen. Humanity has finally been accepted into the galactic community, but while this has opened doors for many, those who have not yet left for alien cities fear that their carefully cultivated way of life is under threat.
I absolutely loved the development of Exodan culture and I want to be best friends with all of the characters. A plot twist around the middle of the book shook me up a little bit in a way that other books in this series mostly haven't done, but it was so important for the rest of the storyline and the development of the other characters. Becky Chambers is one of the best authors out there, no doubt about it.
so many thought about societies, community, socialism, what is necessary for survival and how that might (or not) translate to happiness... Not the best starting point into the wayfarer's universe, though, but such a good read!
I liked it! After finishing the trilogy-so-far, I think the first book is my favorite (the second was my favorite for a lil bit, but the first one has been growing on me over time). That's not to say this one wasn't great! It's a real cool look at communities trying to preserve their identity and struggling with the loss of identity as they join a larger community. I'm actually real inspired to try and explore this kind of thing in a game project. I love a cozy lil community and the cozy lil community sized problems that come with it. Nothing is overwhelmingly a threat to their survival, but all the problems are about communication, selfhood, individuality, and meaning.
Review of 'Record of a Spaceborn Few' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Very much not my usual speed, or what I was expecting, but the writing was good throughout. Felt more like slice-of-life bits, and a lot of interwoven elements that I'd probably have tracked better if it hadn't ended up being a migraine read. As it was, only really connected with a couple of characters.
Review of 'Record of a Spaceborn Few' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
First of all: Becky Chambers is evil. Don't read her books. She will craft a corner of the galaxy, fill it with complex and believable characters, pull you completely in and leave you sad and bereft once the story is over. Then the next book appears and you eagerly want to continue exploring the world you left behind, but now it's a different corner of the galaxy, and different characters. At first you trudge on, disappointed, but then you start to fall for those people and their stories, too. And then the book ends and-
"Record of a Spaceborn Few" is the third "Wayfarers" book only by name. Like "A Close and Common Orbit" it only has a very loose tie to the predecessor and the "Wayfarer" crew only appears in mentions. But that quickly becomes unimportant, as the new setting - here the human Exodus Fleet - and the …
First of all: Becky Chambers is evil. Don't read her books. She will craft a corner of the galaxy, fill it with complex and believable characters, pull you completely in and leave you sad and bereft once the story is over. Then the next book appears and you eagerly want to continue exploring the world you left behind, but now it's a different corner of the galaxy, and different characters. At first you trudge on, disappointed, but then you start to fall for those people and their stories, too. And then the book ends and-
"Record of a Spaceborn Few" is the third "Wayfarers" book only by name. Like "A Close and Common Orbit" it only has a very loose tie to the predecessor and the "Wayfarer" crew only appears in mentions. But that quickly becomes unimportant, as the new setting - here the human Exodus Fleet - and the five people showing it to us from their unique perspective build up. Other than the first two books there is no real big plot happening. There is one event that happens in the course of the first few pages that spins off the stories of the five characters who all have a different relationship to the massive Fleet, in which humanity once left Earth to find a better place to live. So if you look for a book with a thrilling story to follow or mystery to solve, this is probably not for you. It's more about how five very different persons deal with change, personal challenges and the search for a purpose. The fast pace and suspense is generated, like in the previous books, through the switching perspectives of the characters. Also it is refreshing to read a sci-fi book where humans are not the center of the universe but the strange oddballs having to fight for acceptance.
What I like about Becky Chambers books is that there is hardly any "good" and "evil" and no easy, one-fits-all solutions, but that things like friendship and respect pay off in the end. She writes books that make you feel better and at the same time sad that they end. And desperately long for more. As I said: She is evil, do not read her book.
