Record of a Spaceborn Few

by Becky Chambers

No cover — Becky Chambers: Record of a Spaceborn Few (2018, HarperCollins Publishers)

English language

Published Oct. 6, 2018 by HarperCollins Publishers.

ISBN:: 978-0-06-269923-7

(168 reviews)

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.

9 editions

Courts reviewed Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers, #3)

Food for Thought

4 stars

This third book from the Wayfarer's series felt a bit more "slice of life" than the other two. There is no real overarching plot, just life stories of various protagonists who try to find themselves.

You learn more about the Exodus fleet and their ethos, which opens up all those questions of how we need to work together as a society if we want to survive as a species when we (inevitably?) make our planet uninhabitable. This is embedded in the day-to-day lives of different protagonists from different backgrounds.

The book paints an optimistic picture about how humanity has learned to finally behave like decent people, while still acknowledging that bad things can and will happen because life is shades of grey.

knizer reviewed Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers, #3)

Exceptional

5 stars

life in space, many years after heading from earth, continuing the #wayfarers series. I'm delighted by the characterization and worldbuilding, my heart is warmed

mahdi reviewed Zpráva o životě vesmířanů by Becky Chambers (Poutníci, #3)

3

4 stars

Jak sem psal uz u jednicky - "Pomerne klidna space opera." - porad plati. Je to takovy zensky a bavi me to vlastne vic a vic. Opet spis psychologicka sonda, tentokrat jak by to mozna mohlo byt, kdyz je vlastne tvoje puvodni poslani prezity, ale mozna neni.

TQ@wyrms.de reviewed Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers, #3)

My current favorite from the series

5 stars

As with every book by Becky Chambers that I have read, I struggled in the beginning. The pacing is different in each of her books, the characters have loose links to past storylines at best, and I always need time to ease myself into the new perspectives that slowly develop.

But this book! Yes, it starts slow. But when the story finally takes off, when things start to converge, the payoff is well worth it.

I was smitten with the worldbuilding that was even more intricate and well thought-out than in previous books of the series. I loved the characters, the way they explore facets of the society they inhabit. And in the end, I enjoyed the way the story develops.

I also needed tissues, but that's me.

Patrick Johanneson reviewed Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers, #3)

Optimistic slice-of-life space opera

5 stars

This was good. Great character development, interesting ideas, unforeseen consequences—Becky Chambers is a great writer.

loppear reviewed Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers, #3)

the slightest arc pulls this through

4 stars

Nice to be reminded that Chambers can weave her deeply attentive human and social reflections into compelling longer form, and live up to high expectations for unconventionally but quite comfortably answering what matters in a story or a culture.

cmonster reviewed Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers, #3)

Review of 'Record of a Spaceborn Few' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

My favorite of this series

V171 reviewed Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers, #3)

Review of 'Record of a Spaceborn Few' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Another wonderful installment in the Wayfarers series. This was an interesting change of pace which hyper focused on the human experience in this beautiful universe that Becky Chambers has constructed. The story follows a few different perspectives from a fleet of human ships that are largely self sustaining and permanently spacebound. This "Exoden" life is in contrast to the normal human experience of living on stations like most humans, independent colonies on terrestrial planets like pioneers, or back in the original Sol system like the wealthy and privileged. These stories are each an exploration of the unique culture of Exoden life, the challenges it brings, and the relationship to the greater galaxy.

Frankly I found some POVs to be more interesting than others, and I found the intersection of the POVs to take a while to get to. Related, the overarching "conflict" happened around 3/4ths of the way through the book, and the last quarter felt like falling action, making the pacing feel a bit awkward. But with that being said, you can expect many of the same feelings in this book as you have had with the previous two. Heartbreak, love, respect, grief, and a permeating kindness are all present in this new setting. I really love how each of these books is its own insular story that serve as one paint stroke in the artful construction of this universe. The last book is in the mail, and I don't think I'm emotionally ready to be finished with this journey.

Rainer reviewed Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers, #3)

My favorite book in this series so far

5 stars

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.

rleyton reviewed Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers, #3)

Review of 'Record of a Spaceborn Few' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Delightful series for some wonderful, stress free, story-telling and character realisation. Whilst this wasn’t Perhaps the strongest of the series, but it’s still everything I’d hoped for a bit of escapism.

SergeiSilence reviewed Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers, #3)

awesome and made me think

5 stars

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!

tim reviewed Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers, #3)

good book

4 stars

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.

settingshadow reviewed Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers, #3)

Review of 'Record of a Spaceborn Few' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Becky Chambers just writes the warmest, most comforting books. Writing in her characteristic episodic manner, she shows us what life is like for the Exodans -- humans who stayed on the generation ships originally built to go off in search of a new human homeland, but which have instead become the long-term homeland themselves.

My friend who recommended it to me said: "there's something so profoundly Jewish about it." I think she's right (although I doubt that was Chambers' intention). This is a diaspora story about a people who leave their homeland with the plan to return to a new home shortly and instead spend generations in space, learning to redefine who they are as a community and culture and their relationship to physical spaces.

Sergio reviewed Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers

Review of 'Record of a Spaceborn Few' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

The Wayfarers series has so far been a series of home runs for me and this one is no different. A Closed and Common Orbit remains my favorite of the bunch so far, but it would be unfair to compare that novel directly to this one due to the different approach this book has regarding the multiple points of view it presents, as well as its intent. The multiple PoVs I enjoyed despite thinking some were stronger than others; but as a whole they came together nicely. The style is very slice of life, with some thematic undercurrents that are very optimistic and warm-feels-ish about the future of the human race and the search for purpose which are appreciated right now. Overall enjoyed it and can't wait for what's next in the series.

Wetdryvac reviewed Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers, #3)

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.