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depmythmoon's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
The novella follows 4 astronauts: Ariadne (the FMC whose name I’m still unsure how to pronounce), Jack, Chikandi, & Elena. They are sent on a mission to study planets beyond Earth’s solar system. Their trip there takes them 14 years—though they have something called ‘torpor’, which is similar to cryosleep without the ice; it slows their aging so that it’ll feel more like 2 years for them. The mission they’re on will last them a total of 80 years, but they get communications from Earth to hear about what happens in their absence.
This novella isn’t like your typical story that is action-packed or full of twists and turns. It’s not meant to be that, I’m sure. Rather than tell you of some alien that challenges the crew or life or death scenarios, this novella is more of a slice-of-life for astronauts. If you’ve ever been curious about the profession and what it entails, this will be the book for you. We keep track of the discoveries the group makes and get some detailed explanations of how they have to categorize this new information. So, if you’re jumping into this novella expecting a tale of alien civilizations or conquering planets, this may not be the read for you.
I wasn’t expecting it when I started reading, so I did find myself a bit bored for the first 50 or so pages, but I did get more enjoyment from it when the main conflict is introduced. The real enjoyment came when the story was ending. This is a novella that aims to make you think, and it leaves you pondering if the pursuit of knowledge is worth it. I love when reads make me question things in real life, so I found that the ending gave me a second wind of enjoyment. This novella also touches on our, human, impact on the environment. It points out that while there are dangers to us in new environments, we also have to recognize the dangers we cause knowingly and unknowingly. I enjoyed it.
Overall, the majority of the content in this book is mundane and tame compared to other books in the sci-fi genre, but the thoughtfulness and introspection it leaves you with are worth the read, in my opinion.
This novella isn’t like your typical story that is action-packed or full of twists and turns. It’s not meant to be that, I’m sure. Rather than tell you of some alien that challenges the crew or life or death scenarios, this novella is more of a slice-of-life for astronauts. If you’ve ever been curious about the profession and what it entails, this will be the book for you. We keep track of the discoveries the group makes and get some detailed explanations of how they have to categorize this new information. So, if you’re jumping into this novella expecting a tale of alien civilizations or conquering planets, this may not be the read for you.
I wasn’t expecting it when I started reading, so I did find myself a bit bored for the first 50 or so pages, but I did get more enjoyment from it when the main conflict is introduced. The real enjoyment came when the story was ending. This is a novella that aims to make you think, and it leaves you pondering if the pursuit of knowledge is worth it. I love when reads make me question things in real life, so I found that the ending gave me a second wind of enjoyment. This novella also touches on our, human, impact on the environment. It points out that while there are dangers to us in new environments, we also have to recognize the dangers we cause knowingly and unknowingly. I enjoyed it.
Overall, the majority of the content in this book is mundane and tame compared to other books in the sci-fi genre, but the thoughtfulness and introspection it leaves you with are worth the read, in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Death, Mental illness, Torture, Vomit, Grief, and War
_david_'s review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book is exactly the type of story and focus I want from a sci-fi space exploration book.
The book and its descriptions of their discoveries sparked a magical feeling in me that I haven't felt since I was a child: Of looking up to the sky and wondering what's out there.
The focus is on the characters and their mindset. It shows the curiosity of scientists and how different a stressful situation can influence people. I loved the diversity of planets and what was on them. A planet doesn't have to be an oasis bursting with flora and fauna to be mesmerizing.
I loved the mindset of the crew, that they were observers, not colonizers. I wish OCA was real. I don't think there's a book with a more fitting title than this one.
The story felt a lot longer than it was, in a good way. It felt very full without feeling rushed or too fast paced. There was a moment just before the ending that I can imagine to be dull to someone without a (bio)chemistry background, but the narrator acknowledges that and it makes use of its dullness to make the ending even stronger. I really liked the ending.
The reason that I give this book 4 stars instead of 5 is that the characters did not all feel feel fully rounded. The quirks and parts of the personalities which were described were strong and interesting. I think what I would've liked to see was a little less predictability in the three side-characters personalities.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, and Grief
Minor: Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
vaevin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Really lovely writing, beautiful world building, great creature design and character exploration from different facets.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Animal death
Some existential weight to the plot, not focused on dystopian themes but if you're sensitive tobiobeetle's review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Grief
emmablue's review against another edition
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
Moderate: War
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Confinement
Moderate: Gun violence, Medical content, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Body horror, Death, Gore, Sexual content, War, and Injury/Injury detail
cookiecat73's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Loved this!! I had a couple of nitpicks, but overall I thought it was great, the main thing I want to be different is that I would have liked it to have been longer, it didn't even need to have extra plot thrown in, I just liked reading about these characters and this world
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Gun violence, and Medical content
Moderate: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
Minor: Death, Sexual content, Blood, Excrement, Death of parent, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and War
wickedgrumpy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Listened to this as an audiobook during a road trip and it kept me engaged the entire time. I don't think that this will be enjoyed by all since for a sci-fi it focuses more on the crew and slice-of-life moments, rather than the planets they explore, and the discoveries they make.
It does bring up the topic that there is a lot to be said about the ethics of science and experimentation. I think it all can be boiled down into something along the lines of having good intentions does not inherently guarantee that anyone/thing remains unharmed in the end or even in the midst of the process. This is true for the scientists themselves and/or their subjects.
Becky Chambers has done an excellent job of making distinct and memorable characters that feel real because the book runs the gamut of human emotions. There's quite a bit of existential dread, and it can be rather heavy at times, but it also has it's moments of fun, enchantment, excitement, joy, and happiness.
It does bring up the topic that there is a lot to be said about the ethics of science and experimentation. I think it all can be boiled down into something along the lines of having good intentions does not inherently guarantee that anyone/thing remains unharmed in the end or even in the midst of the process. This is true for the scientists themselves and/or their subjects.
Becky Chambers has done an excellent job of making distinct and memorable characters that feel real because the book runs the gamut of human emotions. There's quite a bit of existential dread, and it can be rather heavy at times, but it also has it's moments of fun, enchantment, excitement, joy, and happiness.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
thoseoldcrows23's review
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
If you told me you hate Becky Chambers’ books because you found them boring I’d probably just say “fair enough.” This is essentially slice-of-life sci-fi, and I suspect (know, really) that that is not going to work for a lot of people. However, I personally absolutely love the way Chambers crafts characters and builds worlds. Something about her books just feels so comforting and cozy to me. They feel familiar even though I’ve never read them before, and I can’t help but love them. This book in particular I didn't like quite as much as The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, but I chalk that up mostly to this being a novella and me not having as much time with the characters. Effectively ,this is not a book for everyone (it's kind of slow, and it's much more concerned with theme than with plot), but it is very much for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, and Grief
Minor: Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
bebidocrimes's review
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This reminded me a bit of the episode of the Jordan Peele Twilight Zone where a team of astronauts launch into space just as nuclear armageddon begins. What decisions do you make when you don't know what is going on back home? Are they all really dead? Do we have a right to take the opportunity to fly away and make a new life elsewhere? It gives the reader a decision to make at the end, but I don't think it's easy to take directly. The Earth in that story at that point in time has experienced a geomagnetic storm from a solar burst that knocked out all technology. We as readers don't know what that resulted in, and I feel inadequate to make the call: do we bring the astronauts home or send them to a new habitable planet? I do think this book makes a beautiful case for exploration for the sake of sating curiosity, we all want to know what's out there. It takes into account that it is not selfish to worry more about our own planet before we look to others, as well as people using technological advancements for their own gains, be it money or fame or ego. I think it is human nature to want to know more, especially when we feel so isolated and alone in our galaxy. I really love the bonus content in the back, interviewing her astrobiologist consultant (and mom) which shows why Chamber's stories read a bit like The Martian but not down to every mote of dust and without so much pretension. It really blends where our understanding lies now and where it could lead, while taking a few liberties for the sake of wonder. Temporary evolutionary editing sounds dope as hell, I want to go to a 2G planet just so my little chip will make me jacked. I want to be able to absorb space's ambient radiation as a fuel source!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, and Grief