Record of a Spaceborn Few

By Becky Chambers

Record of a Spaceborn Few - Becky Chambers
  • Release Date: 2018-07-24
  • Genre: Science Fiction
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 353 Ratings

Description

National Bestseller!

Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Series!

Brimming with Chambers' signature blend of heart-warming character relationships and dazzling adventure, Record of a Spaceborn few is the third standalone installment of the Wayfarers series, set in the sprawling universe of the Galactic Commons, and following a new motley crew on a journey to another corner corner of the cosmos—one often mentioned, but not yet explored.

Return to the sprawling universe of the Galactic Commons, as humans, artificial intelligence, aliens, and some beings yet undiscovered explore what it means to be a community in this exciting third adventure in the acclaimed and multi-award-nominated science fiction Wayfarers series, brimming with heartwarming characters and dazzling space adventure.

Hundreds of years ago, the last humans on Earth boarded the Exodus Fleet in search of a new home among the stars. After centuries spent wandering empty space, their descendants were eventually accepted by the well-established species that govern the Milky Way.

But that was long ago. Today, the Exodus Fleet is a living relic, the birthplace of many, yet a place few outsiders have ever visited. While the Exodans take great pride in their original community and traditions, their culture has been influenced by others beyond their bulkheads. As many Exodans leave for alien cities or terrestrial colonies, those who remain are left to ponder their own lives and futures: What is the purpose of a ship that has reached its destination? Why remain in space when there are habitable worlds available to live? What is the price of sustaining their carefully balanced way of life—and is it worth saving at all?

A young apprentice, a lifelong spacer with young children, a planet-raised traveler, an alien academic, a caretaker for the dead, and an Archivist whose mission is to ensure no one’s story is forgotten, wrestle with these profound universal questions. The answers may seem small on the galactic scale, but to these individuals, it could mean everything.

Reviews

  • Captivating

    5
    By Johnchuck1
    I have now devoured this book and the two prior books in the series. I always tire of series and reading three is a large exception to the rule. Her juxtaposition of humans among many species has provided her the opportunity to explore ideas large and small on novel platforms. Young and old, brilliant and average, familiar and anything but…. Great fun. Easy reading. Deep thoughts. I’ve been reading science fiction for a very long time. This is an easy 5 stars. Try it.
  • A Nice Lore Dive into the Universe of the Wayfarer Series

    4
    By cbread94
    I loved how this book answered so many questions I had about the Exodans and the Fleet. I didn’t realize how much I wanted to know about the history of the humans that left Earth until I was eagerly reading through each chapter. I appreciate the effort to have the reader experience many different life experiences surrounding the Fleet, but I felt that the connections these characters had by the end of the novel felt a bit off. I don’t feel that the events that took place warranted as strong of an emotional bond as some of the characters managed to have, though I recognize the challenge in trying to tie together those stories at all. Because of this, some of the harder hitting monologues fell a bit flat with me (namely Isabel’s speech to Kip near the end). In all, it was a fascinating dive into the lore and amazing world building of the Wayfarer series, but don’t go in expecting the same emotional punches as the first two books in the series.
  • One of the best books I have ever read

    5
    By TokyoSteveRPG
    I have read a lot of books. This book moved me in a way few books have. I have marked up passages to save for my children to read when they are older. While science fiction - Becky Chambers captures life (and death) so well. She answers the question, what’s the point of it all. I feel like I am better person for having read this, and it changed me.
  • The Story of the Human Exodus Fleet

    5
    By Prairie_Dog
    Becky Chambers writes very positive character-driven science fiction tales. So far, she has written three independent novels set in her Galactic Commons (GC) Universe. In this future history, humans have left Earth and colonized Mars and the outer planets. The final group of humans left Earth right before the planet collapsed in a fleet of starships built from tearing down and recycling the last cities and remaining resources of the planet. This last migration was known as the Exodus Fleet, and the humans that left with it are known as Exodans. These are the stories from the lives of a number of modern Exodains, after they have come to dwell in the GC. It has been said of Ms. Chambers work that is not so much science fiction stories, but stories of people who live in a science fictional setting. This is absolutely the case in “Record of a Spaceborn Few.” It follows the lives of a handful of modern Exodans. There really are not a lot of big events that occur, but the events that do occur matter very much to the people involved in them. It shows how some of the characters make decisions that bring them to, or take them from the Exodus Fleet. Others never leave. Through all of their stories we learn about the Exodans, which is an area of the GC we have heard about in the previous two books, but never experienced before now.
  • A small window into a larger world

    5
    By Fellow Flyer
    This is a wonderful peek through a tiny window - several, actually - at a much larger world. Much of this is character - driven. If that’s not your style, maybe this book isn’t for you. I found it to be excellent, with well done and relatable characters. Thanks to the author for the entire series.
  • Record of a Spaceborn Few

    2
    By Ken Follet
    The first two books in this series were superb and innovative. Unfortunately this one just meanders. There is no plot arc and the characters are uninteresting. In the end nothing really happens. It’s really unclear what the purpose of this novel is.
  • A hope for our future

    5
    By ze.enby
    Becky has done an amazing thing with “Record of a Space Born Few:” she took an amazing fictional world – fleshed out with fascinating alien species and high sci-fi concepts – and grounded the whole with a thrilling new story for what humanity could accomplish should we evolve a long view toward our cycle of life, death, and subsequent life. Just…wow…I’ve not devoured a book like this in decades. Thank you for this gift of hope Becky. Please keep setting more works in “The Wayfarer” universe!
  • A delicate story about people

    5
    By Daveed V.
    I really enjoyed Becky Chambers previous two volumes in the Wayfarer series: When I saw a third volume had been released I jumped on it (conveniently timed after finishing a rather voluminous Brandon Sanderson novel; Chambers’ story is a much quicker read). Although the Wayfarer books are all “lightly connected", they are also mostly stand-alone. Admittedly, vol. 2 benefits a little from being read after vol. 1, but this third volume can be read any time relative to the other two (time-wise it mostly parallels volume 1). Chambers’ strength are her impressionistic technique to bring endearing characters alive in a fascinating world (itself also impressionistically revealed). The stories are about people and humans in particular, but the aliens are also lifelike and in this particular story Harmagians get some elaboration (they appeared previously, but we get to know a little more about their society). There is a small amount of intrigue, and very little action: It’s all about character development, asking some interesting questions (not necessarily with clear-cut answers), and painting an imagined interstellar multi-species society. I cannot wait to see more of this work! P.S.: I’m a long-time SF fan, but one of my teenage daughters (a more eclectic reader than I am) also loves this series.