- Book written by Becky Chambers
- Published in 2018
- Part 3 of the Wayfarers series
“From the ground, we stand. From our ships, we live. By the stars, we hope.”
When the Earth became uninhabitable, what was left of humanity sought refuge on the ships of the Exodus Fleet and left their solar system behind. Hundreds of years later, many of those humans and their descendants have settled on different planets throughout the galaxy and live there alongside other sentient species.
But some have remained on the Exodus Fleet, choosing to spend their life in space rather than on a planet. As more and more people decide to leave the fleet, the people who are left behind will have to decide what it means to them to live their life as part of this community.
I am a big fan of all of Becky Chambers’ books, but this one might be my favourite so far. As with the second book in this series, it is not a sequel to one of the earlier books, but it takes place in the same world and features one or two cameo’s from characters from the earlier books. It is similar in tone to the first two, but the narrative is very different.
Like all of Chambers’ works, this book considers the question of what it means to be human, while showing a deep belief in the ultimate good of humanity. Record of a Spaceborn Few looks at the traditions and beliefs that constitute a community and what these mean to the people in that community. It features a range of fantastic characters, whose experiences complement each other to form a picture of life on the Exodus fleet. The book is very wholesome while also managing to make you think. Definitely one to (re)read on a day when you’re feeling a bit down.