Record of a Spaceborn Few

- Becky Chambers

Mandurah, WA

June 15, 2021

Goodreads Book Blurb:

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.

Tessa chose to stay home when her brother Ashby left for the stars, but has to question that decision when her position in the Fleet is threatened.

Kip, a reluctant young apprentice, itches for change but doesn’t know where to find it.

Sawyer, a lost and lonely newcomer, is just looking for a place to belong.

When a disaster rocks this already fragile community, those Exodans who still call the Fleet their home can no longer avoid the inescapable question:

What is the purpose of a ship that has reached its destination?

Series / Genres:

My Review:

absolute favourite:

☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5

From the ground, we stand. From our ships, we live. By the stars, we hope.

Despite a slow start where I struggled to figure out who all these new characters were and what was going on, I absolutely loved Record of a Spaceborn Few. Like the rest of the Wayfarers series, this is a very character-centric narrative focused on their interactions and day-to-day lives. Unlike the rest of the series, most of the characters here are humans; while they may live in space, on the Exodan Fleet, there isn’t the same variety of alien species.

Though most of the POV characters were born on the Fleet, they cover a broad spectrum of ages and occupations, which provides a great picture of how this community functions. I would be hard-pressed to pick a favourite character, they each contributed something great to this story, and it wouldn’t be the same without all of them adding their voice to the narrative.

The idea of humans destroying the Earth is not hard to imagine; a world in which these humans have created a massive conglomeration of ships floating together to form a community without waste, war, or money, however, seems highly improbable. I suppose if you assume that the materialistic, violent humans have travelled out into the universe to live elsewhere, the Fleet is possible, but even without the scientific and technological advances required it still seems a farfetched ideal considering today’s world.

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