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Record of a Spaceborn Few

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About this listen

 'The best speculative fiction currently being written' John Connolly

*THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND HUGO AWARD WINNER FOR BEST SERIES*

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

The incredible new novel by Becky Chambers, author of the beloved The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.

#SpacebornFew

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?

PRAISE

'The best speculative fiction currently being written . . . Becky Chambers is a wonder, and I feel better for having her books in my life.' John Connolly, author of the Charlie Parker Thrillers

'Yes, these books really are that good . . . Anyone who scorns sci-fi as a lesser genre really doesn't deserve to read anything as splendid as this.' Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat

'An emotional, moving look at what it means to be human, and the importance of heritage and legacy' Lauren James, author of The Loneliest Girl in the Universe©2018 Becky Chambers Adventure Fantasy Fiction Science Fiction Space Opera Heartfelt Tear-jerking

Critic reviews

PRAISE FOR RECORD OF A SPACEBORN FEW:
The best speculative fiction currently being written . . . Becky Chambers is a wonder, and I feel better for having her books in my life
Richly human, believable [and] compelling . . . underlain with a deep compassion and a feeling for community
Terrific. . . a masterly exploration of characterisation and diversity wrapped in intensity, heartbreak and tension
An intensely powerful and multifaceted meditation on time, history, change, and memory, leavened with a welcome touch of humor . . . This is a superb work from one of the genre's rising stars.
This novel was exactly what I hoped it would be and more . . . Moving in what feels like small personal ways but is actually big, universal ways and it is uplifting on the same scale
An emotional, moving look at what it means to be human, and the importance of heritage and legacy
Both fascinating and entertaining... Becky's portrayal of humanity is generous, kind and honest
Checks all the boxes . . . driven by well-drawn, likable, and diverse characters in a complex future world.
'Relatable characters in a fascinating universe . . . the writing uplifts and captivates'
Beautifully written and fascinating
PRAISE FOR THE WAYFARERS:
Deeply moving... the sparky empathy of Chambers' writing [draws] you into these strange creatures' hearts and minds in a way that is never less than deeply involving.
A joyous, optimistic space opera... Although it isn't shy about tackling Big Questions, Planet is a heart-warming debut novel that will restore your faith in science fiction (specifically) and humanity (in general).
A quietly profound, humane tour de force'
Becky Chambers writes aliens like no one else ... the only flaw in this series is you'll wish you could spend more time with all of them

Audible Sessions with Becky Chambers

Meet the author of Record of a Spaceborn Few
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A heartwarming love letter to community spirit. Very progressive. With interesting nuance regarding planned economies vs free markets. And excellent narration.

Beautiful

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The second book of the series has been my stand out favourite by far; the third is a little empty, despite being so crowded.
It really is what the title says; a record of 5 lives and their time on board a single ship in a time span of around 5 years. I was expecting every moment of ever chapter for the characters to meet, for the stories to collide; in essence for the plot to kick off. It never did.
The most exciting story with the most likeable character by far cuts off abruptly, leaving you with four downer characters plodding on alone, meeting only tangentially. Its still very listenable, interesting if you are interested in the minutiae of world-building, but don’t come for action.

A little lacking in story.

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The lesser of the 3 novels (so far) in the series. Feeling more like an experiment in world building than telling a good story. Not much happens plot wise and was going to mark this even lower but the last third of the book is rather good.

Narration was well done.

Slightly disappointing.

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Perfect for falling asleep. Contrary to the storylines of the previous books in this series this one is dead boring. Literally nothing exciting happens, it’s just a mundane description of everyday life in this particular sci-fi universe. I did enjoy it only as means to fall solid asleep.

Perfect if you want to fall asleep

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I found it really hard to get invested in the stories of the characters. Definitely not as good as the first two.

The least favourite of the trilogy

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