I read Chambers' Wayfarer books and liked them. This didn't disappoint me either. Her writing and conversations for me are the strongest part of the books.
I really enjoy the world she draws and the simplistic nature of the books make it very approachable as sci-fi books.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one too and will look for her next ones.
Thanks a lot to Netgalley and the publishers for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

To start with I was a little thrown by this (long) novella by Becky Chambers. I love the way she says so much with deceptively simple plots, the inventiveness of her alien world, the perfectly thought out world building and the utter believability of every character, no matter how alien in body or culture or though. So a slightly dry scientist relating their mission on first person felt a bit of a leap from the multi character space operas Chamber has become celebrated for. I needn't have worried, because within space engineer Ariadne's space logs is a story about hope, sacrifice and humanity as big and quietly devastating as any of her full length novels.
Set centuries before her novels, To Be Taught, If Fortunate follows four astronauts on their quest to catalogue and explore four planets. Their mission is to leave no trace, to do no harm, to advance their scientific knowledge. They know they will return to Earth eighty years after they left, to a place probably changed beyond all recognition, their friends and family long gone. They also know that humanity's future depends on them and their few fellow travellers. What follows is a quiet, poignant story about otherness, loneliness, friendship and mission. Absorbing and beautifully written.

As you guys know, I am a bit of a late comer to Becky Chambers. I still have to read her third Wayfarer novel, Record of a Spaceborn Few. Hoping to read that sometime in the next six months. But when the news of this novella was first announced, I instantly preordered it. A novella set outside of the Wayfarer series. Colour me intrigued.

So when I saw I could request the eProof of this on NetGalley, I did think carefully over if I want to request this or wait for my novella. In the end, I requested it as my curiosity got the better of me.

At the turn of the twenty-second century, scientists make a discovery in human space travel. They discovered somaforming: a way for humans to survive hostile environments by using synthetic biological supplements. They can produce antifreeze so you can survive sub-zero environments, absorb radiation and convert into food, help adjust the pul of different gravitational forces. This can make space travel possible and visiting other planets, moons, and other environments possible.

Ariadne is an astronaut. She and three others are on a mission to survey four habitable worlds fifteen light years away from Earth. She and her crewmates sleep while in transit and, when they wake up, they have a new world to explore and the somaforming has changed their bodies, ready for the new world.

I don’t think I can go any further in detail with this novella as I’m a little worried on what is a spoiler and what isn’t. But, you guys want me reactions to this… well…

Ok, before we go any further, I want to remind you guys that this is my blog, which means this is just my opinions. Mine and mine alone. And everyone is entitled to their own opinion, whether that is a good or bad. Remember I can be quite outspoken on subjects (politics, films, TV). Hell, have you seen my Twitter?

But, even so, it pains me to write this: I didn’t like this. I found it boring and, because of this, I cancelled my preorder.

Hear me out before you shout at me!

Like I said earlier, I have read two of Becky Chambers novels and plan to read the third soon and I really like them. Yes, they are a little slower paced than what I normally read, but I like them. They are very character-driven and there’s something warm and comforting about her novels. But this novella didn’t have that feeling. Whether it was because it was a novella so we didn’t have time to connect to the characters or because this novella is told in first person while the novels are told in third, I don’t know. But I didn’t warm to this. Plus, after a long few days at work, I wanted to engage with these characters and the worlds and, barring one world where the characters began to show signs of cabin-fever (this, I really liked, as it showed how each of them reacted in different ways), I kinda fell asleep a few times.

I see what Becky was trying to do and I admit her for trying. I’m glad she was flexing her writing muscles and that she’s growing as a writer, but this didn’t really work for me, I’m afraid.

But I’m not giving up on the Wayfarers series. I am going to read Record of a Spaceborn Few soon and, when her next novel come out, I am going to read that. But this… yeah… sorry everyone.

Thanks to massive advancements in science and technology, Ariadne and her 3 colleagues are sent to study 4 habitable planet and their ecology 15 light years away. Somaforming is the means that allows them to do so, a process where the astronauts are put into a sleep-like state while travelling, that slows down their aging and delivers synthetic biological supplements to their bodies to help with each different environment. The novella chronicles their journeys and the problems that arise for the explorers. What it's like to leave your family and loved ones behind on Earth, how much will change while they're away, will their work still be relevant, will they be remembered? I really like Chambers' sci-fi, how things work and their descriptions. It's so believable and intriguing.

The heart of the story for me is the characters and their relationships. Chambers is so brilliant at writing characters, just like her other books these didn't disappoint. The smallest nuances and interactions speaks volumes. I swear she can express so much with just just a pat on the back as another author would need a whole paragraph to convey. I would have loved a longer book to explore Ariadne and the others more, both before and after their trip. That's the only reason I gave this 3 stars (really 3.5), because I selfishly wanted more! It is still satisfying for a novella though, perfect for the summer.

One of my favourite quotes from the story is

'This is what a forest is, after all. Don't believe the lie of individual trees, each a monument to it's own self-made success. A forest is an interdependent community. Resources are shared, and life in isolation is a death sentence'

Becky Chambers has such a beautiful way with words and the scene this quote comes from is beautiful