Orbital in Reading with Style

Dec 06, 2024 Connie G rated it really liked it

Shelves: literary-fiction, science-fiction, space

In the slim book "Orbital," gorgeous prose describes one day in the International Space Station. Two cosmonauts (from Russia) and four astronauts (from the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Japan) orbit the Earth sixteen times over the course of one day. The sixteen chapters show Earth's beauty as the space station travels over different areas of the Earth. The book is also a reflection on geopolitical and environmental concerns that threaten the Earth and humanity.

The crew will see ...more

43 likes · Like · see review

Jan 15, 2025 Wendy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: literary-fiction, science-fiction, booker-prize, 2025

I must have a thing for science writing (in this case, a barely fictionalized trip aboard the International Space Station) juxtaposed with highly literary writing. Orbital gave me a similar frisson to John McPhee's writing in Annals of the Former World, which takes an artistic, philosophic eye to geology and the origin of our physical world. Likewise, Samantha Harvey takes her six astronauts on a philosophic spin (on 16, in fact) around the earth, sometimes dialing in the microscope to their rel ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Nov 11, 2025 Bucket rated it really liked it

Shelves: many-perspectives, travel, literary, reviewed, nature-the-outdoors, experimental, science, time, adventure

Like the space station in orbit, like humanity in ways political, social and environmental - this novel walks a very fine line. We very nearly tumble over and over, into horror, into melodrama, into foolish optimism, into forever war or peace, into something too action-y or something too empty of action. To Harvey's credit, the book never loses its focus.

I get a sense of wonder reading this, but also a sense of monotony. There's fear it could all fall apart (from the space station to life on ear ...more

Like · see review

Jan 18, 2025 Tanya Patrice rated it did not like it

Shelves: ebook, quit-early

I quit reading about 33%. I really wasn’t enjoying the stream of consciousness style. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I need a plot in the books I read, not just the mundanity of every day life – even if it’s of astronauts on a space station orbiting the Earth.

Like · see review