Aug 2024 READER To Be Taught by Chambers

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

The August 2024 Reader Pick is To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers. Please use this thread to post questions, comments, and reviews, at any time.

Official description:
In her new novella, Sunday Times best-selling author Becky Chambers imagines a future in which, instead of terraforming planets to sustain human life, explorers of the solar system instead transform themselves.

Ariadne is one such explorer. As an astronaut on an extrasolar research vessel, she and her fellow crewmates sleep between worlds and wake up each time with different features. Her experience is one of fluid body and stable mind and of a unique perspective on the passage of time. Back on Earth, society changes dramatically from decade to decade, as it always does.

Ariadne may awaken to find that support for space exploration back home has waned, or that her country of birth no longer exists, or that a cult has arisen around their cosmic findings, only to dissolve once more by the next waking. But the moods of Earth have little bearing on their mission: to explore, to study, and to send their learnings home.

Carrying all the trademarks of her other beloved works, including brilliant writing, fantastic world-building and exceptional, diverse characters, Becky's first audiobook outside of the Wayfarers series is sure to capture the imagination of listeners all over the world.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

I read this book when it first came out but only gave it three stars. Pasting the review I wrote back then. Please note that I finished the book, so it was definitely readable.
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Novella plus extra stuff after the story ends. Readable, and more in the hard space exploration genre than my usual space opera. I did not find the ending satisfying, but it made sense.

I probably won’t be rereading this one

[John]

I've read most of the books from Becky Chambers, and I really enjoy her work.

I hadn't rated this one as highly first time around - like Teresa, I rated it three stars. I suspect that was partly because of the novella format, which I don't normally like, and also perhaps that I'd read too many of her books in a short period.

So I'm looking forward to re-reading it.

[Audrey]

I read this book last year and gave it 3 stars. I wasn't fond of how it ended.

[John]

I've just started - and I'm already enjoying the quality of the writing.

[Caitlin]

I read this book for the first time this July and quite liked the writing and the way it values pure research and scientific exploration as ends in themselves.

I’ll be interested to hear what folks thought of the ending. I’m of the opinion Chambers made it ambiguous specifically to spur discussion among readers.

[John]

I finished re-reading To Be Taught, If Fortunate today, and enjoyed it even more than first time around - increasing my rating to 4 stars.

Yes, the ending was a bit abrupt and a bit of a cop-out on the part of the characters, but it was more than compensated for by the quality of the writing and particularly her depiction of the non-human species.

[John]

Thinking a bit more about the ending - while it feels consistent with Chambers' focus on ethics and responsibility, I'm not convinced that it's totally consistent with the views I'd formed of how the various characters were likely to have behaved in the final scenario. But that is a minor niggle about an intriguing, intelligent and well-written book.

So....3 stars from Audrey and Teresa, 4 from me, and 5 from Caitlin. A pretty impressive rating for this novella. Have any other group members read it and, if so, how did you rate it. (and if you haven't read it yet, I'd certainly recommend it.)

[Jemima]

I reread this at the weekend. I read it first during lockdown, so that could be partly why I was so blown away by it.
Did I find it as good second time around? Not really. Things seemed to happen more quickly than I remembered…but I’m still very pleased with the characters and the alien life forms (which are truly awesome, and a credit to Chambers’ reference to her parents’ specialisms).
I am intrigued by everyone’s reactions to the ending. Like other things, it seemed to be a quicker decision than I remembered, but maybe I was just reading too quickly! I’m in no doubt what they decided to do, and I think by then the crew was pretty much beyond words for those things anyway.
And it was her explanation of chirality that really set my mind off on other ideas entirely. That’s why I love her books.
Do I have to give it stars? It was 5 the first time. I think it stays there, because it was a rare reread for me, and I’d even read it again taking on everyone else’s thoughts!

[Caitlin]

Jemima, I also love the exploration of chirality and how she uses it to express the value of pure science and the sense of wonder it can evoke. The existence of organisms that are “ambidextrous” has no practical application, but simply knowing they exist makes the universe a more wondrous place.

[Terry]

I just re-read this book. Odd thing is that I had rated it 4 stars when I read in 2021 but couldn't remember the book. Partly due to the length perhaps. After finishing, I updated my rating to 3 stars. I agree with John that Novellas are not my preferred type of books to read.

I liked the technical details about how things might work and the fact that it was all very plausible.

I struggled more with the decisions of the characters the 2nd time around and just had a difficult time relating.

[Caitlin]

Is it venturing into spoiler territory to ask folks what choice they would have wanted the characters to make at the end?

I for one didn’t mind the ambiguous ending because it felt like Becky Chambers inviting us, the readers, as the representatives of Earth, to decide what the mission should do next. I know my answer and am curious what other people think they should do.

[Trike]

For me this is Chambers’ weakest story. I thought the writing was fine but I didn’t buy into some aspects of the story. Like the fact that the ship is 50 years old at the beginning of the story and they subject it to numerous landings and takeoffs but nothing ever breaks or wears out. Super unrealistic.

I also agree the ending was abrupt and a cop out. As I mentioned in my review, I’m very different from her in fundamental ways, which means I wouldn’t have made the choices she had her characters make. But that left me ultimately feeling unsatisfied by the book.

[John]

On the whole I was comfortable with the ending. It felt right that the ending was left open (something I normally dislike), and I felt that by their decision the characters were trying to keep the hope/dream of space exploration alive. Ultimately, despite everything, it felt upbeat.

[Caitlin]

I agree with John - keeping it open felt like Chambers keeping the possibilities alive. Personally I think the astronauts should have taken the one-way trip to the solar system that they were just capable of reaching and discovered what was there, but I like that she doesn’t make the choice for us.

[Trike]

It’s been 5 years since I read it, but isn’t the implication about going into cryosleep mean they’re choosing death? Eventually the ship will run out of power. Choosing that over not bioengineering themselves to live on another planet in order to avoid contaminating it is noble, but I wouldn’t have done it.

I mean, sure, unintended consequences and all that if they choose to settle down somewhere, but it’s not like they’re going to make a huge impact wherever they end up. It’s unlikely their microbes are going to take over an entire planet, and they certainly aren’t to create an entire civilization of modified humans.

They have enough fuel to get back to Earth, which is probably a blasted wreck, but they have the magic gengineering tech to help them survive, and an interstellar exploration craft implies moonbases and Mars outposts, and asteroid mining. (Unless the book specifically ruled those out. I don’t recall.) Go back, see what they can salvage, see if there’s anyone to save. There would be survivors in the system if humans have spread out.

[Nick]

Just finished this. I did enjoy the ending but don’t have much to add to the discussion (my thoughts on books generally boil down to either I liked this or I didn’t) besides wondering if the rest of Becky Chambers’s work is like this? I loved the vivid imagery and tone.

[Terry]

Responding to Nick's question if this work was typical for Becky Chambers - I have read the Wayfarer series and Monk & Robot Series and found them to be very enjoyable books to read. She develops some really good characters and stories. The books are easy to read yet, as you say, she is really good with vivid imagery.

[John]

Terry wrote: "Responding to Nick's question if this work was typical for Becky Chambers - I have read the Wayfarer series and Monk & Robot Series and found them to be very enjoyable books to read. She develops s..."

I agree Terry - I've read all of her books, and enjoyed every one. And much as I liked and enjoyed To Be Taught, If Fortunate and rated it 4 stars, it's possibly the weakest of her books. (Although the novella format probably contributes to that).

[Caitlin]

@Trike, Having read it in July my memory is pretty fresh: the crew does go into cryosleep but I didn’t read it as choosing death. Ariadne sends a final transmission to Earth in which she offers the recipients a choice: tell the crew to return and help rebuild Earth or investigate a planet in a solar system they’ll have to make a one-way trip to reach.

While it’s true they will die if the ship’s power runs out, it was implied they have years before that happens, enough time for Earth to reply if anyone is able to. My interpretation was the crew is holding out hope for a reply and will do what the people back home want them to do, including continue exploring if that’s in the cards.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

Responding to Nick’s question: I really liked her first two books, didn’t like the ending of this one, and couldn’t get into the rest of her books. That is possibly just me - I’ve gotten very picky, like happy endings, and need to have characters that I care about early in the book or I don’t buy it.

[Trike]

Teresa wrote: "Responding to Nick’s question: I really liked her first two books, didn’t like the ending of this one, and couldn’t get into the rest of her books. That is possibly just me - I’ve gotten very picky..."

Nick wrote: "wondering if the rest of Becky Chambers’s work is like this?"

I liked all of her other books much better, with the first one (The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet) contaibing a ton of very interesting and creative tidbits. The characters are really cool too. I especially liked the alien Dr. Chef, whose name derives from the two jobs he does. Since other sentient creatures can’t properly pronounce his name without a full orchestra accompaniment, it makes sense.

The Monk & Robot ones are definitely feel-good cozy books.

[Trike]

Caitlin wrote: "@Trike, Having read it in July my memory is pretty fresh: the crew does go into cryosleep but I didn’t read it as choosing death. Ariadne sends a final transmission to Earth in which she offers the..."

That’s a better outcome than I recalled, so we’ll go with that. Usually her books aren’t downers, so it does make sense.

[John]

There's hopefully going to be a new book from her next year, and that's something to look forward to.