Record of a Spaceborn Few
by Becky Chambers, (Wayfarers, #3)
Record of a Spaceborn Few, just like the first two of The Wayfarers series, has encapsulated humanity within its under 400 pages. The universe that this series takes place in feels pre-established, as if it existed before the first novel and will exist long after the last, and Becky Chambers in this series merely gives us snapshots of the lives of people in this world. In this third book in particular, we really do get a record of a space-born few, investigating the everyday life of a handful of characters with their own lives, who are flawed but perfect and unique but so similar.
There is a specific connection to humanity that had me weeping in this novel that I can’t quite articulate without explaining some of the plot and providing a personal story.
Around halfway through the book, two of our protagonists meet: Sawyer and Eyas. Upon meeting, Eyas gives Sawyer some advice as he embarks on his new life aboard the homesteader ship that Eyas has lived and worked on her entire life. They part ways and the story progresses. Around two-thirds of the way through, Sawyer finally gets a job and sends Eyas a message thanking her for the advice. But this moment is bittersweet, as Sawyer dies while on this job. Around three-quarters of the way, Eyas, as this world’s version of a mortician, is set in charge of overseeing Sawyer’s funeral arrangements. But when Eyas sees Sawyer’s corpse, she instantly has a full physical and emotional reaction. In her profession, she regularly sees corpses of people she knew and didn’t know. This reaction is out of the ordinary for her.
I read this moment and instantly wept. As Eyas circled what ifs in her mind, as she wept holding his belongings, I felt myself mourning with her. Though the two of them only spoke briefly, that momentary connection was enough to break down barriers and create something beautiful. That one meeting between them was enough to cause such immense grief and mourning, and Eyas couldn’t place why. This is one of the only moments in any book, series, movie, anything, that I have felt such a deep sense of humanity and such an understanding for the character.
A few years ago when I was in university, there was a networking session for my department, where students could meet faculty and researchers. I had the privilege to meet one of the post-doctoral fellows at this session and we hit it off. Though we only met the once, we chatted back and forth about sci-fi novels via email several times. When the conversations tapered off and nothing new had come up, there was a lull in our communications. A few months after this, they passed away suddenly. I wept and cried and repeatedly pondered “what if I had reached out again”, “what if we had more time to talk”, “what if…”. Though we only had that momentary connection, like Eyas and Sawyer, there was a level to that connection that went deeper than the surface. It dug its claws into the sheer fabric of our humanity and held on tighter than we could.
So when Eyas ran through her what ifs, when she broke down and cried over this person she met once, I was right there with her. Because of this bizarre quirk of humanity, we have the capacity to meet someone once and connect with them so purely that it lays us bare, all cards on the table. It is painful, and powerful and raw and unique and so so beautiful. It hurts like a bitch and I wouldn’t give it up for anything.
I hope you’re reading sci-fi in the afterlife, space cowboy 🤍