Book Review - Orbital by Samantha Harvey
Conceptually brilliant but hollow in some important places.
Orbital does exactly what the title suggests: it tells the story of international astronauts in orbit around the Earth and the cyclical nature of their isolated days. We learn a lot about how they eat, sleep and spend their downtime between work periods, suggesting some thorough research. We also witness the maelstrom of emotions these pioneers go through, from the excitement of a childhood dream realised, to the regret at leaving home behind and far below.
My concern is that we don't spend long enough with each of the astronauts to become fully invested in their complex lives. The only one I really connected with was the grieving Chie, but that probably says more about my current mindset than Harvey's prose.
She writes some exquisite descriptions of life in space and the unique view of the world it provides, both philosophical and poetic. However this did come to feel self-indulgent at times, not to mention a means of avoiding plot. While I didn't expect Orbital to be like most popular spacefaring tales, I do think the book would have benefited from greater focus on the astronauts' relationships and perhaps the typhoon they observe wreaking havoc on Earth.
Perhaps I've lost sight of what is meant to be a literary book about the bliss and indifference of outer space travel as well as a fresh take on ecological collapse, but I still wish Orbital had committed more to its character development and storytelling consequences. Nevertheless it remains an impressive read if you have the staying power and an enduring passion for astronaut journeys.