Record of a Spaceborn Few

By: Becky Chambers

Narrated by: Rachel Dulude

Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Series!

Brimming with Chambers' signature blend of heart-warming character relationships and dazzling adventure, Record of a Spaceborn few is the third standalone installment of the Wayfarers series, set in the sprawling universe of the Galactic Commons, and following a new motley crew on a journey to another corner corner of the cosmos—one often mentioned, but not yet explored.

Return to the sprawling universe of the Galactic Commons, as humans, artificial intelligence, aliens, and some beings yet undiscovered explore what it means to be a community in this exciting third adventure in the acclaimed and multi-award-nominated science fiction Wayfarers series, brimming with heartwarming characters and dazzling space adventure.

Hundreds of years ago, the last humans on Earth boarded the Exodus Fleet in search of a new home among the stars. After centuries spent wandering empty space, their descendants were eventually accepted by the well-established species that govern the Milky Way.

But that was long ago. Today, the Exodus Fleet is a living relic, the birthplace of many, yet a place few outsiders have ever visited. While the Exodans take great pride in their original community and traditions, their culture has been influenced by others beyond their bulkheads. As many Exodans leave for alien cities or terrestrial colonies, those who remain are left to ponder their own lives and futures: What is the purpose of a ship that has reached its destination? Why remain in space when there are habitable worlds available to live? What is the price of sustaining their carefully balanced way of life—and is it worth saving at all?

A young apprentice, a lifelong spacer with young children, a planet-raised traveler, an alien academic, a caretaker for the dead, and an Archivist whose mission is to ensure no one’s story is forgotten, wrestle with these profound universal questions. The answers may seem small on the galactic scale, but to these individuals, it could mean everything.

Melodrama among the exodus

Becky Chambers' Record of a Spaceborn Few is her 3rd installment (and perhaps the final) in her wayfarers series. This story picks up immediately after the 1st book with no connection to book 2. Various human characters and their lives are portrayed that provide a flavor of the descendants of the exodus fleet that left Earth centuries earlier, along with some background on their current lives and how generations in space have changed them. There's good and bad people, but everyone is mostly surviving.

There's little of alien races, save for one species that has a quite different social and child rearing conventions. Much time is spent describing adaptations humanity has made and endured through generations living in space. Through an archivist, we learn much of the history, while a young man who doesn't fit in finds no peace and teenagers will always be teenagers.

The narration is well done with decent character distinction and good pacing.

really enjoyed this

it was a fun story and great sci-fi world building, not quite as good as the other two in the series but still a great cozy read

So happy I followed through with this series!

The negative reviews stating this final book in the series had no plot, and was just a random grouping of stories, were absolutely incorrect.

I considered not using a precious credit on this book because of those reviews. I was already disappointed that rest of the Wafarer series revisited the actual crew of the Wayfarer… I really love those characters and I am hoping they will get another book of their own! Don’t get me wrong, I ended up adoring Sidra, Pepper and Blue, but the name of the series is “Wayfarer”! I digress…

The stories told are a slow burn. It took a while before I felt connected to any character but the one that resembled me and my lifestyle. I reminded myself that is how I felt with books 1&2 and nearly every character ended up engaging me in their journey. So it is was no surprise to me that she did it again! This story has angsty teens, bandits, relatable daily routines, fun tech, family, mystery, murder, love, remorse and rebirth. The biggest theme: the power of tradition and genuine connection + understanding to that tradition. Then she brings them all together in such a satisfying way. Perfect!

I hope you feel confident about your decision to use a precious credit for this book, but I also hope that you feel as satisfied as I do after you

Thoughtful and very, very good

Ms. Chambers continues to provide insight and provoke thoughts, once again in thoroughly enjoyable fashion. In no way denigrating her earlier works, this is my favorite so far. Through examination of a few intersecting but not overlapping lives, she has woven a very cohesive tale that is both believable in its context and imaginative in creating that context. It’s a coming of age story for multiple ages. And as narrator, Ms. Dulude took this excellent material and made it even better. This is really not an “action” story, but it moves quickly and deliberately, engrossing the listener. I look forward to more!

Forgot the plot part

I really liked the first two books, but this one is flat. Nothing happens in a very nice way.