16 Orbits. 6 Astronauts. 1 Unforgettable Day. πβ¨
Orbital is a beautiful, evocative, and luminous masterpiece. As the shortest book ever to win the Booker Prize, it is a rare gem that you can experience in a single, breathless sitting—yet its impact will linger long after the final page.
The Premise: The story follows six astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as they orbit the Earth sixteen times within a 24-hour period. As they glide over continents and oceans, they monitor a massive typhoon brewing in the Pacific. From their vantage point, they watch its terrifying magnificence, feeling a strange detachment from the ground below while simultaneously fearing the looming destruction it carries.
The Emotional Core: The narrative shifts when news reaches the station of a death in one of the astronaut's families. Knowing their own loved ones are in the probable path of the storm, a profound sense of powerlessness settles over the crew. In the vast, silent vacuum of space, the fragility of human life fills the tiny, cramped cabin they share. It is a story about being far away from home when you are needed most.
The Verdict: Do not go into this expecting a high-octane space thriller like Gravity. Instead, Orbital is a quiet, profound meditation on the "bigger questions" of existence. It is a love letter to our planet and a reflection on what it means to be human in the face of the infinite.
If you are looking for a book that is short in length but infinite in depth, this is it.
π Orbital by Samantha Harvey is available at BookaliciousMY
