Samantha Harvey (Dear Thief) offers readers a slim but radiant novel of space, exploration, and meaning-making in Orbital, her fifth novel, which details the myriad depths held in just one day in the lives of six astronauts orbiting the Earth on an international space station.

Six men and women circle the planet at 17,500 miles per hour, a pace that takes a standard 24 hours and "throws sixteen days and nights at them in return." This mind-bending math is just a small slice of the disassociation thrust upon the six in space. They whirl about the Earth at an unfathomable pace that feels to them like stillness, tracking days with ticks on the wall, making lists of joys and anxieties and memories, gazing at photos, and sending e-mails back to family at home. They study microbes, viruses, fungi, and bacteria; observe 40 mice and their reactions to adjusted gravity in space; make notes on the human experience of space stations and space itself; observe the Earth and its weather systems from miles and miles away.

With Orbital, Harvey gives readers a powerful novel that, in less than 200 pages, manages to explore questions of philosophy and religion, faith, existence, meaning-making, art, grief, and gratitude, just to name a few. Her luscious and lyrical language is as close to poetry as it is to prose ("Outside the earth reels away in a mass of moonglow, peeling backward as they forge towards its edgeless edge"). Orbital is a gift of language, a meditation on meaning, and a beautiful exploration of perspective. --Kerry McHugh, freelance writer

More a prose poem than a novel, Harvey's slim, evocative volume is a minutely detailed description of one day aboard the International Space Station. Divided into chapters according to the station's orbits around the Earth (sixteen in one day), the novel delves into both the personal and the mechanical with equal degrees of sensitivity and emotional remove. We learn about the station's routines, the compromises and indignities of life in zero gravity, and the mechanics of maintaining the station and caring for the—far from pristine, in fact practically messy—space around it. Back on Earth, a mega-typhoon is forming, which the astronauts observe with dismay. Meanwhile, passing by and beyond the station, a just-launched rocket bids to deliver the first manned lunar mission in decades.

Orbital shifts between the points of view of the station's six astronauts—two Russians, and four American-backed from various countries. We learn about their lives—Japanese Chie has recently been rocked by the news of her mother's death, and is musing about her parents' history and how it inspired her to go into space; Englishwoman Nell exchanges emails with her husband even as she acknowledges that she has no idea what his life looks like, having spent only a few months together during the four years of her training. As they conduct experiments, perform repairs, collect garbage, and observe the aging station's messiness and disrepair, they frequently muse about the contrast between the grandeur of space travel in the abstract, and its mundane realities. Their days are spent careening between awe at the sights they've seen and the experiences they've gotten to have, resigned frustration at the cramped, smelly quarters and physical discomfort of life aboard the station, and recognition of the tremendous costs they've accepted for this rare opportunity—separation from their families, long-term physical effects of low gravity and radiation. All of them are aware that they are doing something objectively absurd, but also can't shake their belief that it is profoundly meaningful. Their intense disconnect from the Earth and the rest of humanity causes them to muse about their place in both, about humanity's conflicting impulses towards destruction and sublime achievement, and about their own inherent contradictions—as soon as they've achieved the thing they've been working towards for decades, they immediately turn back and think about what they've left behind. (All of this makes Orbital an interesting companion piece to Martin MacInnes's recently-discussed In Ascension.)

Orbital, however, is not purely a novel of character. The narrative slips into the astronauts' minds with ease, but it just as easily leaves them behind. It lets us see them as individuals, but just as often regards them as a singular whole, ultimately no different from any of the people who preceded them on the station, or who will follow them in the future—people who have probably had the same observations about how annoying it is to go to the bathroom in zero gravity, or the mingled freedom and terror of EVA. Just as frequently, the novel pulls back from character entirely, telling us about the workings of the station, the movement of the typhoon, or simply cataloguing the progression of those sixteen orbits and the parts of the planet they overfly. With a god's-eye view of the planet, Harvey muses poetically, and yet also with dry precision, about the image of the Earth from space, its shifting colors as the sun sets and rises, the landmasses that emerge and drift away, the typhoon as it forms and heads towards land. The narrative is full of geographical, technical, and historical detail, which creates a somewhat documentary effect, so dry and factual that readers will be expecting something dramatic to happen—for something to go wrong with the lunar mission, for the typhoon to have even more catastrophic effects than anticipated, or something even worse and more unexpected. There is a sense here of a calm before the storm. Eventually, however, one realizes that it is that calm—which is, of course, deceptive, concealing as it does ordinary human ferment and frustration—that is the point. As the station sails around and around the Earth, as its inhabitants are caught between wonder and tedium, and as the whole project of human spaceflight—of human endeavor, really—carries on, Orbital carries us confidently towards its conclusion, which is really just the beginning of another day.

Classify this as literary fiction with a slight scifi twist. Orbital is a deeply reflective and poetic take on humanity from low earth orbit. This follows six astronauts from across the globe on a nine month journey around our planet however, this story does not follow a linear path. Well, the writing style was beautiful; ultimately, I am not usually the audience for literary scifi. This is a story completely rooted in emotion with very little plot so if that’s your vibe, then this is gonna be a book for you.

This was an experience, watching the world go by - our blue green planet, through the eyes of six men and women as they finish one final mission. A meditative study on the world around as seen from several thousands of kilometers from above as the astronauts go about their life. There are glimpses into their lives, their experiences and the calm lyrical prose of the author that transmigrates the reader to that wonderful space of wonder and dream.

what a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of Orbital by Samantha Harvey.

It's not something that will ever happen in my life, but I have always wanted to go to space. When I read sci-fi, or watch shows and movies with space travel, I am always in awe (the awe often accompanied by a pang of jealousy).

Orbital was a lovely read for me. Reading this small novella of astronauts' experiences gave me a wonderful immersive experience into what would be my fantasy dream come true.

"Orbital" presents a fascinating concept of space themes without typical sci-fi elements, but the execution disappoints. While Harvey's prose occasionally shines, it often feels overwrought, with characters remaining underdeveloped. The novel's structure lacks coherence, blending sections without clear purpose. While it prompts existential contemplation, it ultimately lacks narrative substance.

This beautifully written, meditative novella on what it is to be human was right in my wheelhouse. I loved it so much I went ahead and purchased my own copy to keep after I was done. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the complimentary reading copy.

Written in a dreamy floaty style, this novella follows the day to day thoughts of a bunch of astronauts and cosmonauts on the space station as it orbits the earth. I guess I was supposed to take some philosophical insights from this but it didn’t work for me.

I was moved and changed by reading "Orbital." Samantha Harvey has gifted us with an amazingly articulated deep dive into space, the universe, and our place in it. It was an awe inspiring word picture that I could see as clearly as a NASA video. I predict a movie deal.

There were astronauts and families and people who are loved but, for me, their stories were usurped by the brilliance of space. Orbital changed my outlook, making everything feel simultaneously grander and smaller at the same time. How could I not give it 5*?

A group of astronauts and cosmonauts are on the last orbital flight around the Earth before the program is halted. We meet them and discover moments in their lives as they go about their duties, watching the progress of a typhoon, and interacting with each other.

Well-written prose illuminates the inner lives of these incredibly skilled and special people; the author conveys the science of what they are doing and what is happening to their bodies, but we also get an almost stream of consciousness feel to the 'nauts' thoughts as they consider their personal histories and their musings on the planet below them.

Even while I was reading this, I was trying to figure out what the author was saying through this plot-light book. This felt more like a meditation, a rumination on the short-sightedness of humans, even while it seemed to be celebrating the utter marvel that is the Earth.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Grove Atlantic for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Told over the course of one earth day by six astronauts as they orbit Earth, Orbital is a quiet, contemplative look at space and humanity. Recommended for fans of character-driven, thought-provoking, "all vibes no plot" books.

This was a beautiful exploration of people and our planet. It was a short but illuminating book that felt like a literary meditation. The prose was beautiful.

I loved this book! I appreciated the philosophical view of what it means to travel and live in space, without being heavy-handed. I liked the insight into each character's mind and their backstories.

This book is not for the science fiction readers. Slow in pace with little action, this book is very much a member of the literary fiction genre. That being said, I enjoyed it. Its rare to read a slower paced book set in space, especially one that focuses on the relationships between the characters as they exist and work in a small, intense space. Overall this was pleasant, but not for everyone.

A simple premise: six astronauts and cosmonauts, living and working on the International Space Station. This slim novel captures one day in their unusual lives, as they hurtle through space at 17,000 miles an hour. This might be one of the biggest surprise reads of the year for me. A fascinating meditation on our planet. A moving elegy of our place in the world and the universe. The writing is so smart, profound and contemplative. I was immediately hooked by her hypnotic narrative. Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for supplying me with an advanced galley.

Our blue pearl - the earth - circled by a team of astronauts of the ISS. Observing and thinking about it all far from home. They feel as if they have to protect this beautiful floating thing in the universe. Everyone should read this book to reflect on our life and our behavior toward our habitat. Left me very thoughtful.

3.75 stars rounded up.

This book was a conundrum for me. I'm a big fan of purple prose, especially if it's dripping with description and asks bigger questions. And Orbital by Samantha Harvey does that. It's a beautifully stunning commentary following six astronauts over one day orbiting the earth. The way we navigate the larger picture of the world, described in ways that brought tears to my eyes at times, to the smaller individual struggles of each astronaut was wonderful to read. BUT (and it's a big one) the ways this book tends to meander and go down rabbit holes without any real purpose almost lost me a few times. And this book isn't long.

I would say if you liked the thoughtfulness that was in To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers, you may like this. But this one definitely isn't as strong, in my opinion. I did really enjoy moments of this book though, and parts of it will stick with me forever.

Thank you to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic, and Libro.fm for the eARC and ALC. This title published December 5, 2023.

i LOVED the concept of ORBITAL, space themes without the heavy sci-fi or fantasy elements. but i wasn't quite expecting the stream-of-consciousness geography lesson that was ORBITAL in execution. harvey's prose was just as often stunning as it was overwrought, and the novel was too short to develop characters more than at a surface level. i can clearly see harvey's fascination with how emotionally charged it must be to spend time in space, looking at our globe from a vantage point where politics, borders, and conflicts disappear and only the beauty of millions of years of the universe's handiwork is on display. this certainly did provoke a bit of an existential crisis in me, but as a novel i was hoping for more coherency and grounding. the structure of the sections (16 orbits) blended into one another, and i'm unsure those were useful here. i think if you want woolf in space, this would be a great pick for you but just was not what i was expecting from the blurb.

I fear this didn't really work for me. It is a personal thing: fiction that tries to instill awe in the reader usually does not have that effect on me... In Orbital, the idea is to evoke the beauty of our tiny and vulnerable planet and the lives lived on it by observing and contemplating it from space.

For me a good nature documentary has a much stronger impact.

If there had been a plot it could have been more interesting and impactful (In Ascension by Martin McGinnes for instance does that).

That is not to say it isn't well-written!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Unique voice with a great sense of authorial speech. Really impressed! Just give me more of what she is brewing.