Samantha Harvey won the Booker Prize this year for her slender novel Orbital (2023), set at the International Space Station over the course of a single day. As the space station orbits the Earth, the four astronauts (from Italy, America, UK and Japan) and two Russian cosmonauts, reflect on the beauty and fragility of their home planet.
Life in space isn't glamorous, as they eat dehydrated meals, hang in sleeping bags to sleep, and have to exercise to prevent their bodies from failing. Despite their differences, the six bond over their shared humanity.
In many ways Orbital is a love letter to the planet and our global kinship. The borders that divide nations are not visible from space, harmonising the planet. Harvey describes the vibrant colours and features of the landscape. She shifts her gaze between the lights on a fishing boat to a developing weather system which may have devastating impact.
Harvey's prose was lovely and, as a world traveller, I enjoyed her descriptions of shorelines, mountains and plains. She rhapsodises about the planet and there is something strangely hypnotic about the way she writes. What was missing for me was a plot to ground the story and propel character development, so I felt a bit disconnected to the novel. But I realise that, much like the Velazquez' Las Meninas portrait discussed in the book, the focal point of the story is misleading. While the astronauts gaze down on the planet, on Earth we gaze at the stars.
I know that some people have avoided Orbital because they worry it will be science fiction. As a fan of the genre, I can assure you it is not sci-fi. This is a novella laced with poetry and it is well worth a read.
PS - As much as I enjoyed Orbital I still reckon Percival Everett should have one the Booker for James.