Record of a Spaceborn Few cover art

Record of a Spaceborn Few

Wayfarers 3

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

Record of a Spaceborn Few

By: Becky Chambers
Narrated by: Patricia Rodriguez Rodriguez
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £15.79

Buy Now for £15.79

LIMITED TIME OFFER

£0.99/mo for 3 months - terms apply. Offer ends 24 August 2026.
'The best speculative fiction currently being written' John Connolly

*THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND HUGO AWARD WINNER FOR BEST SERIES*

From the ground, we stand. From our ship, we live. By the stars, we hope.

The incredible new novel by Becky Chambers, author of the beloved The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.

#SpacebornFew

Centuries after the last humans left Earth, the Exodus Fleet is a living relic, a place many are from but few outsiders have seen. Humanity has finally been accepted into the galactic community, but while this has opened doors for many, those who have not yet left for alien cities fear that their carefully cultivated way of life is under threat.

Tessa chose to stay home when her brother Ashby left for the stars, but has to question that decision when her position in the Fleet is threatened.

Kip, a reluctant young apprentice, itches for change but doesn't know where to find it.

Sawyer, a lost and lonely newcomer, is just looking for a place to belong.

When a disaster rocks this already fragile community, those Exodans who still call the Fleet their home can no longer avoid the inescapable question:

What is the purpose of a ship that has reached its destination?

PRAISE

'The best speculative fiction currently being written . . . Becky Chambers is a wonder, and I feel better for having her books in my life.' John Connolly, author of the Charlie Parker Thrillers

'Yes, these books really are that good . . . Anyone who scorns sci-fi as a lesser genre really doesn't deserve to read anything as splendid as this.' Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat

'An emotional, moving look at what it means to be human, and the importance of heritage and legacy' Lauren James, author of The Loneliest Girl in the Universe©2018 Becky Chambers Adventure Fantasy Fiction Science Fiction Space Opera Heartfelt Tear-jerking
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Critic reviews

PRAISE FOR RECORD OF A SPACEBORN FEW:
The best speculative fiction currently being written . . . Becky Chambers is a wonder, and I feel better for having her books in my life
Richly human, believable [and] compelling . . . underlain with a deep compassion and a feeling for community
Terrific. . . a masterly exploration of characterisation and diversity wrapped in intensity, heartbreak and tension
An intensely powerful and multifaceted meditation on time, history, change, and memory, leavened with a welcome touch of humor . . . This is a superb work from one of the genre's rising stars.
This novel was exactly what I hoped it would be and more . . . Moving in what feels like small personal ways but is actually big, universal ways and it is uplifting on the same scale
An emotional, moving look at what it means to be human, and the importance of heritage and legacy
Both fascinating and entertaining... Becky's portrayal of humanity is generous, kind and honest
Checks all the boxes . . . driven by well-drawn, likable, and diverse characters in a complex future world.
'Relatable characters in a fascinating universe . . . the writing uplifts and captivates'
Beautifully written and fascinating
PRAISE FOR THE WAYFARERS:
Deeply moving... the sparky empathy of Chambers' writing [draws] you into these strange creatures' hearts and minds in a way that is never less than deeply involving.
A joyous, optimistic space opera... Although it isn't shy about tackling Big Questions, Planet is a heart-warming debut novel that will restore your faith in science fiction (specifically) and humanity (in general).
A quietly profound, humane tour de force'
Becky Chambers writes aliens like no one else ... the only flaw in this series is you'll wish you could spend more time with all of them

Audible Sessions with Becky Chambers

Meet the author of Record of a Spaceborn Few
0:00
All stars
Most relevant
The chapters are named in the audible navigation after the character it focuses on, so there are many chapters with the same names. Really bad. Story and narration is awesome.

Whoever named the chapters is pure evil.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is the third book in the Wayfarer series, although it is also a stand alone book. I love Becky Chambers skills as a writer. Each book in this series has been different but just as enjoyable as each other. She has a wonderful way of bringing characters to life. Her science fiction is exciting and believable. I am looking forward to reading the fourth book in the series.
The narration is great. The narrator brings a wonderful energy to the story and I think her style suits these books very well.
Enjoy!

Recommend

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Just finished reading three books in this series. Every one of them has been a pleasure, with interesting concepts and well developed characters. I read a lot of sci fi and it's a lovely change of pace to read stories that aren't all about lasers and explosions.

Another excellent entry in the series

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The story is clever but lacks a common thread or definitive ending. It is beautiful lore and fills in a lot of back story for the original books. However it feels like the lore you pick up and read in computer games and is missing the actual main story line. For all that it's a fun listen and kept me sane while plastering.

Good but definitely the weakest of the series so far

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
For me, this is the weakest of the Wayfarers books, I don't think it has the same energy as the first two carrying the story and characters forward. I suppose this might be a feature of a story about a society that has lost its focus and purpose, but it didn't make for as enjoyable a story for me. Perhaps I'll come back to it another day and find it again

Worth a listen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews