On November 12th, 2024, Orbital by Samantha Harvey won the annual Booker Prize. A turn of events that was initially thrilling for me since I adore Science Fiction. The book is set at the ISS. and narrated by six separate astronauts, painting their observations and viewing the Earth as it coils around Earth through the duration of separate orbits.
Now, Orbital is the first work of Science Fiction to win the prestigious Booker Prize.
As a writer who has bought tickets and will be attending her event at the Auckland New Zealand Annual Writer’s Festival event in 2025, I could not be more excited to see the kind of narration and discussions to be seen. But as the booker prize goes, this award comes with a heaviness of expectation for specific types of content.
Depending on these expectations and as a work of fiction and literature, you may love it madly or find it missing some staple element of modern fiction in a novel.
First of all, beyond anything, the ordnance of Orbital metaphors is truly vast and delicious. It is a life-attuning variety of descriptions, and for that alone, I can understand why the book won the Booker Prize.
Every page is filled to the brim with copious descriptions of the book, which is a feast for the mental senses and is beyond gorgeous. Complex metaphors, similes, variance of points of view (Between the six astronauts), and a library full of diverse language use that breaks the mold.
Suppose you were seeking this use of and nothing else. Then, this book would overwhelm the senses like an ancient urn overflying with its fullness.
However, if you were expecting deep character depth arcs, action towards conceptual plot twists, a build-up of conflict, and the eventuality of the final denouement, you might find Orbital misses the mark. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an absolute gem of contemporary literature. But for those markers, if you’re waiting for the rush of the structure by plot progression, inductive dialogue, and actions towards a resolution, then a work of amazement like Orbital might not be what you’re looking for.
All bases covered, Orbital was an exciting read. It can be found online on Amazon or in local bookstores everywhere. It is an example of how a book’s imagery can change people’s views of how fiction can be written. She will be entertained at an event on Saturday, May 17th, at the Auckland Book Writers Festival. You can buy tickets for that event as well from that link.