A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky ChambersMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a sequel to the excellent "A long way to a small angry planet", and it's difficult to talk about it without comparing it to the first one. This story is at the same time more intimate and emotional, but also more expansive and with more worldbuilding; sounds contradictory, but it does manage to do both at the same time. First, it tells the stories of Sidra and of Jane, really focusing on the characters, how their stories parallel and orbit each other (the revelation of who Jane is happens right at the start). This story is not only intimate, but also very emotional - specially the one of Jane, it is sad and delivers some gut punches. But on the other hand, this novel also feels like a pause in the series, so that while it stops to tell a much simpler story of two people, it also takes it time to do some worldbuilding, diving deep into some miscellaneous aspects of this universe where they inhabit. This second part is not particularly exciting, nothing mind-blowing nor revolutionary, but still interesting.
In general, I like the message that it carries, about kindness about "paying forward", and about community. But I am not sure I like the anti-government stance, and how it focus only on circles of friends and commune-like social structures as the best possible arrangement of people (both for humans and aliens). I guess the message is that chosen families are the best families (which is not wrong). In the end, this book is truly about relationships, rather than any aspect of sci-fi, technology, or philosophy. There are also some thoughts on the nature of sentience, and rights of Ais - but I think it was done in a very superficial way. I think the AIs are really there to showcase the "humanity" of those interacting with them (like, how do we treat people who are different?); to serve as metaphors for minorities - link in the case of Sidra, of LGBT people trying to fit in or find their place in the world.
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