Orbital (novel) facts for kids
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| Author | Samantha Harvey |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape Grove Atlantic |
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Publication date
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2 November 2023 |
| Pages | 144 |
| ISBN | 978-1-7873-3434-2 |
Orbital is an exciting science fiction book from 2023. It was written by an English author named Samantha Harvey. The story is about six made-up astronauts who spend 24 hours on the International Space Station. Many people loved this book! It even won the famous 2024 Booker Prize and the Hawthornden Prize. It was also considered for other big awards like the Orwell Prize and the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize.
How the Book Was Created
While writing Orbital, Samantha Harvey watched a live video feed of Earth from the International Space Station. She started writing the book in the 2010s. However, she stopped after writing about 5,000 words. She felt she didn't know enough about space travel.
Harvey told the BBC that she thought, "I have never been to space. I could never go to space... Who am I to do this?" But she started writing again in 2020. This was during the time of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. She decided to stop worrying about "trespassing in space" and finished the novel.
In an interview, Harvey shared her goal. She wanted to write the book like a "space pastoral". This means she focused on how real and beautiful space is. She didn't want to focus as much on the made-up parts of science fiction.
What the Story Is About
The book's story takes place over just 24 hours. It follows six made-up astronauts and cosmonauts. They come from different countries like Japan, the United States, Britain, Italy, and Russia. There are four men and two women. They are all aboard the International Space Station as it orbits Earth.
The book describes their official jobs and tasks on the spacecraft. But it also shows their thoughts about humanity. They think about big ideas like the existence of God, the meaning of life, and problems like climate change.
For a short time, the story changes perspective. It includes parts told by an alien, a robot, and even a very old human sailing on the sea. Each chapter of the book covers one 90-minute trip around Earth. There are 16 such trips in the 24 hours the story covers.
Awards and Recognition
Orbital has won several important awards:
- 2024 Booker Prize: This is a very famous literary award.
- Hawthornden Prize: Another respected award for writers.
- The InWords Literary Award: This book also won this prize.
It was also considered for other major awards:
- Orwell Prize for Political Fiction: This award is for books that deal with political topics.
- Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for imaginative fiction: This prize celebrates creative and imaginative stories.
See also
In Spanish: Orbital (novela) para niños
