A breathtaking journey through space and the human experience beneath.

Orbital is a captivating new novel from Betty Trask Prize-winner Samantha Harvey, offering a profound meditation on space, time, and the human experience. This succinct yet powerful narrative centers on six astronauts — hailing from America, Russia, Italy, Britain, and Japan — who embark on one of the final missions to the space station, a journey that sees them circling the Earth at speeds exceeding seventeen thousand miles per hour.

The narrative unfolds during a single day in their lives as they float in the vast silence of space, tethered only by their memories and communications with family back home. Through their eyes, we witness sixteen sunrises and sunsets, evoking both awe and bittersweet nostalgia for the planet below. As they engage in daily routines, like preparing dehydrated meals and exercising to stave off the effects of zero gravity, the astronauts form deep connections, providing a poignant counterpoint to their physical isolation. Each moment captures the sacred dualities of existence — the thrill of exploration juxtaposed against the haunting beauty of their silent blue planet.

Harvey’s eloquent prose weaves these encounters into a moving elegy that reflects on our fleeting time on Earth and the pressing urgency to cherish it. This book has garnered a rating of 3.65 from over 46,000 readers, proving its resonance amid a backdrop of shifting perspectives. The author, Samantha Harvey, is known for her descriptive style and thoughtful storytelling, having accumulated an average rating of 3.62 from more than 54,000 readers across her works.

Orbital is no mere flight of fancy; it’s a contemplative journey into the human spirit, and a timely reminder of our fragile existence in an infinite universe.