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Spontaneous sentiments rendering conventional cance. In fact from the unimaginable dimensions
trail into somnambulant deficiencies of plot and space station’s distance, of the solar system, the
grief and melancholy while characterisation inconse- mankind is a creature that undeniable fact that Earth
ecstasy and enjoyment are quential. The advantage of comes out only at night. is just one of eight planets,
tied to tasks directed by space offers the astronauts “Mankind is the light of rotating around an average
a warm voice through a and through them read- cities and the illuminated endangered star that could
virtual-reality headset. ers, a unique perspective filament of roads.” To collapse or explode, makes
The author has com- of Mother Earth who these humans suspended civilisation vulnerable.
mendably researched provides them life and in space, distance offers Aggregation of
the entire space travel nurturance. One gets a a complex concept of the astronomy, geography,
experience gathering in- perspective of the world post-human. philosophy, religion,
formation about technical in which continents and Yet even as the space science and technology
details, examining images countries are seamlessly voyagers often over- through subtle shifts in
of earth through a tiny inter-connected, “an epic whelmed by the spec- the omniscient narrative
spaceship window, accu- poem of flowing verses”. tacular dignity of the earth, voice of Orbital isn’t easy
mulating data on previous Even as the astronauts fantasise about unwinding reading. The novella (one
missions. In doing so, she “slipping through time heliocentric centuries to of the shortest in recent
has expanded the generic zones in silence” scour speculate on divinity, plan- times selected for the
definition of sci-fi, and has geographical terrains on etary orbits, cosmic space Booker Prize), reflects
added trends in aerospace earth far below, across and distance, the grand intensely on the human
engineering and space vaguely identifiable seas conclusion dawns that predicament and critiques
travel to the sum of human and coastlines, the Arctic, humans are merely on the the Anthropocene era.
knowledge. Antarctic and other sidelines of the universe. This postmodernist book
Through all this, a continents, mountains Realisation that knowl- is worth reading because
steady philosophical and deserts, they are edge surfacing through of the extraordinary
theme enwraps the stream awestruck by a sense of scientific enquiry has no immersive, surrealistic
of consciousness narra- enormity that reduces centre, is a massive blow experience it provides.
tion, claiming attention, humans into insignifi- to the human ego. The JAYATI GUPTA

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