Cover Samantha Harvey won the Booker Prize in 2024 for ‘Orbital’ (Photo by David Levenson/Getty Images)
Samantha Harvey won the Booker Prize in 2024 for ‘Orbital’ (Photo by David Levenson/Getty Images)
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If you loved the Booker Award-winning ‘Orbital’ here are other poetic, contemplative sci-fi reads to add to your list
Samantha Harvey’s Orbital, winner of the 2024 Booker Prize, is a contemplative and beautifully rendered novel that captures the quiet majesty of space through the perspectives of six astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
Harvey, the first woman since 2019 to win the prestigious award, is known for her lyrical prose and philosophical depth. In Orbital, she brings a fresh, literary approach to the genre, blending meticulous research with a meditative exploration of time, memory, and existence. Despite having no prior background in space studies, she crafted the novel through extensive research, infusing the narrative with a poetic sensibility that transcends traditional science fiction. The novel reflects on Earth’s fragility, the weightlessness of both the body and the soul, and the profound solitude of life beyond our planet. If you were captivated by Orbital’s introspective and immersive storytelling, here are some books—both published and upcoming—that offer a similarly reflective experience.
Poetic and meditative
Above Meditative books to read if you liked 'Orbital'
Meditative books to read if you liked 'Orbital'
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Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
This time-spanning novel moves between different eras, from 1912 to a moon colony centuries in the future, weaving together the stories of characters who experience strange anomalies in time. With its elegant prose and themes of memory, nostalgia, and the fragility of existence, it offers a contemplative look at humanity's place in the universe.
The Book of Records by Madeleine Thien
A philosophical meditation on time and human connection, this novel follows Lina, a young girl caring for her father in a mysterious, oceanic world. While not traditionally sci-fi, it has an expansive, almost cosmic quality that mirrors Orbital's reflective approach to storytelling.
The Man Who Fell to Earth by Walter Tevis
This melancholic novel tells the story of Thomas Jerome Newton, an alien who comes to Earth in search of water for his dying planet. His journey becomes one of isolation and disillusionment as he grapples with human society's flaws. With its deeply introspective tone, the book explores themes of loneliness, addiction, and the loss of home.
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
Set in a distant future where humanity and nature coexist harmoniously, this novel follows a tea monk who meets a robot, the first to emerge after centuries of absence. Together, they discuss life's purpose and what it means to be truly alive. It's a quiet, hopeful book that, like Orbital, finds depth in small, profound moments.
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Sci-Fi and space-focused
Above If you like something more sci-fi and space-focused, try these.
If you like something more sci-fi and space-focused, try these.
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The Wanderers by Meg Howrey
This novel follows three astronauts training for the first human mission to Mars, undergoing an intense simulation that pushes the boundaries of reality and isolation. As they prepare for space, they also grapple with the emotional and psychological weight of leaving Earth behind. The novel is less about action and more about the internal lives of the astronauts, making it a deeply human exploration of ambition and solitude.
In Ascension by Martin MacInnes
A microbiologist is recruited for a deep-space mission to study an ancient, unexplained phenomenon at the edge of the solar system. The novel blends scientific discovery with deeply existential questions about the origins of life and the vastness of the unknown. Its introspective tone and philosophical themes align with the space pastoral genre.
Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson
This hard sci-fi novel follows a generation ship traveling to the Tau Ceti system, focusing on the ethical and emotional dilemmas of interstellar colonization. As the ship's systems begin to fail, the characters must confront the stark reality of their journey and whether humanity is meant to leave Earth at all. The novel's meditative passages on space, survival, and human resilience mirror the quiet awe found in Orbital.
The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei
Aboard a generation ship carrying the last hope for human survival, a catastrophic event forces the crew to question not just their mission, but their own purpose. The novel mixes suspense with philosophical reflections on what it means to leave Earth behind and whether humanity can truly start over elsewhere.
Philosophical and reflective
Above Books that are more philosophical in tone.
Books that are more philosophical in tone.
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Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Set in the 1980s during the height of NASA's Space Shuttle program, this novel follows Joan Goodwin, a physicist and one of the first female astronauts. When a mission goes wrong, Joan must navigate the pressures of leadership and the emotional weight of being responsible for her crew. While grounded in real-world history, the novel's introspective tone and deep character focus make it resonate with Orbital's quiet reflections on space and humanity.
Light from Other Stars by Erika Swyler
This novel follows a young girl whose scientist father has discovered a way to manipulate time, leading to unexpected consequences for their small Florida town. Though not set in space, the novel's exploration of time, memory, and human fragility creates a meditative, cosmic feel that aligns with Orbital's thematic concerns.
For those drawn to the poetic, contemplative nature of Orbital, these books provide similar explorations of space, memory, and humanity's search for meaning.
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