Published Dec. 28, 2019 by Harper Voyager.
At the turn of the twenty-second century, scientists make a breakthrough in human spaceflight. Through a revolutionary method known as somaforming, astronauts can survive in hostile environments off Earth using synthetic biological supplementations. With the fragile body no longer a limiting factor, human beings are at last able to explore exoplanets long suspected to harbour life.
Admittedly, I was hoping for more Wayfarers type stuff, and it's not that. Maybe I'll like it more on a re-read. It just felt more like a science lesson. I think maybe I'd have enjoyed it more if I hadn't just read a Neal Stephenson book, who also feels an urge to educate.
Still enjoyable, slow-paced comfort sci-fi novella.
An excellent novella about realistic space exploration. It had a fresh take on the 'spam in a can' problem that I had not seen before (based on real science) and a minimum of handwavium. Chamber's characters always engage and the family dynamic she prefers makes for compelling communities in space. Recommended.
