To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

★★★★★

Erudite, captivating and thought-provoking sci-fi tale

“We step out of our solar system into the universe seeking only peace and friendship – to teach, if we are called upon; to be taught, if we are fortunate.”
– from former UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim’s message on the Voyager Golden Records, included aboard Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, launched in 1977

Ariadne O’Neill (born in 2081) and her three crewmates, mission specialists Elena Quesada-Cruz, Chikondi Daka and Jack Vo, are on an interstellar mission to survey exoplanets which are known or thought to sustain life. As Lawki 6, they form part of the Lawki program developed by Open Cluster Aeronautics (OCA), a global non-governmental organisation of citizen-funded spaceflight founded by a group of frustrated scientists, academics, intellectuals and public servants tired of materialism and and myopia preventing progress and evolution. The motto of OCA is “exploration for exploration’s sake” in the spirit of collective enterprise, with every citizen on Earth, billionaire or unemployed, free to donate whatever they can afford to the endeavour, with no promise of bribes or profits or anything in return, save the joy of having contributed to and been a part of humanity’s ongoing exploration of the universe.

As they travel far away from Earth in their ship Merian to the moon Aecor and terrestrial planets Mirabilis, Opera and Votum, Ariadne and her crewmates make groundbreaking discoveries that will change the faces of exobiology and planetary science. However, the regular years-old communications they receive from OCA back on Earth gradually become ever more odd and ominous, until one day the messages stop altogether …

Narrated by Ariadne in the first person, To Be Taught, If Fortunate is a fascinating, engaging and poignant account of a space mission set in the future. The characterisations and interactions of the four humans in this extraordinary environment are realistically, believably, and at times humorously rendered. Wonder and banality exist in tandem in these astronauts’ lives; overwhelming excitement and crushing tedium coexist. The book does a marvellous job of evocatively capturing both the day-to-day, stir-crazy claustrophobia of existence on the ship, and the contrasting magnitude and awe of setting foot upon the strange, magnificent landscapes of distant worlds and discovering unknown forms of alien life.

And yet, these two extremes are linked. Landing on a new planet or moon for the first time requires a form of temporary genetically engineered change known as “somaforming”, whereby the astronauts’ bodies are enhanced over time in stasis to become more suitable and to cause the least damage to each different world’s environment. Humanity’s horizons are expanding not only to the stars but on a biological level as well. In the tradition of the great science fiction works of authors such as Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke, To Be Taught, If Fortunate is grounded in genuine scientific research, in particular the work of Lisa Nip from the MIT Media Lab, to whom the author acknowledges her debt.

“Humans are nothing if not adaptable,” Ariadne observes, pointing out that the true meaning of Charles Darwin’s “survival of the fittest” does not in fact mean “survival of the strongest” but “survival of the most fit”, i.e. the most suited to particular environments. The theme of metamorphosis, of the capacity for adaptation and change, is a constant thread throughout the novel; however, “somaforming” is a transformation not undergone for selfish, individualistic or narcissistic reasons, but to protect the environments and indigenous life forms of other worlds. The ecological message is paramount, and the importance of preservation and protection placed above all other considerations.

With this, the inevitable questions surrounding the state of our own planet and the worthiness of space exploration are raised, and To Be Taught, If Fortunate does not shy away from them. Why should humans explore space and other worlds when we cannot solve the problems facing our own planet? Does space exploration and the knowledge it brings benefit humanity in ways not understood or valued by a system steeped in money, greed, war, material acquisition and tribal politics? Should that knowledge be valued for its own sake? Should we endanger lives, expend so much time and effort, and risk failure to acquire this knowledge? There is no mistaking which side of the argument the author is on – the entire novella effectively and convincingly makes her argument – but, at the end of the story, having presented her case, she asks the reader from within the narrative to make up their own mind. In an age in which belligerent anti-intellectualism and dangerous science denial are on the ascendant, books like To Be Taught, If Fortunate shine like beacons of light in a dark world. Most highly recommended.

Jo-Anne Blanco (as Arwen Evenstar) for Breakaway Reviewers

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

©Jo-Anne Blanco 2019