A Space Novel for Earth Lovers

I’ve never been a space guy. Earth, like Robert Frost said, seems to be “the right place for love.” While I appreciate the ambition of those of us who want to travel to Mars, I’m not attracted to the idea because I’m not desperately in love with the prospect of discovering new rocks. A total lack of flora and fauna seems un-enticing. Hence, reading a book set on the International Space Station didn’t strike me as immediately appealing. But Samantha Harvey’s Orbital is unique in that it’s a space story that launches off only to turn back to Earth, contemplating its bright, singular fact—so unlike anything we’ve yet encountered in the frigid, lifeless depths of space.