The second novel of Becky Chambers' wonderful Wayfarer series might be the most surprising book I read this year. Her debut novel, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet was one of the most enjoyable I read in 2014 - a clever and charming science fiction novel, which while not quite conventional covered comfortable territory for an occasional science fiction reader such as myself.
Common Orbit though is different. It's a far more static novel for one thing, which much of the action taking place in just a handful of locations rather than at light speed. More importantly though, while being a novel that deals heavily in Big Ideas - Artificial Intelligence; the politics and culture of difference; slavery and the evolution of humanity - it is at heart a much simpler story of love and loss, of loyalty and friendship.
The book entwines the tales of Sidra, an artificial intelligence entity, and Jane 23, a child bred for the sole purpose of serving a superior caste of humans known as the 'the Enhanced', by cleaning and fixing scrap mechanical and tech gear.
Sidra, removed from the spaceship she was running and illegally placed in a human 'kit' must come to terms with her new form as she establishes life on terra firma with her friend and liberator Pepper. Jane, almost inadvertantly, takes advantage of an accident in her factory to escape her slavery, eventually finding sanctuary on an abandoned ship where she is befriended by Owl, the craft's own AI.
Chambers then begins covering ground I last explored in Yuval Noah Harari's Homo Deus, the follow up to Sapiens, where the historian explores the human future, asking searching questions of - inter alia - the role of AI and the possibility of one group of super-humans subjugating another.
The narrative is driven by friendships: Jane's with Owl; Sidra with Pepper and then with an alien called Tak. (As an aside: Herein lies one of Chambers' strongest suits: the detailed construction of alien culture, behaviour and physiology. Tak is a fascinating creation and the care lavished over developing him/her - a long story - is well worth the effort.
The stories touch the ideas of what it is to be human, what it is to be a friend and the theories and boundaries of what it is possible to achieve with AI.
I wasn't sure about it at first - it was just so far from what I was expecting - but I thoroughly enjoyed it and really look forward to the next Wayfarers' installment. This book is capable of living as a standalone but I'd highly recommend reading both.