Orbital

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of illness or death.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Harvey structures Orbital around 16 orbits, representing 24 hours in the life of the space station crew. How did this compressed timeframe affect your reading experience? Did the unique temporal structure enhance or limit your understanding of the characters’ internal lives?

2. The International Space Station serves as both a setting and a metaphor throughout the novel. How did this environment shape your perception of the themes Harvey explores? In what ways does the station itself become a character in the narrative?

3. How does Orbital compare to other literary works that examine humanity’s relationship with space? If you’ve read Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles, how does Harvey’s contemplative approach differ from Bradbury’s more speculative vision of space exploration?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Throughout the novel, the astronauts grapple with feelings of isolation despite being surrounded by colleagues. When have you experienced similar paradoxical feelings of isolation within a group setting? How did you navigate those emotions?

2. Chie processes her grief for her mother while separated from Earth by hundreds of miles. How has physical distance from loved ones affected your experiences of grief or significant life events?

3. The astronauts frequently contemplate Earth’s beauty and fragility as they observe it from orbit. Did reading the novel change how you think about our planet? What perspectives might we gain by seeing Earth from a distance?

4. Pietro maintains a connection with the Filipino fisherman despite their vastly different circumstances. What unlikely relationships in your life have provided perspective or meaning?

5. The crew members must reconcile their personal ambitions with the reality that newer missions will overshadow their work. When have you had to accept that your contributions might be stepping stones rather than ultimate achievements? How did you find meaning in that realization?

6. Shaun struggles to reconcile his faith with the vastness of the universe, similar to characters in Harvey’s earlier novel The Western Wind. How do you navigate questions of meaning and purpose in your life?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel contrasts the resources devoted to space exploration against climate disasters affecting vulnerable populations. How does this parallel reflect current global priorities? What responsibility do wealthy nations have to address climate change versus funding scientific advancement?

2. Harvey portrays the space station as transcending national borders while still being subject to geopolitics. How does this tension reflect contemporary international relations? What does the novel suggest about the possibility of genuine international cooperation?

3. The space station’s toilets are segregated by nationality, yet the crew ignores these divisions. What examples from our world demonstrate similar resistance to artificial boundaries? What barriers prevent this kind of unity on a larger scale?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Velázquez’s painting Las Meninas is a recurring symbol throughout the novel. How does Pietro’s interpretation of the dog as the subject illuminate Shaun’s understanding of human vanity? What does this revelation suggest about humanity’s cosmic significance?

2. The typhoon forms a parallel narrative to the lunar mission throughout the novel. How does this work as both a plot device and a thematic element? What message does this contrast convey about human priorities?

3. Harvey frequently shifts between the confined space of the station and the vast expanse beyond. How does this contrast between confined and infinite spaces enhance the novel’s thematic exploration of isolation and cosmic insignificance?

4. Each of the six crew members represents different aspects of human experience. How do their individual stories complement one another to create a fuller picture of humanity? Which character’s perspective resonated most with you, and why?

5. Dreams and memory play significant roles in how the characters process their experiences. How does Harvey use these elements to explore the characters’ inner lives? What do the dream sequences in Chapter 20 reveal that conscious thought couldn’t express?

6. The novel compresses cosmic history into a single year to emphasize human insignificance. How did this affect your perspective as a reader? What other moments of compressed or expanded time appear in the novel, and what purpose do they serve?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were to design a new scientific experiment for the station crew to conduct, what would it be? 

2. Harvey presents the space station as destined for eventual destruction. Imagine an alternative future for the station: How might its purpose evolve beyond the novel’s timeframe? What new meaning might it take on for future generations?

3. Create a brief epilogue from the perspective of one character five years after these events. How have they integrated their space experience into their life on Earth?

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