#85 in Science fiction
To Be Taught, If Fortunate
- 153
- Pages
- about 3 h
- Reading time
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Our view
“To Be Taught, If Fortunate” packs a whole expedition into a novella. Four scientists survey distant worlds, described with a researcher’s patience and real delight in what life elsewhere might look like. The science feels credible, the crew feel like people, and the mood is more sober than the premise suggests. Some readers feel the late turn of the story is settled too quickly. Ideal for readers who want thoughtful science fiction in one evening.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
To Be Taught, If Fortunate is a 2019 science fiction novella by Becky Chambers set in the 22nd century featuring speculative astrobiology. It follows four scientists as they explore habitable worlds 15 light years from Earth.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.4 across 666 ratings. With that many, the reader vote carries 82% of the weight and the score stays at 8.3 — the Science fiction average of 7.8 barely moves it.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.2 | 30 | 5% |
| Hardcover | 8.4 | 636 | 96% |
Frequently asked
How long is To Be Taught, If Fortunate?
It has 153 pages — shorter than 99% of the ranked books in Science fiction.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
The same shelf — Science fiction — and a score of 8.3, the closest to this book.
