The Wanderers
Written by Meg Howrey
Narrated by Mozhan Marno
3.5/5
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Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
"A transcendent, cross-cultural, and cross planetary journey into the mysteries of space and self. . . . Howrey's expansive vision left me awestruck." -Ruth Ozeki
"Howrey's exquisite novel demonstrates that the final frontier may not be space after all." -J. Ryan Stradal
In an age of space exploration, we search to find ourselves.
In four years, aerospace giant Prime Space will put the first humans on Mars. Helen Kane, Yoshihiro Tanaka, and Sergei Kuznetsov must prove they're the crew for the historic voyage by spending seventeen months in the most realistic simulation ever created. Constantly observed by Prime Space's team of "Obbers," Helen, Yoshi, and Sergei must appear ever in control. But as their surreal pantomime progresses, each soon realizes that the complications of inner space are no less fraught than those of outer space. The borders between what is real and unreal begin to blur, and each astronaut is forced to confront demons past and present, even as they struggle to navigate their increasingly claustrophobic quarters-and each other.
Astonishingly imaginative, tenderly comedic, and unerringly wise, The Wanderers explores the differences between those who go and those who stay, telling a story about the desire behind all exploration: the longing for discovery and the great search to understand the human heart.
Meg Howrey
Meg Howrey is the author of the novels THE WANDERERS, THE CRANES DANCE, and BLIND SIGHT. Her non-fiction has appeared in Vogue and The Los Angeles Review of Books. Meg was a professional dancer who performed with the Joffrey Ballet and City Ballet of Los Angeles, among others. She made her theatrical debut in James Lapine's TWELVE DREAMS at Lincoln Center, and received the 2001 Ovation Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her role in the Broadway National Tour of CONTACT. She currently lives in Los Angeles.
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Reviews for The Wanderers
123 ratings18 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I bet Meg Howrey admires Tom Robbins. There's a similar sort of clever here. I liked this one, but I definitely recommend the audiobook because I suspect I would have appreciated it less without the narrator's skill with dialect and subtle emotional tone.
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5The characters are flat. Nothing happens in the story -- at least not in the first 2/3. I stopped reading at that point.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I don't think of this as science fiction but it's great for the right readers. It's basically a locked-room mystery set in the future and a psychological study of 3 extremely talented, focused professionals trapped inside a simulation and their over-achieving self-identities. Also, there are some insightful family portraits of the people left behind 'on Earth'. It's low on action and deep in POV contemplation.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a detailed psychological, personality and mental evaluation of three people who are chosen to take the first manned space flight to Mars. We are subjected to a thorough exam of each of their strengths and weaknesses as well as those of their family members who will be left behind during the mission. Upon finishing this book, I got the feeling that the space travel aspect was incidental to the psych evaluation study. The setting could be swapped out for any other intense, dangerous, close-quarters situation: test pilots, Navy SEALS, Swat teams, etc. It is not a quick read, you need to be able to invest some time to complete this one. My thanks to the author and the Penguin First to Read program for a complimentary copy.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is not a plot directed book with lots of action. Instead, Wanders takes readers into the inner most, not always pretty thoughts of the story's characters, which include three astronauts of different nationalities who are being tested in a realistic simulation of a Mars mission, the family members of those "right stuff" astronauts, and one of Mission Control's earnest employees. For me, this internal life approach gave the book a gauzy, seen through water feel, as if everything was happening at a distance. Because the Wanders is being compared to Station Eleven and The Martian this is not what I expected, though the book is thoughtful and well written and not without pleasures. Wanderers focuses on relationships, insights, feelings, and the inner life of its characters. Readers expecting a sci fi adventure may be disappointed, but Wanderers will appeal to readers interested in a more internal, psychology based story.I read an advanced review copy of this book supplied to me at not cost by the publisher. Review opinions are mine.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A fantastic but somewhat quiet character study of astronauts during a simulation of a misson to Mars.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5In four years Prime Space will put the first humans on Mars. Helen Kane, Yoshi Tanaka, and Sergei Kuznetsov are going to spend seventeen months in the most realistic simulation ever created in order to prove they're the crew for the job.
Helen is retired from NASA. This is her last chance to return to where she feels at home, where she can be her best self. Even if that means leaving her grown daughter behind.. again.
Yoshi wants to prove himself worthy of his wife, even though he loves her completely but maybe he doesn't love her in the right way. (this is weird.)
Sergei is going to Mars so he can be tested beyond the point of exhaustion. He wants to prove to his father and to himself that he is not meek. He wants to set a good example for his sons.
Days turn into months and even though the astronauts are busy, the lives and people they left behind have a way of seeping into their minds.
I was so excited when I won this. And I was so excited when I finished it. Sadly this book wasn't for me. I hated the thoughts of picking it back up after setting it aside. It just seemed like there were too many words - it lacked warmth, it didn't flow smoothly, I couldn't envision much. There were too many characters. It would've been fine to include the astronaut's family in their own chapters, but I didn't want to read about their own lives. Yoshi's wife was very strange. I get that it's more focused on family and feelings and discovery but ughhhhh *yawn* I did like reading about Helen, Sergei and Yoshi together on their journey, but that seemed few and far between all the other stuff.
I won a copy through Goodreads First Reads. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Helen, Sergei, and Yoshi are three astronauts selected to be the first to travel to Mars and back by a private company called Prime. But first, they have to do the trip in a simulation. They will be spending 17 months in isolation in the Utah desert, under constant observation while they "go" to Mars and back. I really liked this book because it shows how the astronauts' families deal with the fact that their loved one wants to leave them to go into outer space. It also did an excellent job showing why the astronauts need to go. Recommended!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In the not so distant future, three astronauts from the U.S., Japan, and Russia form a team to travel to Mars together. However, before they can embark, the astronauts must go through a year-and-a-half simulation to prepare for the journey and the challenges they are likely to face. Each of them and their closest family members struggle with the length of their separation and the limitations of communication during the simulation. Overall, this was a fascinating read, with an almost psychological take on the subject, and an ending that leaves the reader with both satisfaction and questions.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Read from October 22 to December 14, 2016I took my time with this book. Not because I didn't like it, but because it didn't feel right to rush it. It's quiet, slow-paced, and character driven. And since the characters are limited in their spaces and their lives, it felt right to limit myself to how much I read in one sitting.The chapters alternate between seven characters -- the astronauts, support staff, and the astronauts' families. There were definitely times I wanted a little more story, but that isn't what this book is about -- it's about the people and their relationships much more than it's about visiting another planet. Read if you like:Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel The Last One by Alexandra Oliva Shine Shine Shine by Lydia Netzer The Martian by Andy Weir
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A character study of three astronauts during a 17-month simulation of a round-trip to Mars. The astronauts have been chosen for experience, expertise, and compatibility. They are Helen, a 50s-something widow with an adult daughter with whom she has trouble connecting; Sergei, divorced with two teenage sons who now live with their mother and stepfather in NJ; and Yoshi, married to a high-level robotics exec but with no kids. If they make it through the sim, they will likely be chosen to be the first humans to set foot on the real Mars. The sim is very difficult and lifelike. Weightlessness and simulated ship gravity have been built in, as well as lift-off, landing, problems with the ship, and just about every variable the designers have imagined. There is no help from the outside except what can be offered over the communications system. It's so real the astronauts frequently forget they are on Earth. Each of the crew, one of the managers, and various family members are the focus of various chapters, and much time is spent on introspection and on trying to parse the true meanings of each others' intentions and moods. This sounds like it would be quite irritating, and I wondered at first if I could stand it, because as their innermost thoughts and suspicions are revealed it becomes clear there are no entirely likable characters here. But somehow it all fits very nicely with the difficulties encountered by the crew and by the families from whom they are separated except for messages they leave each other, accompanied by increasingly long pauses in response times, as would be true on the real voyage. This story has stuck with me. I've read quite a few Martian expedition novels, but this is the first time the entire trip takes place during a simulation and with such an emphasis on characterization. There is a wonderfully unexpected frisson of fear brought on by an experience one of the astronauts has part way through the mission. It adds a dimension to the story I couldn't quite imagine how the author would resolve. An unusual story that surprised me. I wish there was more.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Interesting concept, unsatisfyingly executed. If you're looking for a (rather underdeveloped) character study with light sci-fi elements, this one's a good bet. But if you go into THE WANDERERS thinking you're in for a sci-fi epic, you'll be disappointed.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5It's sad that my 200th book of the year wasn't a good one.
Oh, it has its moments. It's actually quite well-written, and brilliantly observed, if I'm going to be honest.
But, it's a typical "literary" novel: long on observation and thought, really thin on plot and wraps up with a non-ending ending.
Yeah, there's some wrap up, yeah, there's some plot, but I realized about a third of the way through what was coming...or, not coming, as it turns out...and almost set the book aside.
I'm glad I didn't, simply for the writing, but damn it, I really do prefer a book where something other than thought happens. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A novel with ever-shifting perspectives and a bit of epistolary stuff thrown in, about a group of astronauts participating in a simulation of a voyage to Mars, and their families. Really absorbing and thought-provoking about family and the human condition. Slightly less sciencey than expected.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The author used the premise of a 7 months long dress rehearsal for a trip to Mars by isolating three engineer astronauts: a Russian man, a Japanese man, and an American woman, in a simulation of the voyage to come. The narrative also closely followed two of their children, a teen and a young adult, as well as the Japanese man's wife. Under the guise of this simulated voyage, the reader watches the astronauts and their relatives explore their own identities and how they related to each other. I can't say that the book moved me much emotionally, probably because I am not a parent and much of this book explored parental feelings. But it was original and intellectually stimulating.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5While i am not into sci-fi this was really good and left u geussing how it will end. Unfortunately, the ending was left open. I wished they would have been a ending, but then again if i would have not liked the ending...... maybe leaving it open was better
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Still processing this novel, but wow.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Helen Kane, Sergei Kuznetsov and Yoshihiro Tanaka have been chosen by Prime Space to possibly be the first astronauts to land on Mars. But first they have to prove themselves by submitting to a closely studied simulation of the flight, which will take 17 months. They don’t have a minute’s privacy as they’re constantly watched by employees of Prime Space. The simulation is so realistic that it’s sometimes hard for the astronauts to believe they’re not really on their way to Mars. Meanwhile, their families await the return of the astronauts as they deal with their own issues.The spotlight in this book isn’t so much on space travel as it is on the effect of that travel on those who venture out into the unknown. The author takes a close look at the hearts and minds of the three astronauts who so long to see what has never been seen before – their fears, their hopes and also their guilt for leaving their families so often. This is a beautiful character study with great insight told in a poetic and sometimes humorous manner. I wasn’t surprised to read that the author had been a ballerina as she has the heart of an artist. This engrossing book brought back all the excitement and wonder of the 1960’s space travel to the moon and reminded me of what a special time in history that was. Recommended.This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.