
Just Out of Jupiter's Reach
The Far Reaches Collection
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Narrated by:
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Délé Ogundiran
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By:
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Nnedi Okorafor
A revolutionary experiment in space opens a woman’s eyes to the meaning of solitude in a thought-provoking short story by New York Times bestselling, award-winning author Nnedi Okorafor.
Tornado Onwubiko is one of seven people on Earth paired with sentient ships to explore and research the cosmos for twenty million euros. A decade of solitary life for a lifetime of wealth. Five years into the ten-year mission of total isolation comes a consolation: a temporary meetup among fellow travelers. A lot can happen in a week. For Tornado, who left a normal life behind, a little company can be life-changing.
Nnedi Okorafor’s Just Out of Jupiter’s Reach is part of The Far Reaches, a collection of science-fiction stories that stretch the imagination and open the heart. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.
©2023 Africanfuturism Productions. (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.Listeners also enjoyed...




















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Interesting exploration of the nature of humanity and space exploration
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Vivid imagery, emotional story
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The narrator was brilliant
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Give kit a Chance
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I highly recommend this short story to all sci-fi fans!
Sentient Ships
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When any story opens with the presentation of a new form of space travel in which the ship is genetically matched to its captain, I want to know as much about this ship as possible. What happens with the genetic matching? How does that impact the spaceship? What happens to the captain? There are so many angles to explore here. Ms. Okorafor chooses not to explore any of those. Instead, her story focuses on the 7 days out of a ten-year experiment in which the few captains of these new ships get to meet up and see another human face-to-face for the first time in 5 years. This means that JUST OUT OF JUPITER'S REACH is really a novella about a sociological study instead of being about space.
Unfortunately, I didn't want a sociological study. Of course humans who have had no physical contact with anyone for five years would have some psychological issues. There are no surprises here. Even our heroine conducts herself questionably from a moral perspective but logically under a physiological one.
I wanted JUST OUT OF JUPITER'S REACH to include more science fiction. I want to understand how the Miris work, how they interface with their owners/captains, and how the captains influence their ships. I want to know how the genetic bond that connects them affects the owner. Moreover, I want to know what the purpose of this experiment is. They are to be in their ships for ten years. Why? What are they supposed to be doing? Answers to all these questions would help provide context for when the Miris and their owners meet up.
Délé Ogundiran does a fine job with the narration. It is not an easy job because there are seven distinct voices to narrate in addition to the various AI/computer voices. The seven captains come from all corners of the world and vary in age, gender, and upbringing, further complicating the job. It is a task that Ms. Ogundiran accomplishes quite well. I found her voice pleasant to listen to, with clear delineation between the characters.
Alas, Ms. Ogundiran's performance was not enough for me. I finished JUST OUT OF JUPITER'S REACH with disappointment as well as a sense of an opportunity lost. I understand that any discussion of space travel needs to address the psychological impact of such travel on humans, which is what Ms. Okorafor is doing here. Unfortunately, the allure of these genetically matched ships proved too distracting for me to be able to focus or appreciate the story Ms. Okorafor had to tell.
A missed opportunity
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Fun listen
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Very nicely written!
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Started off slow and paid off big
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Interesting
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