The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy
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Average rating3.3
15
Ratings3
Average rating3.3
In this approachable and fascinating biography of the galaxy, an astrophysicist and folklorist details everything humans have discovered—from the Milky Way's formation to its eventual death, and what else there is to learn about the universe we call home. After a few billion years of bearing witness to life on Earth, of watching one hundred billion humans go about their day-to-day lives, of feeling unbelievably lonely, and of hearing its own story told by others, The Milky Way would like a chance to speak for itself. All one hundred billion stars and fifty undecillion tons of gas of it. It all began some thirteen billion years ago, when clouds of gas scattered through the universe's primordial plasma just could not keep their metaphorical hands off each other. They succumbed to their gravitational attraction, and the galaxy we know as the Milky Way was born. Since then, the galaxy has watched as dark energy pushed away its first friends, as humans mythologized its name and purpose, and as galactic archaeologists have worked to determine its true age (rude). The Milky Way has absorbed supermassive (an actual technical term) black holes, made enemies of a few galactic neighbors, and mourned the deaths of countless stars. Our home galaxy has even fallen in love. After all this time, the Milky Way finally feels that it's amassed enough experience for the juicy tell-all we've all been waiting for. Its fascinating autobiography recounts the history and future of the universe in accessible but scientific detail, presenting a summary of human astronomical knowledge thus far that is unquestionably out of this world. NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2022 BY PUBLISHERS WEEKLY AND SCIENCENET NAMED A BEST AUDIOBOOK OF 2022 BY BOOKPAGE
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Kudos to McTier for her creativity in thinking of and developing this quirky theme. For her courage in bringing it to light, for her wit. For focusing on the accomplishments of women. And, of course, for adding to my astronomical education.
Unfortunately, I found it a slog. Almost abandoned it several times, kept going purely out of stubbornness. The narrator's voice (the Milky Way galaxy) was grating, often annoying. The gimmick—a self-aware galaxy—might've worked for me in different circumstances, but not like this: it was not only anthropomorphic, it was WEIRDly (Western Educated etc) so. It talks in terms of “wanting stars to be happy,” “friendships” with other galaxies, petty jealousies, snark, emotions and feelings that just irritated me. I can accept a conscious galaxy—nobody understands consciousness, not among humans or other earthly creatures, let alone anything grander than us—but can't accept one this (ahem) mundane. Yes, human writers: take risks, give us alien consciousnesses—but please make them alien. Weird in the not-all-caps way: surprising, unusual, just on the edge of comprehensible. Not snarky postadolescents. McTier herself unironically describes my feelings halfway through, writing about the stupidity of human myths and religions and their made-up stories of gods: “such are the contrivances of mortal creatures trying to imagine the inner machinations of immortal gods.” Exactly. I kept trying to push past my disconnect, but couldn't.
