I received an advance reader’s copy (ARC) of Pride and Prejudice in Space by Alexis Lampley. Since this version is just a proof and not the final version, I won’t quote directly and will keep my comments general.

The title says it all. Thus endeth the review.

Just kidding! I’m too much of a chatterbox about books for that.

Pride and Prejudice in Space by Alexis Lampley is… well, it’s a retelling of (you guessed it) Jane Austen’s most beloved novel, but takes place in a futuristic setting of moons and space stations in a distant group of planets. It’s got all the familiar story beats, though: rich Mr. Bingley enters the orbit (pun intended) of the Bennet family, along with Bingley’s taciturn and unsociable friend Mr. Darcy. The latter clashes with Elizabeth Bennet, who also has to grapple with more than one suitor. She’s determined to make her own way in the world, however. But time passes and circumstances change, and soon Elizabeth has to face the idea that perhaps her first impression of Darcy was wrong, and that her own feelings toward him aren’t disdain at all.

Warning: I’m about to use the words “retelling” and “original” a lot of times. There just aren’t many synonyms for those.

Anyway, I liked this book a lot! That’s somewhat to be expected, since I like both the original P&P and its filmed adaptations (everyone loves the 2005 Kiera Knightley movie, but can we also give some love to the 1995 Jennifer Ehle miniseries? It’s so good too!). However, I was mostly expecting this to be a simple rehashing of the original in a new setting. A perfectly fanfiction-y sort of novel, very self-indulgent and banking on people’s tendencies to seek out multiple versions of the same story. Hence retellings as a subgenre in general.

And there would have been nothing wrong with this being a simple retelling, nothing wrong with slapping a few space suits on the characters and calling it a day. I still would have had a good time; I find Austen’s writing style a little stuffy and difficult sometimes, so it would have been enjoyable enough to read Lampley’s style instead. But this book does more than a simple retelling, actually. It does what a truly good retelling should do, which is not simply, well, retell; this exists in conversation with the original. This questions, even improves, certain aspects of the original.

But more on that later. Firstly, the main characters. Elizabeth/Lizzie is her usual self that we know and love—opinionated without being obnoxious, aware of social norms just enough to push back against them slightly. I like that, in this version, she is learning how to fly space ships. And Darcy is the quiet, mysterious man who’s terrible in social situations but, underneath it all, cares deeply for his friends and family. He also takes to heart the criticisms Elizabeth levies against him and improves himself. They make a good match, and I really enjoyed their interactions in this.

The other characters like Bingley and the Bennet sisters are lovely, and I enjoyed the light antagonism from Caroline Bingley, Mr. Collins, and of course Wickham. If you know the original, you’ll find the same things to like and dislike about these people here.

As for the aspects I feel this book improved upon, first there’s Mr. Bennet. Without entirely condemning him, this book does examine the ways in which he makes missteps as a parent. His favoritism toward Lizzie, his mild derision for his wife, and his apathy toward taking any direct action are all put under a microscope. Within this version of the story, we can recognize that he has flaws, but it’s also somewhat put into context that this society has rigid rules and he isn’t inclined to do much to change them—which, ironically, is quite unlike his favorite daughter.

I also adored how Lampley handled the situation that Lydia Bennet landed in regarding Wickham. This is a book written in 2024, after all, and set well into the future, so we can’t just allow the original plot to play out yet again. I’m trying to avoid spoilers, since this is one of the main things that was significantly changed, but know that I really liked the direction they took that subplot.

Last but not least, I have to talk about the illustrations and other content between chapters. The drawings and letters are gorgeous to look at, helping make the futuristic-Regency world more tangible. We also get scenes from other people’s perspectives (from the Bennets to even minor characters like Charlotte) which I really liked. The text conversations were also fun—special shout out to Bingley’s group chat handle being “Ba_Da_Bing_Ley” because it made me laugh. (Also shout out to my friend’s cat named Bingley.)

In the end, I liked Pride and Prejudice in Space more than I thought I would. Its affection for the original is palpable, while also improving on certain elements that, in this day and age, don’t hold up as well. Sometimes, it does simply paraphrase dialogue from Austen, which is less interesting to read, but other times, forges its own identity. The setting is clever and dynamic, and the visual elements are wonderful. I can honestly see myself rereading this version sometime, after I watch the two film adaptations I mentioned earlier.

Pride and Prejudice in Space will be published on October 15th, 2024!

Side note, but I have a pet wild theory that the original Pride and Prejudice itself acts as a retelling, or at least a response to, Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing. Jane and Bingley are Hero and Claudio, and of course Lizzie and Darcy are Beatrice and Benedick. Think about it for a second, then tell me that my theory is unfounded. Oh, wait, you can’t.