Name: Clara Gauthier's review of The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Item: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
Rating: 5
Author: Clara Gauthier

Becky Chambers

The acclaimed modern science fiction masterpiece, Hugo Award winner for Best Series! Also included on Library Journal's Best SFF of 2016, the Barnes & Nobles Sci-Fi Fantasy Blog Best Books of 2015, the Tor.com Best Books of 2015, Reader’s Choice, as well as nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Kitschie, and the Bailey's Women's Prize. Follow a motley crew on an exciting journey through space—and one adventurous young explorer who discovers the meaning of family in the far reaches of the universe—in this light-hearted debut space opera from a rising sci-fi star. Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain. Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

Somewhere within our crowded sky, a crew of wormhole builders hops from planet to planet, on their way to the job of a lifetime. To the galaxy at large, humanity is a minor species, and one patched-up construction vessel is a mere speck on the starchart. This is an everyday sort of ship, just trying to get from here to there.But all voyages leave their mark, and even the most ordinary of people have stories worth telling. A young Martian woman, hoping the vastness of space will put some distance between herself and the life she's left behind. An alien pilot, navigating life without her own kind. A pacifist captain, awaiting the return of a loved one at war.Set against a backdrop of curious cultures and distant worlds, this episodic tale weaves together the adventures of nine eclectic characters, each on a journey of their own.

Annabelle Gauthier

There was nothing in the universe that could last forever. Not stars. Not matter. Nothing.

The razor cut. Their wrist ached. The sky roiled, unseen.

Follow a motley crew on an exciting journey through space-and one adventurous young explorer who discovers the meaning of family in the far reaches of the universe-in this light-hearted debut space opera from a rising sci-fi star.

Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain.

Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe

Wayfarers #1

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet

Joana

She took inventory of her body. She felt her breath, her blood, the ties binding all together. Every piece, down to the last atom, had been made out there flung through the open in a moment of violence, until they had swirled round and round, churning and coalescing, becoming heavy, weighing each other down. But not any more, The pieces were floating free now. They had returned home. 

You ask good questions. Like a good heretic. 

betty

She knew what feeds he’d be checking and it made her want to hug him. Not a quick, stiff Human hug — a long hug, the kind you give to friends when you know something's bothering them. But she'd learned long ago that those kind of embraces just didn't happen platonically among Humans. It was one of the many social instincts she'd learned to temper.

I cannot pretend that the war never happened, but I stopped fighting it long ago. I did not start that war. It should never have been mine to fight. 

He was not a prisoner of those memories. He was their warden.

How is it possible that when meeting our galactic neighbours for the first time, we are all instantly reminded of creatures back home or in some cases, of ourselves?

The acclaimed modern science fiction masterpiece, included on Library Journal's Best SFF of 2016, the Barnes & Nobles Sci-Fi Fantasy Blog Best Books of 2015, the Tor.com Best Books of 2015, Reader’s Choice, as well as nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Kitschie, and the Bailey's Women's Prize. Follow a motley crew on an exciting journey through space—and one adventurous young explorer who discovers the meaning of family in the far reaches of the universe—in this light-hearted debut space opera from a rising sci-fi star. Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain. Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe.

so fun, i loved it ! i’m not usually a sci fi person but i was obsessed with the internal personal relationships and the world building 

Clara Gauthier

this book was recommended to me by a good friend who LOVES reading. i asked her what book should i read during my 16 hour flight to and from the US. never has there been a better answer than this book. i am rarely looking to read sci-fi but becky chambers' world building is fantastic! i vividly saw the places, people, and scenarios in my head with how well she has painted them out. i am a sucker for found family and this may be one of the best plots for the trope to flourish in. it truly is about the journey and not the destination. it perfectly captures what it's like to travel (both physically transporting oneself and going on a holiday), be in another place, and the vulnerability that comes with it all. a favorite for sure!

bri (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡

Every good thing that's been said about this book is absolutely true . I just wish my brain could comprehend some of the technical parts but that's my own fault. I understood the politics well enough and the different species culture is unique.  I'm used to more Earth-centric multispecies stories so this was a great intro for me. Reading the next book in the series for sure 🤞🏽 

jade

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILEY'S WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 'A quietly profound, humane tour de force' Guardian The beloved debut novel that will restore your faith in humanity #SmallAngryPlanet When Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the Wayfarer, she isn't expecting much. The ship, which has seen better days, offers her everything she could possibly want: a small, quiet spot to call home for a while, adventure in far-off corners of the galaxy, and distance from her troubled past. But Rosemary gets more than she bargained for with the Wayfarer. The crew is a mishmash of species and personalities, from Sissix, the friendly reptillian pilot, to Kizzy and Jenks, the constantly sparring engineers who keep the ship running. Life on board is chaotic, but more or less peaceful - exactly what Rosemary wants. Until the crew are offered the job of a lifetime: the chance to build a hyperspace tunnel to a distant planet. They'll earn enough money to live comfortably for years... if they survive the long trip through war-torn interstellar space without endangering any of the fragile alliances that keep the galaxy peaceful. But Rosemary isn't the only person on board with secrets to hide, and the crew will soon discover that space may be vast, but spaceships are very small indeed. PRAISE FOR THE WAYFARERS 'Never less than deeply involving' DAILY MAIL 'Explores the quieter side of sci-fi while still wowing us with daring leaps of imagination' iBOOKS 'So much fun to read' HEAT 'Chambers is simply an exceptional talent, quietly and beautifully redefining the space opera' TOR.COM 'The most fun that I've had with a novel in a long, long time' iO9

From the first page I knew I was going to love this book. I do love a space opera! 

An exciting kaleidoscope of characters, a high stakes mission, a couple dashes of romance. Everything you want in a space opera. 

The world (or rather universe) building is brilliant, real consideration for the political impact of the interspecies relations. Fleshed out back stories and histories for the different species. 

Liam Richardson

From the first page I knew I was going to love this book. I do love a space opera! 

An exciting kaleidoscope of characters, a high stakes mission, a couple dashes of romance. Everything you want in a space opera. 

The world (or rather universe) building is brilliant, real consideration for the political impact of the interspecies relations. Fleshed out back stories and histories for the different species. 

Strongly recommend to everyone! 

Ellie Younger

space found family,, i’m happy this book exists

felicity hu

Patrick Book

Rounding up from 3.75, because I genuinely don’t know how to “rate” this. I am extremely glad it exists. As a longtime Vonnegut obsessive it is encouraging to see someone sink his “You’ve got to be kind” ethos into every fibre of a unique science fiction story. 

However, I’m still not sure that makes for a scintillating narrative. I was frustrated at the lack of narrative momentum made in the first 200 pages, where a lot happens but not a lot of consequence; it’s just a lot of beings acting very nicely and respectfully and telling each other the truth. Which is very nice, but not as compelling as conflict and stakes and other traditional drivers of story. Then in the last hundred pages EVERYTHING happens. It’s interesting, you can pretty much see (I’m guessing) where the author had stalled in her progress and then went real hard for the last bit. 

I did get into it more in the last half but I’m not sure if it’s enough to compel me to go on with the series. 

But regardless I’m so glad it exists and I can see how impactful it is for people who want to see a certain kind of story.

Feels very similar to The Expanse, in a good way. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

Simon Crocker

becky chambers does it again !!! i’m so relieved there are 3 more books to read in this series because i did not want it to end

mira lee

Ditipriya Acharya

Science fiction is not my genre of choice, but Becky Chambers write in a way that makes chapters on the cultural norms of alien species, details about a spaceship and space treaties seem interesting. 

She has created a world that is rich with diversity and full of mind blowing details. But at its heart, it is a very human story of race, gender, war and the things we are confronted with even though we are not in a spaceship headed towards a far off planet.

This book almost didn't exist, and I am so grateful to the few dozen strangers out there who helped it come into being because it is an incredible book. I went into it going "Ooh, Firefly-esque story, nice" and it is so much better than anything I could have imagined. While it does have a ragtag crew on a ship patched together by a loyal tech who loves the ship (and its AI), it has a world-building with aliens beyond anything I could have ever dreamed up, a central government that is trying its best to handle the politics of a variety of cultures and creatures that have competing needs, the crew is what breathes so much life into the story. I love all of them, and I'm sad to see them go, but they end on such a great note. I can't wait to read the next one.

Katheryn

Itzel

I'd seen a lot of praise for Wayfarers, so after reading A Psalm for the Wild-Built and A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, I had to try it by myself. Wayfarers 1 is not a perfect book, but it is deeply enjoyable, and the ending left me feeling very satisfied and moved. I did think that some things, particularly what happens to Corbin, were brushed away too quickly. I also think the romance in it wasn't developed really well, and just. Happened. Which may be just a consequence of me not being very sure about who Rosemary is, what makes her tick, etc, even at the end of the book. Maybe it's just that when you are working with an ensemble cast, some characters are going to be left feeling a little emptier than others. 

Other things, like Sissix' and Jenks and Lovey storylines were wonderful, as was the worldbuilding. The book may feel a little slow to start, but I think it's natural as it takes time to establish the universe, with all the different space species, and slotting things in place so that the plot may begin properly.

Delicious found family, I love sci fi legal drama and the interpersonal drama had me giggling

Vicky  Nuñez 

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet is a breath of fresh air in the space opera genre. I loved everything about it, it's characters, the planets and societies everything.

It's a book about a group of beings of different races who are on a journey to a planet. and although the destination is important, the book shines in the journey. the journey is told from different povs in random snapshot of time. sometimes because one of the characters wanted to tell a story of their childhood, or maybe they stopped to replenish their food stock and something interesting happens.

It's just light-hearted fun set in a interesting world. Just what you need in a rainy day.

LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILEY'S WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 'A quietly profound, humane tour de force' Guardian The beloved debut novel that will restore your faith in humanity #SmallAngryPlanet When Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the Wayfarer, she isn't expecting much. The ship, which has seen better days, offers her everything she could possibly want: a small, quiet spot to call home for a while, adventure in far-off corners of the galaxy, and distance from her troubled past. But Rosemary gets more than she bargained for with the Wayfarer. The crew is a mishmash of species and personalities, from Sissix, the friendly reptillian pilot, to Kizzy and Jenks, the constantly sparring engineers who keep the ship running. Life on board is chaotic, but more or less peaceful - exactly what Rosemary wants. Until the crew are offered the job of a lifetime: the chance to build a hyperspace tunnel to a distant planet. They'll earn enough money to live comfortably for years... if they survive the long trip through war-torn interstellar space without endangering any of the fragile alliances that keep the galaxy peaceful. But Rosemary isn't the only person on board with secrets to hide, and the crew will soon discover that space may be vast, but spaceships are very small indeed. PRAISE FOR THE WAYFARERS 'Never less than deeply involving' DAILY MAIL 'Explores the quieter side of sci-fi while still wowing us with daring leaps of imagination' iBOOKS 'So much fun to read' HEAT 'Chambers is simply an exceptional talent, quietly and beautifully redefining the space opera' TOR.COM 'The most fun that I've had with a novel in a long, long time' iO9

Wayfarers 1

Tobias V. Langhoff

In this space opera, we follow the haphazard but competent crew of a spaceship that creates wormholes in space, connecting humans and aliens in a galaxy-spanning inter-species civilization. The main character is, to begin with, a human everywoman who enlists on the crew to escape her secret past. However, as the book progresses, we spend as much (or little) time inside her head as we do inside the other crewmembers’ heads; her secret ends up not being very juicy after all (neither to us nor the crew), especially not in comparison to some of the other secrets aboard the ship.

I immediately thought much of the book was inspired by Mass Effect. Like in Mass Effect 2 especially, we follow a spaceship run by humans but with a tightly knit multi-species crew. There is an over-arching plot, but the story is basically broken down into separate stories about each of the crewmates, like Mass Effect 2’s loyalty missions. ((view spoiler)[One of the stories even concerns the romance between a human and the ship’s AI, who wants to be transferred to a robotic body. (hide spoiler)]) As for the world: The galaxy is controlled by a trifecta of species, and there are similarities between species too – both have a species that looks universally attractive to all other species (asari/Aeluon), and both have a species that looks like a giant blob (hanar/Harmagians). That’s not to say I think the author has plagiarised Mass Effect, even though I know she is a fan of video games and writes about them in several online columns.

Like in Mass Effect (or Star Trek, for that matter), the alien species aren’t necessarily truly “alien”. They’re sentient in similar ways to humans, and as a result – as is not uncommon for science fiction – they’re described as “sapient”. The alien cultures are, however, different from human cultures in interesting ways, even though their biology isn’t.

The book is a great example of world-building, and it’s not surprising that the author is currently writing a new novel set in the same universe (about a minor character in this book, who has an interesting backstory). Besides learning about these alien cultures, and getting to know their representatives aboard the spaceship we learn to love intimately through the novel, the actual story is about a journey that the crew must make to the titular “small, angry planet”, where they will perform the job of creating a wormhole to connect the planet to the civilization at large. However, the planet houses the most alien species in the book, who have entered a recent and fragile alliance with the civilization, and the plot does take some exciting turns near the end of the book.

All in all, though, this book is about different cultures, and mostly about friendship and family in all its various forms. Reading the book I thought of this saying: “Friends are the family you choose for yourself.”

I’ll close off with a kind of non sequitur: The YA-esque writing style is a bit reminiscent of another indie science fiction author I like, Hugh Howey. The main spaceship of the book is called the Wayfarer, which actually also reminds me of Hugh Howey, who currently sails the seas in his boat the Wayfinder. As Hugh puts it in his Wayfinding Part 1: Rats and Rafts: “Wayfinding is the ancient art of navigating by paying attention to the natural signs all around us. Ancient wayfinders used the stars, the wind, the currents, the migration of birds, and much more in order to settle the islands of the Pacific.” This has little to do with the book I’m reviewing, but I think the art of wayfinding suits the spacefaring in its universe.

I would too leave my family to go join the wayfarer crew

Poorva 

Ayaka Paul

3.5 stars. Calming, easy read. Things go along just as you expect them to. Not a novel to shake up your perception of anything, it's just pleasant. Strong Firefly influence?

I didn't form an attachment to any of the characters, but that's not essential. I was happy to sit back and read this languid story play out.

Who knew sci-fi could make you feel this way? Becky Chambers is re-inventing the genre. And Lovey </3

(Bre)anne✨

TW to be added later

Who knew sci-fi could make you feel this way? Becky Chambers is re-inventing the genre. And Lovey </3

Denaiir

I enjoyed this book, which was one of my first incursions in the world of science fiction. I liked the characters but maybe next time I would like to try an SF book with more action, since this was more about the journey and less about specific events.

If you had asked me at the start of 2023 if I was going to read a Science Fiction book this year I would have said no, However after hearing a friend rave about this one and loving other books recommended by them I know that I needed to put my fear aside and pick this one and safe to say that I’m glad that I did because this is one amazing book & I devoured the last 50% of the book whilst the rain was pouring outside it made for a great Sunday Afternoon!

The Long Way to a Small Angry, Planet is a space opera book that follows a motley, interspecies, crew aboard the Wayfarer. Rosemary Harper is a young, quiet woman who joins the crew of the Wayfarer as their clerk. Aboard the ship, Rosemary meets a group of individuals like none other. And along the journey they take to the far reaches of the universe, she learns the meaning of family.

Honestly this book has such an amazing level of imagination, characterisation and detail that makes this book truly extraordinary, I’m a little lot of words of what to put in this review; this book is like a cosy Sci-Fi and was what I needed. I’m finding a love for this cosy type of books.

It’s safe to say that this book has some amazing characters This is very much a character-driven story! As big as this cast is, every single crew member matters, every single one has a story, every single one is interesting and memorable. I’m normally a little lost with books with lots of Characters but every character in this book has a place in my heart and the book needed each and every one of them.

“…All any of us can do – is work to be something positive instead. That is a choice that every sapient must make every day of their life. The universe is what we make of it. It’s up to you to decide what part you will play.”

The only flaw I had was the time jumping and working out what had happened in-between the time jumps as its not instantly clear and at times you find out through conversations, but this did not take away from my enjoinment.

 I literally cannot say enough good things about this book. It is 100% one of my new all-time favourite books, ever. Please go read it!

Ian Brakspear

If you had asked me at the start of 2023 if I was going to read a Science Fiction book this year I would have said no, However after hearing a friend rave about this one and loving other books recommended by them I know that I needed to put my fear aside and pick this one and safe to say that I’m glad that I did because this is one amazing book & I devoured the last 50% of the book whilst the rain was pouring outside it made for a great Sunday Afternoon!

 

The Long Way to a Small Angry, Planet is a space opera book that follows a motley, interspecies, crew aboard the Wayfarer. Rosemary Harper is a young, quiet woman who joins the crew of the Wayfarer as their clerk. Aboard the ship, Rosemary meets a group of individuals like none other. And along the journey they take to the far reaches of the universe, she learns the meaning of family.

 

Honestly this book has such an amazing level of imagination, characterisation and detail that makes this book truly extraordinary, I’m a little lot of words of what to put in this review; this book is like a cosy Sci-Fi and was what I needed. I’m finding a love for this cosy type of books.

 

It’s safe to say that this book has some amazing characters This is very much a character-driven story! As big as this cast is, every single crew member matters, every single one has a story, every single one is interesting and memorable. I’m normally a little lost with books with lots of Characters but every character in this book has a place in my heart and the book needed each and every one of them.

 

“…All any of us can do – is work to be something positive instead. That is a choice that every sapient must make every day of their life. The universe is what we make of it. It’s up to you to decide what part you will play.”

 

The only flaw I had was the time jumping and working out what had happened in-between the time jumps as its not instantly clear and at times you find out through conversations, but this did not take away from my enjoinment.

 

 I literally cannot say enough good things about this book. It is 100% one of my new all-time favourite books, ever. Please go read it!

Perfect holiday reading. I enjoyed it so much that I’ve immediately started book two.

Emma Cragg

Amy Place

At times I found this book annoying because of how *nice* it was, how "everything is awesome, everything is cool when you're part of a team," but like, what is actually wrong with niceness? Why do I always think something really fucked up has to happen for a book to be interesting? This is a nice book and I liked it.

Joy Bush

I loved this book so much!!! 
Kind of slice of life of what its like to live on a spaceship, and found family, and exploring the cultures and views of other alien species. But they drink Happy Tea and Boring Tea! lol 
Im looking forward to book 2

CJ &
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

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