The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet - Becky Chambers

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

By Becky Chambers

  • Release Date: 2015-08-18
  • Genre: Science Fiction
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 818 Ratings

Description

The acclaimed modern science fiction masterpiece, Hugo Award winner for Best Series!

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.

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.

Reviews

  • One of my favorite books ever

    5
    By alterae
    Great characters, neat worldbuilding, has stuck with me in a way few stories do.
  • Great fun

    5
    By russllj
    There aren't enough light hearted, funny sci-fi novels with tons of cool nerd stuff around these days. As many have pointed out, the book lightly touches on some dark material, but in the “all-is-well-that-ends-well” fashion, most conflict ends with a shrug, a smile and a slug in the arm. Thoroughly enjoyable and fun with some of the most delightful characters. I wanna hang out on this ship, with these people, more. I read it entirely in just a couple of days — with a smile on my face the whole time.
  • Too juvenile

    2
    By Memetic
    This series should be tagged as Child lit. It’s even too basic for YA
  • A fun romp through a comic book reality

    2
    By tjh
    The story is fun, character interactions enjoyable, and abundant alien species in a galaxy of various political divisions are engaging. I could give the book 4 stars on the strengths. The book suffers two major problems. The first is that the author relies far too much on exposition to accomplish world building. Page after page are dedicated to telling readers about the story background, rather than investing the reader in the story. It gets noticeable. Additionally, the physics are largely nonsensical, clearly more informed by comic books or anime than actual science. I expect a science fiction story to bend and even break some physics in order to support the plot. Wormholes or FTL communications, when necessary to the setting, are fine. Far too often, though, the author attempts to simply draw a gratuitous visual based on an obviously bad understanding of established science. It doesn’t help the story and becomes distracting. As a result of the exposition and goofy science, I find myself constantly disengaging from the story and losing interest. I’ll read a dozen pages, then set the book aside and read something else. Later, I pick the book up and try again, but only get a dozen pages in before repeating the process.
  • Loved this book

    5
    By Sleepy2079
    Great characterization and a wonderful story. So glad my friend recommended it.
  • Not for me

    2
    By AKToucan
    Too wordy. Lots of explanations that I didn’t understand, but didn’t really need either. The characters were different but mostly believable.
  • Awesome

    5
    By Karenslist
    Unexpected. Absolutely entertaining and wonderful. Love the creative flair. Enjoyed it, couldn’t stop reading. More please
  • Great book

    5
    By kerryb73
    Loved the world building and character development. One of the great things about sci-fi & this story is that it allows us to look at ourselves from another perspective and consider other ways of being. I read the whole thing in just a day or two-couldn’t put it down.
  • Loved!

    5
    By Shakira without the Sha
    Wish I had found this series sooner!
  • I’m signing onto the crew, if they’ll have me.

    5
    By Baaaaats!!!
    What can I say. The title grabbed me and the book wouldn’t let me go! Imaginative characters built with such care as to make me want to be part of the crew. I’m heading straight to the second novel in the series as the adventure is certainly not over.

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