I’m a fantasy reader through-and-through. In any given year, I usually only read one or two books that wouldn’t be labeled as fantasy. And despite the fact that bookstores often lump fantasy and sci-fi together, I could probably count the number of sci-fi books I’ve enjoyed on one hand. While I know genres shouldn’t be stereotyped, sci-fi books, especially space-oriented ones, bring to mind serious men in space suits talking about made-up technology and getting into laser gun battles with other ships. Why would this be different from serious knights in armor talking about magic and getting into sword fights? I don’t know, it just is.
All preconceptions of genre aside, when my friend recommended that I read the book The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, I took her advice. First of all, the title was too good to refuse. Second, my friend and I are in agreement that there needs to be more genre fiction focusing on the everyday lives of characters instead of huge world/galaxy threatening evils. She said that this book fit exactly what we had been looking for: character-driven slice-of-life fiction that still left room for cool worldbuilding and heart-pounding moments.
My friend was right. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet is a true treasure of a book. This is an ensemble cast kind of book that follows the lives of the crew aboard the wormhole-tunneling ship Wayfarer. It calls to mind the adventures in Star Trek, yet the path of the Wayfarer and its inhabitants is merely an homage to the series, not a copy. The characters negotiate with pirates, navigate inter-species relationships, defuse mines, and extoll the virtues of herbs.
Throughout this episodic story, the lynchpin is the love that the characters have for one another. Despite cultural and even solar system differences, they are family in every meaningful sense of the world. Each new encounter or problem brings them even closer together. Even in their darkest moments, love and trust suffuse their lives. This is not a book where the characters are meant to be twisted and dark antiheroes. This is a book about characters who you wish you could make some hot chocolate and popcorn with and share a long movie night together.
In addition to the amazing characters, I also loved Becky Chamber’s worldbuilding. The cultures she creates are original and fascinating yet never unbelievable. I was excited to land on each new planet, moon, or ship with the characters and see what new people they would encounter. And although there is definitely conflict and prejudice within the galaxy, there is an overall attitude of acceptance. Gender is varied and accepted; interspecies romance (and even human-AI romance) is seen as normal; artists and scientists are celebrated; and everyone’s story is worth hearing and acknowledging. If you’re looking for strong female, LGBTQ+, and non-white characters, this book has them in abundance.
This book touched my heart at every step of the characters’ journey, and I can’t wait to take another trip aboard the Wayfarer.
If you’d like to read Becky Chamber’s The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, pick it up from your local library or bookstore, or order it from Bookshop!