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A review by a_kt
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book was basically what would happen if Firefly and The Odyssey had a baby. Technically, the plot is about the ragtag crew of a wormhole-punching long haul ship on its way to a newly allied planet. However, what the book is actually about is found family. Every crewmember on the ship, from the friendly-yet-exasperated captain Ashby to the feathered reptilian pilot Sissix to the very polite AI Lovey has their own "thing" going on, and you will learn about it throughout the course of this book. Basically the chapters follow this structure: One of the crewmates has a "thing", something happens on the ship (or off the ship) that directly impacts that "thing" and forces said crewmember to acknowledge this "thing" and either deal with it (through the power of friendship) or learn to cope with it and move on (through the power of friendship). Now, I know it may sound like I'm being overly critical about this, but check the star rating. I really really enjoyed this book.
I have previously read Chambers' Monk and Robot series and found it be lovely, introspective, cozy sci-fi. I'm happy to say that Long Way follows a similar vein. There is definitely more at stake in this story, but at the end of the day, its a series of episodic character profiles that culminates in a mildly-tense conclusion where the crewmembers have to each use what they've learned or grown from along the journey. Chambers takes a very interesting look at the differences between species, cultures, and perspectives with each character and weaves them into very believable characters that each have their own stipulations and views about the universe and their place within it. Its progressive while still showing political and cultural strife, its wholesome while still being conflicted, and its optimistic while not shying away from the more difficult side of inter-species dynamics. If any of this sounds even remotely up your alley, I'd recommend giving it a try. While not as short as the Monk and Robot novellas, I was able to get through this book fairly quickly despite it not being what I would call a "page-turner". I do think I will try and read the rest of the books in the series but probably not concurrently, as I do feel like I need to read something with a bit more conflict after this.
I have previously read Chambers' Monk and Robot series and found it be lovely, introspective, cozy sci-fi. I'm happy to say that Long Way follows a similar vein. There is definitely more at stake in this story, but at the end of the day, its a series of episodic character profiles that culminates in a mildly-tense conclusion where the crewmembers have to each use what they've learned or grown from along the journey. Chambers takes a very interesting look at the differences between species, cultures, and perspectives with each character and weaves them into very believable characters that each have their own stipulations and views about the universe and their place within it. Its progressive while still showing political and cultural strife, its wholesome while still being conflicted, and its optimistic while not shying away from the more difficult side of inter-species dynamics. If any of this sounds even remotely up your alley, I'd recommend giving it a try. While not as short as the Monk and Robot novellas, I was able to get through this book fairly quickly despite it not being what I would call a "page-turner". I do think I will try and read the rest of the books in the series but probably not concurrently, as I do feel like I need to read something with a bit more conflict after this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Death
Minor: Racism and Xenophobia