A review by nolalee
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0


The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is one of the most perfect cozy science fiction novels. How can something so out of this world be so down to earth? Chambers creates an ensemble cast of species and characters, dialogue, and provoking thought experiments that are innately grounded in a not so far future reality. Human captain Ashby Santoso of The Wayfarer and his interspecies space tunneling crew (the interstate highway road crew, if you will, of this science fiction story) acquire a job that will take them to the outer edges of their known galaxy. Following the Wayfarer Crew to metropolitan planet hops and backwater moons, we are transported to a beautifully visual and visceral science fiction universe bursting with the full range of life's ups and downs.

I adore this book and this series. I find myself re-reading the Wayfarers series yearly and I always come back to the main focus of these books: what does it mean to be a person, alive and experiencing this world? The warmth radiating from these spacefaring chapters will call to you like an interstellar beacon to continue picking up this series again and again.
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