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A review by deedireads
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
I knew going in that I was very late to the TLWTASAG party, but holy guacamole, I’m so glad to be here now. Becky Chambers and her (should-be) patented cozy sci-fi genre does it again — or, rather, did it here first, as this was her debut novel. It’s a charming, heartwarming, beautifully inclusive character-driven sci-fi that deserves every ounce of hype it’s gotten since it was published in 2016. (Also, fun fact for my litfic readers: This was longlisted for the Women’s Prize!)
The story is about a girl named Rosemary who joins a crew of space tunnelers on their ship, the Wayfarer, to escape … something we come to learn more about over the course of the book. They end up taking a large job a long way away (hence the title), and what we get is a story about friendship and queerness and found family and gender and inclusion and cultural acceptance and body acceptance — all with the added layer of different peoples from different planets with different kinds of bodies.
Truly what makes this book (and all Chambers’ books, tbh), is her big, lovable characters, who are just such good people who do such a good job of being good to one another. I don’t know anyone else who writes so inclusively so naturally, with just enough fun pew-pew on the side.
Perfect for today's fans of Hitchhiker’s Guide or A Psalm for the Wild-Built or Light from Uncommon Stars, this one is simply the perfect big-hearted escape.
I knew going in that I was very late to the TLWTASAG party, but holy guacamole, I’m so glad to be here now. Becky Chambers and her (should-be) patented cozy sci-fi genre does it again — or, rather, did it here first, as this was her debut novel. It’s a charming, heartwarming, beautifully inclusive character-driven sci-fi that deserves every ounce of hype it’s gotten since it was published in 2016. (Also, fun fact for my litfic readers: This was longlisted for the Women’s Prize!)
The story is about a girl named Rosemary who joins a crew of space tunnelers on their ship, the Wayfarer, to escape … something we come to learn more about over the course of the book. They end up taking a large job a long way away (hence the title), and what we get is a story about friendship and queerness and found family and gender and inclusion and cultural acceptance and body acceptance — all with the added layer of different peoples from different planets with different kinds of bodies.
Truly what makes this book (and all Chambers’ books, tbh), is her big, lovable characters, who are just such good people who do such a good job of being good to one another. I don’t know anyone else who writes so inclusively so naturally, with just enough fun pew-pew on the side.
Perfect for today's fans of Hitchhiker’s Guide or A Psalm for the Wild-Built or Light from Uncommon Stars, this one is simply the perfect big-hearted escape.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Xenophobia
Moderate: Grief and Terminal illness