The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

“All you can do, Rosemary – all any of us can do – is work to be something positive instead. That is a choice that every sapient must make every day of their life. The universe is what we make of it. It’s up to you to decide what part you will play.”

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

Written by Becky Chambers

Let me tell you one of my favorite memories. It was summer in 2009. My friend Mckenna and I were over at her house, sitting around watching Star Trek the original series and eating puppy chow, a homemade Chex Mix based dessert with chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. I had never seen Star Trek the original series or had puppy chow before, and I found both to be wondrous. Star Trek had a resurgence that year with Star Trek (2009) staring Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine hitting theatres. Star Trek, if you don’t know, is about a space crew that “boldly goes where no man has gone before”, and in each episode the main crew explores a new alien planet or faces a problem aboard their starship. There have been many Star Trek shows and books as well as non-Star Trek stories that use the same formula, but what I liked about Star Trek wasn’t the action, sexy aliens, or mortal peril. It was the character development, comradery, and sci-fi world building. I would watch the show just for those moments. Now years later, I have found a new spacefaring crew to love.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet is about the crew of the Wayfarer, a spaceship that creates hyperspace tunnels through space to aid in transportation, like creating a high-speed rail or interstate. The multispecies crew, led by their human captain Ashby Santoso, snag a high-paying job to create a tunnel that will connect the Galactic Commons with their new and controversial ally. We are first introduced to the crew through the Wayfarer's new clerk, Rosemary Harper, but the book gives every crew member time to shine. Jenks, Kizzy, Corbin, Ohan, Doctor Chef, Sissix, and Lovey complete the crew. It’s an ensemble cast with an episodic rhythm. It’s like watching a comforting tv show like Parks and Recreation or Friends.

I have learned through reading this book (and the rest of the series) that Becky Chambers has a special sauce. This book radiates compassion. Compassion for the well-being of others. Compassion for the differences in others. And even compassion for people you may not agree with or don't like very much. Just like with any starship adventure, there is danger and drama, but there is also happiness and warmth. You get a great story and come away feeling like the world might just be a wonderful place to belong.

Then there’s the galaxy-building. This galaxy is thought out and filled with intelligent alien species with their own cultures and histories. The setting is so fun and expansive that Chamber’s wrote three more books in this universe with all new characters, and I read them all. You’ll learn about Aeluons, Aandrisks, Sianat Pairs, Grums, and of course, Humans. If you love world-building and sci-fi creativity, you will eat this up.

Rooting for this crew was such fun. Lovers of sci-fi, humor, and found families unite, for it’s a long way to a small angry planet.