This series is utterly fascinating. Becky Chambers builds a detailed sci-fi world filled with colourfully varied sapient species, each with its own customs and ways of communication. Queer relationships and gender-diverse species are common. As we observe the “alien” cultures and civilisations in the series, we open ourselves up to the question buried deep within the captivating stories: what does it really mean to be human?

The novels in this series can be read in any sequence.