Curator’s note
The Wayfarer series is utterly fascinating and breathtaking. Becky Chambers builds a convincing, detailed, and consistent sci-fi world that is filled with colourfully varied sapient species, each with its own customs, cultures, and ways of communication. Queer relationships and gender-diverse species are common in this series. 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?
Synopsis
This novel is part of the 4-part Wayfarer series: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, A Closed and Common Orbit, Record of a Spaceborn Few, and The Galaxy, and the Ground Within (to be published in 2021). While the novels are set in the same universe, they are only loosely related and so can be enjoyed in any sequence.
Centuries after the last humans left Earth, the Exodus Fleet is a living relic, a place many are from but few outsiders have seen. Humanity has finally been accepted into the galactic community, but while this has opened doors for many, those who have not yet left for alien cities fear that their carefully cultivated way of life is under threat.
Tessa chose to stay home when her brother Ashby left for the stars, but has to question that decision when her position in the Fleet is threatened.
Kip, a reluctant young apprentice, itches for change but doesn't know where to find it.
Sawyer, a lost and lonely newcomer, is just looking for a place to belong.
When a disaster rocks this already fragile community, those Exodans who still call the Fleet their home can no longer avoid the inescapable question: What is the purpose of a ship that has reached its destination?
About the author
Becky Chambers is a sci-fi author based in North California, USA. She has a background in performing arts, and grew up in a family heavily involved in space science. She lives with her wife in California, and hopes to see Earth from orbit one day.
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