The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarer Series #1)

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.

Follow a motley crew on an exciting journey through space-and one adventurous young explorer who discovers the meaning of family in the far reaches of the universe-in this light-hearted debut space opera from a rising sci-fi star.

Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain.

Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe.

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.