The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

Wayfarers, Book 1

By: Becky Chambers

Narrated by: Patricia Rodriguez

Shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award 2016.

Longlisted for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction, 2016.

Firefly meets Mass Effect in this thrilling self-published debut!

When Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the Wayfarer, she isn't expecting much. The Wayfarer, a patched-up ship that's seen better days, offers her everything she could possibly want: a small, quiet spot to call home for a while, adventure in far-off corners of the galaxy, and distance from her troubled past.

But Rosemary gets more than she bargained for with the Wayfarer. The crew is a mishmash of species and personalities, from Sissix, the friendly reptillian pilot, to Kizzy and Jenks, the constantly sparring engineers who keep the ship running. Life onboard is chaotic but more or less peaceful - exactly what Rosemary wants.

Until the crew are offered the job of a lifetime: the chance to build a hyperspace tunnel to a distant planet. They'll earn enough money to live comfortably for years...if they survive the long trip through war-torn interstellar space without endangering any of the fragile alliances that keep the galaxy peaceful. But Rosemary isn't the only person onboard with secrets to hide, and the crew will soon discover that space may be vast, but spaceships are very small indeed.

©2014 Becky Chambers (P)2015 Hodder & Stoughton

Critic reviews

"A joyous, optimistic space opera.... Although it isn't shy about tackling Big Questions, Planet is a heart-warming debut novel that will restore your faith in science fiction (specifically) and humanity (in general)." (Tor.com)

"One of the most enjoyable, brilliantly realised spacey SF novels I've read in ages." (James Smythe, author of The Echo)

loved it

I read this book a while ago and used the audiobook to refresh my mind before digging into the second one. I love it the first read through and I think I now live it even more.

What’s the opposite word for boring?

This book is just perfect. I’ve heard some from this category but never kept the interest till the end. I was actually surprised when it ended, expecting another adventure to start. Supposed it will in the next one.
The performance is also very good, dramatic and calm in the right places. I’m definitely going to get the whole series.

I really liked it

It was really captivating and I liked the different characters and voices. Loved that there were gay, non binary and polyamory people

Rich world-building, wholesome, gripping

The world this story takes places in is deep, kinda Tolkien-like. The story moves at a slow, but not too slow, pace. The characters - likeable, even the “bad” ones have a deeper story.
The voice performance (audiobook) is just brilliant

A funny, refreshing but very relevant sci fi story

The book was passed between my adult kids and husband with them on the second and third books (they stand alone) by the time I got the audio version. We enjoyed the writing and story. There are lines that are quotable. Many of the issues between species are reflective of human history and the present which brought up discussion. The characters develop with lessons for readers about how to see other perspectives, see commonalities and hold onto values. Suitable for teens and an excellent challenge read for those not sure they would like sci-fi. Enough technical references and explanations of space life for those who do. Looking forward to more from this author!