Review: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet was recommended to me when I expressed a bit of tiredness with the constant slew of dystopian stories, and other 'darker' fare that seemed prevalent in sci-fi and fantasy. I was told that this book was light-hearted fare, something almost akin to Firefly. That was enough to get me to pick it up, and I am very glad I did. The first of the Wayfarers series is a delightful read, light-hearted and with this odd sense of discovery kept within the pages.

The book follows the crew of the Wayfarer, a tunnelling ship that has recently taken on a new clerk, on their way to their first upper level job - creating a new tunnel in an area of space that has recently become part of the GC. That's all incidental, really, as the story is really about the people on the ship, the crew, and how they live their lives. Their passions, their loves, their hates... The things that just happen to be. Yes, there as a lot of explaining - Sissix even notes to herself that she wishes she didn't have to explain so much - but it never feels disjointed to the narrative. It flows well within the story and, to be perfectly honest, it's interesting to read about the things explained.

Honestly, just one of the best sci-fi stories I've read in a while, and really looking forward to starting the next book in the series.

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