Apparently you either love Becky Chambers’ style of writing or you hate it. I am firmly on the side of loving a feel-good sci-fi novel, and here are my favorite things about The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet:
1. The world-building. I love how each chapter you learn more about the galaxy, how the Galactic Commons works, the histories of the different alien species. The news blasts at the start of some chapters are a fun way to learn more about what is happening outside the ship, and gives us our first clue to Rosemary’s past.
2. The variety of alien life. Each species was so different, not just physically. The cultures, the religion, the interpersonal relationships, the prejudices, it was really cool learning about the different aliens and their places in the Galactic Commons.
3. The crew. Each crew member is given so much time to shine, and even the one you start out disliking you eventually grow to understand. Doctor Chef and Sissix are my personal favorites, with Ashby and Rosemary coming in a close second.
4. The journey. It is right there in the title, but The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet takes its time getting to aforementioned planet. That’s the whole point of the job – the Wayfarer is a “tunneling” ship that creates permanent wormholes used for space travel. This new member species of the Galactic Commons will need a wormhole near their planet so they can easily travel to the rest of the galaxy. And so the Wayfarer has to get there and create one. The book takes place over the course of a “Standard” – lets say a year – and really does let you get to know the crew and the galaxy. There are setbacks and gentle interludes, and it is just a lovely, lovely story.