Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“Dex drew one shaky breath, then walked away, each step sure and steady.

Monk and Robot by Becky Chambers

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I read an article recently about the current state of science fiction where the thesis was basically that the field doesn’t have a clear vision of the future anymore and isn’t providing the service that it used to to the culture at large. I have qualms about this point of view because I’m a pretty optimistic person and the amount of books being published under the umbrella of science fiction make it hard for me to make a coherent argument that covers all of them […]

There and Back Again: A Spaceship’s Tale

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

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I read Becky Chambers’ A Psalm for the Wild-Built and A Prayer for the Crown-Shy last year (two short novellas comprising the Monk & Robot series) and loved them, so her earlier Wayfarers series, starting with The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet has been on my to-be-read list for a while. We join the crew of the Wayfarer, a spaceship that’s on a job to travel to a far-off destination and essentially drop an anchor point for a wormhole to make future travel […]

“Most sapients confuse working hard with being miserable.”

A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

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I was so confident that I would like Becky Chambers’ Wayferer series that when I snagged the first book the library, I grabbed the entire trilogy. Why waste time?? I was so excited to start book two and continue exploring the galaxy with Ashby, Rosemary and the rest of the crew of the Wayfarer. So it was a very rude awakening to discover that this second book has absolutely nothing to do with them. At first I was rather disappointed, but once I shook that […]

“All you can do, Rosemary – all any of us can do – is work to be something positive instead. That is a choice that every sapient must make every day of their life. The universe is what we make of it. It’s up to you to decide what part you will play.”

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers

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I absolutely adored Becky Chambers’ “Monk & Robot” novella series and recommend it often to anyone who asks me for a book rec, in particular those who I think could use an emotional boost. It was a no brainer for me to pick up this Hugo Award winning series as I was sure I would like it, and I definitely did. In fact, I immediately bought it for a friend who I thought would like it and she read it in about 3 days. Four thumbs […]

To Read This Book, if Fortunate

To Be Taught, if Fortunate by Becky Chambers

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Becky Chambers can do so much in such little space. This novella is only about 135 pages (according to my Kindle), and I was interested and invested from the jump. The book is basically an earth-bound log written by astronaut Ariadne, an engineer on an exploration vessel with three other astronauts. They’re on a mission that will last decades in earth years, and they will be exploring a moon and 3 planets in a solar system light years away from earth’s solar system. Their goal […]

“We don’t have to fall into the same category to be of equal value.”

A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers

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A first time foray into the cosypunk science fiction worlds of Becky Chambers. Based on the reviews, I’d say this is a relatively representative sampling of her work and VERY short, so it is not only a low stakes book, but even the length of this short story is a fairly gentle commitment. If you like science fiction, this seems like a safe investment of your time. Plot: Sibling Dex is frustrated. They felt stifled in the monastery and so took off for a new […]



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