BOOK REVIEWS The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
I usually (try to) keep an objective approach when reviewing books, but even thinking about The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet gives my stomach little butterflies and puts a huge smile on my face! Everything from Becky Chambers’ Kickstarter campaign to get the story selfpublished to the fact that it’s a queer, multispecies space opera makes me so glad that it exists. The novel follows a motley crew on an aging Wayfarer, whose job is to tunnel wormholes though space. From the moment Rosemary joins the crew, we are introduced to an array of diverse characters, including Sissix (the reptilian pilot), Lovelace (the ship’s AI), and
The Queer Review
Dr Chef (one of the wholesome ‘Grum’ who change biological sex over the course of their lives). I adore Chambers’ detailed writing, her musings on race, gender, and war, and her imaginative world building. However, the characters and their relationships are what really captured my heart. Each character is developed impeccably, and the slow nature of the story relies on the small intricacies of life and habits that these characters build together. Chambers portrays love in a multitude of forms, love as queer, love as inter-species, love as friendship and family, the love of food and sex, and the love that goes beyond sentient connections. This made the book so refreshing to read and left me feeling uplifted and genuinely attached to the Wayfarer crew. If you’re on the lookout for a plot-driven and action heavy sci-fi maybe this isn’t the book for you, but otherwise I highly recommend that you pick it up. Tyler Oakley - SARA LAPINOVA
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© Published by Hodder & Stoughton