The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet - (Wayfarers) by Becky Chambers (Paperback)

About the Book

"When Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the Wayfarer, she isn't expecting much. The patched-up ship has seen better days, but it offers her everything she could possible want: a spot to call home, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy and some distance from her past. And nothing could be further from what she's known than the crew of the Wayfarer."--Page [4] of cover

Book Synopsis

National Bestseller!

The acclaimed modern science fiction masterpiece, Hugo Award winner for Best Series!

Follow a motley crew on an exciting journey through space--and one adventurous young explorer who discovers the meaning of family in the far reaches of the universe--in this light-hearted debut space opera from a rising sci-fi star.

Rosemary Harper doesn't expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. In this character-driven sci-fi story, the introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself has never met anyone remotely like the ship's diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain.

Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy--exactly what Rosemary wants. It's also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn't part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, this tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling sci-fi adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary's got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs--an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn't necessarily the worst thing in the universe.

From the Back Cover

A rollicking space adventure with a lot of heart

When Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the Wayfarer, she isn't expecting much. The patched-up ship has seen better days, but it offers her everything she could possibly want: a spot to call home, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy and some distance from her past. And nothing could be further from what she's known than the crew of the Wayfarer.

From Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, to Kizzy and Jenks, the chatty engineers who keep the ship running, to the noble captain Ashby, life aboard is chaotic and crazy--exactly what Rosemary wants. That is, until the crew is offered the job of a lifetime: tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet. Sure, they'll earn enough money to live comfortably for years, but risking her life wasn't part of the job description.

The journey through the galaxy is full of excitement, adventure and mishaps for the Wayfarer team. And along the way, Rosemary comes to realize that a crew is a family, and that family isn't necessarily the worst thing in the universe . . . as long as you actually like them.

Review Quotes

"One of the most enjoyable, brilliantly realized spacey SF novels I've read in ages." - James Smythe, author of The Echo and The Explorer

"Great fun!" - Ann Leckie, author of Ancillary Justice

"Becky Chambers' debut is 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

"Humane and alien, adventurous and thoughtful, vast in its imagination and wonderfully personal in the characters it builds. But above all else, it is joyously written and a joy to read." - Claire North, author of The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

"A quietly profound, humane tour de force that tackles politics and gender issues with refreshing optimism." - The Guardian

"Becky Chambers' debut novel . . . is probably the most fun that you'll have with a space opera novel this year. It's exciting, adventurous, and the cozy sort of space opera that seems to be in short supply lately. . . . Not to be missed." - iO9

"A warm, big-hearted, progressive and fun blast of sci-fi. . . . The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet is just so much fun to read, and we can't wait to see what Chambers does next. 5 stars." - SciFiNow

"[A] wonderfully imaginative and quirky novel [...] It is hard to believe that this is Becky Chambers' first novel, as it is so well constructed, imaginative, and fluently written." - Strange Horizons

"There are so many amazing things about this book which I have tried to cover in my review, but to sum it up in one word I found this book to be: Perfect!" - Fantasy Book Review (Book of the Month; 10 out of 10)