Holly Engel
Arts & Entertainment Editor
What would it be like to work on a spaceship whose crew specialized in creating wormholes? As someone who is not usually drawn to the galactic journeys and technological advances promised by science fiction novels, this question was light-years away from my mind — that is, until I read The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, an award-winning debut novel by Becky Chambers. Character-driven and engaging, the story whisked me away to unexpected galaxies and introduced me to a diverse spaceship crew that I would be glad to know. Though it stands well on its own, it is the first in a series of adventures that I am excited to read the next time I have a hankering to visit a space port. Not sold yet? Trust me, the journey is worth it.
The plot centralizes on Rosemary Harper, a young woman who joins the crew of an intergalactic tunneling ship called the Wayfarer, in hopes of experiencing the universe while escaping her troubled past. Rosemary realizes that the crew (a conglomeration of humans, a sentient AI, a reptilian pilot and a unique alien called a Grum, to name a few) is more like a family than a group of co-workers, and she is quickly adopted into their fold. Soon after her arrival, the Wayfarer is offered a high-paying job that requires an extremely dangerous “punch” through space and at least a year’s worth of travel through war-torn territories. The crew accepts the job with enthusiasm, but as they make their way across space, they are faced with an array of dangers and a wealth of well-hidden secrets that begin to resurface.
A story staged in outer space has so much potential for creativity, and Chambers definitely took advantage of that opportunity. One of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much is that it managed to merge sci-fi elements like technological advancement with genuine characters and a complex understanding of culture. The reader learns about each member of the crew; there is more than just one aspect to each of their personalities, and they are not confined by genre tropes. The crew is made up of people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, allowing Chambers to address concepts of race, gender, religion, sexuality and human (or “sapient”) rights in a manner that does not bog down the story. This, combined with a richly created setting both on the Wayfarer and on several different planets, draws the reader into the story and keeps their attention throughout the ride.
If you are someone who mainly enjoys stories that rely heavily on plot, this book is probably not for you. The loose plot is not very prominent until the last couple of chapters, and even then, it is mostly bound together by interactions between the characters. Though I do not think this prevented the story from being enjoyable and unique, there were parts where nothing really happened except characterization. However, I would say that the depth of the characters is what truly makes this story out-of-this world. So, even if The Long Way still sounds like it is not your cup of “happy tea” (yes, you have to read the book to understand the reference), try stepping out of your comfort zone. That’s what I did, and I was not disappointed.