What fun! A misfit
crew in a ragtag ship. It’s a familiar theme we have seen before: Operation
Petticoat, the Wackiest Ship in the Army, Galaxy Quest, Guardians
of the Galaxy etc. When it is done well, it can be fun. Becky Chambers
knows how to do it, and in her novel A Long way to a Small Angry Planet
she does it well. The ship they are on is called the Wayfarer, and this book is
the first novel in the Wayfarers series.
What makes it work so well is the cast of characters. There
are four different species living in and on the Wayfarer (not including the AI
that aids every aspect of ship life and is a person in her own right). The plot
. . . well, the plot almost doesn’t matter. We are fascinated by the characters
and their relationships. The cast is an ensemble. We get a different point of
view with each chapter. With each predicament each character finds themselves
in, we get more engaged. We root for all
of them. The world-building (or galaxy-building) is expertly done here, and not
slathered on us with a trowel, but given to us in increments only as we need to
know that piece of backstory. This is a necessity when introducing so many new
species.
I also found that, though this is definitely a space opera,
the author kept surprising me. One event would happen that would make me go, ”oh-oh,
I know where this is going.” But it would invariably not take the predictable
path. This book will make you laugh, but also tug at your heartstrings. I
heartily recommend it.
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