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Wayfarers #4
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within
With no water, no air, and no native life, the planet Gora is unremarkable. The only thing it has going for it is a chance proximity to more popular worlds, making it a decent stopover for ships traveling between the wormholes that keep the Galactic Commons connected. If deep space is a highway, Gora is just your average truck stop.
At the Five-Hop One-Stop, long-haul spacers can stretch their legs (if they have legs, that is), and get fuel, transit permits, and assorted supplies. The Five-Hop is run by an enterprising alien and her sometimes helpful child, who work hard to provide a little piece of home to everyone passing through.
When a freak technological failure halts all traffic to and from Gora, three strangers—all different species with different aims—are thrown together at the Five-Hop. Grounded, with nothing to do but wait, the trio—an exiled artist with an appointment to keep, a cargo runner at a personal crossroads, and a mysterious individual doing her best to help those on the fringes—are compelled to confront where they’ve been, where they might go, and what they are, or could be, to each other.
At the Five-Hop One-Stop, long-haul spacers can stretch their legs (if they have legs, that is), and get fuel, transit permits, and assorted supplies. The Five-Hop is run by an enterprising alien and her sometimes helpful child, who work hard to provide a little piece of home to everyone passing through.
When a freak technological failure halts all traffic to and from Gora, three strangers—all different species with different aims—are thrown together at the Five-Hop. Grounded, with nothing to do but wait, the trio—an exiled artist with an appointment to keep, a cargo runner at a personal crossroads, and a mysterious individual doing her best to help those on the fringes—are compelled to confront where they’ve been, where they might go, and what they are, or could be, to each other.
336 pages, ebook
First published February 19, 2021
1978 people are currently reading
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April 22, 2021Extraordinary.
This is virtually plotless. It's about a small group of people from different species who happen to be at the same interstellar truck stop when a tech failure leaves them all stranded for a few days. They talk. they eat. They come together in an emergency. There is no enemy. Not much actually happens. I couldn't stop reading and I was sobbing like a child at the end.
Because this is about how people are different and strange to one another, and how hard it is to communicate and share experiences and principles with people who don't share them, but also how important it is and how much it means. It's about people reaching out and making contacts that matter, and making a difference to how they think as a result. It is exactly the book everyone should be reading right now in these horrible polarised hateful times because it's a reminder of what we could achieve, and the small scale of the story doesn't disguise the huge importance of what it strives for.
I'm crying again writing this. God.
This is virtually plotless. It's about a small group of people from different species who happen to be at the same interstellar truck stop when a tech failure leaves them all stranded for a few days. They talk. they eat. They come together in an emergency. There is no enemy. Not much actually happens. I couldn't stop reading and I was sobbing like a child at the end.
Because this is about how people are different and strange to one another, and how hard it is to communicate and share experiences and principles with people who don't share them, but also how important it is and how much it means. It's about people reaching out and making contacts that matter, and making a difference to how they think as a result. It is exactly the book everyone should be reading right now in these horrible polarised hateful times because it's a reminder of what we could achieve, and the small scale of the story doesn't disguise the huge importance of what it strives for.
I'm crying again writing this. God.
October 3, 2021
Again, a commonly seen sci-fi trope is described from a new, fascinating perspective of which no other author had the ingenuity to see the potential.
Back to the roots of the ingenious first novel, this completely character focused part again deals with social, sociological societal, and psychological topics by using the good old “putting people that will certainly have interesting debates and conflicts together in a small space they can´t escape from“ trope.
In contrast to older social sci-fi that sometimes had a lecturing and biased undertone that lead to less identification with the characters, Chambers uses permanent character povs to construct intensive, credible, and deep pictures of future worlds, adding much philosophy, social criticism, and depth in the best way possible. By integrating it into the main red plotline, character motivations, and fractions ideological goals, letting it explode in mostly nonviolent, still very thrilling ways that leave the reader with thoughts about many important issues, Chambers shows how social sci-fi can flex its muscles and own the genre with innovative, progressive ideas.
Adding the suspense, mysterious backstory element to the show makes it even more thrilling than Chambers´other works, following the tradition of luring crime and thriller fans into sci-fi lands, Asimov and Lem loved to use in their works. Again, without violence and action by fully focusing on internal thought processes, dialogues, inner monologues, using some of the most difficult to write styles like a boss.
Just as Octavia E Butler and Nnedi Okorafor, Chambers goes fully subtle against discrimination, prejudices, and racism, putting the bad human habits into future scenarios where only the tech is shiny and new, while the ideology of tribalistic Stoneage idiocy is still big in many species. It´s opening the fascinating question if the superficiality and xenophobia of the human, and other alien, species will someday really be the reason for not just hate crimes, but wars and xenocides as first acts of galactic or intergalactic first contact diplomacy. If every technological development and physical discovery has been successful and just the ape, squid, insect, or whatever instinct, to attack and kill everything new and foreign, is the reason for unnecessary suffering.
I wish I would remember more of what I´ve read, and of course have generally read more, sci-fi to get all the hidden easter eggs and innuendos, because I have a kind of intuitive, subjective feeling that Chambers is the kind of person that likes to put extra hidden inside jokes besides all the underlying social criticism. Or I´m just projecting too much into it because I´m fanboying and glorifying too much, who knows.
What I´ve noticed the most while reading groundbreaking, ingenious, social, female sci-fi is how much more accessible, and especially more entertaining it is, for all other readers who aren´t used to the genre and prefer to go with the protagonists or not too complex worldbuilding. Too detailed descriptions, technobabble, dozens of page long fights and terraforming projects, author ego driven hypercomplex philosophical, technological, and societal concepts, and especially hard sci-fi and too grimdark dystopias making it difficult for readers to enter the future worlds. And that´s where female sci-fi writers rock, taking great characters with everyday, relationship, and all kind of gender identity problems and letting them live in future worlds with some grains of tech and action, but mostly character development. It´s so good and so different from what I am used to read from mostly male, white WEIRD
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychol...
STEM writers. They´re great, but have created a kind of monoculture where other cultures and especially the feminine perspective are completely underrepresented, just as in real life.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
Back to the roots of the ingenious first novel, this completely character focused part again deals with social, sociological societal, and psychological topics by using the good old “putting people that will certainly have interesting debates and conflicts together in a small space they can´t escape from“ trope.
In contrast to older social sci-fi that sometimes had a lecturing and biased undertone that lead to less identification with the characters, Chambers uses permanent character povs to construct intensive, credible, and deep pictures of future worlds, adding much philosophy, social criticism, and depth in the best way possible. By integrating it into the main red plotline, character motivations, and fractions ideological goals, letting it explode in mostly nonviolent, still very thrilling ways that leave the reader with thoughts about many important issues, Chambers shows how social sci-fi can flex its muscles and own the genre with innovative, progressive ideas.
Adding the suspense, mysterious backstory element to the show makes it even more thrilling than Chambers´other works, following the tradition of luring crime and thriller fans into sci-fi lands, Asimov and Lem loved to use in their works. Again, without violence and action by fully focusing on internal thought processes, dialogues, inner monologues, using some of the most difficult to write styles like a boss.
Just as Octavia E Butler and Nnedi Okorafor, Chambers goes fully subtle against discrimination, prejudices, and racism, putting the bad human habits into future scenarios where only the tech is shiny and new, while the ideology of tribalistic Stoneage idiocy is still big in many species. It´s opening the fascinating question if the superficiality and xenophobia of the human, and other alien, species will someday really be the reason for not just hate crimes, but wars and xenocides as first acts of galactic or intergalactic first contact diplomacy. If every technological development and physical discovery has been successful and just the ape, squid, insect, or whatever instinct, to attack and kill everything new and foreign, is the reason for unnecessary suffering.
I wish I would remember more of what I´ve read, and of course have generally read more, sci-fi to get all the hidden easter eggs and innuendos, because I have a kind of intuitive, subjective feeling that Chambers is the kind of person that likes to put extra hidden inside jokes besides all the underlying social criticism. Or I´m just projecting too much into it because I´m fanboying and glorifying too much, who knows.
What I´ve noticed the most while reading groundbreaking, ingenious, social, female sci-fi is how much more accessible, and especially more entertaining it is, for all other readers who aren´t used to the genre and prefer to go with the protagonists or not too complex worldbuilding. Too detailed descriptions, technobabble, dozens of page long fights and terraforming projects, author ego driven hypercomplex philosophical, technological, and societal concepts, and especially hard sci-fi and too grimdark dystopias making it difficult for readers to enter the future worlds. And that´s where female sci-fi writers rock, taking great characters with everyday, relationship, and all kind of gender identity problems and letting them live in future worlds with some grains of tech and action, but mostly character development. It´s so good and so different from what I am used to read from mostly male, white WEIRD
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychol...
STEM writers. They´re great, but have created a kind of monoculture where other cultures and especially the feminine perspective are completely underrepresented, just as in real life.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
May 10, 2021
This series though! 🥰
Another wonderful addition to the Wayfarers series. Although I don’t think any of them have topped A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, I’ve enjoyed continuing nonetheless.
Book 4 is set at a truck stop in space. For all your fuel, food and relaxation needs. But when a technical malfunction means that 4 very different characters are stuck together, things get tricky. 3 visitors plus the woman who runs the shop and her child.
Becky Chambers’ world building is so intricate, with all the stereotypes and discrimination between the species. She manages to incorporate discussions about war, climate change and the weirdness of cheese - all in a book about aliens!
But ultimately it has Chambers’ feel good vibes, I loved the characters (maybe Speaker least but 🤷♀️). Becky Chambers has cemented an enjoyment of Sci fi in me.
**********************
Library copy available for pick up
Really needed some good news and this has cheered me 😊
******************
Another book in the Wayfarers series?
Sign me up!!!!
Another wonderful addition to the Wayfarers series. Although I don’t think any of them have topped A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, I’ve enjoyed continuing nonetheless.
Book 4 is set at a truck stop in space. For all your fuel, food and relaxation needs. But when a technical malfunction means that 4 very different characters are stuck together, things get tricky. 3 visitors plus the woman who runs the shop and her child.
Becky Chambers’ world building is so intricate, with all the stereotypes and discrimination between the species. She manages to incorporate discussions about war, climate change and the weirdness of cheese - all in a book about aliens!
But ultimately it has Chambers’ feel good vibes, I loved the characters (maybe Speaker least but 🤷♀️). Becky Chambers has cemented an enjoyment of Sci fi in me.
**********************
Library copy available for pick up
Really needed some good news and this has cheered me 😊
******************
Another book in the Wayfarers series?
Sign me up!!!!
September 5, 2022
Lovely and heartwarming, but I must be a heartless soulless cynic. Since for me this ended up being an equivalent of literary overload on cotton candy - pleasant but unsatisfying, and leading to sweetness-induced tooth decay. (Hmmm, is that why this book is a bit toothless?)
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to live in the world of Becky Chambers imagination — that sepia-soft imagined future where people are decent and helpful, bright and shiny, although I may choke a bit on all the pervasive quiet optimism that just won’t quit.
Yes, I’d love to live there. It’s just that I apparently find reading about it very boring. Quiet polite and introspective scenes of domesticity and found families work great for me as interludes or epilogues, but they need to punctuate something more tense and more exciting. But when it comes to The Galaxy, and the Ground Within the interludes are the entire story.
————
Apparently what Becky Chambers writes is “hopepunk”. I tend to refer to it as “cozypunk”, a term I suppose I may have unconsciously cribbed from somewhere. I can only explain it as “domestic” science fiction, light and gentle and soothing. There’s not much traditional conflict, no grand battles, no big quests, no villains — just ordinary people of different space varieties living their lives and peacefully coexisting to the best of their abilities. It’s not about saving galaxies — it’s more about cake and dinners and tea and raising kids and long conversations in a galactic truck stop. Really, it is a story of people recognizing their differences and discussing them with a goal to come to understanding of those different from themselves.
And had this been punctuated by anything like plot and actual tension and if ever doubting that anything being less than hunky-dory with our decent to the bone protagonists was possible I’d be alright with it. But when the entire book is just fluffy light dessert, I get bored and irritated. I also want some broccoli and maybe even a cheese* enchilada.
I loved two books by Chambers - the first Wayfarers book (which I plan to never reread lest I figure out that it doesn’t hold up on reread by my inner grumpy cynic) and To Be Taught If Fortunate which was like Cousteau Odyssey on alien planets. But apparently I need plot or a nature documentary feel. This one has neither. All it has is kumbaya in spades. Or in space. Or maybe kombucha. (I kid. I’m partial to kombucha myself. I’d never talk crap about it).
And I *tried* liking it. I even read the second half of it in a bathtub (damn, I ran out of bubbles, grrrrr) while eating ice-cream. And still it wasn’t the proper mood for the literary cotton candy this is. And that was even before we got to a part where characters discussed what “ticklish” was like.
Yeah, I give up. I got nothing left.
Apparently I want a bit more in my space domestic science fiction. Just because I think calm chill life is ideal doesn’t mean I want the same from my escapist reading.
2 bored stars. And no cake. Even my comfort food needs less sugar than this.
——————
Also posted on my blog.
‘But you can’t fix everything with cake.’
————
But if it’s Becky Chambers’ book, then she’ll at least try.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to live in the world of Becky Chambers imagination — that sepia-soft imagined future where people are decent and helpful, bright and shiny, although I may choke a bit on all the pervasive quiet optimism that just won’t quit.
“It wasn’t perfect, but it would make most people happy. Roveg had the feeling that was the underlying aim with everything in this place.”
Yes, I’d love to live there. It’s just that I apparently find reading about it very boring. Quiet polite and introspective scenes of domesticity and found families work great for me as interludes or epilogues, but they need to punctuate something more tense and more exciting. But when it comes to The Galaxy, and the Ground Within the interludes are the entire story.
————
Apparently what Becky Chambers writes is “hopepunk”. I tend to refer to it as “cozypunk”, a term I suppose I may have unconsciously cribbed from somewhere. I can only explain it as “domestic” science fiction, light and gentle and soothing. There’s not much traditional conflict, no grand battles, no big quests, no villains — just ordinary people of different space varieties living their lives and peacefully coexisting to the best of their abilities. It’s not about saving galaxies — it’s more about cake and dinners and tea and raising kids and long conversations in a galactic truck stop. Really, it is a story of people recognizing their differences and discussing them with a goal to come to understanding of those different from themselves.
“You had to pause in the face of reflex, ask yourself if the narrative you attached to the knee-jerk was accurate. Once she’d grasped this, she could never again see life as a static thing, something with one immutable definition. The universe was not an object. It was a beam of light, and the colours that it split into changed depending on whose eyes were doing the looking. Nothing could be taken at face value. Everything had hidden facets, hidden depths that could be interpreted a thousand ways – or misinterpreted in the same manner. Reflexes kept a person safe, but they could also make you stupid.”
And had this been punctuated by anything like plot and actual tension and if ever doubting that anything being less than hunky-dory with our decent to the bone protagonists was possible I’d be alright with it. But when the entire book is just fluffy light dessert, I get bored and irritated. I also want some broccoli and maybe even a cheese* enchilada.
* Now, the horrified reaction of all those aliens to the mere concept of cheese almost got this book an extra star. Almost.
I loved two books by Chambers - the first Wayfarers book (which I plan to never reread lest I figure out that it doesn’t hold up on reread by my inner grumpy cynic) and To Be Taught If Fortunate which was like Cousteau Odyssey on alien planets. But apparently I need plot or a nature documentary feel. This one has neither. All it has is kumbaya in spades. Or in space. Or maybe kombucha. (I kid. I’m partial to kombucha myself. I’d never talk crap about it).
And I *tried* liking it. I even read the second half of it in a bathtub (damn, I ran out of bubbles, grrrrr) while eating ice-cream. And still it wasn’t the proper mood for the literary cotton candy this is. And that was even before we got to a part where characters discussed what “ticklish” was like.
Yeah, I give up. I got nothing left.
“What a strange day it was, she thought. She’d had a fancy meal with a Quelin, told an Aeluon to fuck off, and was now on her way to teach a Laru how to make her mother’s custard recipe.”
(Exciting 🥱)
Apparently I want a bit more in my space domestic science fiction. Just because I think calm chill life is ideal doesn’t mean I want the same from my escapist reading.
2 bored stars. And no cake. Even my comfort food needs less sugar than this.
——————
Also posted on my blog.
May 5, 2021
My heart!!!!!!! What can I say about Becky Chambers that I haven't already said a thousand times before? I just absolutely adore the Wayfarers series and this book was no exception. The characters in this wrapped themselves around my heart in all the best ways and I cried my way through the last 10% of this one because I just cared for all of the characters so damn much. If you love character driven stories and haven't yet checked out this series, YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED TO RIGHT THIS MINUTE. It is EVERYTHING.
October 13, 2023
Read if:
1. You need a hug
2. You liked Legends & Lattes
3. You want a change from reading non-fiction
4. You need an antidote to the daily news
I will disagree, once again, that nothing happens. Some things indeed happen. I found myself wanting to dive back into the book, read just a little more, because I didn't know exactly what would happen. That is, in fact, one of the nice things about Becky Chambers books: there will be things happening that will not include torture, gore, or mass murder. As always, it shares a lot of similarities with Star Trek: species exploration, a tidy little arc, the feeling that peace can be achieved if we just listen.
It begins with a Laru hostess, Ouloo, and her child, at an intergalactic way station. I picture them something like llamas, although Tupo is finally an adolescent.
"[The hair] hung listlessly over xyr large black eyes in a helpless manner that suggested it didn’t know why it was still growing but didn’t know what else to do."
Three other guests have arrived at her inn and gardens when they are forced to stay a bit longer than intended. Ouloo finds herself reminding her child that some of their guests' looks and habits may be a bit unusual.
"Tupo huffed, making the fur below xyr nose shiver. ‘Not weird, just different.’"
What follows is delightful. Chambers starts somewhat predictably, but then allows some sharp edges to show. This friction is what kept it unpredictable for me:
"The Akarak Gathering is formally closing our negotiation channels with the GC Parliament, and withdrawing our pending application for GC membership. If this news comes as a surprise, allow us to remind you of our history with your government. We requested a supply line from the GC, in which the resources necessary to rebuild and continue life on Akari would be delivered to us as needed. This request was refused on the basis that the Colonial Wars had put severe strain on existing resource stockpiles, and there was no surplus to be spared. Your needs were greater than ours, in effect. Instead, we were granted refugee status in what you had designated as your space."
Oh, that cuts, doesn't it? That reminds me of a few countries on Earth, actually. There's a similar moment where Tupo is showing off xyr Natural History Museum (made up of mostly rocks) to the insect-like being, Roveg, who points out,
"'But theft is a long, proud tradition for many museums, so that decision’s up to you.’"
The end is a nail-biter, followed by a solid wrap-up. There is a weakness or two; I think Chambers tried to hard to keep the small cast 'interesting' and refers to them by both name and species, so at the beginning, I was a little confused on just how many guests there were. I also had the feel that she had her character-creation cards in order without really having world-building ones--honestly, another Star Trek phenomenon. So convenient that so many lifeforms really subscribe to entirely human philosophies, aren't they? Concepts of kinship, good, dessert, sharing, fun, and relaxation are all strangely similar. It is not, in other words, anything like Peter Watt's aliens.
"Speaker was awake, but hadn’t left her bed. She had no plans to do so anytime soon. It was very, very morning."
Still, I'm entirely glad I read it and will no doubt re-read. Probably while wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket with a mug of tea to hand.
1. You need a hug
2. You liked Legends & Lattes
3. You want a change from reading non-fiction
4. You need an antidote to the daily news
I will disagree, once again, that nothing happens. Some things indeed happen. I found myself wanting to dive back into the book, read just a little more, because I didn't know exactly what would happen. That is, in fact, one of the nice things about Becky Chambers books: there will be things happening that will not include torture, gore, or mass murder. As always, it shares a lot of similarities with Star Trek: species exploration, a tidy little arc, the feeling that peace can be achieved if we just listen.
It begins with a Laru hostess, Ouloo, and her child, at an intergalactic way station. I picture them something like llamas, although Tupo is finally an adolescent.
"[The hair] hung listlessly over xyr large black eyes in a helpless manner that suggested it didn’t know why it was still growing but didn’t know what else to do."
Three other guests have arrived at her inn and gardens when they are forced to stay a bit longer than intended. Ouloo finds herself reminding her child that some of their guests' looks and habits may be a bit unusual.
"Tupo huffed, making the fur below xyr nose shiver. ‘Not weird, just different.’"
What follows is delightful. Chambers starts somewhat predictably, but then allows some sharp edges to show. This friction is what kept it unpredictable for me:
"The Akarak Gathering is formally closing our negotiation channels with the GC Parliament, and withdrawing our pending application for GC membership. If this news comes as a surprise, allow us to remind you of our history with your government. We requested a supply line from the GC, in which the resources necessary to rebuild and continue life on Akari would be delivered to us as needed. This request was refused on the basis that the Colonial Wars had put severe strain on existing resource stockpiles, and there was no surplus to be spared. Your needs were greater than ours, in effect. Instead, we were granted refugee status in what you had designated as your space."
Oh, that cuts, doesn't it? That reminds me of a few countries on Earth, actually. There's a similar moment where Tupo is showing off xyr Natural History Museum (made up of mostly rocks) to the insect-like being, Roveg, who points out,
"'But theft is a long, proud tradition for many museums, so that decision’s up to you.’"
The end is a nail-biter, followed by a solid wrap-up. There is a weakness or two; I think Chambers tried to hard to keep the small cast 'interesting' and refers to them by both name and species, so at the beginning, I was a little confused on just how many guests there were. I also had the feel that she had her character-creation cards in order without really having world-building ones--honestly, another Star Trek phenomenon. So convenient that so many lifeforms really subscribe to entirely human philosophies, aren't they? Concepts of kinship, good, dessert, sharing, fun, and relaxation are all strangely similar. It is not, in other words, anything like Peter Watt's aliens.
"Speaker was awake, but hadn’t left her bed. She had no plans to do so anytime soon. It was very, very morning."
Still, I'm entirely glad I read it and will no doubt re-read. Probably while wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket with a mug of tea to hand.
June 1, 2022
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This basically was The Breakfast Club but with aliens.
Die-hard fans of the Wayfarers series will probably appreciate The Galaxy, and the Ground Within. While I loved The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet I was not as taken by its sequel nor by this rather anticlimactic conclusion. The Galaxy, and the Ground Within follows a somewhat basic premise: a bunch of strangers from vastly differentiating backgrounds are forced into close quarters due to circumstances out of their control. Over the course of a few days, they bond and discover that they are not so different and they learn to push aside their prejudices and preconceived notions of 'Others'. The fact that they belong to different species does give this scenario a fresh new angle but ultimately Chambers incorporated the same kind of simplified discussions about social & cultural differences. Chambers often dumbs down potentially interesting arguments so that many of the discussions arising around relevant social issues lack nuance.
The story follows Pei, an Aeluon, Speaker, an Akarak, and Roveg, a Quelin. They all end up grounded at the Five-Hop One-Stop which is run by Ouloo, a Laru. They have all lead distinctive lives and they also necessitate differentiating things given that they belong to a different species. Oxygen, for example, would be lethal to Speaker. At first, they view the others as mere aliens but the more time they spend together—picnics and get-togethers—the more they begin to see the others as individuals in their own right. There is some conflict due to Akarak not being considered a sapient species and therefore they are not part of the GC. They were colonized by another species and are now regarded with distrust. Pei is fighting for the Aeluons against the Rosk (whom, if I record correctly, they had previously colonized).
While Chambers can be creative when it comes to language (they all happen to mention untranslatable words that are emblematic of their species' culture) the gender angle is a bit more tired. In fact, it does not hold a candle to some species from our animal kingdom. It was a bit weird that so many alien species had a gender and I found myself wishing for some genderless aliens. Ouloo's child uses xyr/xe pronouns but after puberty, xe will be either female or male....which, why not have a species that is exclusively not gendered (as opposed to having species where you can be female, male, and or agender)?
Similarly, it seemed weird to me that all of the characters' thoughts and felt in similar way (even if Aeluons express themselves through the colors in their cheeks). Why do they all feel the same type of emotions? That they all spoke as if they were therapists made them blur together in spite of their alleged differences.
Most of the scenes included in the narrative seemed to try hard to be cute or sweet or heartwarming but I found them unbearably cheesy. And on the topic of cheese, that whole discussion about how weird cheese is was so necessary, the same goes for that discussion on shoes (they are like clothes for feet, ahah, so funny). Given that they have all interacted with or have knowledge of other species it seemed weird that they would go on about cheese and shoes as if these are flabbergasting concepts.
Although I appreciated Chambers inclusion of diverse languages it would have been interesting to learn whether contact between so many different species and the predominance of Klip as a spoken language, had resulted in language death for certain species. At one point the narrative seems to imply that Laru is spoken no longer but later on (if I remember correctly) this information is contradicted.
The story is slow and consists of these characters bonding and widening their mindsets. Explorations of serious and potentially topical issues, such as reproductive rights, are approached with simplicity ("Because I didn't want to. And when it comes to a person's body, that is all the reason there ever needs to be,"). Similarly, the whole Pei/Speaker confrontation results in both making 'valid' points.
The most interesting thing about this novel is the fact that it concerns non-humans but, to be honest, their experiences, desires, fears, and arcs felt a bit too 'human'.
I'm sure that Chamers aficionados will be able to love this in a way that I wasn't but if I had to be completely honest with myself, reading it felt like a waste of my time.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This basically was The Breakfast Club but with aliens.
Die-hard fans of the Wayfarers series will probably appreciate The Galaxy, and the Ground Within. While I loved The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet I was not as taken by its sequel nor by this rather anticlimactic conclusion. The Galaxy, and the Ground Within follows a somewhat basic premise: a bunch of strangers from vastly differentiating backgrounds are forced into close quarters due to circumstances out of their control. Over the course of a few days, they bond and discover that they are not so different and they learn to push aside their prejudices and preconceived notions of 'Others'. The fact that they belong to different species does give this scenario a fresh new angle but ultimately Chambers incorporated the same kind of simplified discussions about social & cultural differences. Chambers often dumbs down potentially interesting arguments so that many of the discussions arising around relevant social issues lack nuance.
The story follows Pei, an Aeluon, Speaker, an Akarak, and Roveg, a Quelin. They all end up grounded at the Five-Hop One-Stop which is run by Ouloo, a Laru. They have all lead distinctive lives and they also necessitate differentiating things given that they belong to a different species. Oxygen, for example, would be lethal to Speaker. At first, they view the others as mere aliens but the more time they spend together—picnics and get-togethers—the more they begin to see the others as individuals in their own right. There is some conflict due to Akarak not being considered a sapient species and therefore they are not part of the GC. They were colonized by another species and are now regarded with distrust. Pei is fighting for the Aeluons against the Rosk (whom, if I record correctly, they had previously colonized).
While Chambers can be creative when it comes to language (they all happen to mention untranslatable words that are emblematic of their species' culture) the gender angle is a bit more tired. In fact, it does not hold a candle to some species from our animal kingdom. It was a bit weird that so many alien species had a gender and I found myself wishing for some genderless aliens. Ouloo's child uses xyr/xe pronouns but after puberty, xe will be either female or male....which, why not have a species that is exclusively not gendered (as opposed to having species where you can be female, male, and or agender)?
Similarly, it seemed weird to me that all of the characters' thoughts and felt in similar way (even if Aeluons express themselves through the colors in their cheeks). Why do they all feel the same type of emotions? That they all spoke as if they were therapists made them blur together in spite of their alleged differences.
Most of the scenes included in the narrative seemed to try hard to be cute or sweet or heartwarming but I found them unbearably cheesy. And on the topic of cheese, that whole discussion about how weird cheese is was so necessary, the same goes for that discussion on shoes (they are like clothes for feet, ahah, so funny). Given that they have all interacted with or have knowledge of other species it seemed weird that they would go on about cheese and shoes as if these are flabbergasting concepts.
Although I appreciated Chambers inclusion of diverse languages it would have been interesting to learn whether contact between so many different species and the predominance of Klip as a spoken language, had resulted in language death for certain species. At one point the narrative seems to imply that Laru is spoken no longer but later on (if I remember correctly) this information is contradicted.
The story is slow and consists of these characters bonding and widening their mindsets. Explorations of serious and potentially topical issues, such as reproductive rights, are approached with simplicity ("Because I didn't want to. And when it comes to a person's body, that is all the reason there ever needs to be,"). Similarly, the whole Pei/Speaker confrontation results in both making 'valid' points.
The most interesting thing about this novel is the fact that it concerns non-humans but, to be honest, their experiences, desires, fears, and arcs felt a bit too 'human'.
I'm sure that Chamers aficionados will be able to love this in a way that I wasn't but if I had to be completely honest with myself, reading it felt like a waste of my time.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 24, 2021
At this point, the last book.in the Wayfarers series, if you know, you know. Nothing much happens, just a handful of aliens trapped for a few days on a boring planet that's mostly a galactic gas station, and the friends (and children) they made along the way.
There is this one section where the (all non-human) characters discuss humans and their weird obsession with cheese, and how it's made, and how they eat it, it is hilarious.
I'm looking forward to what Becky Chambers does next but I'll be sad to never visit her creative, found-families, literal universe again.
I had a copy of this from the publisher through Edelweiss and NetGalley (love her so much, requested it twice, whoops) - it came out in the United States on April 20, 2021.
There is this one section where the (all non-human) characters discuss humans and their weird obsession with cheese, and how it's made, and how they eat it, it is hilarious.
I'm looking forward to what Becky Chambers does next but I'll be sad to never visit her creative, found-families, literal universe again.
I had a copy of this from the publisher through Edelweiss and NetGalley (love her so much, requested it twice, whoops) - it came out in the United States on April 20, 2021.
March 24, 2021
Chambers does it again with her character-driven warm-fuzzies-in-space-opera fiction.
I've enjoyed all of these books for exactly what they are. Not a traditional space-opera in any normal sense of the word except in the dodads, alien species, and space-travel, but while we DO have all of these bits, the story is always down-to-earth, small, and focused on getting by, developing relationships, and sometimes even a taste or three of a few universals.
You know, like being upset with governmental stupidities in crisis, learning to live and love in very restrained and difficult situations, and coming to grips with old injustices and even the injustice of certain ideas.
In other words, it's our modern world with SF trappings. 'Wayfarers', in the title, is not misleading. We're literally stuck in a space truck stop for the entire novel.
It's not getting out of this backwater place that is the core of this plot. It's getting out of ourselves.
I've enjoyed all of these books for exactly what they are. Not a traditional space-opera in any normal sense of the word except in the dodads, alien species, and space-travel, but while we DO have all of these bits, the story is always down-to-earth, small, and focused on getting by, developing relationships, and sometimes even a taste or three of a few universals.
You know, like being upset with governmental stupidities in crisis, learning to live and love in very restrained and difficult situations, and coming to grips with old injustices and even the injustice of certain ideas.
In other words, it's our modern world with SF trappings. 'Wayfarers', in the title, is not misleading. We're literally stuck in a space truck stop for the entire novel.
It's not getting out of this backwater place that is the core of this plot. It's getting out of ourselves.
April 20, 2021
3.5 stars, rounding up because sometimes you just want to read about people being nice to each other.
January 28, 2023
While this isn't my favourite book of Becky Chambers', I can't deny that it felt good to be back in the Wayfarers universe.
While this one has arguably even less plot than the earlier instalments in the series, Becky's writing is so comforting to me at this point that I am happy to be along for the ride in these cosy sci-fi stories that put a new perspective on modern societal issues on the back drop of an incredibly diverse universe.
While this one has arguably even less plot than the earlier instalments in the series, Becky's writing is so comforting to me at this point that I am happy to be along for the ride in these cosy sci-fi stories that put a new perspective on modern societal issues on the back drop of an incredibly diverse universe.
March 25, 2021
The Lovers' Farewell
Think of home when you are far from here.
Let it be your comfort.
Think of us when you are alone.
Remember always our bright days,
Remember song,
Remember joy.
Remember the purple sky.
Remember dark faces, old and beloved.
Remember children, their shells still white.
Cheese! And an embarrassingly out-of-their-depth government agency that very much reminded me of governments and how they are (not) handling this pandemic. Just two very hilarious / poignant details in this 4th volume of the Wayfarers series and yes, there is a direct connection to the characters of the first book. :)
We’re on the planet Gora, a barren world known only because it happens to be situated closely to more popular worlds, making it the perfect stopover for ships traveling between the wormholes that keep this series’ galaxy connected.
At the "Five-Hop One-Stop", spacers can get fuel, transit permits and assorted supplies. But when something happens (what exactly is quite unimportant), three such spacers (all different species) are suddenly stranded with the alien running the place and her offspring.
The actual story is about who these individuals are, where they’ve been and where they want to go from here.
As is usual for this author, the story is not about explosions and action scenes, but about the character studies and developments. This results in a very colorful and interesting story but one that isn’t "loud". Either one likes that sort of thing or one doesn’t. I happen to appreciate both, depending on the execution.
Especially since the "quietness" of this series doesn’t mean no deep and complicated matters such as (class) warfare, intercultural expansion, physical disabilities or other socio-political problems are being addressed.
I also liked the setting in which the topics where explored. I mean, what do you do if you can’t just walk away? If you can’t just call emergency services in case of an actual emergency? When you’re stranded and shut in?
While I did like volumes 2 and 3 of the series a lot, volume 1 will always be the best - but this 4th volume is a very close second!
The writing style was once again wonderful, the descriptions rich and conveying the necessary gravitas of certain events while also highlighting emotional impacts, letting the events flow as smoothly as any conventional, action-packed adventure story.
Moreover, there were some nods to the other books and a strong bond with the first that had me laugh in delight (including a serious "d’aw"-moment). :D
The series is a bit different from the usual sci-fi stuff out there, but truly great.
May 28, 2021
The creatures 💕💕💕💕
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
December 13, 2020
Once again Becky Chambers has restored my faith in humanity. This novel feels like the perfect remedy to the shit show that was 2020 and honestly could not have come at a more perfect time. Her writing has this captivating quality that takes you in it's arms and makes you feel like everything is going to be okay with the world.
The Galaxy and The Ground Within is a very quiet yet profound novel and personally I think it's such a refreshing change from a lot of the high octane sci-fi thillers we get nowadays. The major theme of the book is a contemplation on what it means to accept both others and yourelf, to me this is such a beautiful thing to explore and definetly a lesson I think a lot of the world needs, on treating people who are different from you with respect, grace and kindness.
In terms of plot and characters, we follow a small group of characters (who I absolutely adore, they might be my fvaourite cast of the wayfayers books, although I do also adore the wayfayer crew in the long way), who are all strangers at the start of the novel, but due to unforseen circumstances they are stuck together planetside on Gora. Gora is a planet which doesn't have its own indiginous species, but instead has become a sort of stopover port, in the middle of a wormhole gate system.
The main charcaters we follow are:
Ouloo - Ouloo is the owner of the one stop five hop, a sort of resort for travellers to take a rest on their way to where they are going next, whilst waiting for their turn in the wormhole gate crew. Ouloo is mother to Tupo and is very passionate about making her guests feel welcome and accepted.
Tupo - Xe is Ouloo's child and is one of my favoruite characters ever. Becky chambers perfectly captured the spirit of a pre-teen/teenager who wants to be xyr own person but also very much still needs xyr parent. Tupo is sweet yet mischivous and so curious about the world.
Pei - Another one of my absolute favourites, we have actually met Pei before, as Ashby's love interest. But seeing her on her own and discovering her character as an indivual, her wants and goals, as well as her struggles (paticularly about her relationship with Ashby - which she feels a lot of guilt about) was such a pleasure to read. Her storyline is so beautiful, coming to terms with what she wants for her life and standing up for herself to herself (idk if that makes sense but it's the best way I can describe it!). Also some of the choices she maes towards the end of the book were so impactful and I think will resonate with a lot of women.
Roveg - Roveg is a Quelin, an species which has ostracised themselves from the rest of the GC, who is exile and is very much the glue who holds this fledgeling group together (Pei and Speaker have very strong perosnalities and Roveg is the perfect balance to this). Keeping his own secrets and anxieties about the situation is character arc is very interesting to watch unfold throughout the novel. I also love how respectful and interested he is in other cultures and how fundamentally tied to his character this is.
Speaker - She is another character who I just feel head over heels for, part of the Akarak race, a species we don't know much about, nor do the rest of the GC, Speaker has made herself into someone who is almost an ambassador for her species, however she often feels this burden and wants people to just accept her for who she is rather than who she presents to the world. She is also seperated from her twin sister at the start of the novel and you truly feel her anxiety and love for her sister and wanting to get back to her.
We watch as the characters grow closer in their forced proximity, but also how they clash with one another and their differing world (galaxy?) views. Also how the characters are forced to take a break from their everyday lives and just spend a few days doing very little, just looking after themsleves and the others they are stuck with. This is a very important takeaway, especially with the current work climate of work yourself to death, as well as a reflection on how COVID has forced a lot of us to take a break and maye reflect a little on what we truly want from life.
There are so many beautiful quotes in this book, as well as some really emotional character moments, paticularly around themes of parenthood (which I am always a sucker for). Also some really sweet and wholesome moments, especially around the sharing of food and how that can help bring people together - another theme which resonated deeply with me. Finally there is an element of medicine/healing care which of course I also loved!!!!
In conclusion The Galaxy and the Ground Within is probably tied with the Long Way to a Small Angry Planet for my favourite Wayfayers book, a beautiful novel about where you've been, where you are and where you are going.
The Galaxy and The Ground Within is a very quiet yet profound novel and personally I think it's such a refreshing change from a lot of the high octane sci-fi thillers we get nowadays. The major theme of the book is a contemplation on what it means to accept both others and yourelf, to me this is such a beautiful thing to explore and definetly a lesson I think a lot of the world needs, on treating people who are different from you with respect, grace and kindness.
In terms of plot and characters, we follow a small group of characters (who I absolutely adore, they might be my fvaourite cast of the wayfayers books, although I do also adore the wayfayer crew in the long way), who are all strangers at the start of the novel, but due to unforseen circumstances they are stuck together planetside on Gora. Gora is a planet which doesn't have its own indiginous species, but instead has become a sort of stopover port, in the middle of a wormhole gate system.
The main charcaters we follow are:
Ouloo - Ouloo is the owner of the one stop five hop, a sort of resort for travellers to take a rest on their way to where they are going next, whilst waiting for their turn in the wormhole gate crew. Ouloo is mother to Tupo and is very passionate about making her guests feel welcome and accepted.
Tupo - Xe is Ouloo's child and is one of my favoruite characters ever. Becky chambers perfectly captured the spirit of a pre-teen/teenager who wants to be xyr own person but also very much still needs xyr parent. Tupo is sweet yet mischivous and so curious about the world.
Pei - Another one of my absolute favourites, we have actually met Pei before, as Ashby's love interest. But seeing her on her own and discovering her character as an indivual, her wants and goals, as well as her struggles (paticularly about her relationship with Ashby - which she feels a lot of guilt about) was such a pleasure to read. Her storyline is so beautiful, coming to terms with what she wants for her life and standing up for herself to herself (idk if that makes sense but it's the best way I can describe it!). Also some of the choices she maes towards the end of the book were so impactful and I think will resonate with a lot of women.
Roveg - Roveg is a Quelin, an species which has ostracised themselves from the rest of the GC, who is exile and is very much the glue who holds this fledgeling group together (Pei and Speaker have very strong perosnalities and Roveg is the perfect balance to this). Keeping his own secrets and anxieties about the situation is character arc is very interesting to watch unfold throughout the novel. I also love how respectful and interested he is in other cultures and how fundamentally tied to his character this is.
Speaker - She is another character who I just feel head over heels for, part of the Akarak race, a species we don't know much about, nor do the rest of the GC, Speaker has made herself into someone who is almost an ambassador for her species, however she often feels this burden and wants people to just accept her for who she is rather than who she presents to the world. She is also seperated from her twin sister at the start of the novel and you truly feel her anxiety and love for her sister and wanting to get back to her.
We watch as the characters grow closer in their forced proximity, but also how they clash with one another and their differing world (galaxy?) views. Also how the characters are forced to take a break from their everyday lives and just spend a few days doing very little, just looking after themsleves and the others they are stuck with. This is a very important takeaway, especially with the current work climate of work yourself to death, as well as a reflection on how COVID has forced a lot of us to take a break and maye reflect a little on what we truly want from life.
There are so many beautiful quotes in this book, as well as some really emotional character moments, paticularly around themes of parenthood (which I am always a sucker for). Also some really sweet and wholesome moments, especially around the sharing of food and how that can help bring people together - another theme which resonated deeply with me. Finally there is an element of medicine/healing care which of course I also loved!!!!
In conclusion The Galaxy and the Ground Within is probably tied with the Long Way to a Small Angry Planet for my favourite Wayfayers book, a beautiful novel about where you've been, where you are and where you are going.
November 23, 2023
3.5ish stars.
Different ingredients, same flavor - just a little watered down. Coke Zero perhaps.
I loved book 1, (TLWTASAP), but whereas book 3 (ROASF) lost me with Chambers doing too much, I like that this one (TG,ATGW) returned to the simplicity of book 2 (ACACO). And then again, while book 2 was powerful in its simplicity, #4 is just a little too slight.
The draw of the Wayfarers series itself is that it's inclusive and hopeful and makes people feel good. Which is solid, and this book fits that bill to a T. But IMO, although the title acronyms are great, it's the right time to wrap the series up.
Posted in Mr. Philip's Library
Different ingredients, same flavor - just a little watered down. Coke Zero perhaps.
I loved book 1, (TLWTASAP), but whereas book 3 (ROASF) lost me with Chambers doing too much, I like that this one (TG,ATGW) returned to the simplicity of book 2 (ACACO). And then again, while book 2 was powerful in its simplicity, #4 is just a little too slight.
The draw of the Wayfarers series itself is that it's inclusive and hopeful and makes people feel good. Which is solid, and this book fits that bill to a T. But IMO, although the title acronyms are great, it's the right time to wrap the series up.
Posted in Mr. Philip's Library
January 25, 2021
Unpopular opinion incoming:
Synopsis: Three aliens are stranded at their hosts for a few days on a backwater planet due to global technical reasons:
Pei gives a comeback from the first novel. She is an Aeulon and a military cargo runner who won't make it to the rendezvous with her human lover. Roveg, an exiled lobster-like Quelin, is a creator of vacation simulations who needs to make a vital appointment. Speaker, a methane-breathing Akarak in a mechsuit, worries for her sister in the orbit. These three are hosted by Ouloo and her adolescent child Tupo. No humans involved at all.
They get to learn each others' backgrounds, and separate as soon as possible again.
Review: This fourth novel concludes the author's Wayfarer series, and it isn't to be expected that Chambers will return to this universe.
Embrace the xenology in this chamberplay, because the plot or setting is nearly not existent. It could be played against a grey curtain without loosing too much. The novel has all the charming, positive, and sometimes funny atmosphere as all the previous novels and dives deep into the characterizations and the relationships between the five protagonists. There are a couple of social conflicts, some of them caused by misinterpretation, others by contrary attitudes. None of them are heavy-weight or lead to fights.
The novel doesn't feel like an end to the series, there is no huge showdown or any wow-effect at all, and could be randomly read as a second or third volume. It flows calmly page after page without a tension arc and is inconsequential for the series. There's nothing keeping the reader bound to the narration than the lovely characters.
As a series finale, it is utterly anticlimatic. As part of the series it is redundant and gives the reader just more of what has been told before in other colours. If you really need that additional layer of icing, then you'll be happy.
Synopsis: Three aliens are stranded at their hosts for a few days on a backwater planet due to global technical reasons:
Pei gives a comeback from the first novel. She is an Aeulon and a military cargo runner who won't make it to the rendezvous with her human lover. Roveg, an exiled lobster-like Quelin, is a creator of vacation simulations who needs to make a vital appointment. Speaker, a methane-breathing Akarak in a mechsuit, worries for her sister in the orbit. These three are hosted by Ouloo and her adolescent child Tupo. No humans involved at all.
They get to learn each others' backgrounds, and separate as soon as possible again.
Review: This fourth novel concludes the author's Wayfarer series, and it isn't to be expected that Chambers will return to this universe.
Embrace the xenology in this chamberplay, because the plot or setting is nearly not existent. It could be played against a grey curtain without loosing too much. The novel has all the charming, positive, and sometimes funny atmosphere as all the previous novels and dives deep into the characterizations and the relationships between the five protagonists. There are a couple of social conflicts, some of them caused by misinterpretation, others by contrary attitudes. None of them are heavy-weight or lead to fights.
The novel doesn't feel like an end to the series, there is no huge showdown or any wow-effect at all, and could be randomly read as a second or third volume. It flows calmly page after page without a tension arc and is inconsequential for the series. There's nothing keeping the reader bound to the narration than the lovely characters.
As a series finale, it is utterly anticlimatic. As part of the series it is redundant and gives the reader just more of what has been told before in other colours. If you really need that additional layer of icing, then you'll be happy.
June 8, 2024
“‘But you're correct. Our species - no, forgive me, our cultures - aren't the same at all. Quelin fear outsiders because we use them as scapegoats for the things we fear about ourselves. We bar cultural exchange because change frightens us. Whereas your people…’
He looked at her. ‘You fear outsiders because they gave you no choice in the change they forced upon you.’”
After a technological disaster strikes on the planet Gora, a set of unlikely strangers are trapped at Five-Hop One-Stop under the care of Ouloo, the Laru owner, and Tupo, her child — Pei, an Aeluon cargo runner traveling from the dangerous Rosk border to see her lover Ashby; Roveg, an exiled Quelin artist looking to meet his children; and Speaker, an Akarak trader unexpectedly separated from her twin sister Tracker.
The Galaxy and the Ground Within is, fundamentally, a novel about cultural exchange, the complexities within it, and the value of finding connection across different communities. It is charming, kind, and partially due to its scope closely intwined with its five lead characters. Becky Chambers as always writes with a profound empathy towards her leads. This was not my favorite of this series – it’s probably the one that stands out to me the least – but it’s charming, and I absolutely adored Speaker.
I’ll miss this series. I guess I’ll need to move onto new Becky Chambers now.
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October 18, 2021
In her writing, Becky Chambers is remarkably adept at exploring any conflict through a compassionate perspective that sometimes verges on the overly-sugary but also just happens to be something we all need in this capitalist hellscape.This book in particular, focuses on a planet-wide crisis that leaves its characters stranded, isolated and reliant on strangers. Had I read the blurb, I would have been sure it wouldn't work because it's too soon. We aren't desensitized enough to read pandemic inspired science fiction and not get offended by atleast some aspects of it. But Becky Chambers always surprises me.
This book captures the simultaneous close-encounter-with and detachment-from the here-now that we experience during a crisis really well, while also incorporating several other themes like a refugee crisis, speciesism, ableism, war, social taboos, motherhood, the unbridgeable gap between us and the other and the extra kindness that our interactions therefore demand. And relief of all reliefs: there isn't a single heteronormative, white, human male character here. Actually, there isn't any sort of human character if you don't count mere mentions.
More than anything, Becky Chambers here shows (shows, not tells) that compassion, understanding and sustainable solutions are possible even during a situation that enforces a collective alienation.
Oh and about that whole debate between Pei and Speaker, I am and will always be team speaker. Don't try telling me that there are no teams. Even here, Chambers brilliantly demonstrates how a position of privilege and power can and will cloud your scope for any sort of egalitarian and objective understanding.
This book captures the simultaneous close-encounter-with and detachment-from the here-now that we experience during a crisis really well, while also incorporating several other themes like a refugee crisis, speciesism, ableism, war, social taboos, motherhood, the unbridgeable gap between us and the other and the extra kindness that our interactions therefore demand. And relief of all reliefs: there isn't a single heteronormative, white, human male character here. Actually, there isn't any sort of human character if you don't count mere mentions.
More than anything, Becky Chambers here shows (shows, not tells) that compassion, understanding and sustainable solutions are possible even during a situation that enforces a collective alienation.
Oh and about that whole debate between Pei and Speaker, I am and will always be team speaker. Don't try telling me that there are no teams. Even here, Chambers brilliantly demonstrates how a position of privilege and power can and will cloud your scope for any sort of egalitarian and objective understanding.
April 24, 2024
Love this!! A slice of life sci-fi story following an unlikely group of aliens stranded at a rest stop on a small planet for a few days. It's cozy and low stakes, while also offering glimpses of the more complex social and political realities of the wider world AND creatively imagining different kinds of biology for sentient lifeforms. Becky Chambers just doesn't miss for me.
January 22, 2024
This was a quiet, sweet, generously-spirited ending to Becky Chambers’ deservedly admired and popular 4-book Wayfarers series. I did want to feel a bit more conflict and urgency at times, but I do recognize that’s not always the approach Chambers has taken with these books, and her attention to detail and affection for her characters is greatly appealing. My favorite of the 4 remains A Closed and Common Orbit.
August 26, 2024
*weeping* how am I supposed to live, laugh, love in these conditions??
August 17, 2025
Windup book for the series, which was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Series. A good book, but not a gripping one. At the moment, I'm giving it a 3.5 star rating, and wobbling between rounding up or down. Not her best work, and I wouldn't start here -- though it is a standalone. Another of her trademark "found family" stories, this one recycles old stories of travelers stranded in a temporary refuge, while a natural disaster is sorted out. As you will see, there is a large range of reactions to the book. But the average rating for all readers is a solid, near-masterpiece 4.5 stars. I'm definitely not going that high!
My library ebook copy lets me copy snippets for quotes. So here's Ouloo, a Laru (you can tell from the vowel-heavy name), manager of Gora's Five-Hop One-Stop, trying to get ready for a day at work. There are complications:
"Tupo was still so soft, so babylike in temperament, but had finally crossed the threshold from small and cute to big and dumb."
Breakfast at the beach:
"Roveg arranged a somewhat Aandrisk-influenced spread: grain crackers with snapfruit preserves, spicy fermented fungus paste rolled in fresh saab tesh, and a few choice slices of hot smoked river eel (this was an Aeluon addition, but it complimented the other offerings well). A bowl of tea tied the arrangement together – a delicate Laru blend, as it happened – along with a small glass of seagrass juice."
Heh. Becky has read her Jack Vance! And, of course, things are not quite what they seem….
“….stars above, Laru were so floppy. Their limbs were like animated noodles, their stubby torsos thick and bumbling, their long tail-like necks somewhere between a nightmare and a grand cosmic joke.”
One problem of multi-species casts of aliens as characters — makes it hard to keep track of, or empathize with, the non-humans. Or even to visualize them.
Boys will be boys, even when they are Laru:
Re: "Creds and Revenge", a . . . pretty intense kidvid.
‘You know the part where that bad guy gets hit with a plasma cannon way up close, and he turns into a skeleton and then he explodes?’
‘Yeah,’ Pei said, not sure where this was going.
‘Could that really happen?’
A fair bit of the book is about communication between very different aliens, none of them human. Which gets confusing, but is pretty interesting. Again, I’m reminded of when Jack Vance tackled this. Among other SF/F writers, of course….
[looks for a good example]
Pei, who’s an Aeluon, a race that can’t hear and communicates in colors. is teaching the Lawn Party group to dance:
‘Okay, this is a cute dance you learn as a kid. It’s called . . .’ She paused. There was no translating this. She thought for a moment, then gave up and pointed at her cheeks as she flashed the name of the dance. ‘That. It’s called that.’
‘Green Blue White Spots,’ Roveg said. ‘Marvelous. Teach us Green Blue White Spots.’
In interacting within Ouloo’s small hostel during Lockdown (a familiar concept!), the participants learn just how different they really are from the other races of aliens….
Breakfast with Speaker in Ruveg’s shuttle:
‘Sounds and beauty are such relative things. I know Aandrisks don’t like the sound of us much, but then, I think Reskitkish sounds like someone trying to choke to death as quickly as possible, so to each their own.’
[Earth, the battered Human homeworld] Their world isn’t dead, not completely. It’s being repaired, little by little. They can visit, if they want to. There are some who live there still. And their planet wasn’t taken from outside. They killed it from within. They chewed their own hearts out. No, I don’t think we’re the same at all.’
[After a trying day]. Roveg wrapped his mouth around the pour spout and gingerly took a sip. The Laru kick shot down his oesophagus like a ship on fire, tasting of ash and bitter herbs. ‘Ho!’ he said with a hoarse laugh. ‘Oh, stars, that’d strip paint. Oof.’ He turned the bottle this way and that, as though it were a scientific specimen. ‘Ouloo’s private stash, I take it?’
‘Yep.’
So. On a paragraph-by-paragraph level, it's very good. Just not very... gripping. Well, a good deal of Vance's work isn't particularly gripping, either. Overall, I'm rating this one at 3.5 stars, and rounding down because its narrative thrust is so weak. YMMV, and others liked it more, or less. If you've liked previous Chambers books, give it a try. Almost certainly your library will have a copy.
Good professional review: https://locusmag.com/2021/05/adrienne...
My library ebook copy lets me copy snippets for quotes. So here's Ouloo, a Laru (you can tell from the vowel-heavy name), manager of Gora's Five-Hop One-Stop, trying to get ready for a day at work. There are complications:
"Tupo was still so soft, so babylike in temperament, but had finally crossed the threshold from small and cute to big and dumb."
Breakfast at the beach:
"Roveg arranged a somewhat Aandrisk-influenced spread: grain crackers with snapfruit preserves, spicy fermented fungus paste rolled in fresh saab tesh, and a few choice slices of hot smoked river eel (this was an Aeluon addition, but it complimented the other offerings well). A bowl of tea tied the arrangement together – a delicate Laru blend, as it happened – along with a small glass of seagrass juice."
Heh. Becky has read her Jack Vance! And, of course, things are not quite what they seem….
“….stars above, Laru were so floppy. Their limbs were like animated noodles, their stubby torsos thick and bumbling, their long tail-like necks somewhere between a nightmare and a grand cosmic joke.”
One problem of multi-species casts of aliens as characters — makes it hard to keep track of, or empathize with, the non-humans. Or even to visualize them.
Boys will be boys, even when they are Laru:
Re: "Creds and Revenge", a . . . pretty intense kidvid.
‘You know the part where that bad guy gets hit with a plasma cannon way up close, and he turns into a skeleton and then he explodes?’
‘Yeah,’ Pei said, not sure where this was going.
‘Could that really happen?’
A fair bit of the book is about communication between very different aliens, none of them human. Which gets confusing, but is pretty interesting. Again, I’m reminded of when Jack Vance tackled this. Among other SF/F writers, of course….
[looks for a good example]
Pei, who’s an Aeluon, a race that can’t hear and communicates in colors. is teaching the Lawn Party group to dance:
‘Okay, this is a cute dance you learn as a kid. It’s called . . .’ She paused. There was no translating this. She thought for a moment, then gave up and pointed at her cheeks as she flashed the name of the dance. ‘That. It’s called that.’
‘Green Blue White Spots,’ Roveg said. ‘Marvelous. Teach us Green Blue White Spots.’
In interacting within Ouloo’s small hostel during Lockdown (a familiar concept!), the participants learn just how different they really are from the other races of aliens….
Breakfast with Speaker in Ruveg’s shuttle:
‘Sounds and beauty are such relative things. I know Aandrisks don’t like the sound of us much, but then, I think Reskitkish sounds like someone trying to choke to death as quickly as possible, so to each their own.’
[Earth, the battered Human homeworld] Their world isn’t dead, not completely. It’s being repaired, little by little. They can visit, if they want to. There are some who live there still. And their planet wasn’t taken from outside. They killed it from within. They chewed their own hearts out. No, I don’t think we’re the same at all.’
[After a trying day]. Roveg wrapped his mouth around the pour spout and gingerly took a sip. The Laru kick shot down his oesophagus like a ship on fire, tasting of ash and bitter herbs. ‘Ho!’ he said with a hoarse laugh. ‘Oh, stars, that’d strip paint. Oof.’ He turned the bottle this way and that, as though it were a scientific specimen. ‘Ouloo’s private stash, I take it?’
‘Yep.’
So. On a paragraph-by-paragraph level, it's very good. Just not very... gripping. Well, a good deal of Vance's work isn't particularly gripping, either. Overall, I'm rating this one at 3.5 stars, and rounding down because its narrative thrust is so weak. YMMV, and others liked it more, or less. If you've liked previous Chambers books, give it a try. Almost certainly your library will have a copy.
Good professional review: https://locusmag.com/2021/05/adrienne...
May 20, 2021
Parting is such sweet sorrow, isn’t it, Becky? At the same time, my nerves were frayed and my spirit low, so a Wayfarer novel was just what the doctor ordered when my pre-order was finally delivered – even if it’s the final tome of this beloved series.
Gora is a little planet with no natural ecosystem or natural resources, but it happens to be located at the juncture of several wormholes managed by the Galactic Commons to facilitate long-distance space travel; in other words, it’s the perfect spot for a rest stop that will give travelers a chance to stretch, rest and have a snack during a layover. This is precisely what three aliens of different species had planned to do: a little stop at the homely establishment of Five-Hop One-Stop to refuel before moving on. But alas, when a freak accident seriously damages the planet’s satellites and brings down all comms for an indeterminate period of time, the travelers are stranded.
Chambers works with a classic crossroads metaphor with this book, as all of her characters have a personal choice to make in order to go forward when they end up stranded at the Five-Hop. The personal and the political are subtly mixed, because they do remain closely intertwined, even if we like to pretend otherwise (and even on other planets, I assume).
As usual, she gives us wonderfully fleshed out, multi-dimensional characters, incredibly imaginative aliens species and cultures and fun, intriguing settings to explore. Ouloo and her teenage child Tupo have made their little hostel as comfortable as possible for any alien species who might drop by, and frankly, it sounds like the rest stop I would love to find on my next roadtrip: a little garden, a spa room and endless cake? Yes, please!
But as usual, where Chambers really shines is with her amazing character development. Rovek (a Quelin – a crustacean-like species with multiple legs and a hard keratin shell) might have been my favorite, and it was great to reconnect with Pei, the Aeluon captain (and girlfriend of Captain Ashby https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) but I was both fascinated and saddened by Speaker’s story, and I felt deeply for Ouloo, who gave herself no small task when she decided to raise her child in as diverse an environment as possible. Exile, parenthood, survival in a world that is simply not build for you, the loyalty to one’s culture while understanding that its flawed… Those things are not easy to deal with, and different cultures have different ideas about them, but under the shell or fur or scales, we are not as different as we might think, as these five aliens find out during the outage. (I must add that as an unrepentant cheese-addict, I have to tip my hat to Chambers for describing cheese in a way that made me go "oh god, that IS fucking weird!" in this book. I'm still going to shove brie in my face, but I definitely see why aliens would find that upsetting.)
I love the way this series’ books are connected, because it draws a wonderful picture of the interconnectedness between people, even when they are from different planets, and that even when they don’t agree on everything, they are still part of each other’s lives. It makes me happy to think that her characters are better off for having known each other, even if they could never have imagined such a thing. While I wouldn’t say her books are didactic, Chambers is clearly an advocate of compassion, tolerance and open dialogue, something the world could use a bit more of, and as I said in my other reviews of her books, sometimes, it’s just nice to imagine a world where people get along better. It may feel too cutesy for some, but I needed the warm and fuzzy hug of this book.
A series that I am sad to leave behind but already look forward to revisiting!
Gora is a little planet with no natural ecosystem or natural resources, but it happens to be located at the juncture of several wormholes managed by the Galactic Commons to facilitate long-distance space travel; in other words, it’s the perfect spot for a rest stop that will give travelers a chance to stretch, rest and have a snack during a layover. This is precisely what three aliens of different species had planned to do: a little stop at the homely establishment of Five-Hop One-Stop to refuel before moving on. But alas, when a freak accident seriously damages the planet’s satellites and brings down all comms for an indeterminate period of time, the travelers are stranded.
Chambers works with a classic crossroads metaphor with this book, as all of her characters have a personal choice to make in order to go forward when they end up stranded at the Five-Hop. The personal and the political are subtly mixed, because they do remain closely intertwined, even if we like to pretend otherwise (and even on other planets, I assume).
As usual, she gives us wonderfully fleshed out, multi-dimensional characters, incredibly imaginative aliens species and cultures and fun, intriguing settings to explore. Ouloo and her teenage child Tupo have made their little hostel as comfortable as possible for any alien species who might drop by, and frankly, it sounds like the rest stop I would love to find on my next roadtrip: a little garden, a spa room and endless cake? Yes, please!
But as usual, where Chambers really shines is with her amazing character development. Rovek (a Quelin – a crustacean-like species with multiple legs and a hard keratin shell) might have been my favorite, and it was great to reconnect with Pei, the Aeluon captain (and girlfriend of Captain Ashby https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) but I was both fascinated and saddened by Speaker’s story, and I felt deeply for Ouloo, who gave herself no small task when she decided to raise her child in as diverse an environment as possible. Exile, parenthood, survival in a world that is simply not build for you, the loyalty to one’s culture while understanding that its flawed… Those things are not easy to deal with, and different cultures have different ideas about them, but under the shell or fur or scales, we are not as different as we might think, as these five aliens find out during the outage. (I must add that as an unrepentant cheese-addict, I have to tip my hat to Chambers for describing cheese in a way that made me go "oh god, that IS fucking weird!" in this book. I'm still going to shove brie in my face, but I definitely see why aliens would find that upsetting.)
I love the way this series’ books are connected, because it draws a wonderful picture of the interconnectedness between people, even when they are from different planets, and that even when they don’t agree on everything, they are still part of each other’s lives. It makes me happy to think that her characters are better off for having known each other, even if they could never have imagined such a thing. While I wouldn’t say her books are didactic, Chambers is clearly an advocate of compassion, tolerance and open dialogue, something the world could use a bit more of, and as I said in my other reviews of her books, sometimes, it’s just nice to imagine a world where people get along better. It may feel too cutesy for some, but I needed the warm and fuzzy hug of this book.
A series that I am sad to leave behind but already look forward to revisiting!
February 26, 2021
The entire Wayfarer series has been absolutely awesome, each entry wonderful in its own right, every one my new favourite. I adored all the characters in this story and found it very moving. Gave me the warm and fuzzies. Recommended.
May 6, 2021
I just adore this series, though I'm sad that this is the final book.
April 9, 2021
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet made me fall in love with Becky Chambers’ writing and with her imagination. I enjoyed the next two Wayfarers books even if my excitement wasn’t always as high and my awe as all-encompassing as with that first book. Chambers’ writing is precise and meticulous, perfectly suited to world-building, with the right amount of details to feel complete without being dull or overwhelming.
Besides the fascinating universe Chambers has created, another aspect of her books continuously delights me, and that’s the characters. Every single character feels whole and they all still live in me months or years after I’ve read the book. Pei is one of those characters. She may not have been one of the main characters in The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet but I remember her very well, which, as you know if you’ve read my reviews before, doesn’t happen often. I loved the idea of getting to know her better and Chambers didn’t disappoint. The best part is, all the other characters were just as captivating and I enjoyed every second with each of them.
The premiss of The Galaxy, and the Ground Within is pretty simple: basically, it’s strangers stranded together “on a nothing planet in the middle of nowhere” (to quote Pei). Gora wouldn’t even register as a planet (its name means useless in Hanto) if it wasn’t perfectly situated between more interesting places. Think of it as a truck stop for spacers waiting in line to access the wormhole they need to get through to reach their real destination. One of the places where they can dock and rest, refuel and do whatever they need to do before getting back on the road – so to speak – is the Five-Hop One-Stop, operated by Ouloo and her non-binary child Tupo. All Ouloo wants is for her guests to be happy so when a technical incident stops all traffic, she’ll work twice as hard to make sure their stay is as comfortable as possible. Over the course of a few days, the hosts and their three guests will learn a lot about each other but also about themselves. They’re all different species: Ouloo and Tupo are Laru; Speaker is an Akarak with weak legs, whose sister Tracker stayed on the ship while she took the shuttle to Gora; Roveg is an exiled Quelin; Pei is an Aeluon, on her way to spend a few clandestine days with Ashby, the captain of the Wayfarer and the common denominator to all four books.
There aren’t any humans in this story, and it feels like a perfect choice to end the series, especially as book three, Record of a Spaceborn Few, was all about humans. It brings perspective to the universe and while reminding the reader of how tiny each of us is in the grand scheme of things, it’s also fascinating to realise how relatable these characters are. One might argue that Chambers failed to make them diverse enough, considering they’re all different species, but I like the idea of common emotions and reactions regardless of how dissimilar they are in other respects. Their bonding over their shared confusion as to humans’ love of cheese is probably the funniest scene of the book.
As I wrote before, there’s a deceptive quietness to the stories Becky Chambers tells. Stuff happens but most of it is not at the forefront. What matters isn’t so much events as how the characters react to them. The narrative may seem slow but there’s nothing boring about it. Chambers’ words envelop the reader whose only job is to let themselves be carried away. There’s something very poetic about the world(s) Chambers describes but – and that’s what I mean by deceptively quiet – that element doesn’t hide any of the ugly nor of the glorious.
The message I got from this fourth and final book is one of agency. Which is true for the whole series, come to think of it. (Re)claiming one’s power, whether it be on one’s body, one’s mind, one’s story. Deciding for yourself, making your own choices in a way that, in the end, benefits everyone.
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within doesn’t feel like an ending. I’m not sure if it’s a bad thing or a good thing, whether it should feel more final. I’ll let the optimist in me take over: if Becky Chambers was to change her mind and add more books to the series, they could fit seamlessly.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Besides the fascinating universe Chambers has created, another aspect of her books continuously delights me, and that’s the characters. Every single character feels whole and they all still live in me months or years after I’ve read the book. Pei is one of those characters. She may not have been one of the main characters in The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet but I remember her very well, which, as you know if you’ve read my reviews before, doesn’t happen often. I loved the idea of getting to know her better and Chambers didn’t disappoint. The best part is, all the other characters were just as captivating and I enjoyed every second with each of them.
The premiss of The Galaxy, and the Ground Within is pretty simple: basically, it’s strangers stranded together “on a nothing planet in the middle of nowhere” (to quote Pei). Gora wouldn’t even register as a planet (its name means useless in Hanto) if it wasn’t perfectly situated between more interesting places. Think of it as a truck stop for spacers waiting in line to access the wormhole they need to get through to reach their real destination. One of the places where they can dock and rest, refuel and do whatever they need to do before getting back on the road – so to speak – is the Five-Hop One-Stop, operated by Ouloo and her non-binary child Tupo. All Ouloo wants is for her guests to be happy so when a technical incident stops all traffic, she’ll work twice as hard to make sure their stay is as comfortable as possible. Over the course of a few days, the hosts and their three guests will learn a lot about each other but also about themselves. They’re all different species: Ouloo and Tupo are Laru; Speaker is an Akarak with weak legs, whose sister Tracker stayed on the ship while she took the shuttle to Gora; Roveg is an exiled Quelin; Pei is an Aeluon, on her way to spend a few clandestine days with Ashby, the captain of the Wayfarer and the common denominator to all four books.
There aren’t any humans in this story, and it feels like a perfect choice to end the series, especially as book three, Record of a Spaceborn Few, was all about humans. It brings perspective to the universe and while reminding the reader of how tiny each of us is in the grand scheme of things, it’s also fascinating to realise how relatable these characters are. One might argue that Chambers failed to make them diverse enough, considering they’re all different species, but I like the idea of common emotions and reactions regardless of how dissimilar they are in other respects. Their bonding over their shared confusion as to humans’ love of cheese is probably the funniest scene of the book.
As I wrote before, there’s a deceptive quietness to the stories Becky Chambers tells. Stuff happens but most of it is not at the forefront. What matters isn’t so much events as how the characters react to them. The narrative may seem slow but there’s nothing boring about it. Chambers’ words envelop the reader whose only job is to let themselves be carried away. There’s something very poetic about the world(s) Chambers describes but – and that’s what I mean by deceptively quiet – that element doesn’t hide any of the ugly nor of the glorious.
The message I got from this fourth and final book is one of agency. Which is true for the whole series, come to think of it. (Re)claiming one’s power, whether it be on one’s body, one’s mind, one’s story. Deciding for yourself, making your own choices in a way that, in the end, benefits everyone.
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within doesn’t feel like an ending. I’m not sure if it’s a bad thing or a good thing, whether it should feel more final. I’ll let the optimist in me take over: if Becky Chambers was to change her mind and add more books to the series, they could fit seamlessly.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 15, 2021
Oh, but how my heart needed this book! I know a lot of you don't have access to Becky Chambers' newest release, so I'll keep this short and spoiler free. If you enjoyed the first three in the Wayfarers series, you'll enjoy this. Her characters and compassion are so lovely and she has definitely become one of my "comfort read" authors. This particular outing is focused on a sort of "cultural exchange" between an all-alien (non-human) cast, shedding more light on the universe (galaxy) which she has created, and its inhabitants. I adored the interactions, especially that of the youngest character! So unbelievably sweet-natured without being saccharine.
Having said that, as with most of Chambers' series, there's not much of a plot. I certainly don't mind, since I love a good character study, but I know plot-less novels aren't for everyone.
Having said that, as with most of Chambers' series, there's not much of a plot. I certainly don't mind, since I love a good character study, but I know plot-less novels aren't for everyone.
May 3, 2021
ARC received from the publisher, Hodder & Stoughton, in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars.
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within concludes Becky Chambers' wonderfully charming science fiction series with another heartwarming story that is so characteristic of all the Wayfarers books.
This final volume harkens back to the themes that I've read and loved in the very first book, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. In most science fiction stories, there's always some form of study of the human condition as humanity is flung into circumstances which at this point only exists in the imagination of what-ifs and possibilities of what's to come. What Chambers did in her series is to shift that into an even more exaggerated form by giving us multi-species interactions in a space-age era with galactic-level governments and politics. Just imagine, even though our world has begun to feel a lot smaller with globalisation and technological advances, it is at the same time still fragmented as differences in races, religions and cultures remain as barriers between people.
Apply this concept into the universe, across species and galaxies, and that's what you get with the Wayfarers series, which was felt most keenly in the first and last book of the series. However, humans are still physiologically the same despite the differences I've mentioned above. By extending this to multi-species, where some aliens don't even breath the same air or reproduce the same way, the barriers are magnified manifold. Somehow Chambers managed to make it work wonderfully in her stories, which are just narratives of these characters (with all their past history, cultural heritage, and even career choices) interacting with each other and learning how to tolerate, accept or even welcome the differences. Given these strong themes of acceptance, LBGTQIA representations are important in these books.
In The Galaxy, and the Ground Within, we have three different alien species stuck on the planet Gora after a freak accident took out all the satellites in orbit. The danger of the space debris resulted in them having to stay grounded at their rest stop, the Five Hop, One Stop, run by a mother and son (Ouloo and Tupo) who were also of another type of alien species. The entire story played out as they all got to know each other, sometimes much more than what could be deemed as comfortable. One of these characters, an Akarak called Speaker, is the one that fascinated me the most as her species was probably one of the most misunderstood amongst them all.
The character interactions are the best part of the book (and series) for me. Those who have read this series before would already know that these books do not centre its narrative around a plot. They are just stories about people and aliens. Stories that explore the condition of being alive, or what it means to have a place to call home or someone totally different to call a friend or even family. Warm and fuzzy feelings abound when I read this book, although it still wasn't as good as the first one for me. That one made me cry as my heart felt close to bursting.
The Wayfarers books are connected only in the barest sense of an arc and through its worldbuilding, and each could entirely stand on its own. Having said that, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet is still the best entry point into this series as there are threads which flow into its immediate sequel and this final instalment. I find it most unusual to consider The Galaxy, and the Ground Within as a conclusion as there really isn't anything to conclude upon. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and felt satisfied with the ending. I also found it to be a good book to be read together with another title; the lack of any real plot or tension means that it doesn't have that unputdownable quality but it sure made me feel good whenever I was reading it. This is cosy science fiction at its best.
Series rating:
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet: 5/5 stars
A Closed and Common Orbit: 4.5/5 stars
Record of a Spaceborn Few: 3.5/5 stars
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within: 4.5/5 stars
Overall: 17.5/20 stars
You can purchase the book from Book Depository (Free Shipping) | Bookshop.Org (Support Independent Bookstores | Amazon US | Amazon UK
You can find this and my other reviews at Novel Notions.
4.5 stars.
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within concludes Becky Chambers' wonderfully charming science fiction series with another heartwarming story that is so characteristic of all the Wayfarers books.
This final volume harkens back to the themes that I've read and loved in the very first book, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. In most science fiction stories, there's always some form of study of the human condition as humanity is flung into circumstances which at this point only exists in the imagination of what-ifs and possibilities of what's to come. What Chambers did in her series is to shift that into an even more exaggerated form by giving us multi-species interactions in a space-age era with galactic-level governments and politics. Just imagine, even though our world has begun to feel a lot smaller with globalisation and technological advances, it is at the same time still fragmented as differences in races, religions and cultures remain as barriers between people.
Apply this concept into the universe, across species and galaxies, and that's what you get with the Wayfarers series, which was felt most keenly in the first and last book of the series. However, humans are still physiologically the same despite the differences I've mentioned above. By extending this to multi-species, where some aliens don't even breath the same air or reproduce the same way, the barriers are magnified manifold. Somehow Chambers managed to make it work wonderfully in her stories, which are just narratives of these characters (with all their past history, cultural heritage, and even career choices) interacting with each other and learning how to tolerate, accept or even welcome the differences. Given these strong themes of acceptance, LBGTQIA representations are important in these books.
In The Galaxy, and the Ground Within, we have three different alien species stuck on the planet Gora after a freak accident took out all the satellites in orbit. The danger of the space debris resulted in them having to stay grounded at their rest stop, the Five Hop, One Stop, run by a mother and son (Ouloo and Tupo) who were also of another type of alien species. The entire story played out as they all got to know each other, sometimes much more than what could be deemed as comfortable. One of these characters, an Akarak called Speaker, is the one that fascinated me the most as her species was probably one of the most misunderstood amongst them all.
The character interactions are the best part of the book (and series) for me. Those who have read this series before would already know that these books do not centre its narrative around a plot. They are just stories about people and aliens. Stories that explore the condition of being alive, or what it means to have a place to call home or someone totally different to call a friend or even family. Warm and fuzzy feelings abound when I read this book, although it still wasn't as good as the first one for me. That one made me cry as my heart felt close to bursting.
The Wayfarers books are connected only in the barest sense of an arc and through its worldbuilding, and each could entirely stand on its own. Having said that, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet is still the best entry point into this series as there are threads which flow into its immediate sequel and this final instalment. I find it most unusual to consider The Galaxy, and the Ground Within as a conclusion as there really isn't anything to conclude upon. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and felt satisfied with the ending. I also found it to be a good book to be read together with another title; the lack of any real plot or tension means that it doesn't have that unputdownable quality but it sure made me feel good whenever I was reading it. This is cosy science fiction at its best.
Series rating:
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet: 5/5 stars
A Closed and Common Orbit: 4.5/5 stars
Record of a Spaceborn Few: 3.5/5 stars
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within: 4.5/5 stars
Overall: 17.5/20 stars
You can purchase the book from Book Depository (Free Shipping) | Bookshop.Org (Support Independent Bookstores | Amazon US | Amazon UK
You can find this and my other reviews at Novel Notions.
January 23, 2022
Becky Chambers' ability to craft such a lush and beautiful, queer world that feels like a giant, warm hug is incredible.
Even though book one, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, is still my favorite in this entire series, this was still a great last installment. I loved the characters that we follow in this! One of whom is someone we met in book one, Pei, who was my favorite to follow in this. Everything about the world is just so beautifully diverse and this book was just so wholesome. This series feels like home.
Ranking the Wayfarer series:
1. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet
2. A Closed and Common Orbit
3. The Galaxy, and the Ground Within
4. Record of a Spaceborn Few
Even though book one, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, is still my favorite in this entire series, this was still a great last installment. I loved the characters that we follow in this! One of whom is someone we met in book one, Pei, who was my favorite to follow in this. Everything about the world is just so beautifully diverse and this book was just so wholesome. This series feels like home.
Ranking the Wayfarer series:
1. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet
2. A Closed and Common Orbit
3. The Galaxy, and the Ground Within
4. Record of a Spaceborn Few
May 15, 2024
Heartwarming but not sappy, comforting but not dismissive of sadness/harm. A group of sapient aliens (almost no humans in sight) are stuck on an unremarkable planet that is the space equivalent of a truck stop. Despite their immense differences, they get to know each other and connect. This is the last Becky Chambers I had on my TBR before I've read all of her books. Can't wait until she has a new one out!
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