The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet is the 2014 debut science fiction novel by Becky Chambers, set in her fictional universe the Galactic Commons. Chambers originally self-published it via a Kickstarter campaign; it was subsequently re-published by Hodder & Stoughton.^[1]

Synopsis

Fleeing her old life, Rosemary Harper joins the multi-species crew of the Wayfarer as a file clerk, and follows them on their various missions throughout the galaxy.

Chapter 1: Transit

Here we meet our main character, Rosemary Harper, who is traveling by way of pod through space.

Chapter 2: A Complaint

The Wayfarer's captain, Ashby Santoso, gives us our first introduction to his ship. We also meet Artis Corbin who Ashby describes as, "a talented algaeist and a complete asshole" (p.4), the Wayfarer uses algae as its fuel. Finally we learn that Rosemary has been hired onto the crew of the Wayfarer as its newest member, the ships clerk, and that she will be a member of a multi-species crew.

Chapter 3: Arrival

Rosemary arrives to her new posting as the Wayfarer's clerk and describes the ship as, "the ugliest ship she's ever seen..blocky and angular, with the exception of a buldging dome that stuck out from the back like a warped spine. This was not a ship designed for fussy commercial passengers. There was nothing sleek or inspiring about it. It was bigger than a transport ship, smaller than a cargo carrier. The lack of wings indicated that this ship had been built out in space, a ship that would never enter an atmosphere. The underside of the vessel held a massive, complex, machine- metallic and sharp, with rows of toothlike ridges angled toward a thing, protracted spire...from the mis-matched colors of the outer hull, it looked as though whole sections had been cobbled together, perhaps originating from other vessels. A patchwork ship." (p.14)

Upon her arrival Rosemary is welcomed by the Wayfarer's AI, Lovelace or "Lovey" for short. She is a sentient AI and is treated as a valuable member of the crew. Corbin is tasked with giving Rosemary a tour of the ship, but they quickly bump into the two techs Kizzy Shao and Jenks. Both human, Kizzy is a described as a woman somewhere between her 20's and 30's, with black hair, dark olive skin, with "Exodan" features, and is wearing quirky, colorful clothing. Jenks is said to have, "blended facial features, his body shape, limbs, and digits, they were all familiar...but while his head was average size, the rest of him was small, as small as a child. He was stocky too, as if his limbs had filled out while refusing to lengthen" (p.21), as first Rosemary believes Jenks is a "genetweak" or that his height is a result of genetic cosmetic modification when actually he was just born with dwarfism. He also has dark copper skin coloring, his arms are covered in colorful tattoos, he has piercings up along the side of his ears, and his hair is shaved on the sides with "tufts of curls pop(ing) atop his scalp" (p.22). The pilot of the Wayfarer, Sissix a female Aandrisk, arrives on the scene and introduces herself to Rosemary and proves to be a much more friendly and qualified tour guide than Corbin. Rosemary describes Sissix as, "Striking...she stood a head taller than Rosemary, and her body was lithe and lean. Moss green scales sheathed her body from the top of her head to the tip of her tail, fading into a paler shade over her belly. She had a smooth face, no nose of lips or ears to speak of, just holes for breathing and holes for hearing and a small slit of a mouth. A multicolored shock of feathers covered her head like a short, festive mane. Her chest was flat as a Human man's but the contrast between her thin waist and her muscular, saurian thighs gave th illusion of feminine hips...her legs were slightly bowed...and her fingers and toes were capped with thick,blunt claws" (p.26). And while Aandrisk's do not wear clothes usually, she accommodates her multi-species crew by wearing loose fitting trousers and a vest.

Characters

• Rosemary Harper – A martian born human, she leaves her home planet to join the crew of the tunneling ship, the Wayfarer, where she works as the ship's clerk, whilst struggling to cover up her past.
• Ashby Santoso – The captain of the Wayfarer who grew up on the Exodus Fleet. Familiar with space-bound life, he keeps the rest of the crew in check.
• Dr Chef – A Grum, so named as he is both the doctor and chef on board the Wayfarer.
• Kizzy Shao – One the Wayfarer's two technicians. Extremely talkative.
• Jenks – The Wayfarer's other technician. Shorter than most people in the Galactic Commons, but chooses not to get this changed.
• Sissix – An Aandrisk, and pilot of the Wayfarer. When she isn't flying the ship, she seems to spend the rest of her time arguing with Corbin.
• Corbin – Human, and the ship's algaeist. With a short temper, and not as friendly as the rest of the crew, he prefers not to leave the algae labs where he grows the Wayfarer's fuel.
• Lovelace – Referred to by the crew as Lovey, Lovelace is the Wayfarer's onboard AI who runs the processes on the ship and helps during communications.
• Ohan - Sianat Pair, The ship's Navigator, they are able to understand the complexities of the sublayer and direct Sissix on where to go, they keep to themself.

Reception

It was shortlisted for the 2016 Arthur C. Clarke Award,^[2] and earned Chambers a nomination for the British Fantasy Awards' 2016 "Sydney James Bounds Award for Best Newcomer".^[3] It was the first self-published novel to be shortlisted for the Kitschies Golden Tentacle for Best Debut Novel.^[4]

The Guardian called it "a quietly profound, humane tour de force that tackles politics and gender issues with refreshing optimism".^[5] Io9 considered it to be "exciting, adventurous, and ... cozy", and comparable to "the best space opera universes".^[1]

Adam Roberts felt that it was "a huge amount of space-opera-y fun, with some interestingly nuanced perspectives on gender woven into the whole",^[4] while James Nicoll observed that although the setting was evocative of the Traveller roleplaying game, he was "more strongly reminded of James Tiptree, Jr.'s short story “And I Awoke and Found Me Here on the Cold Hill's Side” … that is, if James Tiptree, Jr. instead of being relentlessly, inexorably depressing, had been a cheerful optimist."^[6] Strange Horizons' Linda Wilson commended Chambers for portraying naturalistic conversation and exposition, and for the relationships between characters.^[7]

At the Financial Times, James Lovegrove described it as "SF for the Tumblr generation, a feel-good tale of non-conformity, gender fluidity, multiculturalism and unorthodox sexual relationships", and "perfectly pleasant", but faulted it for "somewhat lacking ... dramatic tension".^[8] Similarly, Locus's Adrienne Martini stated that although the novel's opening was "catnip for space opera fans", and although she felt that readers will "love these characters and the exquisitely developed universe they inhabit", ultimately "nothing much happens" until the last 40 pages; Martini emphasized, however, that the novel is worth reading because of its characters and worldbuilding.^[9] At Tor.com, Niall Alexander noted that although it is not a "balls-to-the-wall blockbuster", and although it has a "simplistic plot (that) can't compete with either the depth and complexity of Chambers' cast of characters or the sense of wonder suggested by her stellar setting," it is nonetheless a "delight" and a "genuine joy"; ultimately, Alexander concluded, the novel "isn't really about the eponymous angry planet—it's about the long way there."^[10]

References