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Becky Chambers
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The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Becky Chambers (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 27,759 ratings
Best of #BookTok

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

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

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

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

Also included on Library Journal's Best SFF of 2016, the Barnes & Nobles Sci-Fi Fantasy Blog Best Books of 2015, the Tor.com Best Books of 2015, Reader’s Choice, as well as nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Kitschie, and the Bailey's Women's Prize.

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  1. Book 1 of 4
    Wayfarers
  2. Print length
    423 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Harper Voyager
  5. Publication date
    August 18, 2015
  6. File size
    2.9 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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  1. “We cannot blame ourselves for the wars our parents start. Sometimes the very best thing we can do is walk away.”
    Highlighted by 2,703 Kindle readers
  2. Acting all sanctimonious while spouting bad info was a terrible way to win a debate, but a great way to piss people off.
    Highlighted by 2,013 Kindle readers
  3. Such a quintessentially Human thing, to express sorrow through apology.
    Highlighted by 1,610 Kindle readers
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From the Publisher

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within Becky Chambers More from
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
A Closed and Common Orbit
Record of a Spaceborn Few
To Be Taught, If Fortunate
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within
Customer Reviews
4.4 out of 5 stars 27,759
4.6 out of 5 stars 17,336
4.4 out of 5 stars 9,613
4.4 out of 5 stars 5,294
4.6 out of 5 stars 8,500
Price $12.82 $12.49 $10.99 $14.39 $13.59

Editorial Reviews

Review

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

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

"Becky Chambers' debut is a joyous, optimistic space opera ... Although it isn't shy about tackling Big Questions, Planet is a heart-warming debut novel that will restore your faith in science fiction (specifically) and humanity (in general)."
— Tor.com

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

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

From the Back Cover

A rollicking space adventure with a lot of heart

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

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

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

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00ZP64F28
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Voyager (August 18, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 18, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.9 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 423 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 27,759 ratings

About the author

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Becky Chambers

Becky Chambers

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Becky Chambers was raised in California as the progeny of an astrobiology educator, an aerospace engineer, and an Apollo-era rocket scientist. Her first novel, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, was originally funded via Kickstarter in 2012. Her books have been nominated for the Kitschies Award, the Hugo Award, the Locus Award, the Arthus C. Clarke Award and the Women's Prize for Fiction, among others, and won the Prix Julia Verlanger.

After living in Scotland and Iceland, Becky is now back in her home state, where she lives with her spouse. She is a devotee of video and tabletop games, and enjoys spending time in nature. She hopes to see Earth from orbit one day.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
27,759 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this sci-fi book highly entertaining with richly developed characters and a fun character-driven narrative. The writing is well-crafted, and the world-building is praised for its amazing scope, with one customer noting its solid space opera elements. They appreciate the diverse species and cultures, with one review highlighting the seamless integration of alien races and species. Customers describe the book as imaginative and deeply emotional, exploring interpersonal relationships and social dynamics between humans and aliens.

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1,206 customers mention "Story quality"1,053 positive153 negative

Customers enjoy the story of this science fiction book, finding it highly entertaining with a flawless combination of adventure.

"...Chambers does an excellent job throwing the reader into an intriguing sci-fi world without the term-dumping that makes sci-fi such a drag sometimes...." Read more

"This was a fantastic introductory novel. I am extremely interested in the world that is presented here...." Read more

"Such a great, human story. It has enough excitement to hold the attention of those seeking plot but is filled with lovable, real characters...." Read more

"...I looooooved the different interspecies romances, and the way in which a particular gay relationship is portrayed without fear, homophobia, or even..." Read more

665 customers mention "Character development"613 positive52 negative

Customers praise the character development in the book, particularly noting the richly developed cast of characters and the great introduction to a motley crew. One customer highlights how the book creates a family unit of diverse characters, while another appreciates the focus on alien characters.

"...This was an amazing start to this sci-fi series. I enjoyed the characters, the intriguing worlds, and races we get to visit...." Read more

"...It is full of unique ideas and captivating character studies (Ashby not included I will hold out hope for the sequels) and it did what a lot of..." Read more

"...the attention of those seeking plot but is filled with lovable, real characters...." Read more

"...It's so character-driven, which is the way I wish all fiction were...." Read more

296 customers mention "Writing quality"232 positive64 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, describing it as well and profoundly moving, with one customer noting the author's ability to translate imagination into readable prose.

"...Chambers’ writing style is easy to read and flows well...." Read more

"...Overall this was a very well-written novel...." Read more

"...I read the well printed and well bound trade paperback published by Harper Voyager in 2014 that I bought new on Amazon...." Read more

"All four books are so well written (1 and 4 are my favorites). I recommend for all sci fi lovers...." Read more

255 customers mention "World building"255 positive0 negative

Customers praise the book's world building, finding it amazing and thought-provoking, with one customer noting it excels in this aspect.

"...and a bit of romance, as well as political intrigue and some philosophical topics addressed...." Read more

"...This is mostly a positive as it seems to take clear inspiration from Mass Effect’s emphasis on galactic interspecies cooperation and interaction and..." Read more

"...There is a dense history here that provides context for people’s choices with weighing everything down." Read more

"...The world building is excellent. The backstories are interesting...." Read more

249 customers mention "Alien culture"223 positive26 negative

Customers enjoy the alien culture in the book, appreciating the interesting alien races and the mixture of humans and aliens, with one customer highlighting the fabulously fleshed out alien cultures and another noting the seamless integration of species.

"...The worlds are intriguing and I loved the discussion of the different races of aliens and how complicated it is to get everyone working together..." Read more

"...The seeds are planted for an intriguing space opera that isn’t afraid of wit and humor...." Read more

"...Very well fleshed-out; we get to see different planets, different political viewpoints, both legal and illegal technology, different species,..." Read more

"...First the positives: The universe is interesting and inventive. The world building is excellent. The backstories are interesting...." Read more

156 customers mention "Diversity"156 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the diverse universe-building in the book, particularly its exploration of different species and cultures.

"...of social issues like this was overall so respectful and unapologetically diverse that I doubt this was intentionally transphobic, but with so few..." Read more

"...Shades of Farscape and Firefly. Themes of trust, found-family, and diversity. This is the book I needed. Reading Chambers is like a warm hug." Read more

"...Each book is so different." Read more

"...Great strengths like the truly complex and sympathetic character of Jenks who is fundamentally a part of modder culture yet refuses to be modded..." Read more

153 customers mention "Creativity"146 positive7 negative

Customers praise the book's creativity, finding it original and imaginative with enchanting details. One customer describes it as a wonderfully drawn universe with a compellingly well-thought-out setting.

"...Overall this was a very well-written novel. It is full of unique ideas and captivating character studies..." Read more

"...Great portrayal of accessibility, not related to disability as much as every sapient has a totally different bodies that requires unique chairs, cups..." Read more

"...First the positives: The universe is interesting and inventive. The world building is excellent. The backstories are interesting...." Read more

"Short review: A well narrated, colorful space travel story that suffers from a lack of any clear direction or plot building...." Read more

149 customers mention "Heart"137 positive12 negative

Customers appreciate the book's emotional depth and interpersonal relationships, with one customer noting how the author infuses characters with soul.

"...action and adventure but also a lot of character development and thoughtfulness...." Read more

"...Shades of Farscape and Firefly. Themes of trust, found-family, and diversity. This is the book I needed. Reading Chambers is like a warm hug." Read more

"..." to "I absolutely loved this" is the sense of decency and...well, humanity, even if that's not always the right word, of every single figure in the..." Read more

"...The author evoked true emotions in me. I highly recommend that you choose this book to read..." Read more

Excellent book. Printing error should be fixed. Received a complete copy.
5 out of 5 stars
Excellent book. Printing error should be fixed. Received a complete copy.
I adore this book and bought a copy after reading a library copy. Excellent world building, humor, creative sexiness, and characters you’ll wish you could hang out with. Unfortunately, the copy I got was missing 32 pages. I reported it to Amazon and tweeted about it to HarperVoyager. Alas, the replacement copy is also missing these pages. [Update: I was able to get in touch with the publisher. They sent me a complete replacement copy and promised to check out the problem.] I highly recommend buying this book once this problem is fixed or in Kindle format. [Update: the partial copes should have been replaced.] The next two books in the series are terrific too. Can’t wait until this is resolved so I can read book 4! [Book 4 may have been the best one yet! Read the series!]
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Karissa Eckert
    5.0 out of 5 stars So happy I finally read this; fun and thoughtful.
    Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Wayfarers series, there are four books in this series. I bought this book for my Kindle. Previous to reading this I had read Chambers’ “To Be Taught If Fortunate” and her Monk and Robot series and really loved them both.

    Thoughts: I ended up thoroughly enjoying this first installment in the Wayfarers series. This is definitely in the space opera subgenre of sci-fi. Chambers does an excellent job throwing the reader into an intriguing sci-fi world without the term-dumping that makes sci-fi such a drag sometimes. The characters are engaging and entertaining. The worlds are intriguing and I loved the discussion of the different races of aliens and how complicated it is to get everyone working together without any misunderstandings.

    The story starts by following Rosemary Harper as she joins the crew of the Wayfarer. The Wayfarer is a ship that punches holes through space to different locations to enable space travel. When they get the offer of a lifetime they can’t refuse, even though it may be incredibly dangerous. As the book continues we get to spend time with all of the crew and learn about their lives and backgrounds.

    It did take me a bit to warm up to all the crew on the Wayfarer because we do jump between a lot of characters and planets and races. However, it was time well spent and once I was about 25% through the book I was totally engaged in this story and absolutely loving it. Chambers’ writing style is easy to read and flows well. The story packs a lot into it; there is a good overall plot but a lot of small subplots as well. There is action, adventure, and a bit of romance, as well as political intrigue and some philosophical topics addressed. All in all, there is a lot here and it blends together to make an amazing and engaging story.

    My Summary (5/5): Overall I really enjoyed this book a lot. This was an amazing start to this sci-fi series. I enjoyed the characters, the intriguing worlds, and races we get to visit. I loved getting to know the Wayfarers crew and really enjoyed my time with them. I am looking forward to starting the second book in this series, “A Closed and Common Orbit” very soon. I would recommend this to fans of Chambers’ writing, fans of space opera, or fans of accessible sci-fi with action and adventure but also a lot of character development and thoughtfulness. So far I have loved everything I have read by Chambers and I look forward to reading more.
    41 people found this helpful
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  • Beemer
    4.0 out of 5 stars The Long Way to My Heart
    Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    This was a fantastic introductory novel. I am extremely interested in the world that is presented here. The seeds are planted for an intriguing space opera that isn’t afraid of wit and humor.

    As with most Point A to Point B stories, The Long Way is more about the journey than the destination as the climax and denouement whiz by at incredible speed. I loved (mostly) every minute I spent with these unique characters and felt I had learned a little something about empathy along the way. I particularly enjoyed the way Chambers flipped a few sci-fi tropes on their head; some notable examples being: the relationship between Lovey and Jenks and Corbin’s revelation.

    Two negatives arose for me throughout my read of the novel: Ashby and something I will call RPG Novel.

    Ashby - Ashby was the most disappointing character for me. Aside from his mysterious relationship with Pei that doesn’t particularly interest me, this man is like a robot. Who is he? What does he like? Does he do anything other than BE captain? He is the captain and leader of our intrepid crew and we spend the least amount of time with him. Unfortunately his character seems more like “Well someone’s gotta be the Captain of all these people right?”

    RPG Novel - This is both a good and bad thing, but this novel feels like a combination of the Mass Effect series and The Outer Worlds. This is mostly a positive as it seems to take clear inspiration from Mass Effect’s emphasis on galactic interspecies cooperation and interaction and from The Outer Worlds wacky, zany antics. The negative of this is the novel can often feel like a series of fetch quests in an RPG.

    Overall this was a very well-written novel. It is full of unique ideas and captivating character studies (Ashby not included I will hold out hope for the sequels) and it did what a lot of books lately haven’t been able to do: entertain me, surprise me, make me cry, make me laugh, and most of all make me want to read more books.

    4.5/5
    12 people found this helpful
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  • Sarah Barber
    5.0 out of 5 stars Found family, in space
    Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Such a great, human story. It has enough excitement to hold the attention of those seeking plot but is filled with lovable, real characters. There is a dense history here that provides context for people’s choices with weighing everything down.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Ashwini A.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Exploring friendships and found families!
    Reviewed in India on September 7, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    There’s so much I want to say about this book and how much I loved it but I don’t think I can do it any justice whatsoever. This is the sort of book that truly reminded me how much I truly loved reading. Reading about characters that made their lives better despite the hardships they regularly faced. If you want to read an action packed book, this is not the book for you, if you are in for a truly plot-centered book then this isn’t the book for you. It is a book where a reader is just reminded how much common people matter and that their stories are just as worthy of being told. There needn’t be any grand old quest for the truth or glory (although they are on a quest of sorts, it is totally a secondary if not a tertiary plot point), there just needs to be people who are complex, who are not always great at things but people who are also living their lives.

    There’s colonialism, xenophobia and so many other themes addressed in this book and they are all deftly handled too. One of the biggest points of its awesomeness is the fact that it stays so very human despite the fact that there aren’t many humans in the story. It just gives a sentient species at its most natural/normal. It has found family, it has morally misfits who have made themselves into a family, it has some truly great character interactions in that they are subtle and yet they are obvious. There’s great representation, there’s inter-species relationships that never take the front stage but still remain important and valid.

    Overall, I just truly loved the long drive that was this book. It gave me a great reminder as to why I really loved reading about characters and their very flawed existence.
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  • reader
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good sci-fi with realistic aliens
    Reviewed in Germany on December 30, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Really good science fiction is hard to find. Becky Chambers manages to deliver. An engaging story with likeable characters and - the cherry on the sundae - aliens that are really portrayed as inhuman and not as humans in another outfit. The book and its sequels have secured their permanent place in my library because I will definitely reread them. I can wholly recommend the story for lovers of complex science fiction.
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  • Luara
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ficção científica de qualidade
    Reviewed in Brazil on July 11, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Um livro emocionante, bem escrito e que mostra como a ficção científica pode se beneficiar de uma visão mais humanizada por personagens.
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  • David
    5.0 out of 5 stars Emotions in a Sci-fi world.
    Reviewed in Spain on June 26, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This is a group of normal people, who are members of a crew in a spaceship that builds "tunnels", who find themselves making a long trip as part of an unexpected job. For me, who grew up with the grand abstract ideas of I. Asimov and A. C. Clarke, this book is more about how I could witness a Sci-fi universe being a normal person. It is a book about the characters, who are people of different species, and specially about their emotions. And the universe is also seen from their perspective, real, full of textures and full of other people.

    I would recommend this book to anybody who likes Sci-Fi and some other people too.
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  • Andrea S
    5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect!!
    Reviewed in Italy on December 22, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Very happy with the book!!!
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