The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet Audiobook By Becky Chambers cover art

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

Wayfarers, Book 1

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The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

By: Becky Chambers
Narrated by: Patricia Rodriguez
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Shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award 2016.

Longlisted for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction, 2016.

Firefly meets Mass Effect in this thrilling self-published debut!

When Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the Wayfarer, she isn't expecting much. The Wayfarer, a patched-up ship that's seen better days, offers her everything she could possibly want: a small, quiet spot to call home for a while, adventure in far-off corners of the galaxy, and distance from her troubled past.

But Rosemary gets more than she bargained for with the Wayfarer. The crew is a mishmash of species and personalities, from Sissix, the friendly reptillian pilot, to Kizzy and Jenks, the constantly sparring engineers who keep the ship running. Life onboard is chaotic but more or less peaceful - exactly what Rosemary wants.

Until the crew are offered the job of a lifetime: the chance to build a hyperspace tunnel to a distant planet. They'll earn enough money to live comfortably for years...if they survive the long trip through war-torn interstellar space without endangering any of the fragile alliances that keep the galaxy peaceful. But Rosemary isn't the only person onboard with secrets to hide, and the crew will soon discover that space may be vast, but spaceships are very small indeed.

©2014 Becky Chambers (P)2015 Hodder & Stoughton Adventure Science Fiction Space Opera

Critic reviews

"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 realised spacey SF novels I've read in ages." (James Smythe, author of The Echo)

Featured Article: 12 of the Best Sci-Fi Series in Audio


From the furthest reaches of space to the microbiology of pandemics and gene manipulation, to the future implications of technology for societies similar to our own, science fiction is a fascinating genre that offers listeners a wide variety of ways to access its themes. In looking for the best sci-fi audiobook series, it can be difficult to know where to start due to the genre's sheer number of iterations and variations. But what these series have in common is an acute devotion to telling a good story, as well as fully building out the worlds therein. The writing is enhanced by the creative and impassioned narration.

Featured Article 12 of the Best Sci Fi Series in Audio
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I read this book a while ago and used the audiobook to refresh my mind before digging into the second one. I love it the first read through and I think I now live it even more.

loved it

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This book is just perfect. I’ve heard some from this category but never kept the interest till the end. I was actually surprised when it ended, expecting another adventure to start. Supposed it will in the next one.
The performance is also very good, dramatic and calm in the right places. I’m definitely going to get the whole series.

What’s the opposite word for boring?

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It was really captivating and I liked the different characters and voices. Loved that there were gay, non binary and polyamory people

I really liked it

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The world this story takes places in is deep, kinda Tolkien-like. The story moves at a slow, but not too slow, pace. The characters - likeable, even the “bad” ones have a deeper story.
The voice performance (audiobook) is just brilliant

Rich world-building, wholesome, gripping

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The book was passed between my adult kids and husband with them on the second and third books (they stand alone) by the time I got the audio version. We enjoyed the writing and story. There are lines that are quotable. Many of the issues between species are reflective of human history and the present which brought up discussion. The characters develop with lessons for readers about how to see other perspectives, see commonalities and hold onto values. Suitable for teens and an excellent challenge read for those not sure they would like sci-fi. Enough technical references and explanations of space life for those who do. Looking forward to more from this author!

A funny, refreshing but very relevant sci fi story

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I will be thinking about this book for a long time to come. Great listen.

Wonderful

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Just interesting slow paced ideas of how life is in space in a multisentient universe, I really enjoyed it

Feelgood scifi, i love it

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Many reviewers have commented that this book seems to be plotless. I disagree. Though yes, it certainly focuses more on the characters and their relationships rather than the traditional plot, it still has a beginning, middle and end and is incredible. I never wanted to press the pause button. The performance was great as well, and I was at first glad to see she reads the next book, a closed and common orbit. I just pray audible gets the rites to sell it in Canada, because I very much want to read it and would rather not read the IBook. I fact I don't think I will.

Can't say enough good things about this

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Where does The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is everything I hope for in a sci fi book. Bizarrely I would call this a cross between Firefly, Mass Effect (as noted by the publishers) and Sophie's World. Big questions and speculative science interlaced with great characters and humour. I have read countless sci fi and this ranks in my Top Ten for characterisation and philosophy

Who was your favorite character and why?

That is really hard to decide - the whole novel is structured around getting pretty equal insights into each of the characters and you become attached to each in different ways. If pushed I would say 'Doctor- Chief'

What about Patricia Rodriguez’s performance did you like?

She did an excellent job with all the different acents and candience. Moving easily between sexes, races and species.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Nothing particularly extreme but being along with The Wayfarer was just so much fun. The fate of The Navigator was especially touching.

Any additional comments?

Thank you so much to the people who crowd funded this novel - well worth it. This WON'T appeal to Hard Science fans (Peter Hamilton etc) but a safe fun bet for everyone else.

Best Sci Fi I have read in Ages

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Very well worth the credit. A lovely story about a crew of people traveling through space and the relationships they form while having adventures. The genre needs more stories like this.

A beautiful story

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