The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers

May 11, 2021

The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers

The planet Gora is totally unremarkable. It has no air, no water, no plants or wildlife. But its location at the crossroads of several galactic wormholes that connect the galaxy have made Gora the equivalent of a galactic truck stop. It's a place to refuel, pick up some snacks and supplies, get a transit permit, and stretch your legs (if you have legs).

Several vessels are docked at the Five Hop One Stop when a technology glitch forces three travelers from different species to remain on the planet for longer than they had planned. During their wait for the malfunction to be corrected, they are forced to confront questions about who they are, where have they been, and where are they going, as well as their feelings about alien species.

This is the fourth and final book in the Wayfarers series, and I'm really sorry to see it end. The first and fourth books are the best in the series. I look forward to reading the new series that Becky Chambers has planned.

Per Becky Chambers, a galactic wormhole is a shortcut from one part of the galaxy to another

Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers

March 16, 2021

Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers

Centuries after the last humans left Earth, the Exodus Fleet carries the remnants of Earth society. Humans have finally been accepted into the galactic community, and many have left the Fleet. The remaining Exodans live in hexagons aboard the connected ships.

Tessa and her family remained aboard the ship, while her brother Ashby took off for the stars (he is the ship captain in The Long Way to Small Angry Planet). But when their way of life is challenged, they begin to question: if a ship/fleet reaches its final destination, what is the purpose for its continued existence? Tessa must decide whether to remain on the ship or to settle on one of the nearby planets.

This is the third book in the Wayfarer series, and while nothing compares with the first book, this is a very solid entry. Highly recommended.

Hexagonal Exodan ship

A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

November 22, 2019

A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

The second book in the Wayfarer trilogy begins 28 minutes after the first book (The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet) ended.  Lovelace, the original AI from the Wayfarer, is in a new body, which she refers to as a kit, traveling in the company of Pepper, Jenks' friend, to her home on the moon of Coriol.  It's a hard adjustment, going from a virtual existence to the limitations of a physical being.

Overall, this is a great follow up to the first book.  My only disappointment is that, while the story features some of the characters from the first book, we don't meet up again with the crew from the Wayfarer.  We do get Pepper’s backstory and how she ended up as a tech pro on Coriol, and Chambers does a great job of imagining what it would be like for Lovelace (now called Sidra) waking up in an alien body.  One of the things I didn’t like:  the predator animal on Pepper’s original planet is a gene-tweaked dog – I would have preferred some other animal, like a beaver/bear hybrid.  Looking forward to the third book, Record of a Spaceborn Few.