The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet

Becky Chambers

A mixed group of humans and aliens crew a ramshackle spaceship on a dangerous job. Sounds predictable? Not at all. It's a story of how very different individuals bind together to overcome conflict, loss and violence. It's sexy and funny and brisk - and a joy to read. A humane tale to stay with you well after the last page. And if you suspect the small angry planet might be Earth - well, you are in the right frame of mind to give this book a try.

Extract
'Our species are very different from one another. You have two hands, I have six. You sleep in a bed, I sleep in tub. Makes little difference. But there's one big thing that Grum and Humans have in common, and that is our capacity for cruelty. I think both our species have good intentions. But when left to our passions, we have it within ourselves to do despicable things. The only reason Humans stopped killing each other to the extent they used to, I think, is because your planet died before you could finish the job. My species was not so lucky. The reason you haven't seen any Grum is because there are only some three hundred of us left.'
Rosemary's hand went to her mouth. 'I'm sorry,' she said. Such a quintessentially Human thing, to express sorrow through apology.
Parallels
  • The Disposessed by Ursula le Guin
  • Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
  • How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division by Elif Shafak
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Explicit sexual content