Saturday, January 23, 2016

My review of Becky Chambers' sci-fi novel "The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet"

In my reading experience, if you come across a book with the topic that interests you and which has a rating above 4 points in Goodreads, then you may consider reading it. It should be good [in most cases, if not all cases].  

I used this principle when deciding to read this particular sci-fi book. In its summary, it said that it is about spaceship crew [made of different sentient beings, including post-apocalyptic Earth humans] traveling across galaxy on a mission. 

Now, by itself this is not a particularly interesting idea. But the novel was very light and easy to read and occasionally funny. It describes several different sentient species whose nations are part of large galactic union, humans being one of the later comers [actually human leftovers from destroyed Earth were rescued in space by one of leading species and given technology to re-establish themselves as a member species].     

As mentioned earlier, the novel centers on a crew of the spaceship whose job is to punch and establish wormhole exits that will connect different part of galactic union [referred in novel as galactic commons].

They were given a contract to make such wormhole exit in space area occupied by mysterious and vicious sentient species called Toremi. Galactic commons wants to establish trade network between Toremi and union to collect ambi, an energy source.

This is an year long travel and crew will go through many challenging experiences, however in my view, the novel's master piece is how relationship between ship's AI and ship's human engineer called Jenks unfolds in the end and how this side story becomes the story that defines this novel.

posted by David Usharauli

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