By Becky Chambers
I wrote this in July, 2020, so forgive the writing style lol.
Galactic civilisations are, as ideas go, not terribly original. Oh, I’m sure someone a long time ago (in a galaxy far, far away) had it first, but since, it has been rehashed in countless forms. The briefest effort will recall those mainstays, Star Wars and Trek, while a more thorough one might bring up the Foundation series, with the brilliant Hari Seldon and his eponymous Plan. All these cooks!- it is hard to come up with any original spins, but Chambers has come up with countless in her debut novel, and they aren’t even the best part.
The novel has a simple plot: Rosemary Harper is a newbie on the Wayfarer, a spaceship whose crew make wormholes between parts of the Galaxy. The entire novel takes place on the way to a new job, with chapters being semi-self-contained. The format means this is not your average action flick - Chambers instead emphasises the novel’s true strength, characterisation, where it outshines comparable works. The Wayfarer crew grow on you like their beloved algae, and are truly, as Ohan would say, multidimensional.
Chambers also deals with complex issues like gender identity, racism (speciesism), and cultural differences, with such tact as to avoid jarring exposition. Episodes range from human-AI relationships, to exploring a culture that causes the premature death of its own species, to the discovery of one of the crew being a clone, and in each, Chambers brings her compassionate and empathetic style, and causes you to question what you’ve taken for granted. Yes, the novel is hard sci-fi, but there is little scientific exposition, and it is a worthwhile read for anyone looking for a little warmth, a lot of new ideas, and an escape from these dark times. Ultimately, Chambers’ work is not about the small, angry planet; it’s about the long way there.