SFN: #RRSciFiMonth | Part Two of #JorieReads “The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet” by Becky Chambers

Posted Sunday, 25 November, 2018 by jorielov , , , , 1 Comment

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Borrowed Book By: This was a purchase request* of mine from a few years ago – when we, stateside were having to wait extra long to read “The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet”, I took a rather pro-active interest in obtaining a copy I could read! I checked in with readers online and even the author herself, Becky Chambers to get an arrival approximation for the novel. In the end, I submitted a purchase request which was accepted and I am now reading this novel for the first time!

Uniquely enough, it is a very beloved copy!! Many patrons and readers have definitely read this copy ahead of me which warms my heart! This is why I love to submit purchase requests at my local libraries! (yes, plural!) Secondly, there were handwritten notes tucked into this copy which mirrored my own curious musings and they will stay with me, as the last time I tried to leave in a reader’s note in a library book my librarians put it in the bin! (*le sigh*) When I am able to purchase my own copy for my personal library, I’ll add the notes as a reminder of how I met the story originally!

As this is my own personal choice to participate and co-host this readalong for “The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet” by Becky Chambers I was not obliged to post a review (in full or in part) as I am sharing my readings of this novel (with chapter breaks per the Twitter chats schedule) for my own edification as much as I love to share my readerly life with my readers. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

(*) Originally requested and purchased September, 2016 ahead of the 2016 #RRSciFiMonth – however, for those of whom follow my blog you know why that particular November was impossible for me to focus on anything outside of family.

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This year, I also wanted to have light duties officially as I love doing something behind the scenes to assist our lovely hostesses: Lisa (@deergeekplace) + Imyril (@imyril) who give us wicked good celebrations through the years as we all come together to champion the stories of Science Fiction (and their sub-genres/niches) which happily alight in our lives. We’re always reading similar stories – either together in tandem (such as we are this year with our RAL/readalong “The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet”) or on opposite years.

#smallangryplanet readalong badge created by Jorie in Canva

As Lisa is taking the reins to offer a recap of the lovely convo we shared @ 3p NYC | 8p UK on the 11th of November to kick-off our book club style readalong chat – I wanted to offer a chance to give readers, bloggers & visitors on the #RRSciFiMonth feeds a chance to answer the Qs I pitched during our first convo for #smallangryplanet.

Please REMEMBER: add #smallangryplanet to your replies/responses in order for us to find your messages on Twitter. You can also respond directly to the Qs themselves for easy referencing *but!* without the tag itself your reply is LOST.

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The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet
by Becky Chambers
Source: Borrowed from local library

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9780062444134

Also by this author: The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet

Also in this series: The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet


Published by Harper Voyager

on 5th July, 2016

Format: Trade Paperback

Pages: 433

Published by: Harper Voyager (@HarperVoyagerUS)
an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

Available Formats: Trade Paperback, Ebook and Audiobook

The Wayfarer Series:

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (book one) | Add to LibraryThing

A Closed and Common Orbit (book two) | Add to LibraryThing

Record of a Spaceborn Few (book three) | Add to LibraryThing

Converse via: #smallangryplanet + #RRSciFiMonth* (during November 2018!)

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Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Part Two: reading “The Wane” through ‘Hatch, Feather, House’ (page 271)

DUE NOTE: as this is a RAL journal and NOT a review, there are potentially SPOILERS ahead if you haven’t yet read SMALL ANGRY PLANET. Read at your own risk!

Seeing the universe through the eyes of the Ohan leads you to recognising there is a lot of things which can go unnoticed to the untrained eye and the unopened mind. Theirs is a gift others might not be able to handle as they can ‘see’ past what is limited by regular sight – they see deeper into what eyes can’t conceive and they’re understanding of the universe is immense. And, yet they have one commonality with the rest of the crew – they had issues with their own mortality. They were gifted with insight others could not know as they were the chosen ones to have the knowledge, in exchange their lifespans were not as long as most but the curious bit for me is how they were uncertain if despite knowing of their fate, if they were truly ready to embrace it. They did not go blindly into the dark but could be seen unsure of how the end of their lives would encroach on their hours. They hummed with the knowledge they were entrusted to keep – every fibre of their being was set to a universal clock of enlightenment and yet, in the waning hours of their final days, there was a moment of remorse.

I was quite curious about the collection of any matter from a black hole – as Black Hole Science is as fascinating as Quantum Physics – mostly as it is largely unknown and unable to be pinned down entirely. Black holes operate in such unique ways and yet, they are generally featured in Science Fiction for different reasons – parallel to my readings of SMALL ANGRY PLANET I’ve had the joy of discovering Andromeda (yes, I will be posting about this during #RRSciFiMonth!) – where even there, a black hole was of utmost importance in regards to how the series began and the changes which altered the path of the Captain aboard ship! To find within the story, there are things inherent to these phenoms which can help energise a ship was rather fascinating inasmuch as the algae component!

It was a Genesis model I think – of contemplating where life begins and how life evolves even in situations of similar constructs (ie. atmosphere, water, food, etc) whilst bowing back into a theory of Creationism & how all species have threads of connection

What I meant by Creationism in this theory in #smallangryplanet though is not extensively spiritual as there is a separation there but rather, it is an evolving theme of theory; meaning, even this world is contemplating those higher layers of truth & enlightenment; all subjective

I think that is what I enjoyed the most about the theory – how did those sentient lifeforms start to have traction in different subsections of the universe & if they were fused by a singular entity or dispersal of life – than every lifeform would have connection

There is a strong soliloquy inclusive to this chapter section about how all species are inter-connected even if they are not directly connected through biology. Which means to say, for every planet and system there is life is being discovered to have innate and inherent similarities – including how each species of life has a set block of years to live and is biologically unique from one another. It is a curious theory about speculating about life elsewhere within the universe – of how if we were able to develop and live our own lives, how others on other planets and solar systems might have had the same leeway to live theirs. Just because we’re distant from each other and disconnected does not lend itself to erasing the fact that another planet could hold sapient life. This was well explored through a discourse on the subject which cross-compared the evidence against the known facts of how Chambers built her world. I felt this was drawing us closer to expanding a universal viewpoint which is not limited to Earthbound ideals and outlooks but rather, to take a more critical step towards seeing the large expanse of Space.

For the Ohan, they kept isolated for the purity of their talent and the gift they felt was best protected and ‘kept apart’ from others; I think they took their purification rituals to another level than just biological containment; they wanted to remain pure

I was unsure how Ohan came to accept this as readily as they had – to give up your free will to live in service for an entity you really do not understand nor do you know where the ‘gift’ they give you came from OR the purpose behind it

Yet, as you said, from the moment the Ohan are in-line w/ the Wayfarer crew, we see how giving they are towards their goal to serve; not just the Whisperer but the crew itself; to live outside of their motivations & have duties to others

I truly felt bad for Sissix!! Here she is trying to deal with something very natural and yet, because of how it alters her appearance (whilst making her uncomfortable in her own feathers and skin!) – the rest of the crew wasn’t sure how to act round here! Everyone except for Dr Chef, of course, who not only knew what she needed to find relief but had the right words to say which did not rub her the wrong way!

Sissix molts, space pirates & is Corbin ever happy? There is a LOT going on in our next block of chapters – sorting out the Qs for our discussion & contemplating the larger aspects of the story/series; due wish the language would lessen*.

One of the quirkier things revealled when Sissix was with Dr Chef is how he’s modified the soap being used on the Wayfarer to not reflect the body ordour him and Sissix are so offended by! It was a clever bit of trivia as it was such an unexpected revelation! I could well see how someone would be that devious to do this, too! And, yet, it didn’t seem to have any after effects on the people who were using the soap!

There was also a cheeky reference to the ‘fitbit’ and other wearable tech in our world – such as when Rosemary was talking about the numbing reminders a certain pixel plant likes to give her at different intervals? I was of the same mind as Rosemary – seriously? Why do we have these things that are reminding us about things we don’t need reminders for? When I heard they have modified one of these wearables for *dogs!* I nearly choked on my drink! Seriously!? If you can’t sort out how to take care of a pet, why exactly do you have one? I’m definitely of the adage ‘less is more’ and this applies directly to how we’re becoming too ‘tech forward’ for our own good.

It is almost like Corbin is naturally surly and can’t find a pleasant thing to say – now, I did realise having the right parts on a ship out in open space for a long duration is quite the necessity but it is how he relates this to Rosemary which rankled. He is not an approachable character and yet, he has a reason for being in the cast; even if he is just one of those characters of whom you personally hope you never cross paths with if things were reversed!

When Ashby helped comfort Kizzy when she was having a seriously horrid day – it warmed my heart! It was another example of how Ashby really cares for his crew and how he tries to go out of his way to support them. I also knew *exactly!* why Kizzy was out of her mind excited for the MAIL! It brought back happy memories when I used to receive letters and parcels from my friends who lived around the world; every week, I never knew who’d I’d hear from and it was such a lovely adventure, sharing our lives and exchanging postal mail. I could definitely understand why Kizzy couldn’t wait to see if she had received something and why mail has such a profound effect on us!

Kizzy wasn’t the only one who was getting mail – Dr Chef was hoping the rosemary plants would be a happy surprise for Rosemary as he wanted to learn more about her namesake which was a lovely bit of continuity from the first chapters we read! Also, Jenks is getting in deeper with his request to give Lovelace (Lovey) a proper re-fitting in humanoid form – which is why he tried to side-step hearing from Pepper without revealling to much of what was involved to his shipmates. I nearly thought he was going to be found out as he didn’t have a very good go-to lie ready!

Ashby of course, was thankful he had word from Pei – she was taking so many risks and placing herself in high danger to the brink, I am not even sure if Ashby himself knew if she was going to survive the path she was walking or if by some miracle if she did survive, they might have a chance at being a couple longer than these infrequent and brief encounters.

All of this goodness was interrupted when Lovelace made the announcement they were being approached by another ship – this set my hair on fire as who would want to attack the Wayfarer?

I was seriously holding my breath when the Ohan were being placed in danger by the ‘space pirates’ – and even, then, when Rosemary started her translations, you felt sorry for the pirates who were stranded w/o means of providing for their kin

The hardest part about sorting out what the pirates wanted was the fact that they attacked Ashby so quickly (breaking his jaw) it took Rosemary to sort it through! They were in dire straits and needed assistance to gather the supplies they needed not just for their crew but their families who were on board. What felt like this random attack on a ship turnt into something rather heart-warming, as Rosemary and the crew felt encouraged to help them even if it meant they would have to give up quite a haul of their own supplies in order to outfit the pirates with what they truly could not live without.

It spoke to how sometimes you aren’t aware of being in a position to help someone in need or that something you already have could be of use to someone else. It felt like a reminder to keep alert to those moments in life where you could be the person who positively impacts another’s life simply through everyday kindness and grace.

Jenks and Lovelace didn’t wait long to discuss what they are doing – if they should be doing it or if they should wait to see what Ashby would say once he found out what they were doing! In my mind, I think they should have approached Ashby first as he had more on the line and at stake than they did themselves – even though Jenks knew Ashby well enough to predict how he would react to their plans, that still didn’t sit well with me that they were drawing out the time where they would actually tell Ashby – hey, how would you feel if Lovelace was outfitted with a body kit?

The sequence involving Kizzy’s friends (like Bear) where they had to get their supplies but were left stranded a bit due to that planet’s weird ‘storms’ – left me a bit removed from the story-line. There were some passages within this block of story which I can honestly say I could have avoided reading and still would have felt in-step with the narrative!! I wasn’t amused by the ‘bugs’ of that world and there were a few graphic scenes I didn’t appreciate like others might have themselves. The whole sequence just didn’t float my boat so to speak and I was thankful when it was concluded.

I was bracing myself for something rather dark; I hadn’t picked up on any foreshadows it would involve her father but I agree about the daughter not being responsible for her father’s sins; Jenks I believe had the best scene w/ Rosemary for what he gave her.

It was such a risk too – to see if she could carve out a future on her own terms w/in the boundaries of her world’s limitations on what is acceptable and what is considered painting outside the lines of the law; she’s one gutsy heroine.

This was the only foreshadow Chambers gave us – she built the suspense round Rosemary’s past through a psychological edging and that in of itself lent our imaginations to consider *everything!* but what was really true; which was rather brill you have to admit

Yet, the humbled remorse and guilt Rosemary had endured was so very real to life; she was feeling guilt by association & took that to heart given how embracing and accepting the crew was to her initially – it truly was a pivotal passage to read

One of my favourite revelations was between Rosemary and Jenks – even though I know this was part of the sequence I didn’t enjoy reading – this was one passage where I appreciated the humbling honesty which was written. Rosemary was holding herself back from being a part of the crew due to her own personal sense of loss and guilt. She was trying to shoulder everything she was going through without adding conflict to the crew itself but in doing so, she was not allowing herself to grieve for the father whose sins put her in jeopardy.

How Jenks showed her compassion and acceptance – trying to tell her that what was done was done – something she knew but needed reminding of – as she took a lot of risk coming out to the Wayfarer, especially in how she had to obtain the paperwork to work on a ship and how she altered her own living history in order to ‘blend in’ with a crew she hadn’t even known at the time. It shows how hard it is to move away from the past and how the past continues to haunt those who try to move forward from adversities either of their own or those of them around them who seek to affect their well-being through actions which have long-term consequences.

There are a lot of heady topics being explored in this chapter break; esp between Dr Chef & Rosemary; as you knit closer to the characters, you truly see why this crew is as tight knit as they are; they each share a brother/sisterhood bond!

When Dr Chef was confiding to Rosemary about his own species history of war and how the quote attached to Sci Fi November this year had a humbling deeply centred thought attached to it – how we can each choose what to do with our lives and how we wish to see both the world and the universe is a pro-positive way to affirm that we’re in charge of our tomorrows. We might not be able to control all situations in our lives but we can choose how we rise above our adversities and how we each in turn rise above what is happening round us which affects us all collectively.

The way in which Dr Chef was addressing his thoughts and how he wanted to impart to Rosemary the greater purpose of life itself is part of what I was enjoying most about this story. Over and beyond the ripples of strong language which I felt was taking away from the continuity this time round – I truly appreciated these deeper moments of introspection – of where the characters and the reader are each in their own timing consideration what Chambers is presenting through her thought-provoking narrative. It is a story which benefits from discussion as there are so many different tangents and threads to explore, it is best to do with others who can discuss it and then, root out what each person observes and how individual takeaways might differ from one another or bridge together as well. This is one reason I’ve been enjoying this readalong this year and putting together the questions for the chats.

This time round, I was seriously reacting as bouncy as Kizzy when I realised it was Pei who was asking to dock on the Wayfarer! I even loved how *letters!* were brought into the story and how our past & theirs intersect w/ tech/etc

I loved how Kizzy was the crew member who had the honour of welcoming Pei aboard the Wayfarer – as she was excited for Ashby as much as the rest of us! Theirs was an enduring love story as neither of them knew what the future would hold for them at all. It was also interesting how Pei was trying to brace Ashby for his journey ‘towards the small angry planet’ – of being more realistic than diplomatic about his mission and to try to instill a bit of ‘cautionary advice’ for someone who seemed to be blindly going towards that ‘planet’ on the faith of their acceptance of why the Wayfarer was being sent to them!

I actually yielded to Pei on this – why not be more considerate of their innate nature and their peculiarly violent responses to situations than to be blinded by the desire of diplomacy? I could see why Ashby didn’t want to feel alarmed or to alarm his crew, but when Pei was talking about how this part of space they were flying towards was one of the more hostile encampments, it did beg to wonder, why was Ashby being stubborn?

Whilst at the same time, Kizzy was really taking a heap of chances when she was climbing into the walls of Pei’s ship and trying to disarm those explosives! I couldn’t believe she was taking that chance, but then again, if she hadn’t – I wasn’t entirely sure how the whole disaster would have been avoided!? The scarier bit is when they realised when they were originally meant to go off – how that would have had deeper consequences and how fortunate they were Kizzy could do what she thought she could do to overt the whole tragedy!

There was a signature moment there – where Kizzy was getting static from everyone round her and she finally puts her foot down and says “Let me do this!” or something other – meaning, its well and good the intentions to help someone whose in over their head, but at the same time, sometimes you just have to let them do what they have to do!!

This also led to a heart to heart talk between Kizzy and Pei; where both were trying to understand how each of them functions under pressure. Kizzy for how Pei could go into battle and for Pei, she wanted to understand how Kizzy could attack a mine and not feel the enormity of that weight to succeed and not fail. Kizzy had no idea that Jenks was sorting bolts with Ashby as a way to downplay his own anxieties over what she was doing – bringing up a good point about whenever you have a lot of waiting to do, the best thing really is to keep busy. The idleness will drive you out of your mind but if you keep busy, it feels like you can handle it better somehow.

What really interested me the most was Sissix and her people! How Chambers went into this long conversation between Sissix and Rosemary – about Hatch, Feather and House families – or rather, the different stages of life Sissix and her people experience. It was also clever because they believe in adopting out their young, where others outside their families will raise their hatchlings whilst they themselves do not adhere to a traditional life either. As young they try to find a feather family – those whom have matured into their feathers (it is a rite of passage) and who want to seek out either those to couple and mate with or strictly those of whom they share a platonic connection too. As they age, they become House families – those who take-in the hatchlings and raise them, giving them the wisdom of what the elders have experienced.

It is a very interesting spin on life, cycles of maturity and the development of parentage – mostly as it is a bit contrary to how most would view this part of their own lives but for Sissix and her people, it is very natural and agreeable.

By the end of this chapter, I learnt something I was trying to sort out all along – about Rosemary and Sissix. I don’t know if there was a foreshadow towards this or not, but I had noticed something and I loved how Chambers wrote this chapter! It was such a beautiful chapter – about love, honesty, family and connection. It quite literally was a chapter which had you re-thinking how you saw the crew of the Wayfarer and how the crew of the ship saw each other. In other words, there is far, far more to this world than you originally believe and for me that made taking this journey worthwhile. The layers are endearing and the compelling nature of having this character-centric narrative is the fact you can become happily surprised in reading chapters where you get to pull closer to individual characters and truly see who they are in an up close and personal way!

I think this is partially what is brilliant about how Chambers approached her character building – she has a lot of oppositional contrasts in the crew and in the world-building itself; esp if you take into consideration all the Light/Dark differences

I was almost thinking Corbin and Ohan were meant to be on the same ship to prove how being isolated and peerless has its faults but also it has its merits They are each dedicated to their own goals/talents and they take life very seriously at that

Chambers truly tucked closer to her characters rather than the actionable moments; almost as if their reactions to the crises and the stress factors say more about their innate natures & the evolution of the world than anything else

This is another example of how Chambers fused living history (ours) with her world’s histories of the characters who are placed in our path to give us back a piece of enlightening truths which might go overlooked otherwise; very true (in reference to wars)

It was one of the more insightful passages – Chambers does this a lot where she pulls back from the world she created and has these introspective narrative gems which speak to universal truths – for this world & ours simultaneously

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Fly in the Ointment:

Reading Part II of our RAL for #RRSciFiMonth focus on #smallangryplanet was enjoyable don’t get me wrong; but for the life of me, I couldn’t understand why it had to be riddled with such heavy strong language! It was irking my ire more than once and although there were a smattering of stronger words in Part I, my readings of this section of the RAL just felt especially irksome due the higher frequencies of repetitive usage. This was the first time where I nearly considered if the language was going to continue to INCREASE, I might not be able to continue reading the rest of the series as it wasn’t something I was enjoying. It becomes a rather brusque read after awhile and to be honest, there are so many other stories without these kinds of words peppered through them that I felt might be a better fit for me overall.

Especially as I started to read the selections from #Mythothon – my concurrent readthon to #RRSciFiMonth this November – wherein, the stories are strong & dearly enjoyable but without all the flickerings of words, phrases & language I would rather avoid seeing in literature. I still consider stories ‘clean’ if they only have a handful of stronger words sprinkled throughout the context of the story *but!* this particular section of chapters in #smallangryplanet was like someone dumped the whole bag of sprinkles in such a reckless manner as to leave you in a sugar coma!

The only issue there is – if I weren’t to continue reading the series, I think I’d regret it – despite my irked ire over the language.. its the characters who endeared me to this series!

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closing remarks:

I hope you’ve enjoyed this ruminative journal on my readings of SMALL ANGRY PLANET! I did not take notes the first time I read through these chapters, but rather released those initial reactions & contemplative thoughts into the chat we shared on Twitter. I had planned to re-read the chapters and post my notes during the week since Sunday’s chat for Part II, however, I injured my back and ALL the posts I was working on for #RRSciFiMonth have been awaiting my final words & edits to be released (expect an inbound of lovely sci-fi musings this week as a result!).

I look forward to visiting others who are blogging their experiences and/or will be conversing with usif they prefer not to blog. Likewise, I am looking forward to comments, reactions & notes on my own takeaways to allow the conversation to continue as we evolve forward through the book!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.comOne of our chatters, Avada posted her review for

#smallangryplanet ahead of our Part II chat:

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Be sure to visit with Lisa whose re-addressed the Qs from our Part II Chat!!

Re-visit her discussion post for Part I whilst awaiting Part III –

Lisa & I will be posting our Part III conclusions this week!

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I’m a social reader — I love to tweet my reading adventures! Be sure to keep an eye out on my tweets — I generally use the tags: #JorieReads, #FuellYourSciFi, #EnterTheFantastic and #EqualityInLit when I’m not conversing about Romance & Women’s Fiction (via @SatBookChat) on the tag #SatBookChat. If you spot me, don’t be shy! Tweet me back and/or let me know how you felt about the book I’m reading if you’ve read it before! I’d love for you to visit and comment on my blog as well but convos on Twitter are always welcome!

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Sci Fi November badge created by Jorie in Canva

Have you posted your own #RRSciFiMonth reading list &/or posting schedule? Be sure to leave me a comment with a link to your blog & posts! I’ll be starting to visit those bloggers who are updating the Master Schedule!

Let me know if we’re reading something similar and/or if you have any wicked good recs for me within Space Opera or Hard Sci Fi !! I especially love Spacer lifestyles with EPIC world-building and which are character driven plots whilst I prefer serials, if you know a kickin’ one-off list it! Also, any sweet anthologies you’ve discovered would be #awesomesauce!

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{SOURCES: Tweets were embedded due to codes provided by Twitter. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Sci Fi November badges and banners as well as the #smallangryplanet readalong bage. Blog News badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2018.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • Sci Fi November 2018

About jorielov

I am self-educated through local libraries and alternative education opportunities. I am a writer by trade and I cured a ten-year writer’s block by the discovery of Nanowrimo in November 2008. The event changed my life by re-establishing my muse and solidifying my path. Five years later whilst exploring the bookish blogosphere I decided to become a book blogger. I am a champion of wordsmiths who evoke a visceral experience in narrative. I write comprehensive book showcases electing to get into the heart of my reading observations. I dance through genres seeking literary enlightenment and enchantment. Starting in Autumn 2013 I became a blog book tour hostess featuring books and authors. I joined The Classics Club in January 2014 to seek out appreciators of the timeless works of literature whose breadth of scope and voice resonate with us all.

"I write my heart out and own my writing after it has spilt out of the pen." - self quote (Jorie of Jorie Loves A Story)

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Posted Sunday, 25 November, 2018 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Content Note, Dystopian, Fantasy Fiction, Fly in the Ointment, Hard Science Fiction, Jorie Loves A Story Features, Local Libraries | Research Libraries, Non-Fiction, RALs | Thons via Blogs, Sci-Fi November, Science Fiction, Soft Science Fiction, Time Travel, Twitterland & Twitterverse Event, Vulgarity in Literature




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One response to “SFN: #RRSciFiMonth | Part Two of #JorieReads “The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet” by Becky Chambers

  1. Hi! You did a very good job in analysing the characters in the book! I also immediately loved Kizzy, she is very kind-hearted and indeed made Rosemary feel welcome at the ship. And I agree that Dr Chef is an amazing character. I did find it hard to visualize him. But it was easy to connect with him, although he is an entirely different species. My favourite quote from the book comes from a conversation between Dr Chef and Rosemary: “That’s not the same. What happened to you, to your species, it’s . . . it doesn’t even compare.’ ‘Why? Because it’s worse?’ She nodded. ‘But it still compares. If you have a fractured bone, and I’ve broken every bone in my body, does that make your fracture go away? Does it hurt you any less, knowing that I am in more pain?”

    I loved the fact that the AI is an actual character in the book. Lovelace is really seen as part of the crew. I also admire the way Becky Chambers integrated details and history of all the non-humans in the story. There are no info dumps, everything is told in an organic way.

    Have you also read the other books in the Wayfarers series? Or are they on your TBR?

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