Rating: 4/5
Spoiler Alert! If you haven’t read the book, this review will contain spoilers so it’s up to you if you continue…
A World of the Future
Despite really enjoying sci-fi films, I've tended to turn away from sci-fi books, assuming I wouldn't enjoy them - partially because I assumed they would focus too much on the actual science, but mostly (and sadly) because I thought they catered more to a male audience. I thought they were mostly male authors writing about male protagonists and probably wouldn't touch on issues I was interested in. I could not have been more wrong about Becky Chambers debut novel The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.
Following the crew of the Wayfarer, The Long Way is an exploration of cultural differences, a journey to finding family amongst strangers, and of putting others before oneself. It was incredibly sweet, very-well paced, and driven by a diverse and developed set of characters.
Admittedly, the main plot-line - or what I assume was meant to be the main plot-line - gets a little lost in amongst the Wayfarer's travels. At times I thought that the plot wasn't very good, sticking with the book because I liked reading about the crews smaller adventures, but having finished the book I think I was wrong about that. The Toremi plot is interesting, and with more space (pun not intended) to breathe is could have been a very well developed story, but it was given only about 70 pages at the end of the book to come to fruition.
Cultural exploration seemed to take the front seat instead, as well as each character being given their own section to show a way in which this journey helps them develop. I enjoyed these smaller, character focused sections of the story because I really enjoyed the cast, but it did take away space from the over-arching narrative. The time jumped around a little, and whilst this was all building to the Toremi plot, which required a long journey to The Core, it was barely mentioned between the crew of the Wayfarer first accepting the job and when they got there.
A Whole New Species of Allegory
Unsurprisingly in a book which is both set in the future and in space, a lot of time was given to cultural introductions and explanations. This was more fun than I would have thought, with Chambers imagination coming through clearly in the variety of species she created - the Sianat Pairs were a particular favourite for me. Creating these species evidently gave Chambers the freedom to talk about real-world issues without addressing them head on. There are many moments where the parallel between the real world and the fictional one is obvious; racism exists between species, as well as ignorance toward other cultures, capitalism, varying attitudes towards mental health and disease, and a very open view toward gender and sexuality. To me, the sign of a good writer is one who can approach issues like these in their fiction without needing to point out the way they affect our world, the ability to show us what we could be without every telling us we're wrong for the way we are.
Due to these themes, The Long Way is often a very adult book, despite the apparent simplicity of the lessons the characters learn. Maybe without the swearing and the sex it could be a useful tool to teach kids about cultural awareness, but personally I really enjoyed the YA vibe of the book in combination with the more adult themes. I'm not sure yet if I want to read more of the Wayfarers Series as I am aware it doesn't continue to follow the same crew as The Long Way does, but I'll definitely be on the lookout for more sci-fi in the future.
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