Becky Chambers (1) (1985–)

This here, folks, is a love story.

Never mind that it's also an intricately-crafted vision of a futuristic society in which multiple species interact (with various levels of success), wormholes are built to spec, and politicians are still politicians.

Nope. It's a love story. Not a romance -- that's a whole 'nother critter. This is about a small group of people (human and otherwise, but they are all **people**, which is a large part of the point) who live and work together on a small tunneling show more ship, building those above-referenced custom wormholes. And when the ship's captain has the chance to land a very lucrative contract that involves a long and tedious trip into an area seething with political unrest (and also valuable resources), he grabs it.

That's the plot, in a nutshell. (There's probably a futuristic metaphor one should use here -- in an EV suit? An escape pod? Choose your own.) Whatever one calls it, Chambers uses that bare-bones structure to send her exquisitely-drawn characters through a number of challenging situations, exotic ports of call, and very real dangers.

The reader gets drawn into this setup initially through the eyes of Rosemary Harper, a native of Mars who joins the crew of Wayfarer as a space-newbie equipped with not much more than a set of administrative skills needed by Captain Ashby Santoso and a compelling drive to extricate herself from an intolerable situation which she neither caused nor can control. She finds a crew of mixed species, bumping along with enough friction to keep things interesting, under the level-headed leadership of Ashby and held together largely by an AI named Lovey.

So far this sounds like a typical forumulaic space opera narrative, but Chambers continues to change the rules. Humans (particularly Earth humans) are but a very minor part of the Galactic Commons, and each extra-terrestrial being in the novel has xyr own (how's that for a non-gendered, non-species pronoun?) unique physical and mental makeup, language, culture, moral code, and galactic outlook. The ways in which they blend, adapt, and (in the case of the Wayfarer crew) pull together are what make it all work. Just as the reader thinks they've settled in to an understanding of "these guys are just like us except they eat bugs and have some neat toys", Chambers lets loose another concept, sets up another cultural mindset, and rings in a whole new set of moral dilemmas.

Some of the reviews -- and indeed the cover copy on many editions -- toss around words like "cute", "fun", and "charming", perhaps leading an unsuspecting reader to anticipate a "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" romp, which this book definitely is not. Better if those adjectives should include "engaging", "thoughtful", and "original". Better yet, if they just come right out and say it -- read this book. You won't be sorry. show less

Don’t come for the plot. It’s barely there, but I didn’t miss it. Come for the sweet, serene, thoughtful, peaceful, post-industrial eco-utopia and most of all for the sweet, thoughtful, loving characters who still suffer with the existential problems that all sentient beings are heir to. There is a scene, when the characters go fishing, that made me sob, and it would probably give away too much to go into detail, but it perfectly encapsulates what is so moving to me about Becky show more Chambers’ work, particularly the Monk and Robot series. show less

Superb. A powerful, yet gentle, voice in SF, listen well to the subtleties. I enjoyed the first book, was less impressed by the 2nd but really taken with this one exceeding the grandeur of the 1st whilst retaining all the charm and delicacy.

The setting is just after the conclusion to Long Way but shares none of the characters or locations. The setting is The Fleet, which I'm sure was referred to obliquely in the early books, but is now detailed. It's the remnants of humanities flight from show more Earth before they encountered the rest of the Galactic Commons. In clearly delineated chapters we follow five characters as they go about their normal lives, a few years after the prelude - the shocking destruction of one habitat after a bad luck combination of circumstances. In many ways it's a surprise to the fleet that it hadn't happened before, but the ramifications are still being felt. Of greater concern although perhaps less immediately obvious, is the pervasive effect the GC has had on culture and life aboard the Fleet. The Spaceborn Few that we follow are: Isabell an Archivist, her role is to too record everything that happens, from births and deaths through any and all matters of import. She's one of the custodians of the Fleets culture. She's been in contact with an alien sociologist who's investigating the rise of humanity, and comes for a visit. Tessa is more of a menial worker in a storeroom organising stock and the limited commodities that are available to any who can justify their need. Eulo is perhaps the most unusual character, in that she's a caretaker for the dead, and performs the funeral rites before composting the remains to recycle the nutrients into the closed eco-system of the Fleet., It is Eulo's role that symbolizes everything that makes the Fleet human - dignity, efficiency, practicality and concern, and yet she's human too, with wants and needs of her own apart from the role. Kip is a teenager and as all such can't stand the restrictions his parents place on him, and doesn't understand why he can't just hang out with his friends. He can't wait to leave the Fleet. Sawyer is only a little older having been brought up on a colony he couldn't wait to get away and rejoin the history of humanity and claim the food and board that have to be earned everywhere else.

Through the interactions of the Few with their families and friends, and occasionally each other, we explore the difficulties of immigration and emigration on small communities, on the culture of space fight but also of broader human concerns, the importance of family and the freedom to express yourself and learn lessons with and without consequences. It's all just gentle, charming, important and sympathetic. There's no lack of imagination or clever technologies as needed, but no exposition either, just great writing how SF should be, telling a story but casting shadows on current culture.

Everyone should read this, as an antidote to Epic Space Opera, it's how SF ought to be.

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on re-read: Still utterly charming, a wonderful book. If you've ever traveled away from the culture you grew up in, even for a shortish stay, you'll recognize the feelings all the characters have - that simultaneous feeling that things ought to be better than this, and why don't they do it the way they do at home. Young and old opportunities missed and taken, the lives don't interact as such, other than right at the end a bit, and the ramifications of the habitat's loss are felt by them all in different ways. I think that whichever character(s) you feel most sympathy for will change, over time and personal circumstance and day to day life's events but they're all someone we can relate to.

Really is an amazing book. Becky does a wonderful job of showing emotion, describing lives, and equally inventing technology and culture that ought to be. I loved it all.
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Again and still just as above. One of the very few books that moved me to tears. show less

Hey, I needed this. Highly entertaining and character-driven, there is no 'chosen-one,' space opera, grand quest here but instead a group of people trying to get along and live their lives. The increasing found-family theme is paid for by the believable interactions and approachable characters. Also, this is a well-built and lived-in universe from the start. Chambers accomplishes a pretty cool magic trick in this book, balancing the forms and expectations of traditional SF with contemporary show more vibes and casting: both traditional and fresh at the same time. After surviving a season of unsatisfying reads, I found this a delight. While not a Great Work, this book delivers real pleasure. show less