From the Publisher
Great fun!” — Ann Leckie, author of Ancillary Justice
“A quietly profound, humane tour de force that tackles politics and gender issues with refreshing optimism.” — The Guardian
“Becky Chambers’ debut is a joyous, optimistic space opera ... Although it isn’t shy about tackling Big Questions, Planet is a heart-warming debut novel that will restore your faith in science fiction (specifically) and humanity (in general).” — Tor.com
“One of the most enjoyable, brilliantly realized spacey SF novels I’ve read in ages.” — James Smythe, author of The Echo and The Explorer
“Humane and alien, adventurous and thoughtful, vast in its imagination and wonderfully personal in the characters it builds. But above all else, it is joyously written and a joy to read.” — Claire North, author of The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
“[A] wonderfully imaginative and quirky novel [...] It is hard to believe that this is Becky Chambers’ first novel, as it is so well constructed, imaginative, and fluently written.” — Strange Horizons
“There are so many amazing things about this book which I have tried to cover in my review, but to sum it up in one word I found this book to be: Perfect!” — Fantasy Book Review (Book of the Month; 10 out of 10)
Tor.com
Becky Chambers’ debut is a joyous, optimistic space opera ... Although it isn’t shy about tackling Big Questions, Planet is a heart-warming debut novel that will restore your faith in science fiction (specifically) and humanity (in general).
Strange Horizons
[A] wonderfully imaginative and quirky novel [...] It is hard to believe that this is Becky Chambers’ first novel, as it is so well constructed, imaginative, and fluently written.
The Guardian
A quietly profound, humane tour de force that tackles politics and gender issues with refreshing optimism.
Claire North
Humane and alien, adventurous and thoughtful, vast in its imagination and wonderfully personal in the characters it builds. But above all else, it is joyously written and a joy to read.
Fantasy Book Review (Book of the Month; 10 out of 10)
There are so many amazing things about this book which I have tried to cover in my review, but to sum it up in one word I found this book to be: Perfect!
Ann Leckie
Great fun!
James Smythe
One of the most enjoyable, brilliantly realized spacey SF novels I’ve read in ages.
From the Publisher - AUDIO COMMENTARY
"This was a cool story with a good narrator . . . it was emotionally accessible with frustration, idiocy, and recognizable personalities of all kinds." —Fangs, Wands and Fairy Dust
Fantasy Book-Review (Book of the Month; 10 out of 10)
There are so many amazing things about this book which I have tried to cover in my review, but to sum it up in one word I found this book to be: Perfect!
Library Journal - Audio
★ 10/15/2016
No, the titular "small, angry planet" is not Earth. In fact, Earth has been (mostly) deserted for a few centuries in Chambers's (Whole Body Vibration) impressive futuristic novel. Rosemary Harper is running away from a mysterious past and has spent most of her money to have her identity changed. She has gotten herself a job on a tunneling ship called the Wayfarer (creating wormholes as shortcuts through the galaxy) captained by Ashby, a spacer who owns the ragged ship. Among the crew are the reptilian pilot Sissix, Doctor Chef, and engineers Jenks and quirky Kizzy. Soon after Rosemary's arrival, the Wayfarer obtains the high-paying job of tunneling to the angry planet of the Toremi. It will take the crew longer than a year, and along the way they encounter pirates, experience interspecies sex, and make stops at several planets. Narrator Rachel Dulude does a wonderful job of distinguishing the characters with distinct voices and makes the new languages and names more accessible than they appear in print. VERDICT For sf fans interested in an examination of sexuality, gender, genocide, and hope. Highly recommended. ["This delightful debut space opera is less brisk in terms of action than is typical of the genre, but it is no less engaging": LJ 5/15/16 review of the Harper Voyager hc.]—Jason L. Steagall, Gateway Technical Coll. Lib., Elkhorn, WI
Library Journal
05/15/2016
The crew of the Wayfarer make a small living building wormholes to lessen the distances in interstellar travel. They are a diverse bunch, with one new addition: records clerk Rosemary, who signs on just as the ship prepares to go into deep space to construct a wormhole for an alien race long hostile to the rest of the Galactic Commons. What could go wrong? Like so many great space opera novels, this is really the story of the ship's crew as they band together in the face of danger. From Ashby, the affable human captain, to the marvelous extraterrestrial known as Dr. Chef (his two roles on the ship), there are many personalities here to love, and they all get a chance to shine. Rosemary, our newbie team player, predictably has a dangerous secret of her own. VERDICT A huge hit in the UK where it was first self-published and now nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, this delightful debut space opera is less brisk in terms of action than is typical of the genre, but it is no less engaging.—MM
