From the Bookshelf of Apocalypse Whenever…

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, #1)

Becky Chambers

Start date: July 15, 2020

Finish date: August 1, 2020

Discussion: AW BOOK CLUB (spoilers)

Discussion leader: Gertie

Why we're reading this: Read anytime, discussion opens August 1st. https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...…more
[close] Read anytime, discussion opens August 1st. https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

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AW BOOK CLUB (spoilers)

* What is a good book for AW discussion? (Nominations pool)
By Gertie · 65 posts · 218 views

last updated Oct 18, 2025 05:31PM

* AW Book Club: what we've read
By Gertie · 16 posts · 1826 views

last updated Dec 10, 2019 09:01AM

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What Members Thought

Apr 03, 2022 Cecily rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-future-speculative-fict, series-and-sequels, friendship-and-found-family, sexuality-gender-lgbtqi

This is very modern sci-fi. Not cutting-edge science (you don’t need to know any), but the social science. There’s a warm inclusiveness: it should appeal to sci-fi fans and beyond.

The Wayfarer is a hyperspace tunnelling ship with a small multi-species crew. Corbin is described as “a complete asshole” from the off, but the rest are super-nice. Darker themes are always external: the backstories of some, Galactic Commons politics, and the physical intrusion of pirates and police.

The mission is to ...more

122 likes · Like · see review

May 16, 2017 Colleen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: humor, thriller, fiction, outer-space

An unexpectedly cute book--a little over dramatic in parts, self conscious in others, probably 20 pages or so could have been trimmed from the middle and used at the end, which felt hurried--but even with its flaws, a lighthearted space caper for a wormhole tunnel boring screw opening a new tunnel at the edge of a far off hostile solar system.

Set in a distant future where Earth has poisoned itself out of existence--with the elites fleeing to Mars and the remaining poor bastard humanity (Exodans ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Oct 20, 2024 Ariel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science-fiction, literary-speakeasy, melsa-audio, hoopla-audio, 2024-fantasy-bingo

Yeah okay. I see what the fuss was about. This was heartwarming as hell, and I want to live in it.

3 likes · Like · see review

Jun 07, 2017 Kelly Roll rated it it was amazing

A very Star Trekish type of story in which many different types of "beings" work with and love one another along with a few philosophical musings. Lovely, lovely "found" fmaily type of tale ...more

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Sep 23, 2018 Judy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: female-author, sci-fi-fantasy, kindle, my-2018-books

Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer spaceship. She meets some totally exotic aliens and gets to see the galaxy. I adored all of the characters in this story. I devoured the book and moved right on to the follow-on books. Unlike many series, each book in this series is an absolute gem.

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