A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
Becky Chambers · 2014 · Novel
It provided a refreshing, optimistic counter-narrative to traditional space opera, emphasizing diversity, cooperation, and the everyday lives of individuals within a galactic society.
What it is
The first book in the Wayfarers series, it follows the diverse crew of a tunnel-building spaceship as they navigate the mundane realities of interstellar travel and the complexities of interspecies relations. It offers an optimistic, character-driven perspective on life in a diverse, post-scarcity galactic society, focusing on cooperation rather than conflict.
↑Inherited from(2)
Its optimistic vision of a multi-species future, focus on diplomacy, and exploration of diverse cultures are hallmarks of 'Star Trek'.
The depiction of a largely post-scarcity society and the focus on individual lives within a vast, diverse interstellar civilization share thematic ground.