Sci-Fi Month 2015 Read Along: Week 1 Catch-Up

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| Week 1 Catch-Up |

Welcome to the Sci-Fi Month Read Along of The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, organised by Lisa at Over the Effing Rainbow. I’m joining in several weeks late so I’ll be posting up the first two rounds of questions as I read – hopefully I’ll be up to speed by the time we get to Week 3! Here’s the schedule… assuming I’d joined in on time!:

Week 1 (Friday, November 6th):

“Transit” to “Port Coriol” – hosted by Over The Effing Rainbow

Week 2 (Friday, November 13th):

“Port Coriol” to “The Last War” – hosted by Chris @ Galleywampus

Week 3 (Friday, November 20th):

“The Last War” to “Heresy” – hosted by Claire Rousseau

Week 4 (Friday, November 27th):

“Heresy” to the end – hosted by Over The Effing Rainbow

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| The Questions |

| 1. |

First things first, we get to meet the central cast – the crew of the Wayfarer. What are your first impressions of this crew? Which members, if any, stand out the most to you and why?

I love this crew! And I love the writing style. This is definitely one of those books that completely absorbs you into the lives of the protagonists and gives you an automatic connection to them. Everyone aboard ship is relevant for the job, all are unique in some way and all are, without a doubt, fascinating. Here is a run through of my impressions so far:

Rosemary – Rosemary is a pleasant character who seems a little lost and is still finding her feet aboard the Wayfarer. The not-veiled-at-all references to her mysterious past, which she seems determined to keep secret, are incredibly intriguing. I can’t wait to find out more!

Sissix – Sissix is definitely one of my favourite characters so far and the descriptions of her species, both physically and culturally, are fascinating. Despite her ongoing conflict with Corbin, she is instantly likeable and seems to have a genuine rapport with most of the crew.

Corbin – Corbin is clearly the antagonist of the crew and, aside from his introductory tour with Rosemary, hasn’t featured much so far. He seems to rub everyone up the wrong way, frequently puts his foot in it and makes no attempt to disguise his contempt for others. But at least he has a meaningful relationship with his algae.

Ashby – Ahh, the cap’n o’ the ship! Ashby is an excellent combination of firm and in control – a man who runs a tight ship and doesn’t baulk at giving orders – yet friendly, getting on well with the rest of the crew. The references to his family back home and his forbidden relationship with the Aeluon, Pei, are very intriguing hints.

Kizzy – The Wayfarer’s resident oddball lights up every scene with her wit and personality. She’s the mech tech aboard ship and brings as much flare to the science descriptions as she does to her wardrobe. Fun, interesting and crazy all rolled into one.

Jenks – Jenks clearly makes a pair with Kizzy and these two together spells trouble! The references to body modifications and genetweaks are interesting and I can’t wait to see how things play out with his romantic interest, Lovelace.

Lovelace – Lovelace is the Wayfarer’s AI. Moulded by her life aboard ship, she seems human… almost. I love Rosemary’s initial reaction to her – treating her as she would a human so as not to offend her – and I love her conversation with Jenks where she weighs up the pros and cons of having a body, if it were legal.

Dr Chef – Dr Chef is another instant favourite and is definitely the mother-hen aboard ship, tending the Hydroponic gardens, cooking all the meals and working in the med-bay. He is also one of the most delightfully depicted characters on board the Wayfarer – I’d love to learn more about his species!

Ohan – Ohan is a Sianat Pair, the Navigator aboard ship and is definitely an interesting species. The neurovirus – the Whisperer – which gives them their ‘abilities’ is a fascinating addition and gives another wonderful alien dimension to the crew.

| 2. |

Rosemary gets a rather entertaining physics lesson regarding space tunnelling from Kizzy, upon her first full day as a crew member. What are your thoughts on the science part of the fiction?

I love the science! I already love this book! Kizzy’s lesson involving the porridge was a perfect way to explain the physics to both Rosemary and the reader, and it was pretty damn funny too. The science definitely adds to the story and keeps the momentum going; there are no information dumps, no zone out moments, the explanations are just effortlessly woven into the plot and the dialogue. 

| 3. |

We go into the story aware that Rosemary is hiding something from the rest of the crew, and that she’s gone to great lengths to do so. Any ideas/suspicions/speculation you’d like to share on what her secret might be?

I love the intrigue surrounding Rosemary’s past but I’m unsure what it could be! It seems like she comes from a privileged background at home on Mars, and that something has occurred in her past – some sort of disaster or mess – which both worries and embarrasses her. Rosemary’s worried that the crew will find out about whatever she’s hiding and think differently of her but I for one can’t wait to uncover her secrets! 

| 4. |

Ashby scores a huge job – and a huge potential payout – for the Wayfarer, but it means possibly having to get mixed up in a violent civil war. What do you make of what we know so far about the Toremi?

The Toremi seem like a warlike race and there’s obviously something other than just empty territory that they’re contesting, though they remain a relative mystery. Their proximity to the galactic core, which no one else has been able to venture near due to the conflict, and their activity around it prior to the civil war, is highly suspicious. The deal Ashby has made with the GC Transportation Board is probably too good to be true and will likely involve a great deal of danger, a high risk of death and, of course, a very long way to a small angry planet.