the galaxy and the ground within becky chambers

I’ve read a lot of space opera, so I’m fairly picky. Having read the previous three, it is difficult to gauge how accessible this one would be as a stand-alone, though I found that Chambers’ descriptions and explanations would likely allow entrance to anyone that wanted to only read this installment. Only one character of those present appeared in one of the previous books, and then only for a few scenes. While this is book 4 in a series (all of which has previously won the Hugo award for best series), it can stand mostly entirely on its own. Together they will discover that even in the vastness of space, they’re not alone.” Under the care of Ouloo, an enterprising alien, and Tupo, her occasionally helpful child, the trio are compelled to confront where they’ve been, where they might go, and what they might be to one another. Speaker has never been far from her twin but now must endure the unendurable: separation. Roveg is an exiled artist, with a deeply urgent, and longed for, family appointment to keep.

Pei is a cargo runner at a personal crossroads, torn between her duty to her people, and her duty to herself. Overview of the galaxy, and the ground within by Becky Chambers from the back of the book: “When a freak technological failure halts traffic to and from the planet Gora, three strangers are thrown together unexpectedly, with nothing to do but wait. I will attempt to avoid any major spoilers but will necessarily be dealing with some specifics. My hope is to provide a brief overview, an analysis of world-building, characters, and narrative pace/structure, and what I feel its strengths and weaknesses are.

This year, I’m reviewing all of the nominees for the Hugo Best Novel award.

The galaxy and the ground within becky chambers