Originally published at: I cannot wait to read this new Becky Chambers novel: "The Galaxy, and the Ground Within" | Boing Boing
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She writes interesting books, where focus always is more on the characters rather than the plot. Even more so with this book, in which the plot is almost nonexistent. It is good, definitely better than Record of a Spaceborn Few.
Got excited about the new Becky Chambers novel, then realized it wasn’t new and I’d already read it. Good book btw. It’s been really refreshing reading her stuff, character development is sorely lacking in much of the SciFi I read.
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A Psalm for the Wild-Built is available tomorrow. I believe it is a different universe than the Wayfarer books.
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It’s a complete delight of a book - not a lot happens, but you just can’t help but enjoy meeting the characters. This series has been a lovely change from the almost identikit nature of so much SF publishing these days.
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I’m sorry to say I didn’t finish it, a first for a Becky Chambers book. Yes, the character development was great, but I like more plot than she provided. It just wasn’t enough to bear the weight of the pile of books coming after it on my reading list.
I can see why some folks would find it boring. Nothing really happens. But I enjoyed the weird little corner of the universe populated with interesting characters that Chambers created. Maybe it’s just the times that we live in that something so gentle and comforting would be such a joy to experience.
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I listened to the audiobook. Was great and exactly the kind of book I needed at the time. It is a character driven book, not a plot driven book. If you think the slow and frankly mundane plot might be a barrier, try it in audio form while doing some mindless task.
I think I’ve read all four (out of order). I expected to like them, because I always prefer “small” stories (say, Jane Austen) over epics.
But these books didn’t do much for me. Nice, yes. Award-winning? Huh?
Maybe other SF fans are so siloed that intimate stories are quite unfamiliar?
Mid way through and indeed it is delightful. It’s really nice to experience sci-fi that’s not packed to the gills with action and everything is anxious all the time and just the most horrible things happen. Rather it’s contemplative, speculative, peaceful. I think I found a new favorite author.
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Becky Chambers’ books are like a nice warm bath. Mild peril, with people learning to be nice to each other.
I keep them for the days when I’m having trouble dealing with life.
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Important things do in fact happen in The Galaxy, and the Ground Within: things that affect an entire species, and things that affect individuals of various other species (no spoilers from me, by golly). Becky Chambers’ books explore multiple ways of being and that is not nothing. The profundity in how those ways of being can mesh in a way that’s beneficial to everybody. And it isn’t without conflict, either. Gears grind from the weight of enemies having to face the whole of the context in which they once fought, including the pain suffered and inflicted. (I love this series very much.)
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Thanks! Just snagged it!
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