BookWyrm

AndreasD reviewed A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers, #2)

Becky Chambers: A Closed and Common Orbit (Paperback, 2017, Hodder & Stoughton)

Once, Lovelace had eyes and ears everywhere. She was a ship's artificial intelligence system - …

Tight and tense plot, and some big thoughts

5 stars

Using the trope of a computer or AI to discuss about what it means to be a human is not new, but Chambers does something interesting with it. It's more about human as a social animal than the question of consciousness. I think that was a far more interesting question anyway.

I found Pepper's story to be really engaging as well, and this time it felt like the author did develop her skills writing plot driven as well as character driven. Chambers has become one of my favourite writers.

AndreasD finished reading A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers, #2)

Once, Lovelace had eyes and ears everywhere. She was a ship's artificial intelligence system - …

I wasn't sure I wanted to read more about the AI from the first novel. The emotional kick from that story was something I wanted to keep and relish.

It turns out I was craving more Becky Chambers stories, and couldn't keep away. It was better than I thought, with a more forceful story driving the plot. Even though the secondary plot chapters revealed that the character Pepper would survive, I still was tense about how it would turn out. That's saying something as this book is more about characters than it's about plot.

I was happy I read it, after all.

AndreasD finished reading The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers, #1)

Becky Chambers: The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (Paperback, 2015, Hodder & Stoughton)

When Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the Wayfarer, she isn't expecting much. The Wayfarer, …

The first Wayfarer novel, and the one that made me decide to check out every other book by Becky Chambers from now on.

A good space adventure, and good story to read to feel good about people.

AndreasD reviewed The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers, #1)

When Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the Wayfarer, she isn't expecting much. The Wayfarer, …

A feelgood space adventure

5 stars

I started reading the book because I was curious about where the plot was heading. Then when it ended I realized I had stopped caring that much about what the end would be. Make no mistake, there's a plot there, and it's good enough. It was not a story that made you stop and think, nor was it hard to follow, but it was a good space adventure.

But, what drew me in was that this book felt like that Mos Eisley cantina, filled with weird and wondrous creatures. Just like in Star Wars, the creatures where not alien as such. They where totally relatable, and mostly funny and exotic suits. Sure, you could say that they where not believable as aliens, but I don't think that was the idea anyway. This was a book about strangers coming together and their relationships developing in interesting directions. Frankly, I would …

I started reading the book because I was curious about where the plot was heading. Then when it ended I realized I had stopped caring that much about what the end would be. Make no mistake, there's a plot there, and it's good enough. It was not a story that made you stop and think, nor was it hard to follow, but it was a good space adventure.

But, what drew me in was that this book felt like that Mos Eisley cantina, filled with weird and wondrous creatures. Just like in Star Wars, the creatures where not alien as such. They where totally relatable, and mostly funny and exotic suits. Sure, you could say that they where not believable as aliens, but I don't think that was the idea anyway. This was a book about strangers coming together and their relationships developing in interesting directions. Frankly, I would have skipped this book if the cover text had tried to sell it as a book about relationships. I came for the space adventure, but stayed for the characters.

I felt good reading this book, and that must be a good sign, right? Anyway, it was what I needed.