Preview
  • The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

  • Wayfarers, Book 1
  • By: Becky Chambers
  • Narrated by: Patricia Rodriguez
  • Length: 15 hrs and 41 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (478 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

By: Becky Chambers
Narrated by: Patricia Rodriguez
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $15.98

Buy for $15.98

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award 2016.

Longlisted for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction, 2016.

Firefly meets Mass Effect in this thrilling self-published debut!

When Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the Wayfarer, she isn't expecting much. The Wayfarer, a patched-up ship that's seen better days, offers her everything she could possibly want: a small, quiet spot to call home for a while, adventure in far-off corners of the galaxy, and distance from her troubled past.

But Rosemary gets more than she bargained for with the Wayfarer. The crew is a mishmash of species and personalities, from Sissix, the friendly reptillian pilot, to Kizzy and Jenks, the constantly sparring engineers who keep the ship running. Life onboard is chaotic but more or less peaceful - exactly what Rosemary wants.

Until the crew are offered the job of a lifetime: the chance to build a hyperspace tunnel to a distant planet. They'll earn enough money to live comfortably for years...if they survive the long trip through war-torn interstellar space without endangering any of the fragile alliances that keep the galaxy peaceful. But Rosemary isn't the only person onboard with secrets to hide, and the crew will soon discover that space may be vast, but spaceships are very small indeed.

©2014 Becky Chambers (P)2015 Hodder & Stoughton
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

"A joyous, optimistic space opera.... Although it isn't shy about tackling Big Questions, Planet is a heart-warming debut novel that will restore your faith in science fiction (specifically) and humanity (in general)." (Tor.com)
"One of the most enjoyable, brilliantly realised spacey SF novels I've read in ages." (James Smythe, author of The Echo)

Featured Article: 12 of the Best Sci-Fi Series in Audio


From the furthest reaches of space to the microbiology of pandemics and gene manipulation, to the future implications of technology for societies similar to our own, science fiction is a fascinating genre that offers listeners a wide variety of ways to access its themes. In looking for the best sci-fi audiobook series, it can be difficult to know where to start due to the genre's sheer number of iterations and variations. But what these series have in common is an acute devotion to telling a good story, as well as fully building out the worlds therein. The writing is enhanced by the creative and impassioned narration.

What listeners say about The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    262
  • 4 Stars
    129
  • 3 Stars
    53
  • 2 Stars
    28
  • 1 Stars
    6
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    273
  • 4 Stars
    110
  • 3 Stars
    30
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    218
  • 4 Stars
    129
  • 3 Stars
    45
  • 2 Stars
    21
  • 1 Stars
    9

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Rich world-building, wholesome, gripping

The world this story takes places in is deep, kinda Tolkien-like. The story moves at a slow, but not too slow, pace. The characters - likeable, even the “bad” ones have a deeper story.
The voice performance (audiobook) is just brilliant

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

I really liked it

It was really captivating and I liked the different characters and voices. Loved that there were gay, non binary and polyamory people

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

loved it

I read this book a while ago and used the audiobook to refresh my mind before digging into the second one. I love it the first read through and I think I now live it even more.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

What’s the opposite word for boring?

This book is just perfect. I’ve heard some from this category but never kept the interest till the end. I was actually surprised when it ended, expecting another adventure to start. Supposed it will in the next one.
The performance is also very good, dramatic and calm in the right places. I’m definitely going to get the whole series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A funny, refreshing but very relevant sci fi story

The book was passed between my adult kids and husband with them on the second and third books (they stand alone) by the time I got the audio version. We enjoyed the writing and story. There are lines that are quotable. Many of the issues between species are reflective of human history and the present which brought up discussion. The characters develop with lessons for readers about how to see other perspectives, see commonalities and hold onto values. Suitable for teens and an excellent challenge read for those not sure they would like sci-fi. Enough technical references and explanations of space life for those who do. Looking forward to more from this author!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful

I will be thinking about this book for a long time to come. Great listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Feelgood scifi, i love it

Just interesting slow paced ideas of how life is in space in a multisentient universe, I really enjoyed it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

More than a space adventure

Fascinating look at what it may be like if we were able to travel the universe with other species. I enjoyed the look at how very different cultures may mingle and try to understand each other. And the space adventure was fun and full of unexpected obstacles for the crew. Getting book two now.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wholesome Hopepunk Space Opera

I did not know a thing about this book while picking it up, just read it was good so I got it.
And what a pleasant surprise.
A story avout people, human or not, about life and the universe.
A journey across the stars in a world that is kot black and white but is full of hope.
Lovely read.
The narrator is good but sometimes the voices get a bit mixed. Nothing serious but noticiable.
I want to read the rest of them.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Can't say enough good things about this

Many reviewers have commented that this book seems to be plotless. I disagree. Though yes, it certainly focuses more on the characters and their relationships rather than the traditional plot, it still has a beginning, middle and end and is incredible. I never wanted to press the pause button. The performance was great as well, and I was at first glad to see she reads the next book, a closed and common orbit. I just pray audible gets the rites to sell it in Canada, because I very much want to read it and would rather not read the IBook. I fact I don't think I will.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful