With no water, no air, and no native life, the planet Gora is unremarkable. The only thing it has going for it is a chance proximity to more popular worlds, making it a decent stopover for ships traveling between the wormholes that keep the Galactic Commons connected. If deep space is a highway, Gora is just your average truck stop.
At the Five-Hop One-Stop, long-haul spacers can stretch their legs (if they have legs, that is), and get fuel, transit permits, and assorted supplies. The Five-Hop is run by an enterprising alien and her sometimes helpful child, who work hard to provide a little piece of home to everyone passing through.
When a freak technological failure halts all traffic to and from Gora, three strangers—all different species with different aims—are thrown together at the Five-Hop. Grounded, with nothing to do but wait, the trio—an exiled artist with an appointment to keep, a cargo runner at a personal crossroads, and a mysterious individual doing her best to help those on the fringes—are compelled to confront where they’ve been, where they might go, and what they are, or could be, to each other.
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I’ve been in love with Becky Chambers’ books since The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, and after reading and falling in love with her novella To Be Taught If Fortunate, I didn’t know if she could top it. How wrong was I. The Galaxy, and the Ground Within is a character tour de force which will have you examining your own self after reading it.
We are on the planet Gora, and otherwise barren planet with little to material value which is used as a stopover for other planets. The Five-Hop One-Stop is run by Laru and her child. They have three ships coming to stay with them, and each ship houses a different alien – and I use the term alien loosely as everything which is non-human or not their own species is alien to them. When a power cut traps them at Five-Hop for who knows how long, they all must try to come together to support one another in each other’s own choices and dilemmas.
What I love about Chambers’ books is they are so character focused and driven. There is no big action scene waiting to happen, there are character story arcs which continue long after the book has finished, but they are not necessarily driving the characters, simply because there is nowhere to ‘drive’ to. They are stuck.
That’s not to say that there aren’t conflicts, there are. They are all different species with different needs, wants and customs, there’s going to be issues cultural mishaps. There’s tension between them as they try to work out how to act around one another, before settling on being themselves.
I loved the cultural exchange and learning that happened in this book. That is not to say it wasn’t there in any of the other books, it’s at their very core, but this book is all about learning about each other and seeing each other as more than just a species, a stereotype and breaking down barriers and prejudices. There are also moments when the fabric of what the Galactic Commons is based on are questioned, which brings the characters to question whether they are making the right choices by either staying with their own species or mixing with others, and if it’s wise to do so.
We see them through the eyes of Laru’s child. The wonder as they experience this for the first time as well as their innocence to the universe around them. And it puts it into perspective how big the universe truly is.
Chambers always seems to hit the nail on the head and asks us readers to not only read the words on the page, but look at ourselves and the world around us. There’s a reason she’s won so many awards.
This is quite simply the perfect end to her Wayfarer’s series, bringing the series full circle back to The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet where it all began. If you’re looking for science fiction, speculative science fiction, and a story with more heart and character than any other, then look no further.
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